I stop walking and turn him to face me, placing both hands on his shoulders.“That’s where faith comes in.”
“I don’t know that I have much of that, Mr.Holt.I mean, I try, but why would God let these things happen?Why would He have made my dad who he is?Or made my sister sick?”
“God didn’t make your dad who he is.Your dad’s choices are what turned him into the man he is.As for your sister, God didn’t make her sick, but He has given you everything you need to handle it.”
“What’s that?”He sniffles and looks up at me.
“Him.There is no storm we can’t weather with the Lord in our boat.Having faith doesn’t mean that everything is always going to work out okay, but it does mean that you go through nothing alone.”
Kyle takes a deep breath and shifts his gaze away from me.I drop my hands from his shoulders and offer him the silence to process.
“I just don’t know.”
“That’s okay.You can build on what you don’t know.”
“How’s that?”
“The Bible.”
“Mom has one of those.She and Pauline read it together every morning.”
“And you?”
He shakes his head and starts walking again, so I fall into step beside him.“I usually try to be anywhere else.”
“Then maybe that’s where you start.Sit with them.You don’t have to talk or read, but you can listen.And that’s a place to start.”I pause just outside the coffee shop.
“That sounds way too easy.”
I laugh.“Kid, it’s going to be the hardest thing you’ve done, but it’s the only thing that matters.Your past, your pain—none of that will exist in the eternity He has promised us.Your sister will be healed, and there will be no tears.”
He shrugs and looks up at me.“That sounds nice, I guess.”
I clasp a hand on his shoulder.“It’s going to be perfect.”
“I’ll try.I can’t promise anything, but I’ll try.”
“Good.”I pull open the door to the coffee shop so he can move inside.When I follow him and take note of Anastasia working the cash register, I can’t help but feel slightly disappointed that it’s not Katelyn smiling at me.
“Hey there,” Anastasia greets.Her smile is hollow, not at all reaching her eyes.My gaze momentarily falls to the large scar on her cheek.The bullet that left it nearly claimed her life almost two months ago.It makes my stomach churn to know how close we came to losing her.“The usual?”she asks.
“Hi, Miss Knox,” Kyle greets.“Yes, please.For Miss Suzie.”He’s been coming here at least a few times a week, doing coffee runs for Suzie.
“And for you?”
“Just an iced tea, please.”
“You’ve got it.Mr.Holt?”Anastasia asks.
“Just a regular coffee, please.Some cream and sugar.”While she rings it up, I turn to Kyle.“Why don’t you grab a seat?”
He nods and heads toward one in the far corner while I pay for the drinks.
“You okay?”I ask Anastasia, keeping my voice low so the other patrons seated around the café can’t hear.
She lifts her gaze to mine, and her bottom lip quivers slightly.Anastasia has spent most of her life being strong, keeping her walls in place until she’s alone and can safely let them down.But right now, that mask has fissures.
“I’ll be fine.”