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Lauren
Lauren loved Pastor Adam, but his preaching left a lot to be desired. She wondered if he’d let her write him an outline. He needed a beginning and an end. With a straight line connecting the two. Sure, he’d probably still get off track, but at least he’d be able to look down and see that connecting line.
She glanced at the time and then at the door. Roderick caught her looking and seemed annoyed. It was at least the hundredth time she’d looked at the door, and her looking didn’t even make sense. She’d invited Molly to a one o’clock tea party, not to the church service before. She had no reason to show up two hours early.
She had no reason to show up at all.
Lauren sighed and tried to focus on Pastor’s words, which were jumbled. He was now talking about Jeremiah, but she was pretty sure he still meant Joshua. She didn’t think Jeremiah had ever crossed the Jordan, and if he had, it hadn’t been a big deal.
Finally, the church service was over, and Lauren found herself mentally pushing her brothers and sisters out of the sanctuary. People had a tendency to linger, jibber-jabbering. She glanced at the time again. They had nearly an hour. Plenty of time for jibber-jabber. She noticed Esther and Zoe struggling with a folded table. Well, Esther was struggling, not Zoe. Lauren hurried to help.
“Thank you,” Esther said.
“No, thank you. Thanks for helping me with this crazy scheme and for making it seem less crazy.”
“It’s not crazy at all.” Esther glanced at the organ. “This isn’t the first time we’ve used tea to try to lure someone in.”
Zoe laughed.
Esther looked at her sharply. “What’s so funny?”
“Don’t use the word lure, Gramma. It makes us sound evil.”
Esther pressed her lips together. “You’re right. I s’pose it does. I don’t know what other word to use, though, that means trying to get people into the church.”
“Lately, we’ve been trying to take the church to the people,” Lauren said.
“You’re right,” Esther said. “And that’s a good thing.”
Vicky appeared with a pastel purple plastic tablecloth, and Rachel was right behind her with a huge colorful bouquet.
“Looks like you guys have this under control,” Zoe said. “I’m going home.”
“You’re not staying?” Lauren said.
“Um ... no.”
Lauren looked around the sanctuary for her own daughter. She had hoped Mary Sue would stay, but it seemed her whole family had left her. She sighed. She needed to help Molly and then focus on not annoying her husband. She hadn’t meant to get so far off track with him.
Her eyes returned to the table, where plates of cookies and cupcakes had appeared, as well as two fairly exquisite teacup and tea pot sets. Where had those come from? The table looked amazing, but it was also full. “Where are people going to sit?”
“Here.” Rachel pushed a plush wing chair toward them and then stood up and mopped her brow.
“Good idea,” Lauren said and went to get another.
Soon they had a small circle of relatively comfortable, if mismatched, furniture near the table. Church members had filtered out. The water was boiled.
And eight women stood or sat around, quietly waiting.
“Who are we waiting for again?” Vera squinted at Esther.
Esther glanced at the clock. In seconds it would be one o’clock. “Just waiting till the official start time,” Esther said.
And then the official start time came, and most of them still stared at the door—which slowly swung open to reveal a well put-together young woman with a timid look on her face.
Cathy rushed to the door. “Welcome!”
The scared look on Molly’s face prodded Lauren into action, and she followed after Cathy. “Hi, Molly! Welcome!” She swept an arm toward the table of goodies. “I’m so glad you made it. Come on in, and I’ll introduce you to people.”
Molly took two steps and stopped.
“Can I hang your coat up for you?” Cathy asked.
“No thanks,” Molly said softly, but she did take her coat off. Then she followed Lauren toward the comfy chairs.
“Hi, Molly,” Rachel said as she poured water into a tea pot. “Sorry, we’re running a bit behind. Just getting these teas steeping right now.”
If Molly hadn’t shown up, would they have had tea at all?
