40. Blair
FORTY
blair
Sunday Service
The church was packed when we arrived, more bodies in attendance than last time.
I knew rumors had been buzzing about my father’s temporary replacement, some we’d caused, but mostly Darragh Senior had garnered them from his presence in the building over the last few weeks alone.
“Wasn’t expecting this turnout,” Gianna said from beside me.
Us girls had come into the sanctuary first, piling into the second row and leaving the first to Sean, his brothers, uncle and dad.
Caroline and Shannon, Eoghan’s wife sat at the end of our row.
“Me either,” I mumbled, pulling the sleeves to my oversized sweater down over my hands. “Feels like I’m fifteen again.”
Violet leaned over.
“Why is he here?”
I cut my eyes in the direction she was staring in and figured it was Demetrius she meant. He was standing beside Sean, talking to Finnegan.
“No one said he was so beautiful,” Gianna murmured, tone more fact than anything else.
They were suited and booted, all looked good. Demetrius had his full face on display unlike other times, deep deep dark skin shimmering under the church lights.
He was indeed a beautiful man, just not as fine as mine. But I’m sure I was bias.
After the conversation exchange seemed to end, he pushed his hand out and Finnegan took it. Then, Cian and Rían did the same.
Mmm.
Looked like someone was wiggling his way into our circle completely.
I didn’t answer Violet’s question because the second he had Finnegan’s blessing to even speak to her, his eyes drifted in our direction.
“Here we go,” she mumbled, bringing a smile to my face.
There was no doubt in my mind she understood what his attention meant, and he made it known when they came to take their seats, Demetrius sitting in the row behind us instead of in front.
He leaned forward, head between me and Violet. She ignored his presence, which I’m learning was a specialty of hers.
“Good morning, ladies.”
Finnegan turned, eyes on Violet.
They were having a silent conversation.
“The answer is no,” she said when her husband turned away, leaving the decision to her. “Unless you tell us the real reason you did all this.”
He sat back at that and I smirked.
Gianna snickered and Cian looked over his shoulder, meeting all our gazes before a smile spread across his face as he turned away.
It wasn’t long before Esmeralda showed face, sliding into the third row beside Demetrius with Lorcan and Liam. Then, the twins, Tadhg, Niamh, Delilah, Yasmine and even Anessa who’d come back with Cian and Gianna.
Viviana was dealing with the aftermath of her decisions; in other words, Caroline was giving her the cold shoulder instead of killing her, which had to be worse.
As for Landell, he was awaiting his fate in a cold dark basement. Sean had passed the task onto his daughters.
“See you kept her around,” Demetrius mused.
I shrugged but kept my attention forward. Service was about to begin and I wanted to be dialed in until the very end.
“Of course she did,” Esmeralda quipped, not caring one way or another his thoughts on her. “We’re locked in. How about you give me a job?”
This time I did cut my eyes behind me to see his expression, but there wasn’t one even as he said, “If I wanted to coat the town blood red, I’d indulge you. What I need is someone with a little humanity and you have none, little mama. Maybe next time.”
Interesting.
He’d said The Collective had something that belonged to him, but why was it sounding like a person and not an object?
The question lingered as the service finally began, starting with a prayer, song selection, and announcements.
Another prayer and song followed before Darragh was introduced by Blake, who I hadn’t seen come in at all.
“Good morning, church family,” he spoke, eyes taking in the room. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen a packed sanctuary like this. I’m glad to see your faces on this beautiful spring Sunday morning. Before, I introduce the man of the hour, there’s something I need to get off my chest and I promise to make it quick…”
He looked back at an impeccably dressed Darragh, who nodded.
“I owe each and every one of you an apology. When I took the youth director position three years ago, I knew it meant not only teaching and guiding our young people but being an example to them as well…” his eyes landed on me and I didn’t like the attention. “I’m learning that silence is not the example I want to set. My promise to you all is to never be silent again. To the person who was hurt the most by it, I want you to know you’re worthy regardless of the actions of others. Not because I said so, but because God said so. He ordained it the second you were pushed into this world and look at what you were blessed with because of that.”
He looked away and I dropped my gaze, grateful for the hands that reached for mine from both sides of me.
Blake was right about one thing, I was blessed beyond measure.
“With that being said, who’s ready for the word?”
The energy in the room had shifted; I could feel the presence of the Lord before he spoke the name they’d come to see.
“Your interim pastor, Darragh O’Sullivan Senior.”
He took a step back as the formidable man stood, bible and notebook in hand, and stepped in front of the podium.
“Follow me to the book of Roman,” he started, getting straight to it. “Chapter eight, verses eighteen through twenty-one.”
I flipped my bible open and shared with Violet and Gianna as he read the New International Version.
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.”
Darragh took a deep breath in the mic, his eyes closed. When he released, his gaze drifted around the congregation.
“Today I want to talk about the ultimate goal. ”
Immediately my eyes began to water and he hadn’t even started.
Roman 8:18-21 was a testament of my life in so many ways. The pain, the heartache and abuse was all meant to lead me to the love of my life, to his family who filled three pews just to support him.
The ultimate goal was true liberation.
True happiness.
A stronger relationship with God, his people and word.
I believed.
I felt liberated.
My husband glanced back at me and I smiled, a genuine smile—one he’d been putting on my face for sixteen years.
And I was so goddamn happy.