Infection

4

TEN YEARS EARLIER

Emily pulled her black Toyota Forerunner into the church parking lot and put it in park. Before shutting it off she took a deep breath and checked her hair in the rearview mirror. Once she was satisfied that everything was in its proper place, she stepped out into the warm summer day, a gentle breeze tickling her cheek. Her heels clicked on the asphalt as she climbed the wide stone staircase toward the large, green wooden double doors she assumed were the front entrance to the church.

It was a quaint, old church, well-built, and it had a warm, inviting presence. There wasn't anything on the outside to make you turn your head, but she could see the wooden siding had been repainted recently. The whole building had been maintained well. It made Emily think of home, which was weird because she hadn't grown up going to church. For some reason, though, a sense of comfort spread through her. She didn't hate the feeling.

When she was a few steps away from the doors they opened. The rust-touched hinges creaked loudly as they swung open, and Ian's head poked out, smiling a large, toothy smile. His black-framed glasses sat low on his large nose, and he pushed them up, leaning on the doorframe casually. Behind the thick glasses were kind brown eyes with a touch of green that sparkled in the mid-morning sunlight. They sent a few butterflies through her stomach as they looked at her. She smiled back at him and fiddled with her pen and notebook, trying not to look as nervous as she felt.

"Good morning," he said warmly. "Welcome to Eastside Baptist Church. Ready to take the tour?"

"Good morning," she responded. "Lead the way." He opened the door and motioned for her to come in.

Emily was taken by surprise as she stepped through the large doors. What had looked from the outside like a cramped, small church was surprisingly spacious once you were inside. Funny how lots of old buildings are like that, she thought. Directly across from the outer doors was a set of identical ornate doors with a sign above them that read "WORSHIP CENTER" in large block letters. To the right of the worship center doors was a small counter with some brochures and flyers. A few posters hung on the wall above it, giving details for various events and ministries. There was a small stool behind the counter and a sign on the front that read "INFO CENTER" in matching block letters to the worship center sign. To their left was a cluttered coffee station against the wall with a scattered assortment of couches and chairs arranged around a couple of worn coffee tables. It looked like the furniture had been donated by a store that closed in the nineties, and the carpet, which was a strange shade of blue she couldn't name, was stained and worn. There was an assortment of wall decor hung randomly around the room that made her feel like she was standing in her grandma's living room.

"So," Ian said, making a comical gesture with his arms opened wide. "This is the lobby. As you can see, it needs a lot of work." His laugh was warm, and it made Emily feel like she was at home, curled up on the couch with her favorite blanket. She smiled.

"There's a lot that I can do here," she said, taking another look around the room. Her eyes lingered on Ian as they passed him. At the coffee shop, he had seemed awkward and goofy. Here, though, he was confident and cool. This is him in his element, she thought. This is the real him.

Ian's eyes met hers, and he flashed another wide smile.

"That's a gracious way to say it's hideous."

They both laughed.

He was right. If the rest of the church was like the lobby, and she'd bet it was, she would have her work cut out for her. But, if the space was anything like this first room, there was so much potential, too. She could already see ways to make it feel like a whole new place. She scribbled some notes and sketches in her notebook.