Page 31 of Sing with Me

Diehl assumed that was where they were sitting. He nodded.

He took his music sheets and walked toward her, wondering how he had ended up this way.

When Isobel was alive, they wouldn’t step foot in a church. None of his kids had grown up in a church. Summer in church would be strange to them. Isobel had sent them to summer camps, but they were mostly secular. This time things would be different.

Different how?

Diehl didn’t know.

Avery walked up to Skye just as Diehl was making his way around the pews.

“Are we eating somewhere after church?” Avery asked.

Diehl pretended not to hear. Skye glanced his way.

“We could grab a bite,” she said. “Diehl, would you like to join us?”

“For what?” Diehl asked nonchalantly.

“Dinner after the service.”

“I don’t know. I might be tired.” It was the truth. Having stayed away from church for years, today was quite an avalanche. He had attended Sunday School, the morning service, played hymns all afternoon, and now he was back at church. How much church could he take?

Then again, he felt refreshed even as the day drew to a close.

In fact, he felt more refreshed than he had ever been coming off the golf course on Sundays. As for that, he might beg off playing golf on Sundays anymore. Dad would be disappointed, but strangely enough, Diehl was looking forward to church next week.

“I’m tired too,” Skye said. “I have to get up super early in the morning.”

To cook breakfast for me, Diehl didn’t say.

“But food is food…” Skye said.

“Maybe a quick to-go?” Avery asked. “As long as I’m not cooking, I’m happy.”

“I bet it’s the opposite for Skye,” Diehl said.

Skye almost nodded.

Diehl didn’t know what that meant. Was she trying not to agree with him?

He had thought they were starting to be friends. There was still a wall between them, and he didn’t know what it was.

There was nothing for them to talk about except food.

People trickled into the sanctuary, almost all wearing casual clothes. Skye glanced at her watch.

“Okay, so what we’re going to do is this,” Skye said to Diehl. “I’ll give the cue—about two songs and a prayer away—and we’ll make our way out the back door over there, and find our way to the doors outside the platform. When the pastor prays for the offering, we take our positions.”

“You’ve done this before,” Diehl said.

“Many times. I’ve been attending this church since I was in kindergarten.”

“Wow. When Matt talked about you in Sunday School, it never dawned on me that it also meant you two were attending this church.”

“Actually, Matt went to another church in Brunswick. We just went to the same school.”

“Ah, sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed.”

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