Belief in Miracles (completed)

Chapter 12: Sebastian

12

Sebastian

"So, where is this place?" I asked Tom after more than twenty minutes on the highway.

"Autumn Heights."

At that, I arched a brow. "Oh, near Summer."

He shrugged. "I suppose so."

With my mood instantly improved just at knowing I'd be in her neck of the woods, I stared out the windshield, my knee bouncing beneath my backpack. My eyes locked onto the entrance to Summer's neighborhood when we got there, and followed it as we passed, a touch of a smile stretching my lips as we continued on.

"She live in there?" Tom asked, gesturing with his head back toward the passed neighborhood. I nodded. "You want me to drop you off with her when we're done?"

As much as I wanted to say yes, I shook my head. "No. She's not expecting me, and I don't wanna just show up at her door like a creep."

He laughed out loud. "Bas, I don't think you could be a creep even if you tried."

Smiling good naturedly, I eyed him. "Why's that?"

"The light of Christ shines too bright in you."

Still smiling, I leaned my elbow on the windowsill, my eyes following the passing street signs until we finally slowed. The neighborhood we pulled into was a fifty-five plus mobile home park called Lakeview, of which there was no lake and no view. Unless the backside of an IHOP that was pushed right up against the entrance counted as a scenic. Tom slowed to a crawl, pulling his phone from his pocket to affirm the directions he'd logged into the GPS.

"Hold that for me, will you?"

He handed me the phone, and I guided him until we'd pulled up outside a white double-wide with a flamingo in the front yard. There were two orange and two black cats all sunbathing in the front window. Already, I could swear my throat was closing. Tom took the phone back, glanced at it, then up at the house.

"Well, looks like this is it. Ready?"

"Cats." I said, and pointed up at the front of the house. "A lot of them."

Tom leaned over me to look out the passenger window. "Oh, boy." His eyes flitted to mine. "Could you handle just a few minutes?"

I shook my head. "No way. I couldn't even be around Summer's one cat without a mask. That's four." I looked again at the window, watched as one of the black cats jumped down.

"Do you have the mask still?" Tom asked.

I rummaged through my backpack a moment, carefully checking each pocket, and frowned when I shook my head.

Tom pursed his lips and let out a breath as he turned the car off. "Maybe he'll be willing to talk outside."

Nodding, I climbed out when he did, shouldered my backpack, and waited for him to round the hood before following him up to the front door positioned off the carport. He stood on the last step to knock, then stepped back to stand at my side as footsteps approached from within. A moment later, the door swung outward, and a large man poked his head out. He recognized Tom immediately, and threw the door open wider as he grinned and shook his hand. Immediately, the smell of cats wafted from within the house, and I subtly covered my mouth and nose against the sudden burn in the back of my throat.

"This is our youth and prayer leader, Sebastian." Tom gestured to me, and the man came down the steps to shake my hand, narrowly avoided squeezing my finger splint as he shook left-handed.

"Louis Davenport. It's a pleasure. I appreciate you guys coming out here."

"Oh, no problem at all." Tom assured.