Page 69 of Something Like Hail

“This smells amazing!”Harold said, picking up a fork. “Thank you so much, Mrs. Westwood!”He had a bite almost to his mouth when he noticed the disapprovingstares.

“I’m not sure how thingsare done where you come from,” Pastor Stevens said, “but here wedon’t just thank the host. We thank the Lord as well.”

“Right!” Harold said, hisface flushing. He set down the fork. “Sorry. My parents aren’tvery, uh… They aren’t too formal about eating. A lot of the time weate in the backyard. Like, on the patio. Not on the grass oranything. We aren’tthatbad.” He laughed.

Everyone else continued to stare. All butNoah, who smiled encouragingly. “I really need to meet them,” hesaid. “They sound great.”

“To each their own,” thepastor murmured. His voice grew louder when he spoke again,matching the one he used when giving sermons. Probably becausethat’s what he seemed intent on delivering. “Nothing warms my heartmore than seeing a family reunited. With that in mind, let’s alllink hands.”

Arlene very gladly took the pastor’s hand.Noah wasn’t so willing, but if he could just get through this tothe food… Unclenching his fists, he brought them out from under thetable, offering one to Bethany first. She took it without anycreepy squeezing. Touching the pastor wasn’t so easy, but Noahmanaged in the name of peace. The table was united now. Almost.Arlene didn’t seem to mind accepting Harold’s hand, probablybecause she always did the pastor’s bidding. Clarence clearlystruggled with touching Harold. In the end, Noah’s father opted tograb his wrist instead.

“Thank you so much, Lord,”the pastor began, “for proving in your infinite wisdom that lovealways wins.”

Seriously? He was stealinglines from a movement that he absolutely didnotrepresent.

Pastor Stevens wasn’t finished. “We are allfaulted sinners, no matter how we might strive to make ourselvesworthy of basking in your presence. All men stumble and fall inthis life, and it’s by your grace that we not only stand again, butwe do so taller than before. Please continue to guide us with yourinfinite wisdom, your just punishments, and the endless compassionthat you showed us through your son. We thank you too for thisbounty in which we are about to partake. Amen.”

“Amen,” most people aroundthe table murmured.

Noah didn’t. He practically shook free fromthe pastor’s hand so he could eat, even though he was barraged withquestions about his life. These he answered as curtly as possible.When the pastor asked what he’d been up to, Noah simply said,“Working.” Likewise when asked about the nature of his career, heused the same answer as before but without elaboration. “Customerservice.”

Harold tried to keep things lively, but nomatter what he said, it was met with silence. This made Noah angry.As did the constant efforts to force a connection between him andthe pastor’s daughter.

“Bethany is a hopelessbookworm,” Arlene said cheerfully. “What did the librarian sayabout you again?”

Bethany squirmed a little with so many eyeson her. “That nobody my age uses their library card as much. Theycan tell with the new system. I helped set it up, actually. Theywere still running Windows 98! No kiddin’, so I whipped up a dummydatabase using Linux and—”

“Don’t bore everyone withcomputer talk,” Pastor Stevens said. Then he addressed Noah. “Outof everyone twenty-one and under, she reads the most. Isn’t thatsomething?”

“I guess she’s allowed tobecause she’s a girl,” Noah snapped.

“Sorry?” Pastor Stevenssaid. Then it clicked. “We were trying to help you. Now that you’rean adult, I’m sure you understand.”

“I really don’t,” Noahsaid, ignoring the unhappy faces his parents made.

“We all make mistakes,”Pastor Stevens said.

For one very foolish second, Noahinterpreted this as an apology, or at the very least, an admissionof guilt. But no.

“I’ve made a few myself,”the pastor continued. “I’m guilty of theft. I know that might shockyou, but it’s true. When I was a boy, my family was too poor foranything frivolous like candy. We didn’t have large grocery storesback then, nothing like the supercenters that keep popping up thesedays. Back then a store owner knew his customers and trusted them.There was no need for hidden cameras or securityguards.”

“Sounds like there was,”Noah retorted, still focused on his plate.

“Noah!” Arlenechastised.

“No, he’s right,” PastorStevens said. “I was shopping with my mother one day, and when herback was turned, I shoved some pieces from the pick-a-mix into mypocket. You’re correct, Noah. I broke the store owner’strust.”

This was enough to get Noah to look up, buthe still wasn’t sympathetic. “You mean the little Brach’s candies,right? Aren’t they like three for a dime? Most people have stolenthose.”

“I have not!” his mothersaid disapprovingly. “If I’d known you had, your father would havegiven you a whooping!”

Pastor Stevens kept his attention on Noah.“You say most people, and once again, you’re right. Perhaps itwasn’t candy or theft, but we’ve all sinned. The important thing toremember is that we can be absolved of those sins. We can beforgiven!”

“I’ve heard all of thisbefore,” Noah said wearily.

“But you haven’t acceptedit into your heart. If a thief can become a pastor and dedicatehimself to God, then it’s possible for a homosexual to change hisways too.”

Harold cleared his throat uncomfortably.“The mashed potatoes are amazing!” he tried.