Morphine

Chapter Sixty Three

Marceline Anne prayed extra hard at church the next morning. She tried to be selfless in her conversation with her creator but tears slipped down her yellow cheeks as she ended up asking Him to love her the way she felt she wasn't being loved by her blood.

She knew asking to prolong her life was futile but she asked that death wouldn't hurt and that she'd be with Him and maybe, just maybe, after a lot of years, she could be reunited with Malcolm and the twins.

The pastor noticed how she lingered after the congregation left and also how her sister was missing and she herself wouldn't sing with the choir. He was very worried. "Is there a problem, Sister Chang?"

She breathed deeply but didn't look up or open her eyes. "It says that God hears your prayers. No matter what."

"Yes. That's true."

"And we're all His children?"

"Yes." He knew she knew this. She'd been the best study at youth bible study when she was younger.

"And He loves us? All of us? Even the bad people?"

"Yes."

She finally opened her eyes and looked up. "Why?"

"Because we're His. He made us."

"Then why can't your human family be the same?"

He was caught off guard. He knew Marcus had cut ties with the church but he had no idea what was going on with the family. "Humans are imperfect."

"Sounds like an excuse to hate."

"I won't pretend to know what you're going through but I think you should let God show you how He is."

She finally looked at him. "I trust Him."

He smiled. "Good."

M-

Mercedes Catherine woke up late on a Sunday for the very first time in her life. She remembered the night before in startling clarity.

She began crying anew although it literally pained her to do so. Her phone began going off so she checked it.

It was a text from Michael the Fourth. She was going to open it when a call came through. She swiped so fast, she didn't know who it was. "Hello?"

"Hey, Wheezy."

"Tana." Mercedes Catherine breathed.

"How are you holdin up?"

"Aren't you still mad at me?"

"I think Patti's mad enough for everyone."

Mercedes Catherine burst into tears.

"Do you want me to come over?"

"What... about... your family?"

"You're family, too."

Mercedes Catherine tried to get a grip. "Yes, please."

M-

Malcolm held Marceline Anne's hand as they walked through the cemetery. They'd already gone grocery shopping and did light cleaning, just wanting to spend time together, doing domestic activities.

"How do you think you say that name?" She pointed to a headstone that simply read Poots.

"Like Edgar Allen Poe but with a "T"." He replied. "What about that one?"

"Johannes. Yo-hawn-ness. But that's a first name."

They were simply strolling through trying to figure out how to pronounce various people's names.