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Friends
When the service concluded, Cecilia glanced around, expecting to see people get up and start talking. The talking part they did, but not the getting up. Instead, the man who had given her the bulletin walked to the front of the church and began gesturing to people, who got up one bench at a time. Since she was more than halfway towards the back, she had a while to wait.
While she waited, to her surprise and maybe a little horror, the young couple in front of her turned around to say good morning. The older couple sitting next to them also turned around, and Cecilia felt the weight of eight eyes boring into hers. A blush crept up her cheeks.
“Good morning. My name is Sam,” the young man introduced himself, twisting to extend his hand over the back of the bench.
“Um, hi. I’m Cecilia,” she replied, shaking his hand a little awkwardly. Then the young woman extended her hand, and Cecilia felt obligated to shake hers, too.
“I’m Sophie. Are you new here?” the woman asked.
Here as in this church? New Albany? Ugh, Cecilia hated even these basic social interactions. She never knew what to say.
“Uh, yeah,” she muttered. Brilliant, Cici, she chided herself.
“Well, welcome,” Sophie replied, seemingly unbothered by Cecilia’s lack of social grace. “I just moved to Williamson – that’s the next town over – a year ago. I still feel pretty new to the area. And I attended a different church at the beginning, too. I just transferred my membership to Bethel a few months ago. So I totally get being new! It’s a lot.”
What was she supposed to say back? The older woman sitting with Sam and Sophie spared Cecilia from having to figure it out.
“Hi, Cecilia. I’m Laurie Harrison, and this is my husband, Dan. We’re Sam’s parents. Welcome to New Albany! Do you live nearby?”
More awkward handshakes.
“I have an apartment a few miles away,” she finally answered Laurie. It was Laurie, right?
“Oh, one of those lovely new ones on the south end of town?” Laurie practically bounced in her seat.
“Time to go, Laurie,” Dan spoke quietly at his wife’s side, rising and following the directions of the man showing people down the aisle.
“Come to lunch?” Laurie asked as she scooted out of the seat, Sam and Sophie following.
“I can’t today, but thank you,” Cecilia replied automatically.
“Oh, dear. Well, I hope we see you next week!” Laurie called over her shoulder. Cecilia just nodded and watched the four of them walk away.
She could have gone to lunch, and a niggle in her brain made her wonder why she said no. It was habit at this point. She had so often said no when she was single. Really, Caleb was her courage. And since he was gone, she was back to her own devices. In the last 6 months, she had said no to everyone and everything. It was just easier.
As she followed Sophie and Sam out of the church, Sophie turned around to talk to her again.
“I hope you’ll come back next week so we can see you again,” the slender young woman said. She had blond hair and sweet, gentle eyes. Out of habit, Cecilia also noticed that her skin was a little dry, like she was recovering from a sunburn.
“I don’t know,” she answered as honestly as she could. She didn’t really want to come back; it was incredibly overwhelming.
Sophie’s brow furrowed, as if she saw more than Cecilia wanted to share.
“Is the traditional church setting unfamiliar to you?” she asked gracefully.
Grateful for the out, Cecilia nodded. “My previous church was very different.”
“I get that. I grew up in a church much like this one, and when I moved to Williamson, I attended a contemporary-styled church there. It was a foreign world to me. Instruments, pastor in jeans, music on a screen – I didn’t grow up with any of that. I’m guessing you’re the opposite?”
“Something like that…” Cecilia hedged. She didn’t know these people well enough to share details.
“If it would help you feel more comfortable, I’d be happy go over the service with you sometime. Or you could sit with us,” Sophie offered. “No pressure, though.”
“Oh. Uh, thanks. I’ll… I’ll let you know,” Cecilia stuttered.
“No problem,” Sophie reassured. “I just don’t want you to feel like you don’t have a place here just because it’s unfamiliar.”
Though she didn’t understand why, that made tears burn the corners of Cecilia’s eyes. She swallowed and pasted on a smile she didn’t feel.
“Thanks.”
“I hope we’ll see you around, Cecilia,” Sophie finished with another handshake. Sam shook her hand and smiled, too, and then they moved along.
She managed to get to the entryway without being bothered by anyone else. Once there, a bulletin board caught her attention, and she stepped over to read the various announcements. VBS was next week – and what was VBS? Someone was offering lawn-mowing services. And in the corner, a simple white paper with Times New Roman black text requested someone to cook dinner three nights a week for Gary Brunn and his farmhand.
Intrigued, Cecilia took a picture of the ad with her phone, then slipped out the doors before anyone else could accost her. The second she pulled her car out of the parking lot, she let loose the tears that had been begging for release for the past hour.
Bethel was so overwhelming. Did she really belong with such nice people in their sweet little church? She didn’t know how to be like them.