“I’m sorry I’m late.” The breathless voice of a middle-aged woman interrupted their conversation.
For the first time that night, Elijah experienced a grain of hope. “Am I glad to see you, Mrs. Graff. Julia, go back with the other angels and we’ll start in five minutes.”
“I thought I’d be late, but it seems you haven’t started.” Mrs. Graff cast a glance around the sanctuary. “What’s going on?”
“The kids are officially in Christmas mode, Joseph is nowhere to be found, and Mary is in the bathroom crying, saying she can’t be in the play.”
Mrs. Graff smiled, one of the few he’d seen from her since he’d come to Jasper Lake. “Put in a substitute for Aiden and I’ll talk to Lara. Tell the kids I’m here to take care of any trouble-makers. That will keep them quiet.”
He chuckled. “I don’t think they’re much afraid of you, but I’ll give it a shot. I already sent Logan to play Joseph right before you arrived, and good luck with Lara.”
Set with a plan of action, practice got underway. They skipped directly to the scene with the angels and shepherds while they waited for Lara to rejoin them. Despite the chaos of getting started, the teens knew their parts. It shouldn’t have surprised him since they’d been practicing for weeks already, but he’d lost a bit of faith in them. Wrongly so, perhaps.
They ran through everything they could without a Mary, but still no sign of Lara.
A half hour into the practice, Mrs. Graff walked in, her lips in a solemn line. She sat next to him and spoke in a whisper, “We have a problem.”
Everything in him fought not to groan. “Do I want to know?”
“No, but you need to.” She shifted her gaze to the stage and back. “Why don’t you dismiss the kids for a snack break? I put some cookies and drinks in the fellowship hall.”
The kids cheered when he announced they could break for a snack. What kid wouldn’t rather eat, when they weren’t into practice to begin with? He returned to Mrs. Graff with a sick feeling in his gut. “What’s our problem?”
“Mary is pregnant and Joseph is the father.”
He sucked in a long gulp of air and slowly let it out. “I’m assuming you’re not talking about the Bible characters?”
She swayed her head side to side. “Aiden’s parents won’t let him come now, according to Lara.”
“And Lara’s parents?”
“They haven’t told them yet.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. If he ever again thought something would be easy, he’d eat the words before speaking them. “They need to know.”
“I agree.”
“I’ll call them this evening. The sooner they know, the better.” His mind spun, playing out different scenarios and conversations.
Mrs. Graff narrowed her eyes and trained them on him. “You’ll do no such thing.”
Her vehemence threw him off guard. “Why not?”
“It’s not your place.” She softened her expression. “Lara is a terrified seventeen-year-old in a situation she’s not old enough to understand. She’ll need her family’s support and the church’s. If you go behind her, you’ll put undue strain on those relationships.”
“So I’m supposed to pretend I don’t have a pregnant teen in my ranks?”
“Yes and no.” Mrs. Graff’s face showed calm and assurance. “Give her a few weeks, and she’ll do the right thing once she comes to terms with it. I’ve known her family for years, and while I suspect they’ll be disappointed, they’ll stand by her.”
“And if they don’t?”
“Then we continue to stand by her and help however we can.”
His stomach twisted, his nerves uneasy. “Isn’t that condoning premarital relations?”
“Have you ever sinned, Elijah?”
“All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” The familiar scripture rolled off his tongue.
