Who We Are by Samantha Marsh Page B

and yet it didn’t feel wrong. There was a familiar feeling of comfort in his arms. She felt no shame or sin; rather, a gnawing feeling that she belonged with him. She had to resist the urge to turn and run back to him.
                  She didn’t feel nervous about getting caught and punished. Normally, the mixture of adrenaline and fear following any disobedience would create a state of near panic in anticipation of being caught. But this time was different. Her instincts told her that what had just happened was meant to be.
                  She knew she had about a half hour before her parents would return home so she quickly peeled and chopped some potatoes, and shelled some peas. She started cooking these on the stove. She chopped green lettuce, fresh tomato and cucumber for a salad.  She retrieved the butchered chicken from the ice box that Mama had started soaking in brine since the day before so Desire just needed to drain the liquid and place them in a roasting pan. She added chopped onions and sprinkled fresh sage to the pan and placed it in the oven to roast. Then she raced around the kitchen making her father’s favourite dessert. He had a weakness for chocolate and loved her own special recipe for Mud Cake. She made it extra chocolaty and dense by adding chocolate pudding sauce to the middle. She mixed and whipped the ingredients with ferocity. She wiped little beads of sweat from her brow as she set the last place at the dinner table and heard voices at the front door.
                  “Desire! You will never guess who we saw on our way home from church just now!” Her father’s voice had always been loud, but seemed even more so now.
                  Desire turned around and couldn’t have been more shocked if God himself strolled in beside her Papa. But it was not God, it was Johnny. Her father had his hand on the back of Johnny’s neck and looked his daughter squarely in the eyes. Desire looked away from her father to steal a glance at Johnny, who grinned widely at her.
                  Her heart sank. Oh no. No, no. no. What a fool I’ve been. He’s just tricked me.
                  Overcome with panic, fear and feelings of betrayal, the room around her darkened. Desire fainted.
                  Papa and Johnny rushed over to her while Mama ran to get smelling salts from the cabinet. She held them under her daughter’s nose.
                  “Wake up, darling. Please wake up.” Her father shook her gently, attempting to rouse her. After a few moments her eyelids started to flutter and she slowly regained consciousness. She looked around the room in a stupor.
                  “Desire, what is the matter? Are you not feeling well?”
     
    “I… I don’t know,” she stammered.
    “Let’s get you into a chair.”
    Papa scooped his daughter’s head off the floor to help her sit upright, while Johnny took her hands and gently coaxed her to her feet. They guided her to the dining chair at the head of the table, the one with the armrests. She sat back in the chair and waited, not knowing what to say, who to look at, or who to trust.
    “Now, what I wanted to speak with you about, Desire, is that we ran into Johnny walking along the road.”
    Oh no. Here it comes. He knows. Papa knows! I will have to repent in front of the town again, and Johnny… What will Papa do to Johnny?!
    Desire grasped the handles of the armrests.
    “He was coming home from church and Mama had told me how helpful he was to you the other day. I thought we would show our thanks to Johnny by inviting him over for our Sunday dinner, but if you’re not feeling well, perhaps we should think about doing this another time.”
                  She took a moment to process what he said.
    “No Papa. I’m fine. Really!”
    She realized now what was going on and felt so relieved. Relived that Papa did not know what had