Page 70 of Not Until I Found You

I exhale slowly and type.

Me

I don’t know. I haven’t been to church in so long…

His reply comes quickly.

Zane

I promise it’ll be different than you’ve experienced before. On Wednesdays, we have dinner together and then break off into our smaller groups. Ashton and I basically just sit around and give our pastor a hard time. I promise it’s very entertaining.

A small laugh slips out of me as some of the tension eases from my shoulders. I shake my head, a faint smile pulling at my lips as I type back.

Me

Of course the two of you would harass your own pastor.

Zane

It’s okay. He says it helps him build character.

Or patience.

Look, if you feel uncomfortable, we can leave early and do something else instead.

I stare at his message for a moment, and my grip on the phone loosens as I glance up from the screen. Dad is still carefully working at something in the soil. I watch him as a thought slips in.

Has he been to church since moving to Covewood? We used to go when he and Mom were still together, back before his accident changed everything. I try to picture him sitting in a pew now, humming along to hymns and listening to a sermon, but the image refuses to settle.

Faith never seemed to fit neatly inside four walls for Dad. It’s quieter, similar to the way he works the soil, the patience he has for growing things, and the way he shows up day after day whether anything blooms or not. Dad’s faith was never loud.

It wasn’t the kind that quoted scripture at every opportunity or had all the right answers. It was steady. Even Ashton’s faith seems to have grown roots here in Covewood, while mine has spent years drifting between hurt and uncertainty. I’d like to know how he’s held onto God through everything that’s happened. Maybe I’ll ask him about it later, when the questions don’t feel quite so fragile…and when I’m brave enough to hear the answers.

I glance back down at my phone, and before I can overthink it, I type.

Me

…Okay.

I’ll go. But I refuse to be embarrassed by you or my brother.

Zane

Deal. We’ll try our best to not embarrass you, but I can’t make any promises.

And for what it’s worth, I’m really glad you’re coming

The hallway hums with low conversations, chairs scraping softly against the floor, and laughter spilling out of the kitchen. I hover near the wall, smoothing my hands down the front of my dress for the third time since I’ve arrived. The dinner looks delicious. There are homemade casseroles, fresh rolls, and a dessert, but I barely touch my food. My stomach is too wound up to handle more than a few polite bites.

Even through the nerves, being here isn’t as uncomfortable as I thought it would be.

My gaze drifts across the room, noticing how the people here don’t look polished or put together. Some are wearing jeans and worn boots with flannels, while others, like me, are in summer dresses or shorts. I spot a guy with tattoos winding down both arms, another with a small hoop piercing through his brow. A woman walks past me with bright-pink hair pulled into a messy bun, balancing a tray of empty plates.

It doesn’t seem like people are putting on a performance. They’re showing up as themselves, and that makes it easier for me to breathe.

Ashton waves me over. “Maxie, come here for a second.”

I weave through the crowd until I reach him. Standing beside him is a man that looks to be about the same age as Ashton, who has kind eyes and an easy smile.