Cass was already up when I woke; I could hear her moving around downstairs. I was afraid she might be mad since last night she had opened up about our future together and I hadn't even responded to her. I hurried downstairs to see what she was doing. I walked into the dining room to see her working on one of teapots. I sat down next to her, but before I could say anything, Cass said, "Oh, my god, I am so sorry about last night. I fell asleep right in the middle of our conversation. I didn't think I was that tired." "Cass, it's ok. I was afraid you were upset that I hadn't said anything last night, but for the record, I love that you are thinking about all of that, and I love you." Cass drew me into a tight embrace, and looked me squarely in the eye. "When I said last night that I want that life with you, I've never been more sure of anything." Then she leaned forward and kissed me deeply. I returned her kiss and lost myself in her embrace. After a few moments we separated, and I stepped back to see what she was working on. "Oh, you started polishing the teapots?" "Yeah, I woke up early, and figured it couldn't hurt to get a start on it," she replied. "It's weird though, maybe I'm just bad at this, but it doesn't seem to be working right." "What do you mean?" I asked her. "Well, I'm putting the polish on and then attempting to rub it off, which is supposed to take the tarnish off, but nothing is coming off but the polish. I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong though." "Hmm," I said, "Karen will be at the church to clean tomorrow. We should ask her about it because I'm sure she has to polish other things at church. Maybe she'll know what we need to do differently. By the way, did you want to go to church this morning? We have about an hour before it starts." "You mean go to church with the much-loved, long-lost daughter of the pastor? Yes, this is an experience I have to have," she teased. "We'd better start getting ready then. I'm pretty sure you're in for a treat," I told her.
We quickly had some fruit for breakfast and then headed back upstairs to get ready for church. About ten minutes before the service started we walked over to the church. The parking lot was already full, with a few more vehicles still headed toward the church. We entered through the church through the main doors, and met Mats right inside. "I've been waiting for you," he said. "Really?" I asked. "What for?" "I figured you'd want to ring the bell for the start of the service. I know it was your favorite thing to do when you were little." I was way more excited than a 27-year-old should be about ringing a bell, but I didn't let me embarrassment stop me from agreeing. "We have about 2 minutes, and when I gave you the nod, ring the bell three times." Out of the corner of my I could see Cass watching me. Her expression was one of both surprise and pride. When the time came, Mats gave me the nod, and I dutifully pulled the rope. It required more effort than I realized, although as a child someone else was always helping me. Mats had been right – this had been one of my favorite things. After the third toll, Cassidy and I slipped into a pew near the back of the church.
The service was very traditional Lutheran fare, just as I remembered. After the sermon the visiting pastor asked the congregation what announcements needed to be shared. There were a few about things like quilting and Bible studies, and then Mats came up to the front. "I have a special announcement this morning. We are grateful to have Bethany Engel with us this morning. You may remember her as the daughter of Pastor Engel, although she's quite a bit more grown up now. Bethany is here to help with the organizing and cleaning of the attic. She is joined by her girlfriend Cassidy. Bethany and Cassidy, could you please stand up?" Cassidy was about 15 shades of red, but as a pastor's daughter I was completely used to be called on and embarrassed in church. I stood up and pulled Cassidy along with me to be recognized by the congregation. Standing here I realized just how many people I still recognized. I gave a slight wave and said, "I'm so thankful to be back. The project is going really well, and I'm enjoying seeing so many old friends." Cass recovered a little and added, "And thanks for welcoming me into your church. My visit has been wonderful."
With that we both sat back down while the congregation applauded. Cass grabbed my hand and squeezed so tight I started to lose the feeling in my fingers. I really hadn't realized how very nervous she was about this. After the service has moved on she leaned over and whispered, "When I said I was coming to church with the much-loved daughter of the church, I did not realize that would mean public recognition during the service." "This is the life of a pastor's kid," I said. "This will not be the last time this happens if we are going to have a life together." "Well, then I guess it's something I will have to get used to," she replied.
After the service we joined the congregation downstairs in the fellowship hall. We got in line for donuts and coffee, and were greeted by numerous people. Some I recognized, some were new to me, and some needed to introduce themselves to jog my memory. I think Cass was a little overwhelmed, but she handled it like a pro. I had been a little worried about the reaction to me having a girlfriend, especially in such a small, rural town, but if people had any negative feelings on it, they kept it to themselves.
When most of the crowd had dissipated, Cass and I excused ourselves and walked back over to the house. We had a light lunch and changed into some clothes more suitable for working in the attic. We walked back over to the church to get started on our attic adventures for the day.
YOU ARE READING
the attic's secrets
ParanormalThe attic has always been in her memories, and now it's in her dreams. What secrets does the attic hold?
