Olivia lets out a breath. “Good. Because last time, that pastor made so much eye contact I thought he was reading my mind.”
I laugh, looping my arm through hers. “Come on, I promise I won’t let him call you out.”
She snorts, but she follows, her pace matching mine. We slip into the sanctuary just as the music swells, the soft strum of guitar blending with the hum of voices.
I find us a spot a few rows back, not too close but not hidden, either. Olivia settles beside me, her hands wrapped around her cup like it’s a lifeline. I can see her scanning the room, eyes darting over the rows of people, the raised hands, the soft sway of bodies moving with the music.
I lean over, my voice soft. “You ok?”
Olivia’s eyes stay forward, but she nods. “Yeah…just still getting used to it.”
“That’s okay.” I squeeze her arm. “Just…let it happen.”
She glances at me, her gaze softening. “You make it sound so easy.”
I smile. “It’s not.”
She doesn’t say anything else, but she stays. And for now, that’s enough.
The last song ends with a lingering chord, voices still humming the final note. I glance over at Olivia—her eyes are still forward, her hands gripping her coffee cup like it’s the only thing tethering her to this moment.
Pastor Jack’s voice echoes in my mind, still steady and warm even though he’s stepped off the stage. He’d talked about friendships today—not just casual, surface ones, but the ones that sharpen you, steady you, and point you back to Jesus when you’re tempted to drift. “God never meant for us to do faith alone,” he’d said, pacing slowly, eyes sweeping over the crowd. “The people you walk with shape the path you’ll take. Choose friends who remind you of God’s truth, not just your feelings. Choose the ones who pray with youwhen life caves in and celebrate with you when joy overflows.”
Even as he listed those qualities, I knew I was sitting beside one friend who didn’t seem like she wanted anything to do with God, and had another who was giving every spare moment she had to church—even if it meant skipping the message. Both of them mattered to me. Both of them are part of my story. And in the middle of it, I couldn’t help wondering where I fit in. Was I the friend pointing them to God—or the one who needed pointing?
He’d closed the message with a challenge: “Think about the people God’s placed in your life. Don’t take it lightly. Friendships aren’t accidents. They’re assignments.” The word assignment had stuck with me, heavy in my chest. Could it be that Harper and Olivia weren’t just random girls I’d been dared into road trips and late-night snacks with—but women God had woven into my life for something more?
When the lights brighten and people start filing out of the sanctuary, I give her arm a gentle nudge. “Want to go grab Harper? She’s only serving for first hour today.”
Olivia blinks, like she’s just snapped back to reality. “Yeah. Sure.”
We weave through the crowd, dodging volunteers and families gathering in little huddles, until we reach the kids’ wing. I spot Harper almost instantly—talking with parents, telling them how sweet their kids are and wishing them a great day.
Her ponytail is coming loose, and her sweater has a small smear of glitter across the sleeve. She spots us and waves dramatically.
“Hey!” she calls out, her voice bright and breathless. “You guys found me at the perfect time. I just finished liberatingthe playroom from a glitter invasion. I think I’ll be washing sparkles out of my hair for a week.”
Olivia raises an eyebrow. “You look like you had a run-in with a craft store.”
Harper laughs, brushing off her sweater. “Don’t judge me. The kids wanted sparkly flowers, and who am I to deny them artistic expression?”
We follow her to the volunteer break room, where she drops off her clipboard and grabs a bottle of water. She takes a long sip, leaning against the wall and sighing like she’s just finished a marathon.
“So, how was the service?” she asks, glancing between us.
Olivia shrugs. “Not terrible.”
Harper raises an eyebrow. “That’s practically a glowing review coming from you.”
I laugh, nudging Olivia’s shoulder. “Baby steps.”
Harper nods approvingly, twisting the cap back on her water. “You coming back next week?”
Olivia hesitates, her eyes flicking to me before she responds. “I...I think so.”
“That’s all you have to do,” I say, smiling. “Just keep coming back.”
Olivia sips her coffee, her gaze flicking around the hallway. “Hey...I didn’t see Gray up there today.”
