PREACHER'S DAUGHTER. ( harry styles )

1. REMINISCING

FRANCES STUMBLED THROUGH the cemetery, her mary janes crushing the leaves underneath her as she walked around graves to reach her father's.

It was early October, which meant it should've felt like fall. But in Texas, summer was only ending. No one knew when the cold front would come in. Once the weather drops below 80, everyone goes into a frenzy, buying winter clothes and feeling stoked that finally, a cold front has come in! Frances didn't too much care for the cold. She was content with the fact that it was still warm outside and felt dread every time she thought about how it'll cool off soon.

Frances eyed the names on the gravestones as she slowly walked deeper into the cemetery. A part of her wondered if they were still there and she was interrupting their deep slumber. Or maybe they really were in Heaven with Jesus, like she was raised to believe. And she did believe it but she convinced herself it was alright to imagine other possibilities. It's not like she was putting her faith into it. Just exploring every scenario.

She halted to a stop once her dad's stone came into view. There were crosses and fresh flowers scattered all over his grave although he had been dead for years. Frances took a few steps forward and knelt down next to her dad's grave, her eyes dancing across the engravings.

MATTHEW R. FAIRCHILD
DECEMBER 23, 1972-OCTOBER 2, 2013
BELOVED FATHER, SON, AND A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST.

Below his name in a smaller font was her dad's favorite Bible verse.

"EVEN THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL, FOR YOU ARE WITH ME.."
PSALM 23:4

Frances shuddered as she read the scripture. Her head flashed images of her dead father in his casket. Although it was closed at his funeral, she would still make up his deformed face and broken limbs. Her mom never knew she overheard the police explain to her about what happened to him. His car broke down at the church after an evening service. Although many members offered him a ride, he declined. They said he reassured them that it was okay. "Maybe God wanted him to go for a walk. Maybe there was a sign for him. There's a reason for everything. It's all God's will." He got jumped in an alleyway, robbed and brutally murdered.

Frances remembers her mother's scream when she found out. Frances, who was only thirteen at the time, watched her mom collapse onto the ground as her older brother scurried to catch her. Frances didn't know how to react. She just watched the scene unfold until an officer took her back to her room to try and explain what happened that was age appropriate.

"Your daddy is... was... a wonderful pastor," said the officer. "And I'm incredibly sorry for your loss, sweetheart. He was a good man but... he's in heaven now."

"God's will, ain't it?" Frances replied. The officer's face fell in shock. The officer was so disturbed by her response that she said nothing else. She got up and left the house without a word to the other officers. Frances looked back on it often and thought to herself that she was a creepy kid. But she was just a mini version of her dad. She knew deep down that he would've said the same thing. And when the church members told her mom what had happened, his last words to them, she felt good inside. As if she made her dad proud.

As Frances stared at the grave, two cars pulled up into the cemetery from the other side. Frances snapped her head towards the sound and watched in awe as two groups of men exited out the vehicles. She quickly crawled away and to the nearest grave with the largest headstone. She hid behind it and peaked out, studying the men and their cars. She held her breath as her heart pounded in her chest. She prayed silently that they wouldn't look in her direction and catch her eavesdropping.