Aiden’s hand found hers, and he gave it a gentle squeeze.Then he gave her a brief kiss on the forehead.“Get some sleep.See you tomorrow.”
Sam watched him from the window as he walked to his car.
Chapter Nineteen
Sam slept like a rock.Arlo was similarly out after his agility club exertions, sleeping hard right next to her.The next morning, she woke before dawn and prepared to head to church.She found the services seemed to really reset her for the week ahead.She left Arlo still dozing on her bed.
Sunset Ridge Presbyterian Church was a beautiful old church with a traditional white exterior, a tall steeple, and red double doors.Sam decided to go to the adult Sunday school class and head home before the service.She walked over to the fellowship hall downstairs.The class’s teacher was a retired professor who favored the Socratic discussion style.Right now, they were studying the book of Ecclesiastes.It was a convivial class with about 12 to 15 regulars.
As the class started, she saw Claire quietly hurrying in, looking exhausted and drawn.She looked across the room, saw Sam there and nodded a greeting.Sam gave her a smile in return.
The professor, Marvin, started talking about “what has been will be again ...that there was nothing new under the sun.”He discussed cycles of human behavior, the patterns that repeat themselves.
Marvin said, “The Hebrew word here,yesh, implies ‘already exists.’Not thatnothingcan be new, but that human experience keeps circling back.”
A woman in her sixties said, “My grandma used to say ‘different day, same foolishness.’”
There was laughter around the room.
A younger member of the class said, “But doesn’t that make everything kind of meaningless?If we’re just repeating cycles?”
“I think that’s the tension we need to sit with.Observe the patterns, but don’t despair of them.”
The class continued as Sam glanced over at Claire from time to time.She was usually a lot more animated in Sunday school, asking questions and contributing to the discussion.When the class ended, Claire just quietly gathered her things.
Before Sam could come up with an excuse to speak with her, she walked over to Sam.
“Hey there,” she said.“Do you want to grab a coffee?I think I’m going to skip the service today.”
“Sure.I’ll meet you over there.”
A few minutes later, they met at Mountain Perk.It was late-morning now and moderately busy at the coffeehouse.They both ordered coffee and muffins and sat down at a booth in the corner.Sofia wasn’t there, so must have had the day off.
Claire gave her a sympathetic look.“I heard you’d spoken to Gerald shortly before he died.”
Sam nodded.“I’m afraid so.I’m sorry.I know the two of you were friends.”
