After Shock- Ellie's Chance

by Vikki McCombie

  Jason had driven the boys to practice but didn’t stay to watch. He had to get Kelly from her after school program and wanted to change out of his uniform. He didn’t like to wear it to church. Of course, Wednesday night suppers were casual, not that anyone dressed too formally even on Sundays.

  Once he had Kelly working on a bit of homework, he went to his room to take a shower and shave. While he didn’t have a heavy beard, being a ginger, he didn’t care for facial hair. Any time he went out in the evening, he’d usually shave.

  Fortunately, his hair had turned a darker shade of red than when he’d been a kid. He’d hated that bright color it had been when he was younger. At least his kids hadn’t gotten his red hair. Both were sandy blond and brown-eyed like their mom.

  Once he’d finished shaving, he pulled on a pair of dark jeans and a Henley shirt. He jogged down the stairs and went to the kitchen for Kelly. She had a milk mustache, and he had to laugh.

  She looked at him and frowned. “Why are you laughing at me?”

  He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the door frame. “I was just admiring your mustache.”

  She put her hands on her tiny hips. “I don’t have a mustache.”

  He grinned. “Oh, I beg to differ, sweet pea. You do have one.”

  She wiped her hand across her mouth and glared at him. “It’s just milk, silly daddy.” She grabbed her napkin and wiped again. “So there, it’s gone.”

  “Ah, but you looked so cute.” He stepped to her and stroked her shiny curls. “Are you finished with your homework?”

  Laying her crayon on the table, she replied, “All done. Is it time to get Brian and his friend?”

  “It is. Practice will be over soon. Come on, let’s head over to the soccer field and pick them up. Then we’re going to Zach’s house and get his mom. She’s going with us tonight.”

  Kelly clapped her hands. “Yay. I like her. She so pretty, and nice too. Don’t you think she’s pretty, Daddy?”

  Oh, yeah, she’s a looker, all right. He envisioned her long, sun-kissed curls hanging over her shoulders and her incredible blue eyes. Just thinking of her aroused his masculine instincts. He cleared those thoughts from his mind.

  His daughter stared at him, waiting for him to reply. “She’s a very nice lady, and yes, she is very pretty. Okay. Let’s go, sweet pea.” He scooped her up and placed her on his shoulder and headed outside into the afternoon sun glistening on the leaves turning them a burnished gold.

  Once he picked up the boys, he turned toward Ellie’s. Zach asked him several questions concerning the church. The kid sure seemed interested. He hoped his mother would show the same interest, but that was not likely to happen.

  As soon as he pulled into the driveway, Ellie stepped outside and waved. She was at his truck before he even had a chance to get out. She slipped into the seat next to him, since both their sons were in the back with Kelly. She glared at her son, then grinned. “I had strict orders to be ready, so here I am.”

  “Ah, Mom,” Zach protested. “You know I just meant I didn’t want to hold up Mr. Henderson. You do cut it kind of close at times.”

  “I will have you know I was ready and waiting ten minutes ago.” She glanced at him. “Zach always likes to be early. And I will admit, there have been a few times I’ve almost been late getting him to practice, but I always make it with a minute to spare.”

  Jason liked her sassy attitude. So far, she seemed a lot more relaxed than he’d expected. “We’ve got plenty of time, so there’s no need to rush. The church is only a couple of miles away. We’ll be there well before five-thirty.”

  He backed out of the driveway and turned left toward the church, and in less than five minutes, he’d pulled into the paved lot and parked his truck. The boys clambered out and jogged to a group of young people nearby. He’d planned to open her door, but she didn’t give him a chance. She’d hurried out and had already opened Kelly’s door and was helping her out by the time he made it to that side of his truck.

  Although Kelly could now walk on her cast, he found it quicker to carry her, so once she was out, he swept her up in his arms. “Daddy. I want to walk. You know I can now.”

  “Would you begrudge your old dad a chance to carry his best girl?” he teased. “Before you know it, you’ll be too big for me to pick up. Humor me, all right?”

  Kelly scrunched her petite nose. “I guess but put me down when we get to the door. I don’t want Sarah and Samantha to see you carrying me like a baby.”

  Jason turned to Ellie. “Sarah and Samantha are her new friends. You’ll meet them, along with their parents once we’re inside.”

  She smiled at his daughter. “I look forward to meeting your friends,” She fell into step beside him, and soon they had reached the entrance to the fellowship hall, where the supper would be. Nowhere near the main entrance of the church. The tightness in her chest eased.

  As Jason set Kelly on the sidewalk and opened the door, he sniffed. A tantalizing aroma was coming from the container she carried. “I think I told you it wasn’t necessary for you to bring anything, didn’t I?”

  Her cheeks turned an enchanting shade of rose. “I know, but I didn’t feel right. I made my chicken, rice, and broccoli casserole. It’s easy to make and Zach loves it.”

  He grinned. “Well, if it tastes as good as it smells, no wonder he likes it.”

  He touched the small of her back and his fingers tingled as he guided her through the door Kelly had entered. As soon as they had moved inside, he moved his hand away. His reaction to her surprised him.

  He’d not experienced anything remotely like that whenever he’d had an occasion to assist other women since his wife died. Why did it happen with Ellie when they could never be more than friends? After all, she didn’t even want to come tonight, and she clearly didn’t believe as he did.

  Cam and his wife stepped toward them and smiled. Emilee extended her hand to Ellie. “Here, let me help you with that. I’m so pleased you could join us tonight. I’m Emilee, by the way.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Ellie Branson. If you’ll show me where to put this, I’d be most grateful.”

  “Sure. The kitchen is right this way.” Emilee turned to Kelly. “Sarah and Samantha are waiting for you. I’ll show you where they are on our way to the kitchen.” Emilee led Kelly to a table close by. The two older girls greeted Kelly and helped her get situated in a chair. Then Cam’s wife led Ellie toward the kitchen.

  Cam grinned. “So that’s Ellie? I was expecting someone older, and one who doesn’t smile. From what you told me, she only agreed to come because of her son. She certainly seems happy to be here.”

  Jason watched as the two women entered the kitchen. “She does, doesn’t she? I expected her to be more reserved, and even give me the cold shoulder after her initial reaction to my invitation, but she’s been relaxed and friendly since I picked her up.”

  His friend clapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s join Jeff and Russ while we wait for the women to return. We saved a seat for you and Ellie.”

  In a few minutes, Ellie returned with Emilee, along with Lynda and Veronica. Once introductions were made, he watched Ellie and was relieved to see her smiling as she conversed with the women.

  They, of course had welcomed her. Lynda had Emilee and Cam’s toddler on her hip and was entertaining her. Ellie giggled at something the little girl said. Maybe this would turn out better than he’d expected.

  Since their group had grown, the kids sat at their own table next to them. Zach’s eyes sparkled and his cheeks were flushed; clearly, he was excited to be included even though the other kids were several years younger. At fourteen, Russ’s boy, Mark, was a little closer in age. He’d heard the boy would be turning fifteen in a few weeks.

  The minister stood and bowed his head. The crowd immediately grew silent as he said the blessing. As he’d learned already, the pastor kept his prayers short, only thanking God for the food and voicing his grat
itude for their fellowship.

  Jason kept his eyes closed at half-mast and watched Ellie as their minister prayed. Her face bore a total look of confusion. Clearly, she’d expected something else. When Henry finished the prayer, he rubbed his hands together and grinned. “Okay, folks, time to eat.”

  Ellie didn’t follow the others when they formed a line, so he went to her. “Aren’t you hungry?”

  She met his gaze. “That’s the whole prayer? He didn’t raise his voice at all.”

  “Did you expect him to?” he asked.

  Ellie raised a brow. “Of course. Isn’t that what most preachers do?”

  “Not in this church,” he assured her. “I believe you’re under a misconception. Ministers don’t need to yell to get people’s attention. Henry is soft-spoken, and when he speaks, he doesn’t find it necessary to raise his voice. You’ll not find any yelling here.”

  Her look of astonishment tore at him. What in God’s name happened at the church service she’d attended as a child? Whatever it was, it had clearly colored her opinion of all ministers. It probably didn’t help that the only other exposure she’d had were evangelical ministers on TV. Some of them did tend to raise their voice when they gave a sermon, not that all were that way. He actually had several TV ministers he enjoyed hearing preach.

  “Will he preach after we eat our food?” she asked.

  “Not tonight. After we eat, we’ll break up into groups and have a discussion on the chosen topic for the evening. I promise. While we may have differing opinions, no one raises their voices here.” He pointed toward the quay of people. “We’d better get in line, or the food will be all gone.”

  He offered her his arm, and she gave him a tentative smile as she slid her hand through the crook of his elbow. Once they had filled their plates and taken their seats at the table, she appeared to be listening to the others around her, and she even joined in several times. By the time they’d finished eating, she and Lynda had their heads together giggling like schoolgirls. Cam’s mom was the right person for Ellie. She was such a kind and generous woman.

  Jason looked forward to finding out what she thought of their group and their Wednesday night supper. He suspected it was a lot different than what she’d expected to find. She continued to speak with Lynda as they ate their food.

  Once the meal had ended and all the food had been cleared from the tables, Henry went from table to table handing out slips of paper with their discussion questions.

  When he handed their question to Jeff, he stopped by Ellie. “I love to see new faces at our Wednesday night suppers. I understand you came with Jason. I’m Henry, and I hope you’ll join us on Sunday.” He smiled jovially, then moved on to the next table. Her expression was priceless.

  Zach approached her. “Hey, Mom, wanted to let you know I’m going with Brian and the others. The youth group meets in another part of the church. I didn’t want you to worry when you saw me leave.”

  She smiled at her son. “Oh, okay. I hope you enjoy the group.”

  He grinned. “Oh, I will. Hey, you have a good time too, Mom. I do realize you only came because I wanted to come. Thanks, by the way. See you in an hour.” Then he took off and joined the other kids as they left.

  She turned to him. “I’m glad I came tonight. It’s been enlightening. This is so different from what I expected. Everyone, including the minister, is so friendly. Thanks for twisting my arm. If you hadn’t pushed a little, I would never have agreed.”

  “I’m relieved,” he replied. “I hoped you’d see that there are different ways to worship. Now. Let’s join the discussion.”

  While she didn’t actually join in as they discussed the topic, she did listen, and he watched her facial expressions change from guarded to open and then intrigued. He thanked God for letting him give Ellie a better understanding of what it meant to live a faith-filled life.

  * * *

  Ellie listened to the others around her discuss the topic the minister had given them. While there were differing opinions, no one raised their voice or derided another because they didn’t agree. She didn’t know how she felt. For so long, she’d believed most religions were the same, but just as Jason had told her, he’d shown her there was more than one way to worship.

  She’d enjoyed meeting the women, and they had welcomed her into their group. She particularly liked Lynda. There was something about her that was so open and friendly. She would like to get to know her better, and Emilee’s darling little girl was delightful.

  Of course, this wasn’t a true church service, just a weekly shared supper. The minister didn’t preach, he only said a prayer over the food. Yet, everyone seemed genuine and none of them had that fanatical glare in their eyes she remembered from so long ago.

  Henry stood and everyone grew quiet. “Folks are time is at an end. I hope your question created many thought-provoking discussions. For our visitors, I hope you’ll join us again on Sunday. Let’s take a moment to remember why we come together.” He bowed his head. “Heavenly Father, thank You for showing us Your love. Please guide each of us as we go about our daily lives. Keep us safe as we travel to our homes and help us remember we’re secure in Your love. We ask this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

  Lynda turned toward her. “I’m so glad you joined us this evening, Ellie. We normally get together for dinner after church services each week, and I know I can speak for everyone, we’d love to have you join us.”

  “Yes, Ellie, please come this Sunday,” Emilee added.

  Before anyone could add anything else, Zach approached her with his face aglow with excitement. “Mom. I had a fantastic time. The youth group is lit. Can we come back on Sunday? Please?”

  She hesitated a moment. Zach’s eyes pleaded with her to agree. “I suppose we can.”

  His face lit up with pleasure and happiness. “Thanks, Mom.” He turned to Brian. “This is so fam. I can’t wait to come on Sunday.”

  Everyone smiled at his enthusiasm. While Ellie still wasn’t sure about all of it yet, she could never disappoint her son. Besides, she would be extremely surprised if the mild-mannered Henry would open a basket and pull out a snake. Clearly that wasn’t as common as she’d believed.

  It was distinctly possible she’d blown what happened at the church out of proportion. It hadn’t helped that her father had been so opposed to religion either. Of course, she’d seen lots of churches and realized there were a great many different denominations. She would have had to bury her head under a rock to not notice them.

  She’d just been so turned off to anything to do with religion, she always steered away from any type of discussions on the matter of faith. Now, that seemed short-sighted. She’d believed she was an open-minded person, but that might not be the case. Maybe she did need to learn more.

  As Jason’s friends stood to leave, he offered his hand to help her stand. “It’s getting late, so let me take you home. After all, the kids have school tomorrow.”

  She clasped his warm hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. “Yes, and I have to be at work at seven in the morning, so I definitely need to get home.”

  Lynda turned to her. “I’m so pleased you’ve agreed to come on Sunday. We’ll let Jason know whether we’re going to a restaurant or gathering at one of our homes.”

  By that point, Ellie was feeling a little overwhelmed, so when Jason placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her toward the exit, she was relieved. Zach and Brian were discussing the youth group meeting as they made their way outside, and Kelly joined in adding her thoughts regarding their topic.

  She’d never imagined her son would get so excited over a church group, but there was no doubt he’d had a great time. When they reached Jason’s truck, he opened her door and helped her climb inside, then he deposited Samantha in her booster seat, making sure she had plenty of room for her cast.

  As they pulled out of the parking space, she saw Lynda’s husband helping her climb int
o a huge SUV. It would be worth going to church, just to spend more time with her. She turned to Jason. “Lynda’s a lovely woman. She made me feel included in the group.”

  As he headed to Ellie’s townhouse, he told her, “Cam’s mom is awesome, and a fantastic cook. I’m not surprised you like her. From what Cam told me, she battled breast cancer a few years ago and won. She’s made a full recovery.”

  “Oh, my,” she replied. “I’m so glad she has recovered. Breast cancer is every woman’s worst nightmare. How long have she and Russ been married?”

  Jason came to a stop at the traffic light. “Let me see. Russ was Cam’s boss while he was stationed in San Diego. From what he told me, the Commander moved to Virginia a couple of years ago, and when he met Lynda, he fell hard. I think they married right after Christmas year before last,” he grinned, “so a real whirlwind courtship.”

  She sighed. “She deserves to have a great guy. I like Russ, and they make a striking couple; her with such fair skin and auburn hair, and him with his dark, olive complexion and black hair. Do you by chance work with him as well?”

  He turned onto her street. “We have similar positions. He’s over ADMIN on the base, while I head the ADMIN for the squadrons.”

  He pulled into her drive and turned off his truck. She turned to him. “Thank you again for dragging me kicking and screaming. It’s given me a lot to think about.”

  Zach opened the back door and climbed out. “Thanks for taking us, Mr. Henderson.” He fist-bumped Brian. “See you at practice on Friday, bruh. Our first game is on Saturday. With you as goalie, we’re going to kill it.”

  While Jason ran around the front of the truck, Ellie turned to Kelly. “I’m glad you got to see your friends tonight. I enjoyed meeting them. How’s your ankle?”

  “It’s aching a little, but Daddy will give me my medicine when we get home. I’m glad you came tonight, Mrs. Branson.”

  “Me too, Kelly.” Jason opened her door and helped her out of the truck. Although she wasn’t as tiny as Lynda, his Ford F-150 truck sat high off the ground and his help did make it easier since he didn’t have running boards. “Thanks, Jason.”