Once Cavin made it into the sanctuary where old wooden pews lined a dated yet pristine worship area, he glanced around contemplating where to sit.Surveying his options Cavin knew the front row would make it easier for Noel to find him, but he didn’t really want to park himself in the spitting section in case the preacher was one of those types.Nor did he want to hunker down near the exit appearing like he wanted to be prepared to make a break for it, plus Noel would have a hard time locating him there.
That left the middle in a space that probably held a couple of hundred people, and Cavin chose the only entirely empty pew in sight, closer to the front than back.Sitting down he began reading the bulletin the greeter handed him with a smile and a warm welcome.Over the next few minutes while studying the words on the bifold brochure, Cavin’s peripheral vision caught a glimpse of people filling in the seats on his left and right.He peered up to say hello to those who sat nearby and waved at some of the others, and eventually he set the bulletin on the hardwood bench beside him to save a seat for Noel which felt really nice.
Cavin’s and everyone else’s attention suddenly turned to the stage when a woman stepped up to the podium and spoke into the microphone welcoming everyone to the service.She then encouraged the congregation to greet those around them and welcome the guests.Cavin shook hands with a handful of people who thanked him for joining them, and then the lady’s voice chimed again.
“I want to welcome to the stage for the first time in far too long our beloved Noel Puckett who will be playing the piano and singing ‘Mary Did You Know.’”
The crowd applauded, and a couple of people even let out big whistles surprising Cavin in a good way.The atmosphere then began to settle as the congregation took their seats.Cavin’s heart skipped a beat when Noel, who looked like an angel as the heavenly rays of light shone down on her through the stained-glass window, floated onto the stage wearing an elegant yellow dress, black heels, and her patented Santa hat.She was absolutely radiant.
As Noel sat down at the piano and her fingers began to slow dance along the familiar ebony and ivory keys, Cavin realized he was among the few people still standing.The person next to him, whose presence he suddenly felt in the space he saved for Noel, was also upright.When Cavin sat, the woman with the sweet-smelling perfume he couldn’t ignore also sat, but he didn’t even look her way because he was so mesmerized by Noel and grateful she chose to play his favorite song.
Playing the intro, Noel couldn’t help but notice two of the last people standing in a packed sanctuary.She peered directly into Cavin’s eyes.Cavin immediately spotted the seriousness in her glare as her eyes darted back and forth between him and the person sitting next to him.It always amazed him how direct eye contact could be recognized from such a distance, but he knew without a doubt that Noel saw him.When he followed her eyes toward the figure beside him, the woman spoke.
“Hello, Cavin,” Georgia greeted.“I am so glad you decided to take me up on the invitation to come to church,” she whispered into his ear making their faces only inches apart.
Cavin wondered if his mouth fell agape as widely as it seemed in his mind.When he felt Georgia’s arm slip around his shoulder letting her fingers dangle on his bicep, he found himself somewhere between cussing in church and passing out in the pew.
Noel, somehow still managing to stroke the keys, more out of rote habit than purpose, suddenly wanted to be anywhere else but here.The situation was upsetting, and as she tried to calm her emotions, the number of thoughts flashing through her mind in a blink became overwhelming.Why was she so upset—Cavin wasn’t her boyfriend?They weren’t officially dating, but she liked him and thought he liked her.They spent every evening together this week.She let the kids get close to him.The two of them shared a kiss, a magical kiss.She should be the one sitting next to him.
Georgia, wearing a painted smile and an expensive designer dress, kept her eyes peeled on Noel whose stature visibly shrank behind the piano as discomfort overtook her.
Cavin quickly realized that although he was in church, he wasn’t anywhere near heaven; he was in the middle of two women whose attention suddenly turned to one another.As Cavin read Noel’s and Georgia’s faces, he quickly realized something climactic was about to occur.He felt caught in the middle of a duel between two gunslinging adversaries and expected to see desert sand swirling and tumbleweed drifting in the distance at any moment.
What were the chances that Noel and Georgia attended the same church?Actually probably pretty good in a small town like Beaufort, Cavin determined a bit too late.He knew Georgia was already on edge with him, and he didn’t want to drive a wedge even further between them nor did he want to risk losing the connection he formed with Noel this week.However, Georgia went too far this time.She could have asked,Is anyone sitting here?orMay I sit with you?But she hadn’t, and she hadn’t on purpose.Cavin’s opportunity to do something about it quickly fell through his fingertips like a slippery fish desperate for water.
Noel knew this was her last chance to avoid this mess without looking any sillier than she already did.She felt like a teenager wanting to sit beside a boy who belonged to another girl.Maybe Cavin liked her, maybe he liked Georgia, or maybe he liked them both.Regardless Noel didn’t want to play this game not at church, not anywhere.Rather than singing the opening lyrics of the song, Noel sat frozen in place stilled by overwhelming emotion.When the piano keys suddenly fell silent, Noel huffed a sigh into the microphone with tears streaming down her face.She never wanted to cause a scene, but she couldn’t play a moment longer.She knew her vocal chords wouldn’t make it through the song, so why even start?
“Oops,” Georgia scoffed as the crowd began to whisper.
Noel exited the stage racing down the aisle like a runaway bride.The majority of the congregation possibly chalked it up to the emotional toll of her first public performance since her family’s tragedy, but then Cavin stood abruptly, excusing himself all the way down the pew and drawing attention as people were forced to turn their knees or stand to allow him to pass.
When Cavin stepped over Georgia without a word, he heard her say, “Cavin, where are you going?”loud enough for others to hear.
He thought about turning to answer but didn’t.He spent his whole life being diplomatic trying to straddle the fence between his business and personal relationships.But now something told him to follow his heart—to follow Noel Puckett, no matter what Georgia or anyone else in the church thought.
As these thoughts rumbled through Cavin’s mind like a stampede of wild horses, he realized he was the only person standing in the entire sanctuary and more eyes were on him than on the pastor who stepped up to the podium attempting to calm the worried crowd.
Cavin followed Noel's path even though he realized he, Noel, and Georgia would be the talk of the town after this situation.
When Cavin reached the massive sanctuary doors, they already closed behind Noel, and the gentleman who gave him the bulletin kindly pushed one open for him.
“I’m praying for you, my friend,” the man offered in a sincere tone.
Cavin wasn’t sure whether the guy chose those words because he realized Cavin was chasing after Noel or if he thought Cavin was leaving the service for an emergency or some other reason.Regardless he was thankful the greeter never asked why nor pressured him to stay.
When Cavin made it to the concrete platform leading to steps and eventually down a sidewalk paralleled by a cast iron fence and the downtown road where cars lined the street on both sides, he surveyed the area for Noel.Unfortunately he didn’t see her anywhere.He hurried to either side of the building checking to see if she headed into another part of the church, possibly to get Levi and Laney who rode to church with Mrs.Madelyn and Jack after staying the night with them.
Cavin quickly decided he shouldn’t venture into any other part of the church building in search of Noel.As badly as he wanted to talk to her right now, he didn’t want to raise any red flags, especially in areas where children may be present.At that conclusion he began looking for Noel’s vehicle which led him up and down the street and through an adjacent parking lot searching for her.He kept expecting to find her locked in her car with her head resting on her arms draped across the steering wheel like a blanket.
Two blocks down he noticed Noel’s sedan pull out of a parking spot rather quickly, although not dangerously, and speed down the road away from the church.An instant later he glimpsed the unmistakable Santa hat—not on her head but sitting on the roof of her vehicle.When it blew off like a leaf in the fall, Cavin hurried in that direction hoping she would stop for it, but if Noel noticed, it appeared she didn’t care enough to recover the beloved item.
Cavin jogged to the middle of the street to retrieve the hat Noel told him she wore for as long as she could remember.He held it high in the air hoping she would see him standing there from her rearview mirror, but the car kept moving away from him, its taillights fading quickly in the distance.
23
Cavin wasn’t sure why he returned to the sanctuary after placing Noel’s Santa hat into the passenger seat of his vehicle.He guessed he didn’t know what else to do after the following text showed up on his phone while his head rested against the headrest:Please don’t come by, call, or text.Five minutes later, Cavin tiptoed to an empty seat in the back row and halfway tuned in to the pastor’s message about loving others regardless of how they looked or acted.
The preacher pointed out the uniqueness of their congregation made up of individuals from all walks of life—some wealthy, some poor, some middle class, some enjoying a joyful season of life and others experiencing loss or sadness.He finished with a note about the beauty of Christmastime while also bringing to light the loneliness it brings certain people.He reminded everyone to focus on giving this holiday season rather than receiving, and then the congregation sang “Joy to the World.”
