else.”
Evie glanced at him. “I…haven’t been to church much since I moved away to college. I always have so much studying to do and then we have sorority obligations. I’m usually so tired by Sunday I sleep in.” She paused and then grinned. “Maybe I am a bit of a heathen.”
Eli opened the door to the church and allowed Evie to walk into the cool respite of the foyer in front of him. Evie’s heels sank into the light blue carpet as she walked toward the door leading into the sanctuary.
“Good morning, Harvey,” Eli greeted a man with a ring of gray hair circling his bald head.
“Morning, Eli. Good to see you. How’s the golf game?” the man asked.
“Not any better than it was last week,” Eli joked as they walked into the sanctuary.
Without thinking Eli placed his hand on Evie’s back to guide her into a pew about halfway up the middle section. Even through her dress, the warmth of her skin drove a tingling sensation through his hand, up his arm, and directly into his heart. He tried to force away his growing smile. He immediately opened the order of service when they settled into their seats.
“Do you know William and Katherine Holmes?” Eli asked as he read their names listed on the paper in front of him.
A spark lit Evie’s eyes as she nodded. “Mrs. Katherine taught me Sunday school when I was a kid. She’s the sweetest lady.”
“They are celebrating their anniversary this week. They are a testament to how marriage should really be.”
“How long have they been married?” Evie asked.
“Sixty years,” he replied, reading the announcement from the paper in front of him.
“I can’t imagine being with someone for so long,” she added. “But isn’t that what marriage is supposed to be? Loving each other, going places together, enjoying just being together? Imagine having all of that for over sixty years….”
“Didn’t you think you and Ben would be together that long if you got married?” Before his tongue thrust the last word into the air, Eli chided himself. Great question, Eli . He looked up to the organ and piano sections and then over to the choir loft and pulpit. Come on, guys, help a fella out. Start playing something, anything to stop this train-wreck of a conversation.
“I never really thought about it,” she answered.
He barely heard her over the murmur of the crowd waiting for the service to begin.
“Your parents have been married for a long time, right? So you grew up seeing a good marriage.” Eli hoped he only imagined seeing her cringe as he said the words good marriage.
“My parents have been married for over thirty years, yes. But I wouldn’t classify it as a ‘good marriage.’ ”
Eli cocked his head to the side and waited for an explanation.
“My parents have…” Evie looked upward as though searching for the right word. “…extracurricular activities.”
The caterpillars dancing through his stomach all morning suddenly morphed into a stampede of elephants as he heard Evie use the same words her father used only days earlier. Extracurricular activities. How can anyone use those words related to marriage without crying in pain or shame? He swallowed hard and spoke his next sentence slowly with an attempt to sound more naïve and calm than he really felt. “What do you mean?”
“They’ve always tried to hide it. They work together, so full-blown affairs are difficult. They show up at the expected places—charity dinners, school awards, and our athletic events—together. But Dad would rather be at the casino than home with us. If he could manage an afternoon off, he always headed to the poker tables. And Mom took those opportunities to find the affection she needed somewhere else.” Evie’s tone grew quiet as the choir and ministers filed onto the platform. She shrugged as the music began.
When the service ended Eli knew he could never discuss the pastor’s sermon because he heard nothing the entire time but the echo of Evie’s
Evie glanced at him. “I…haven’t been to church much since I moved away to college. I always have so much studying to do and then we have sorority obligations. I’m usually so tired by Sunday I sleep in.” She paused and then grinned. “Maybe I am a bit of a heathen.”
Eli opened the door to the church and allowed Evie to walk into the cool respite of the foyer in front of him. Evie’s heels sank into the light blue carpet as she walked toward the door leading into the sanctuary.
“Good morning, Harvey,” Eli greeted a man with a ring of gray hair circling his bald head.
“Morning, Eli. Good to see you. How’s the golf game?” the man asked.
“Not any better than it was last week,” Eli joked as they walked into the sanctuary.
Without thinking Eli placed his hand on Evie’s back to guide her into a pew about halfway up the middle section. Even through her dress, the warmth of her skin drove a tingling sensation through his hand, up his arm, and directly into his heart. He tried to force away his growing smile. He immediately opened the order of service when they settled into their seats.
“Do you know William and Katherine Holmes?” Eli asked as he read their names listed on the paper in front of him.
A spark lit Evie’s eyes as she nodded. “Mrs. Katherine taught me Sunday school when I was a kid. She’s the sweetest lady.”
“They are celebrating their anniversary this week. They are a testament to how marriage should really be.”
“How long have they been married?” Evie asked.
“Sixty years,” he replied, reading the announcement from the paper in front of him.
“I can’t imagine being with someone for so long,” she added. “But isn’t that what marriage is supposed to be? Loving each other, going places together, enjoying just being together? Imagine having all of that for over sixty years….”
“Didn’t you think you and Ben would be together that long if you got married?” Before his tongue thrust the last word into the air, Eli chided himself. Great question, Eli . He looked up to the organ and piano sections and then over to the choir loft and pulpit. Come on, guys, help a fella out. Start playing something, anything to stop this train-wreck of a conversation.
“I never really thought about it,” she answered.
He barely heard her over the murmur of the crowd waiting for the service to begin.
“Your parents have been married for a long time, right? So you grew up seeing a good marriage.” Eli hoped he only imagined seeing her cringe as he said the words good marriage.
“My parents have been married for over thirty years, yes. But I wouldn’t classify it as a ‘good marriage.’ ”
Eli cocked his head to the side and waited for an explanation.
“My parents have…” Evie looked upward as though searching for the right word. “…extracurricular activities.”
The caterpillars dancing through his stomach all morning suddenly morphed into a stampede of elephants as he heard Evie use the same words her father used only days earlier. Extracurricular activities. How can anyone use those words related to marriage without crying in pain or shame? He swallowed hard and spoke his next sentence slowly with an attempt to sound more naïve and calm than he really felt. “What do you mean?”
“They’ve always tried to hide it. They work together, so full-blown affairs are difficult. They show up at the expected places—charity dinners, school awards, and our athletic events—together. But Dad would rather be at the casino than home with us. If he could manage an afternoon off, he always headed to the poker tables. And Mom took those opportunities to find the affection she needed somewhere else.” Evie’s tone grew quiet as the choir and ministers filed onto the platform. She shrugged as the music began.
When the service ended Eli knew he could never discuss the pastor’s sermon because he heard nothing the entire time but the echo of Evie’s
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