Jim’s heart filled with warmth. He harbored no ill feelings toward Kathy. He hoped she would not feel any towards him after she found out about Kayla.
“Hi.” Her tone was shy and timorous. Not the bossy, kick-butt Kathy she appeared to be with Eric.
“Kathy. I’m glad you came. I was afraid you wouldn’t be ready yet. It’ll be so much easier up there with you close by. Like always.” He smiled a forced, generic smile. His customary Pastor Jim smile. Nothing personal. But most people assumed it was.
Her shoulders visibly relaxed. “I wasn’t sure you or anyone would want me here, never mind, my bodyguards. A sad reminder of why this happened. And Eric isn’t up to it. Not yet.”
Jim grinned. “I know you feel safer with him nearby so I understand, and I’m not mad at all. We’re good. Our shared concern for the church and its members makes you very welcome and we want you here.”
“How can you know that?” Her hands trembled.
“Because I asked. Charlotte personally asked most of the congregation their opinion on the matter. You were right to worry but most of them said they wanted you to stay here and none believed it was your fault or that it would happen again.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “Kayla urged me to come. She said I needed to come back before I was too afraid to. I couldn’t let an evil act take away from me what I love so much. And working here is what I love the most.”
“Kayla is right.” More often than not. Kayla gave them both the same pep talk. He frowned as he wondered who gave her the pep talk? She seemed okay and together, but what if she needed one too? “But I’m still worried about going in there.”
“It’s understandable. We’ll do it together. Make new memories to replace all the evil ones. Wash away the blood with the unity of everyone joining together again.” Just as Kayla told him. Bringing him there and allowing him to be sad, confused and scared of the room, she created the space he needed to be able to lead again. An interesting development.
“That’s lovely. I was trying to rationalize this but I couldn’t. It makes no sense. I know there is none to find and I can accept it now.”
He smiled and said, “Come, let’s worship together.” He was holding her arm, not her hand. Most of the congregation still thought he and Kathy were engaged. They had to gently correct that assumption. She’d given him back his ring, and that was the end of them.
He briefly considered what he did the very night they ended it while she still wore his ring.
Kathy winced upon entering, but her bright eyes were tear-free and she held her head high. She insisted on looking at both spots where the trauma occurred. But now it was so different. It was easy to trick the brain into thinking it really wasn’t the same room. The money to repair and improve it was well spent and now it was truly a gift from the community.
Kathy’s guards were posted, another fact that Jim accepted as part of his life. He left Kayla’s bodyguard on duty at his measly apartment. Good thing the guards didn’t talk or gossip. Eric would know, and maybe he did. But Eric was a professional, and he would tell no one.
The attendance for the service was expected to be low given the grizzly circumstances. Most poked their heads inside the worship room, just as slowly and cautiously as Jim and Kathy did, but their anxiety blossomed into smiles when they saw all the changes to the space.
Yes, it was a wonderful gift.
Kathy played the piano, providing soft, comforting music. Candles were lit and the slides started.
Jim rose and walked over to the new podium at the altar.
He looked around with a long, warm gaze at all the congregation and swiped his hands out in an all-encompassing gesture. “Welcome, one and all. I am so pleased to see each of you.”
There were several murmurs. Setting his Bible and sermon down, he skirted the podium to stand more casually in front of the crowd. “I want to thank you for coming back and giving us a chance. I realize how scary it feels and I commend you for how brave you are in facing the challenge. I faced it myself. We must give our blessings to all the generous donors who came together and completely updated our holy space here. Tainted by a random act of violence, it’s all been redesigned, fresh and new, and I want to use that theme in today’s message. We are the light that came together to illuminate the dark. We join again to erase the evil that tested our love and our faith as a community. We are a people of faith. We are all friends to each other. The beauty we create when we love one another and share our misfortune far outweighs anything that was taken from us that day.
“This isn’t easy for anyone. I credit you all for trusting your faith to return here and hope you will continue to come every Sunday. We find comfort in each other. Our hugs and other expressions of our faith must be shared. That is how we heal and claim this—”
His voice faltered when his eyes landed on the new arrival as she slipped into a back seat.
Kayla.
Darn her! She came anyway. Despite his plea for her to stay home. He left her barely hours ago, lying naked in his bed. And she
