𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟎: 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮

Julia Welch

Julia swept the floors of the church basement. Since all of the other volunteers had already left the soup kitchen, she was the only one cleaning up. Footsteps were heard coming down the steps and into the hall.

"You're still here?" It was Pastor Bryan, he stopped at the doorway.

Julia turned toward him and brushed the long hair strands out of her face. "Oh, yeah, almost done though," she gave a small smile.

"Hey, don't worry about it, you were working hard today, and you know we have a janitor, right?" Pastor Bryan was always gentle and kind around everybody, but especially towards Julia. He was one of the few she has actually talked to since making it back home.

Julia continued sweeping the pile of dirt together. "It's alright, I don't mind."

Pastor Bryan stood there for a second, his hands in his pockets. "You know Julia, I've been meaning to ask you how you were doing?" He was an older gentlemen with a gruff voice, yet there was nothing but kindness in his grey eyes.

Julia paused, not wanting to look up at him. "I'm good, thanks."

Although it had tried to sound believable, Pastor Bryan could see straight through it. Julia didn't really feel like talking her heart out and crying in front of him today.

"How's your grandmother?" His voice softened. He knew anything he would ask would have some level of discomfort surrounding it.

Julia took a breath and shrugged, "She's still stubborn about her pills but as long as she keeps taking them, she'll be fine."

The pastor gave a chuckle. "What about your cousin? Is he still up north?"

Julia nodded her head. Her smile quickly turned to a frown.

"Have you talked to him recently?"

Julia looked down. "No, but I've been thinking about it."

Pastor Bryan looked at her sideways. "Why have you only been thinking about it?"

"I don't know... I wouldn't know what to say," she kept staring at the old running shoes that used to be white, what a poor little mess she must have looked like.

"What do you mean?"

She sighed, "I don't want him to think I'm calling because I want him to come home."

"Why would your cousin think that?" His voice perked genuine curiosity.

Julia was slightly irritated that her pastor was trying to turn into her therapist, part of her wish he didn't actually care all of the time. Although she remembered last Sunday he had preached about Jesus being the shepherd and tending to His sheep, especially the lost ones. She knew pastors were chosen to tend to their own flock too.

After awhile she gave up being quiet.

"One time I expressed to Jacob how difficult it was for me to be here and live with my grandmother and try to still go back to a normal life," she felt herself starting to get angry and emotional, she paused to keep her eyes from flooding with tears.

"And you think he's going to feel guilty for not being here with you?" He asked in a way that didn't seem judgemental or confused. He asked like he understood and just wanted to be there to reach out and help, it only made Julia feel worse when her emotions felt like getting the best of her.

She just nodded. She swept the dirt up into a pile and threw it out, hoping she could be finished and out of the building before anything else was brought up.