Chapter 3

Harmony

Harmony twiddled her thumbs, spinning them in circles around each other. She was ready to leave the church, but the pastor stayed sitting quietly in her company. She was just about to excuse herself when at last he spoke again.

“Actually, if memory serves, you never were good at accepting help from others,” he said, scooting closer to her with a knowing smile as if she’d suddenly been found out. “And I reckon that hasn’t much changed.”

“No, sir.” She grinned, though it was strange speaking to someone who knew her well enough to call out her habits. It had been years since anyone had figured her out. Well, anyone besides Alan.

They shared a good laugh, although Harmony was beginning to feel rather discomforted by the exchange. The longer she stayed, the sooner the pastor would see through her, the sooner the final pieces to which she so desperately clung would shatter, thus leaving the puzzle of her life wholly unsolvable.

“Well, in that case,” Pastor Adam said, rising to his feet and motioning for Harmony to follow him. “I’m not going to wait for you to ask for help. I’m just going to up and offer it right now.”

She followed obediently as he led the way to his tiny church office, but she still argued against his offer all the same. “That’s very kind of you, but I’ll do just fine on my own. I really should be going. It’s getting—”

“Just you wait one second now.” He retrieved his phone from on top of his old, wooden desk and motioned for her to shush. His thumbs worked the digital keyboard quickly and deftly for a man of his generation. After a couple minutes of silence, he slid the phone back into his pocket and smiled over at Harmony.

“There. Now that’s taken care of, let’s have a chat.”

Harmony blinked hard. If she wasn’t careful, she’d be trapped talking to the goodly pastor for all of eternity. “Another one?”

A deep chuckle rose from his belly and shook his growing midsection. Age hadn’t been the kindest companion to Pastor Adam, but Harmony saw right away that the same honorable man she’d always known resided within the puffier, wrinklier exterior. “Yes, another one. Or, rather, a more specific one. Come.”

He led her out to the church foyer where they now waited within spitting distance of the front doors. “I just spoke with my daughter, Abigail. Do you remember her?”

Harmony nodded. “Yes, we had some classes together. She was always nice to me.”

“Good to hear it.” He pulled out his phone again and shook it demonstratively. “That was her I texted just now, and well, she’s on her way here.”

“She’s coming now?” She’d only wanted a place to pray, clear her head a bit, and regroup. She hadn’t meant for this quick church trip to turn into a whole big thing. But such seemed to be the Charleston way and Pastor Adam’s in particular. She figured his own personal motto should be if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing. This afternoon was clearly proof of that.