Past Forward- A Serial Novel: Episode 15 (18 page)

“
Got that right!
”
Chad
’
s voice boomed from the kitchen.

“
You oughtta know!
”
Josh shouted back
,
winking at Becca.

Becca smiled back before asking,
“
So now we just separate all of these?
”

“
Yep.
Once we get enough, I
’
ll play with the card paddles.
I got two sets because I thought
Chad would be helping
.”
Her words grew louder as she teased her absent husband.

“
A guy offers to clean the kitchen and all he gets is complaints, complaints, complaints,
”
came his voice from the kitchen.

Becca and Josh exchanged wistful looks as Willow jumped and dropped the wool
from her lap
.
She raced to the kitchen where
it
became
obvious, even from the living room, that a serious tickle fest was in full swing.
“
Can you believe how amazingly happy they are?
”

Josh shook his head.
“
By the time I got done helping her that day in the store, I
really wished that
he
’
d dump her at the altar and she
’
d try to return the fabric.
I
so
wanted to ask her out
.”

“
Really?
”

“
What guy wouldn
’
t want to get to know someone like Willow?
”

She hesitated and then risked
complete honesty
.
“
A guy who was concerned she
’
d take his interest the wrong way
.”

“
Well, that guy wasn
’
t me.
I was interested all right
,
but once I met Chad
—
I knew.
He
’
s perfect for her.
Drat it all
.”

Josh watched as she carefully separated lock after lock, ignoring the banging of the screen door and the squeals that
now echoed
around the house outside.
“
So they said you
’
re visiting a friend here.
Where are you from?
”

“
Rockland
.”

“
Really?
Wow.
What part?
”

“
Old residential on the south side.
Near Madison Park
.”

Josh
’
s eyes lit up.
“
Really?
I
’
m not too far from there.
I moved back in with my parents after
—”
He hesitated.
“
After I escaped a lifestyle that I
never really wanted
.”

“
I wondered,
”
she admitted quietly.

“
I know.
You were more tactful than most.
I appreciate it
.”

Becca struggled with unasked questions until Josh assured her he didn
’
t mind if she asked them.
“
I really only have one but it
’
s just none of my business
.”

“
Assume it is and just ask
.”

“
Why did
?
I mean, if you didn
’
t want
it
in in the first place
—”

“
I felt trapped
by expectations.
Everyone said that I was gay. Eventually, I believed them
, and then once in
that life
, I felt even more trapped than ever.
Then I met Barney
—
he
’
s the pastor
—”

“
Barney
?
He
’
s my pastor!
You go to the mission?
”
Becca
saw her surprise
mirrored in Josh
’
s
eyes
.

“
I don
’
t believe this.
I
’
ve never seen you there!
”

Chad and Willow stood outside th
e screen door hesitant to
listen but even more hesitant to interrupt the conversation within.
Finally, Chad led her away from the door, down the steps, and around the barn to the tree swing.
“
Let them talk.
I think something is there
.”

“
Something?
”

“
He
’
s interested
,
and she
’
s not immune to it
.”

Willow
’
s eyes widened in horror.
“
But Adric
—”

“
She has no obligation
,
Willow.
Would you want her to choose Adric over someone she prefers just because she signed up to get to know him?
”

Sighing, Willow shook her head and jumped on the swing.
“
No.
I just don
’
t want to see anyone get hurt
.”

“
Someone is going to get hurt.
Before all of this girl-of-the-month stuff is over,
someone
will get hurt.
There
’
s no way to avoid it
.”

“
Then why do it Chad?
Why put people through that?
”

“
Everyone is willing to risk it on the chance that they meet the right person
.”
He hesitated.
Willow came from such a different worldview than he did.
Would she understand?
“
I would have probably tried something like that eventually
—
if the opportunity arose.
I
’
m not an outgoing person.
I
’
d had so much trouble with girls
—well girl—
already
,
that having someone pre-screen, having recommendations from their pastors
—”
he shrugged.
“
I think at Adric
’
s age especially, I
’
d have done it in a heartbeat
.”

“
So are Josh and Becca just interested because they have things in common
—
church and stuff, or is there something else there that I
’
m missing
.”

Chad smiled as he pushed her higher.
“
Get ready for a very confused young woman.
There
’
s more to it than that.
She
’
s so concerned with making everyone happy
—
this is going to tear her up
.”

By three o
’
clock, Becca and Willow carded
in a semi-rhythmic flow
.
Chad and Josh spent their time pulling locks, separating them, and joking about everything from Willow
’
s naïveté to the natural way Becca took to Willow
’
s lifestyle.
Willow and Becca occasionally sent balls of wool in their direction as if wool fluff could possibly stop the barrage of jokes and teasing.

The wool flying through the air reminded Willow of North and South.
“‘
I have seen hell and it is white.
It is snow white.
’”