Saving Katie Baker by H. Mattern

something? The thought wasn’t erased immediately as all other thoughts of God and spirituality had been in her past. But why would God place her here, in the home of the man who caused her husbands death? Just to mess with her?
    Katie wasn’t the religious type. She used to be, but that was a long time ago. She attended a small Baptist church for a while with a friend but there was always something about it that just didn’t sit right with her. She walked the walk and talked the talk but she had questions, and where she came from, questions weren’t smiled upon.
    She didn’t leave until after her husband died and people began telling her that God had a reason for it all, a purpose in taking her husband from her. Some even suggested it was God’s way of punishing her for having sex before marriage. She wasn’t sure why, but she believed them and decided that she no longer wanted anything to do with their God, or any God who would play her like a chess piece just waiting to call “checkmate”.
    Katie slowly made her way back to Blake’s house. She wondered what he would think of the painting. It wasn’t anything like the older sketches. Would he think it immature? Cartoonish? Katie began to feel insecurity rise up within her.
    Why do I care what he thinks anyway?
    Katie couldn’t help but wonder, though, hoping he’d like what she was about to come home with. For some reason, she felt she needed his approval.
    Upon walking in the door she looked over and saw them. Blake’s head was leaned back and to the left, his eyes were closed and he was snoring. Micah was still cuddled up inside her blanket, and sound asleep in his arms. Katie didn’t want to wake them.
    She glanced at the clock and noticed it was almost lunchtime. She knew when the two woke they’d probably be hungry, so she went scavenging in his kitchen for food to fix. She found a bag of ramen noodles and heated up some water. It was easy, quick, and a pretty satisfying meal. She had no idea who Blake was, or what he liked, but since the ramen was in his own pantry, it had to be a safe bet. Katie decided while waiting for the water to boil, that she ought to try to get to know this man, even though it caused her heart to ache.
    She looked at her painting again, sitting on the dining room table to dry. A heart. She would learn to be more open, to form better relationships with those around her. She would learn to love other people; she would learn to be a friend, and a good neighbor. It was time.
    The spices must have been what woke Blake up. The smell wafted through the whole house, making Katie’s stomach begin to growl. Katie found herself thinking on Blake, wondering when he had fallen asleep, whether or not he had issues sleeping at night like she did.
    When Blake woke, he looked down and saw Micah was still snoozing in his arms.
    “Couldn’t have been that long,” he said.
    Katie heard him moving around and peeked her head into the living room. “Are you ready for lunch? I didn’t know what to fix but saw that you had ramen. Hope that’s alright.”
    “That sounds perfect.” Blake stood up with Micah in his arms. “Do you want me to go lay her down?”
    “Sure, she’ll probably sleep another thirty minutes or so. Usually her naps run a good two hours.”
    Katie walked back to the kitchen and brought out two bowls of chicken-flavored ramen as Blake gently laid Micah on the bed.
    Katie felt different, she wasn’t even sure why, but she could tell being out there with the paints had changed her. Blake seemed to notice it, too, since he stared at her as he walked back into the kitchen.
    “What?” She asked as she looked at him.
    “I don’t know. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is, but there’s something different about you. You seem brighter, happier. Glowing even. Are you okay?”
    “Must be the sunshine,” Katie said.
    Blake sat down at the table with Katie and began to slurp the warm, seasoned noodles. “How did the