But instead of trying to read any of the texts I was scrolling through, he just asked, “So, do you guys text regularly then? For some reason I thought everything was set up by your dad.”
“He texted me a few times last summer when he was interning with my dad at the church and needed something here and there,” I said. “But that was basically it until this week.”
He nodded and seemed to be thinking things over. “Did something happen during your dad’s sermon that was really funny?”
“Yes,” I said, my chest still feeling like it was full of little pop rocks fizzing against my ribs. “The organist, uh, I mean Sister Moss’s phone went off while my dad was talking about something really spiritual and it took her, like, a full fifteen seconds to grab her purse and silence it. Normally, my dad would just chuckle and be understanding, but the song was ‘I’m Sexy and I Know It.’ It was just a really funny and cringeworthy moment.”
“Oh, I bet you’re dad looooved that,” Hunter said sarcastically.
“He didn’t look happy.” I shook my head, remembering the way my heart had stopped as I watched my dad’s reaction through the computer screen. “Pretty sure Sister Moss’s job is on the line now.”
I said it lightly, but with how strict my dad was, it could definitely happen.
I doubted my dad was even familiar with that song. Most of the music he listened to was put out by the church. But since the song used the word “sexy,” which was a big no-no word at my house, it had actually been kind of scary to watch my dad’s reaction and wonder if he would call Sister Moss to repentance right there in front of everyone.
“It sounds like Sister Moss has some positive affirmations going with that song, at least,” Hunter said, thankfully seeming to find the humor in the scenario instead of focusing on the fact that Xander had texted me.
“I think so,” I said. “And they must be working too, because she totally showed up at the church Christmas party with a silver fox.”
“Sister Moss is back in the dating game?” Hunter’s dark eyebrows rose.
“Yep.” I smiled. “And they lookedveryhappy.”
“Good for her.” Hunter’s eyes brightened, seeming genuinely happy for the woman who had been a long-time member of our congregation. “I’m kind of sad I missed seeing that.”
Yeah…me too…
The church Christmas social just hadn’t been the same without Hunter this year. I’d played Mary in the nativity as usual, but instead of having Hunter there to be Joseph, they had to ask twelve-year-old Austin Smith to take the role.
It was a seemingly small thing. A few missed church socials. An hour on Sundays that he wasn’t there. The early morning Bible study where we’d text each other complaints about how tired we were and how boring Brother Rodger’s object lessons were getting.
I missed having him in that part of my life. We’d had so many inside jokes. So much shared history since we were the only ones in the entire school who understood what it was like to grow up in the way that we had. Hunter knew just how difficult it could be to navigate the teenage years where we had to live in the world with friends who didn’t understand our beliefs sometimes and why we lived life in a way they found peculiar.
I mean, I couldn’t think of anyone else in the whole school besides me who wore T-shirts under her basketball jersey and was forbidden from having a steady boyfriend before she graduated.
Standing apart from our peers and being an example to those around us wasn’t always easy, but at least I’d always had Hunter by my side when things got tricky.
I studied him as he picked up his napkin and patted his lips. He caught me watching him out of the corner of his eye, and I worried for a moment that he might be able to read my thoughts on my face.
But instead of asking what I was thinking, he said, “Speaking of songs going off at the wrong time, do you remember that time at Brother Henson’s funeral when everyone knew his much younger wife was a gold-digger? And her phone went off during the eulogy with the song 'Bye Bye Bye?’”
“That was epic!” I laughed, remembering that particular funeral well. “I just wish I could have seen her face when she found out that he willed all his money to his kids, and she didn’t get a dime because he knew she was a gold-digger all along.”
“Talk about karma,” Hunter said with a smile.
“Except she turned around and married his oldest son,” I said.
Hunter shook his head. “Some guys are idiots when it comes to beautiful women.”
“They really are,” I said, feeling only a little jealous that he’d just implied that Sister Henson was beautiful because she looked way more like Addison than me.
“Though,” he said. “I guess if they’re both okay with each other’s shallowness, it can work out okay.”
“I guess.”
Hunter looked thoughtful for a second, like something just occurred to him. “Hmmm, I wonder…”
“You wonder what?” I asked, curious what had popped into his mind now.
