Chapter Thirteen
EMMA
WOMEN’S CHURCH
The chairs were set in a large circle in the center of the room. In the middle of the chairs, a mat sat on the floor. The kind that you used when you were little in gym class, when you did tumbles and cartwheels.
Dear God, what have I gotten myself into?
Patty took my arm and walked us into the room. “Don’t be put off by the mat. You won’t have to sit on it your first time.”
I came to an abrupt halt. “What? Why would I have to sit on it in the first place?”
“It’s the sharing mat,” she answered.
“The sharing mat?” I echoed with uncertainty.
She smiled. “Yep. When you’re ready to share, you sit on the mat.”
“Share what?”
With a wink, she replied, “God will let you know.”
Plopping onto a chair, Patty went to the middle of the circle and clapped her hands. “Okay, ladies, it’s time to start the women’s church circle. We have a new member!”
A hush came over the room, and the women milling about turned to look at me, each clearly making her own assessment.
One of them even pulled out a camera and took a picture…
I’m pretty sure of me! The instant photo popped out of the front and the pretty blonde set it to the side, then opened what looked like a journal.
She wrote something inside, occasionally looking back up at me.
Glancing around, I scouted out the nearest exits. A door across the room to the left. The door behind me, which I’d just walked through with Patty. Then there was one, two…three windows. I could easily escape through any of them if need be.
Tammy sat down next to me. “Don’t worry, you’re going to fall in love with these women.”
As each woman sat down, I took them in before leaning toward Tammy. “Did that one make a note about me after she took my picture?” I asked in a hushed tone.
“Shannon? Yes. She likes to journal everything, especially the first time she meets you. She’s also our resident photographer.
Shannon captures all the important moments in the group.
Especially if you break down and curl up into a fetal position on the mat.
Those are one of her favorite shots to get.
She’ll poke the beast if she thinks you’re on the edge, just to get a good shot. ”
My hand flew up to my mouth. “Oh my gosh! Who curled up in a fetal position?”
“Me, for starters. When I found out I was pregnant for the second time. A few others have found themselves in a similar position for one reason or another.”
I couldn’t help but giggle.
More women sat down around the circle. One of them happened to be Rose. I breathed a little easier. Even with Tammy and Patty here, it was nice to see another face I knew.
Patty cleared her throat. “Ladies of the circle, this is Emma Middleton.”
They all smiled at me. Lifting my hand, I gave them my best grin. “Hello, ladies. It’s a pleasure.”
Patty walked up to Shannon. She was for sure the youngest of the group. She was also stunningly beautiful. Her blonde hair was up in the most adorable ponytail. “This is Shannon.”
Shannon nodded and flashed me a wide grin. It was the type of smile that forced you to smile back, even if you were in the worst possible mood.
“Then you have Landy here.”
Landy looked to be my age and she waved very enthusiastically. She had light brown hair that was pulled into a messy bun. Her warm blue eyes made me feel comfortable at once.
I waved back.
“This is Erin. She’s quiet, but don’t let that fool you.”
Erin’s cheeks turned red. She was also very pregnant. Another beautiful woman, with brown hair and eyes the color of fall. I couldn’t tell if they were brown, hazel, or a mix of both.
“Hi, Erin,” I said as she waved.
Patty made her way over to an older woman, who looked to be in her early forties.
She was stunning and had a body I would kill for.
Her blonde hair was fashioned into a French twist, and she looked like she was ready to take on the world.
“This is Cara. She runs a book blog and is obsessed with exercise.”
Cara held up a book and asked, “Do you like to read, Emma?”
“I do,” I replied.
“How much can you bench press?” Her accent sounded very southern.
“Ahh…I’m not sure,” I answered with a shrug.
She winked at me. “We’ll fix that soon enough, darlin’.”
Tammy chuckled next to me.
“Moving on,” Patty said as she stopped in front of Rose. “This is Rose, whom you’ve met.”
I waved, and Rose returned the gesture.
“You know Tammy, you know me, and with Emma, that rounds us out to eight ladies. We are whole again!”
Amens filled the air, and Shannon made a note in her journal.
“Whole again?” I asked Tammy in a whispered voice.
“Patty has a weird thing about even numbers.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Emma, welcome to our group. Would you like to tell us a little something about yourself?” Patty asked.
My mouth dropped open a bit and I glanced around the circle.
Tammy nudged me to stand. “Do it now and get it over with, or Patty won’t let it go.”
Slowly standing, I wrung my hands together. “Well, I’m Emma Middleton, I moved here from Dallas, Texas.”
“Praise God, another Southerner,” Cara stated.
I grinned and nodded. “Yes, born and raised in Texas, but moved around a bit before settling in Dallas.”
Cara lifted her hands in a pumping gesture.
“Go on, sweetheart,” Patty said, shooting Cara a warning look.
“I’m currently working for Aiden Bishop as his nanny.”
Shannon made another note. I couldn’t help but notice she wore a smile on her face and mouthed the word, nanny.
“So, you’re single?” Landy asked with a smile.
“Yes.”
“Dating anyone?” Patty asked, although she already knew that answer.
Pulling my brows in, I stared at her. “Um, no. Not interested in dating anyone.”
Whispers quickly filled the air as the women made comments to one another. I looked around at them all and couldn’t help but shake my head and smile.
Patty motioned for me to go on. I cleared my throat and continued, “I moved to Estes Park because my father used to bring me and my mother here when I was younger. I have fond memories of the town and thought it would make a great place to…to, um…”
All seven of them seemed to lean in, their brows lifted in anticipation of what I was going to say next.
“To what, dear?” Cara asked. One perfectly shaped brow up in an arch.
“Start over,” I finished.
I instantly regretted my choice of words, but something about being in a church, in a women’s church circle, with seven ladies staring at me, forced me to tell the truth. Silence filled the room as they all kept their gazes on me.
“I guess…that’s it,” I finished after a long pause.
Patty jumped up. “Okay, God has not spoken yet to Emma to take a seat on the mat. Who’s going to start us off today?”
Shannon stood and made her way to the mat as I sat back in my chair. She dropped down and offered a smile that was clearly forced. Then it faded and she burst into tears.
My hand covered my mouth to hide my gasp of shock.
“My kids are driving me crazy! I was only gone for two minutes. Two. Minutes. I had to go to the bathroom. It wasn’t even number two.
It was a pee. By the time I got back to the kitchen, Bailey had taken all the flour and dumped it on the kitchen floor.
Little Belle was pouring the freshly made hummingbird nectar into the flour.
Two minutes was all I was gone for. That was it. I nearly lost my sh— Well…you know.”
“Your shit,” Tammy said as all the other women gave her a scornful look. “What? It’s the circle, everything is safe in here. She nearly lost her shit. Call it what it is.”
Shannon pointed to Tammy. “Yes. I nearly lost my shit!” she cried out.
Patty approached her and crouched and wrapped her arm around Shannon. “I’ve been there, honey. Some women have yet to experience the joys of their kids nearly driving them mad, but just know you’re not the only mom who’s lost her…”
“Shit,” Tammy and Shannon said in unison as Patty rolled her eyes.
I covered my mouth yet again, this time to keep from laughing.
Shannon nodded. “I know. I know. In that moment, I really wanted to just pack a bag and leave. Does that make me a bad mom?”
Cries of “No!” came from all around the circle, as every woman answered at once. Myself, included.
Cara nodded and said, “Girl, that makes you human. When I caught my daughter flushing all my jewelry down the toilet, I thought I might put her up for sale to the highest bidder. I actually wrote out the advertisement and everything.”
My eyes widened in shock.
“That makes me feel better…thanks, Cara,” Shannon said, standing and making her way back over to her chair.
Rose got up and took a seat on the mat. The entire room went quiet.
“I signed the papers on Friday. It’s final.”
Three of the women got up and placed their hands on Rose. Erin was one of them. When she started to pray over Rose, a lump formed in my throat.
“Dear God, thank you for giving Rose the strength she needed to leave that bastard of a husband.”
“Erin!” Patty chastised. “I’m pretty sure the Lord doesn’t want you swearing in prayer.”
Erin gave an apologetic shrug but kept going. “Thank you for giving her the strength to leave that low-life, dirty-rotten, good-for-nothing piece of pond scum.”
Patty sighed. Meanwhile, I couldn’t take my eyes off of the women. They all had their heads bowed; their eyes closed.
Except for Rose. She was staring at me. Our eyes met and locked as Erin kept praying.
“Lord, we know it took a lot of courage for Rose to do what she did. Thank you for being the guiding hand that led her to make the decision she made for her safety and that of her daughter. Her strength is through you, Heavenly Father.”
Amens filled the room as Rose continued to stare straight into what felt like my soul. My entire body began to shake, and the idea that she knew my secret made me feel like I couldn’t breathe.