Coffin of Hope

Chapter Thirty

"Whoo hoo!" A cheery voice called out as the Fabangeses left church.

They stopped and waited for a short, plump woman in mauve to catch up. "Hello, Sister Patterson."

She took a breath, out of breath already. "I missed you last week! My husband, the deacon, is in the hospital you know and I was visiting."

"We are very sorry to hear about Brother Patterson." Rose told her. "We've been praying for him."

"Oh thank you, Sister Jones!" Mrs. Patterson simpered. "I guess it's a return on all the prayers I said for your family these past five years."

Rose took a deep breath. "We appreciated them."

Mrs. Patterson eyed Marcy. "You caused quite the stir, young lady."

Marcy raised a lazy brow.

"Some speculated about where you'd gone and what you were doing. I was never one of course. I always said, "That girl would never spread herself around like a common Jezebel. She's not wild. She's spirited. Having children at sixteen and giving them up will not ruin her life." But you know how people talk."

Everyone looked at Marcy, who just stared at the woman.

"Why aren't you speaking? Did you really not run away but your parents sent you to a convent?"

"Excuse you?!" Rose was highly offended.

"It's a valid question, dear. If my daughter had given up her virtue and unwed at that, I'd have to rethink my parenting."

"You have no right to say that!" Judy was appalled.

"Don't get so fussy, Sister Fabray. It's not like your children routinely got pregnant as teenagers then started running away. Oops."

"Goodbye, Sister Patterson!" Jeanette pointed away from them.

Mrs. Patterson lifted her nose and walked away but clearly heard her mutter, "Immigrants..." under her breath.

"Marcy,-" Judy didn't even know what to say.

Marcy rolled her eyes. "You really think I care what she thinks? She has no children and her husband has been carrying on an affair with Brother Jenkins ever since we've come to this church. Her moral compass is broken."

"Still." Laura touched her arm. "It's ugly. You didn't deserve that."

Marcy looked down at her hand on her arm.

"I don't like her." Beth whispered.

Quinn rubbed her shoulder. "It's okay. She's gone now."

"She says me and Marceline and Noah and Noelle are heathens."

"What?!" The adults looked at her incredulously.

Beth pouted. "She says Papa was a jailbird and she was surprised the military took him."

"Why haven't you told us before?" Quinn wanted to know.

Beth shrugged.

"When did she say that?" Judy demanded.

"She says stuff at Sunday School all the time."

"Has she said other stuff?" Rose pressed.

Beth nodded. "She's mean to all the kids there. Nobody likes her and hates when she comes to teach. She keeps telling us that we're going to die at the end of the world."

Quinn was unbearably mad. "The next time someone says something like that to you, come tell one of us. Okay?"

Beth nodded. "Okay."