lowered his head. “I don’t think I could handle that.” As he stared at the bedspread, he sensed her sympathetic gaze, the teary-eyed one she always got when something tragic happened.
“I understand,” she said. “I’ll arrange something else.” She reached down and took his hand. “Do you want to be a pallbearer?”
Keeping his head low, he nodded. “I guess I can do that.”
Kelly barged in and leaned back on the door, slamming it shut. “Whew! That was close!”
“That’s exactly what I said.” Nathan laid a palm on his abdomen. “But I didn’t know I liked Wal-Mart fruit drinks.”
Kelly flashed an injured expression. “I had to get him out of here, didn’t I?”
“I guess so.” Nathan turned to the computer screen but kept his eye on her. “But you didn’t have to lie.”
She set her hands on her hips and scowled. “Get real, Nathan. Don’t tell me you never lie.”
Clara forked her fingers at them. “Both of you hush! This is no time for a spitting match.” She handed the stack of photos to Kelly. “If you two can’t work together, we’ll never figure this out.”
Kelly’s frown lifted, but only a fraction. “If he keeps looking down on me, we can’t work together.”
Clara pointed a finger that almost touched Kelly’s nose. “Listen, little lady; condescension isn’t a one-way street. Maybe you both need to come down off your high horses and trust each other.” She jerked open the door and stalked away.
As soon as Clara’s heavy footsteps faded, Kelly crossed her arms and glared at the mirror, her socked foot tapping the carpet. With her back turned, Nathan couldn’t see her face directly but the mirror clearly reflected every drooping line from her forehead to her lips.
His heart sank. Maybe he had judged her too harshly. She was really the first girl he knew outside his parents’ circle of friends, and Dad had often whispered subtle warnings about the allure of pretty females who didn’t adhere to his family’s beliefs, that they would be willing to deceive to get what they wanted.
Like wispy phantoms from the past, his father’s words filtered into his mind.
“The key is to discern between the truly deceptive girl and one who is simply unaware of the dangers of spinning webs of lies. The former knows full well what she is doing and seeks to fill her treasure chest with whatever jewels you possess, while the latter needs you to give your pearls of wisdom to her freely so that she may learn the surpassing joy of the children of light, those who love and honor the truth. The secret is to plumb the depths of her soul. Question her heart. It won’t take long to learn if light dwells within or if darkness alone colors her soul.”
Nathan took a deep breath and spoke as gently as he could. “Are you mad at me or your father?”
“Both.” Her foot’s rhythm quickened. “He’s a clueless buffoon. What’s your excuse?”
He gritted his teeth. A dozen witty comebacks flew through his mind, like, I guess it runs in the family, and I hear buffoonery is genetic, but any crass statement would probably make her head explode.
He gazed at her reflection again. She seemed so hurt, so sad and vulnerable. How could he possibly inflict another emotional wound? In the midst of the turmoil within her tragically fractured family, she had probably suffered from her father’s nonverbal cues, unintentional signals that she was unable to liveup to the vision of the son he had always wanted. Her mother had abandoned her, tossing her away with a casually blown kiss. Now Kelly trudged along the only path she knew, one of compromised values and disloyal loved ones. She was a lost angel searching for home.
Finally, he just sighed and strode up behind her, looking at the mirror over her shoulder, close enough to hear her stifled sobs, yet not quite close enough to feel any warmth.
Pulling her lips in, Kelly swung her head to the side, avoiding Nathan’s stare. Her foot
“I understand,” she said. “I’ll arrange something else.” She reached down and took his hand. “Do you want to be a pallbearer?”
Keeping his head low, he nodded. “I guess I can do that.”
Kelly barged in and leaned back on the door, slamming it shut. “Whew! That was close!”
“That’s exactly what I said.” Nathan laid a palm on his abdomen. “But I didn’t know I liked Wal-Mart fruit drinks.”
Kelly flashed an injured expression. “I had to get him out of here, didn’t I?”
“I guess so.” Nathan turned to the computer screen but kept his eye on her. “But you didn’t have to lie.”
She set her hands on her hips and scowled. “Get real, Nathan. Don’t tell me you never lie.”
Clara forked her fingers at them. “Both of you hush! This is no time for a spitting match.” She handed the stack of photos to Kelly. “If you two can’t work together, we’ll never figure this out.”
Kelly’s frown lifted, but only a fraction. “If he keeps looking down on me, we can’t work together.”
Clara pointed a finger that almost touched Kelly’s nose. “Listen, little lady; condescension isn’t a one-way street. Maybe you both need to come down off your high horses and trust each other.” She jerked open the door and stalked away.
As soon as Clara’s heavy footsteps faded, Kelly crossed her arms and glared at the mirror, her socked foot tapping the carpet. With her back turned, Nathan couldn’t see her face directly but the mirror clearly reflected every drooping line from her forehead to her lips.
His heart sank. Maybe he had judged her too harshly. She was really the first girl he knew outside his parents’ circle of friends, and Dad had often whispered subtle warnings about the allure of pretty females who didn’t adhere to his family’s beliefs, that they would be willing to deceive to get what they wanted.
Like wispy phantoms from the past, his father’s words filtered into his mind.
“The key is to discern between the truly deceptive girl and one who is simply unaware of the dangers of spinning webs of lies. The former knows full well what she is doing and seeks to fill her treasure chest with whatever jewels you possess, while the latter needs you to give your pearls of wisdom to her freely so that she may learn the surpassing joy of the children of light, those who love and honor the truth. The secret is to plumb the depths of her soul. Question her heart. It won’t take long to learn if light dwells within or if darkness alone colors her soul.”
Nathan took a deep breath and spoke as gently as he could. “Are you mad at me or your father?”
“Both.” Her foot’s rhythm quickened. “He’s a clueless buffoon. What’s your excuse?”
He gritted his teeth. A dozen witty comebacks flew through his mind, like, I guess it runs in the family, and I hear buffoonery is genetic, but any crass statement would probably make her head explode.
He gazed at her reflection again. She seemed so hurt, so sad and vulnerable. How could he possibly inflict another emotional wound? In the midst of the turmoil within her tragically fractured family, she had probably suffered from her father’s nonverbal cues, unintentional signals that she was unable to liveup to the vision of the son he had always wanted. Her mother had abandoned her, tossing her away with a casually blown kiss. Now Kelly trudged along the only path she knew, one of compromised values and disloyal loved ones. She was a lost angel searching for home.
Finally, he just sighed and strode up behind her, looking at the mirror over her shoulder, close enough to hear her stifled sobs, yet not quite close enough to feel any warmth.
Pulling her lips in, Kelly swung her head to the side, avoiding Nathan’s stare. Her foot
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