The Perfect Sin (Camren)

Ch 22-You Stink

A lot of people come to church to find peace. This is an idea I've never been able to wrap my head around, not even when I was younger and believed in all of this. They come here to pray or seek comfort but isn't God supposed to be wherever you are? Isn't that what they try to embed into your brain every single Sunday?

So please explain to me why people still insist on showing up here in the middle of the week and interrupt my reading time?

"Well I haven't been able to see you in so long" Mrs. Jacobs giggled as she pinched my cheek

"I know," I said through a forced smile, which might've come across more like gritted teeth but I am trying my best not to appear as annoyed as I am. 

My eyes glance down to the novel that is patiently waiting for me but my attention is drifted back to the woman in front of me when she speaks up

"Hey where is your brother by the way?" she asks "It is not like him to skip a service" she mentions in reference to his absence last Sunday

"Well," I say "He and Ally, Pastor and Dr. Hernandez's daughter, are out on a missionary trip in Mexico," I said to her, just as I was told to do

That is the official story being told to the congregation. In reality, they are in fact in Mexico, New Mexico that is, but they are not together.

My brother is in a rehabilitation center and Ally is in a relatives home for the time being. They did not arrive at a decision before they left but Chris said that whatever choice she made he would support.

Point being, when he gets released he could either be a father or he could go back to life as it was before rehab.

His program lasts 6 months so he will be out before her due date in case she decides to keep it. Funny that when my parents were informed they all of a sudden had little regard for their usual pro-life stance. This time it's their kid, and their reputation on the line, funny how things work that way. 

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Mrs. Jacobs said "Always so lovely to see kids doing the lords work"

I smiled and nodded allowing her to talk for a bit longer. To be honest, if it were anyone else I would have already made up an excuse to leave but Mrs. Jacobs has known me for a very long time. This is something that just comes along with the territory, she has been in my father's congregation since I was a child and one of the few that has stuck around even since before we arrived at this temple.

She continued to inform me about her son and how much she misses him. How he's moved to Chicago and is now a big shot lawyer. Last time I spoke to Kevin that was not the version of the story he told me, though. It was a lot less about solving high-stakes murder cases a lot more about who gets custody of the dog during the divorce. Still, she was proud and I was going to allow her to be.

"Anyway, darling," she said after she was done gushing "What are you doing here in the middle of the week?" she finally asked

"Well she's here to see me"

Both, Mrs. Jacobs and I turn around to see Pastor Lopez walking down the aisle with a bright smile on his face like always 

"Mind if I borrow her?" he asks kindly. 

We both greet him and before I know it I am whisked away by him and we ended up in the audio room.  During service, there is a man sitting here in this private room monitoring the mics and instruments for all the musicians as well as my dad's mic. 

"Y'know for a Tuesday afternoon, there's quite a lot of people in here," he said

It was true, it certainly wasn't packed but you could, in fact, find someone in almost every room, except this one.