Chapter 23
<Callie Stevens>
It's bright and early Sunday morning and I'm dressed in my favorite sunflower dress, sipping on a mug of tea in the kitchen. I hear my mom running around upstairs, trying to get Henry into his uncomfortable church shoes. I laugh to myself as I pull out my phone and dial Andrew's number. He picks up almost immediately.
"Hey, baby, how's Everington?" Andrew asks, a smile evident from his tone.
"Well, I finally made it, almost twelve hours after I left."
"I'm sorry I couldn't come pick you up. Did triple-A finally come?"
"After I threatened to sue them," I joke and take a sip of my tea.
"You would've won that suit easily," Andrew replies with amusement. "Did you at least get a good dinner when you got home?"
"Well,"
"That doesn't sound too good." He chuckles. "What happened?"
"Dinner was great, the company was, well...awkward."
"I'm guessing someone you weren't expecting showed up to dinner last night. Weird cousin? Judgmental aunt?"
"I wish; it was a little bit more awkward than that." I sigh, my mind wandering back to last night. "It was Jasper."
The line goes silent for a little while and I find myself rubbing the back of my neck nervously.
"How's he doing? I mean after everything that happened last week..."
"I could barely say more than a few sentences to him. I couldn't even figure out how to feel. I was stunned to see him, mad at my parents for inviting him, guilty about mine and Jasper's fight and then angry at him for the last five years. I was so overloaded I just became neutral."
"That's perfectly understandable, Callie, it's the way any rational person would've reacted after what you two have been through. Have you talked to your parents?"
"I'm gonna do it after church. Maybe God will give me the strength to not be angry."
"He will, baby, don't worry. Are you gonna be back in time for dinner tonight?"
"Yeah, wouldn't miss it. Are we getting Tex-Mex?"
"Whatever you want." Andrew says with a small laugh.
I hear the rest of my family come down the stairs, Henry yelling and my parents responding as calmly as they can.
"I gotta go. I'll talk to you when I'm on the road. I love you."
"I love you too, Callie, see you tonight."
I hang up with a smile and follow my grumbling family out to the car. My parents slip into the front seats, while Henry and I take the back seats. He continues to fumble with the laces on his shoes as the rest of us remain silent, not wanting to get into a fight with him while he's in such a bad mood.
Soon enough, we're at the only church in Everington, trying to find a parking space in the bustling parking lot. Luckily, we find a parking spot in record time and then begin walking up to the front doors of the church. I accept a program from one of the people outside the chapel and then follow my dad inside, while my mom goes to drop Henry off at his Sunday School class. We find some space on a middle pew and take our seats, my dad using his program to save my mom a seat. She slips in a few minutes after us, saying Henry seemed much happier once he got to see his friends. My parents breathe a sigh of relief as Pastor Tate calls for us all to stand, the sounds of the organ filling the small, packed room.
YOU ARE READING
A Girl Named Callie
Spiritual*sequel to A Boy Named Jasper* ~~~~~ When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" (John 5:6) ~~~~~~ Jasper has been in L.A. for almost five years. Not a day w...
