My mom smiles. “He sure did,” she says, except her tone is dreamy in a way I’ve never heard from her before.

What is happening?

“I guess you and Declan had similar taste,” I say.

“I guess we did.”

“This is weird,” I say.

My mom sobers. “I’m sorry, Meg.”

“I know,” I say.

James interrupts, clearing his throat and ushering in a pile of cinnamon rolls.

“Knock, knock.”

Betty presses her lips together in a line and stands to take over, but my uncle ignores her and clears his throat again.

“Sit, please, I have something to say.” He starts passing the plates around.

Betty harrumphs but settles on the sofa closer to my mom. I curl up on the chair, placing a pillow in my lap for the plate to rest on. After passing me one, James stands awkwardly in the middle of the room.

“I’m stepping down from being the youth pastor.”

“What?” I nearly shout. “Why?” What is with today?

“Good on you!” says Betty at the same time.

James shares an exasperated look with his grandmother before turning to me. “Because I don’t fully buy into the way things went down with you about the whole abstinence thing.” He runs a hand through his hair, frustrated. “It wasn’t fair to you. There’s a definite double standard in the way things are handled at the church. That said, I don’t have a good answer for them or you. I’m not sure they were wrong in expecting an abstinence pledge from their young, unmarried staff. I’m not sure they were right either. It’s clear that the individuals standing to lose the most are the young women in our congregation, and I can’t draw a line of impartiality. I can’t be a pastor and an uncle or a pastor and a friend. I don’t want to do that anymore. I’ll still lead worship on Sundays, but I’m done with youth group. You’re out, so I’m out,” he finishes.

I put the plate down and stand up, the pillow falling to the floor, before crossing the room and hugging my uncle so tight, I knock out his breath.

“Are you sure? I don’t want this to be because of me. That feels wrong.”

“It’s not,” he promises. “It’s because of me. And maybe a little because of something Micah said, but that’s between us. He put me straight, and I deserved it.”

James backs up, his expression soft. “I should have stood up for you. You’re my family, and someone was judging you and I let them. I went along with it, even. I am so sorry.”

“James,” I say, “I don’t blame you. You did what your job told you to do. I was in the wrong. I should have acted above reproach as a leader, and I didn’t.”