Capri shrugged, her hands tucked into the pockets of her jeans. “This just isn’t my thing, you know? I’m not exactly the maternal type.”
Reva chuckled. “You don’t have to be. Just keep an eye on the kids, make sure they don’t get into too much trouble. They’ll love you.”
Before Capri could respond, Reva’s little boy, Lucan, came dashing up, his eyes wide with excitement. “Mommy, Mommy! Did you see the ark? It’s HUGE! Can we go inside? Are there real animals?”
Reva crouched down to his level, ruffling his hair. “No real animals, sweetheart, but you can pretend. Isn’t that fun?”
Lucan nodded eagerly, then ran off toward the ark, where a group of children had already gathered, pointing and giggling.
“Look, Mom!” one little girl exclaimed, tugging at her mother’s hand. “I found a giraffe!”
Her mother laughed. “Yes, there’s a pair of giraffes.” She pointed. “And a pair of tigers.”
Pastor Pete and his wife, Annie, approached the group, their faces beaming with gratitude. “This is more than we could have hoped for,” Pastor Pete said, his voice filled with emotion. “You’ve all outdone yourselves. The kids are going to remember this for a long time.”
Annie nodded in agreement, her hands clasped together. “Thank you so much for your hard work, everyone. It means the world to us.”
Charlie Grace, wiping her hands on a rag, joined the group. “We’re just glad to be a part of it. Clancy here deserves most of the credit, though. That ark is a masterpiece.”
Clancy waved off the praise with a modest grin. “Just doing what I can. Couldn’t have done it without the help of these fine folks.” He nodded toward Gibbs, who gave a brief nod back.
Capri, still lingering on the outskirts, finally stepped forward. “Alright, I guess I’ll help wrangle the kids,” she said, a hint of reluctance in her voice. “But if any of them try to bite me, I’m out.”
Lila laughed. “Don’t worry, Capri. If anyone can handle a few wild animals, it’s you.”
As the children continued to arrive, their faces lit up with excitement, the atmosphere on the Moose Chapel grounds grew even more vibrant. The sound of laughter filled the air, mixing with the aroma of freshly baked cookies as the Knit Wit ladies arrived and began to unpack their contribution to the effort. It was going to be a day to remember, and Reva felt a deep sense of satisfaction knowing she had helped bring it all together.
Reva stood near the refreshment table, passing out cookies and small cartons of milk to the children as they gathered around. The kids were all smiles, their laughter ringing out as they eagerly grabbed their treats.
“Remember, only one cookie each,” Reva called out, though she couldn’t help but smile when a few of the more mischievous ones tried to sneak a second.
Capri, who had surprisingly taken to her role of wrangling the kids, nudged one little boy with a mock stern look. “That means you too, young man. No doubling up on the chocolate chips.”
The boy grinned up at her, crumbs already clinging to his face. “But they’re so good, Miss Capri!”
“Nice try,” Capri said, her voice softened by a small smile. “Now, go sit down before Pastor Pete starts the story.”
The children, still chattering excitedly, found spots on the large blankets spread out in front of the ark. Pastor Pete stood near the front, his Bible in hand, ready to share the tale of Noah’s Ark.
“Alright, everyone,” Pastor Pete began, his voice warm and inviting. “We’re going to talk about a very special story today, one that’s all about trusting God to take care of His creation. Do you know what story that is?”
“Noah’s Ark!” a chorus of voices shouted back.
“That’s right,” Pastor Pete said with a smile. He opened the Bible, though the story was clearly already written in his heart. “Noah was a good man—an obedient man—who lived a long time ago. God told him to build a big boat?—”
Suddenly, a low rumble interrupted Pastor Pete’s words, vibrating through the ground beneath their feet. It started softly, almost like a distant growl, but quickly grew in intensity. The children’s chatter quieted as they looked around in confusion.
“Mommy, what’s happening?” Lucan’s voice was small, filled with uncertainty as he grabbed onto Reva’s leg.
Reva’s heart skipped a beat, her eyes darting around as the tremor grew stronger. The ground beneath them seemed to ripple, and she instinctively crouched down to hold Lucan close. “It’s just a little earthquake, sweetie. Stay close to me.”
The tremors intensified, and Reva’s gaze snapped to the massive ark, which began to sway precariously on its wooden supports. Shouts of alarm rose as the structure started to tilt.
“Watch out!” Clancy shouted, his voice strong despite the fear in his eyes.
“Everyone, move away from the ark!” Charlie Grace called out, her voice carrying over the growing panic.
Gibbs and the ranch hands sprang into action, trying to stabilize the ark, but it was too late. With a loud creak, the ark began to topple, its beams groaning under the strain. The children screamed, scrambling to get out of the way.
