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3rd POV
For those who believe, the church isn't just a building, it's a sanctuary.
A place where hearts bleed quietly, and sometimes… begin to heal.
While some may see it as just a place to gather every Sunday, for others, it's the only place left when life feels too heavy to carry alone.
And today, Pastor Jeff looked like a man who had finally reached that point.
His eyes were red, glassy with unshed tears, and his usual cheerful demeanor had given way to a hollow silence. He sat across from Mary, unable to find the right words.
She didn't rush him. She simply waited, hands folded, her expression gentle.
He let out a deep sigh, then chuckled softly—awkward, a little broken—and wiped the corner of his eye.
"You know… when we first started dating, everything felt like a dream," he said, trying to smile. "Like we were meant to write our own fairy tale."
Mary nodded with understanding. "Of course. Everything is a dream in the beginning."
Her voice was soft but steady, and Pastor Jeff listened—really listened.
"I thought when I met George, we'd take on the world together," Mary added, eyes distant, chasing memories she hadn't revisited in years.
"…Until I got knocked up with his child," she said with a smirk that barely masked old frustration.
Pastor Jeff chuckled, nodding. "Yep. All the real problems showed up once we got married." His tension is slowly disappear. Slowly.
"Marriage was the only path forward back then," Mary said matter-of-factly, leaning back in her seat.
Pastor Jeff raised a brow and gave her a sideways look.
"Hey, just a gentle reminder… I'm the one having a breakdown here. You had your turn like... yesterday."
Mary let out a soft laugh. "Sorry. Old habit. Mama mode, I guess."
He shook his head playfully, then looked at her with genuine gratitude. "But seriously… you're right. Dating is the easy part. I mean, we think we're ready for love, but marriage? That's where God starts testing if we really mean it."
Mary smiled. It wasn't the kind of smile that said she had it all figured out, but the kind that said she survived anyway.
"Fourteen years. And I'm still learning," she said. "Marriage doesn't fix you. It reveals you. And then, if you're lucky, you grow."
Pastor Jeff exhaled deeply, as if he'd been holding his breath for days.
And for the first time today, something in his shoulders relaxed. Just a little.
"I gave her a credit card," he said, his voice thick with frustrated resignation.
"You know, for small purchases. A coffee maker… a Dust Buster… stuff for the house."
He glanced up at Mary, eyes filled with helpless disbelief.
"…You know what she did?"
Mary leaned in, brows raised. Hungry for jui- she mean for the story.
"She went to that Sharper Image store… and bought a massage chair."
Mary's lips twitched, trying hard not to smile.
"…I've seen those. Well, no offense, but I know how much you make, and there's no way you could afford one of those."
"It vibrates, Mary." He leaned forward, deadly serious. "It vibrates! That's what she told me, 'It vibrates, honey, you'll love it!'" He paused, sighing. "Of course, she said it in Spanish… which I'm still trying really hard to understand."
Then he let out a hollow laugh and ran a hand through his hair.
"I'm trying to build a marriage… and she's trying to build a spa in our living room."
Mary chuckled. "Well… maybe you can rent the chair out. Turn it into a good investment."
"Or return it and make a full profit!" he shot back, eyes wide with mock enthusiasm.
That made Mary laugh, really laugh, and she finally let her shoulders relax.
She could feel the tension Pastor Jeff had been carrying for these whole conversation.
And honestly? She wasn't surprised. She'd seen Selena before.
She was a man magnet.
Mary still didn't know how Pastor Jeff managed to marry a woman like her.
But hey… God works in mysterious ways.
Pastor Jeff exhaled again, softer this time. Something in him had cracked open. Honestly, it felt good to be this real with someone.
No judgment, just… being heard.
Mary caught the shift in his expression.
That small, familiar smile, the one he used to wear back when everything felt more certain. It was returning.
"You know, Mare," he said, voice lower now, almost reflective. "Yesterday… it really opened my eyes."
Mary tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
He grinned, a boyish kind of light sparking in his eyes.
"Georgie's performance. I don't know about anyone else, but to me? He was terrific. I mean it. I could see it—he's going to be something special."
"Oh, that…" Mary raised her chin slightly, feigning modesty—but the pride in her voice was unmistakable.
"Well, what can I say? I'm always proud of my kids, Pastor Jeff. God's always been good to me."
Even if she had just finished complaining about getting pregnant before marriage a few minutes ago.
Pastor Jeff smiled softly. "When we got home, me and Selena… she was still distant. But… quieter. Different somehow."
Mary caught something in his tone.
There was more behind those words, something fragile.
Not just finances… but something deeper. The fabric of their marriage felt thin, like a thread being pulled tighter and tighter.
But she didn't say a word. Just smiled, and kept listening.
"I don't know what changed," Pastor Jeff continued. "It's not like when we first started dating. But… it felt good. Like something's starting to shift."
Mary nodded gently.
"Well, maybe it's just God's way of making you more mature. And more patient. That's always part of the process."
Pastor Jeff beamed at her.
"Well, at first, I thought it was Georgie and that music of his. But now… I think it's God, working through all of it."
Mary snorted.
"Maybe God sent Georgie to make his listeners more devoted to Him!"
Pastor Jeff twitched slightly and gave her a look. "What is he now, Moses?"
Mary burst out laughing and stood up.
"Well, Pastor Jeff, I truly hope your marriage stays strong. And whatever problems you're facing, I pray you get through them—together."
He gave her a warm smile.
"Thank you, Mare. For listening…"
Then he narrowed his eyes in mock seriousness.
"By the way, I never told anyone about this. If word gets out, I'll know exactly where it came from."
Mary laughed awkwardly. "O-oh no, Pastor Jeff! This is Medford, word gets out whether we want it to or not!"
He pointed at her playfully. "Still. I've got my eye on you."
"I'm outta here," Mary said, chuckling as she backed out the door.
Pastor Jeff shook his head as she disappeared down the hallway.
But deep down, he felt lighter. Relieved.
He hadn't just poured his heart out to God this time—He'd poured it out to one of His servants.
And whatever consequences might come with that... he was ready.
—--------
*Georgie's POV
That's it.
Libby was officially part of the gang now.
And to be honest… it felt right.
Everyone seemed happy to have her around—especially Veronica.
She didn't see Libby as a threat, not like she did with Jenna.
No jealousy, no tension. Just… curiosity.
I was grateful too for Sheldon's sake.
He finally had someone to talk to about the kind of knowledge even he didn't dominate. Someone who didn't look at him like he was a weirdo or a walking encyclopedia, but as a real person worth talking to.
And for a kid like Shelly… that's rare.
Still, a part of me wondered.
Was this a good thing?
I mean, Sheldon's always been brilliant, but his arrogance? It could burn bridges before they were even built. I've seen the future. I've seen what happens when he dismisses people like Dr. Burt, the geologist, just because it wasn't physics. Just because it wasn't his thing.
Maybe this would be different.
Maybe it wouldn't lead him further into isolation, but pull him out of it.
Maybe… this was the beginning of something better.
"So?" I nudged him as we settled at the classroom. Tam and Sheldon had invited Libby to join us—said it'd be more 'productive' than the cafeteria.
"What do you think, Shelly?"
"What?" Sheldon blinked at me, pulling out his books like usual. "Think about what?"
"Libby," I said, raising a brow and smirking a little.
"I saw how you stepped in earlier, like a knight in shining armor. You were very protective… especially when Tam tried to flirt with her."
Sheldon frowned slightly, but didn't look up from his book.
"I was merely preventing unnecessary social interference."
I chuckled. "Oh come on, Shelly. You didn't just interfere—you blocked."
He paused. Just for a second.
Then turned a page that he clearly wasn't reading.
"I don't understand why Tam had to act like that," he muttered, voice low. "She's smart. We were having a logical conversation. He interrupted it with nonsense."
I leaned in a bit, lowering my voice too.
"But it bothered you. Didn't it?"
Silence.
Then he finally looked up—just briefly—and there was something in his eyes.
Not anger and not annoyance.
Just confusion.
"…Maybe," he said.
A beat passed.
And then—quietly, almost like he was talking to himself—he added,
"I don't know why. I just didn't want her to leave the conversation."
He looked away again. This time, not to read, but to avoid whatever was stirring in his chest.
I didn't press.
Because sometimes, the smartest minds take the longest to understand their own hearts.
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*3rd POV
After school, Georgie following Veronica and Sheldon walked toward her car. His expression was calm, but his eyes—his eyes held worry.
He was heading to Houston. And this time, he might not be back by morning.
Miss Rosie had called. George S. was coming into town and wanted to speak with him personally. That meant staying overnight—maybe longer.
Fenley's car rolled up slowly, stopping a few spots away. She leaned out the window with her usual smile, nodding toward Georgie and the others.
Veronica and Sheldon both noticed her. They gave small nods back—respectful, quiet.
Georgie turned to his little brother, crouching slightly as he met his eyes.
"Listen, if anything happens, call Memaw. Or Mom and Dad, okay?"
Sheldon blinked. "You're being dramatic. We can handle this."
Georgie narrowed his eyes slightly, then added with a smirk, "Just… be careful, maybe not to get…splinter on your own. And try not to give Veronica a hard time while I'm gone, alright?"
Veronica chuckled, and Sheldon rolled his eyes hard enough to make his head tilt.
"Brother, please. You know me."
"Yeah, that's the problem," Georgie shot back with a grin. "You're even more high-maintenance than Missy."
"I am not!"
Georgie ignored him, turning to Veronica with a softer look. "I'll probably be gone for a few days," he said quietly. "You'll be alright?"
Veronica smiled. "I'll be fine. Just… call me, okay?"
Georgie leaned against her car door, letting out a small sigh as his smile deepened.
"I'm gonna miss you, sugar…"
He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss on her lips—sweet, warm, and fleeting.
But Veronica didn't move. Her eyes lingered on him with something deeper behind them.
Then she grabbed his collar.
"Come here."
She pulled him in again—and this time, the kiss wasn't fleeting.
It was slow. Breathless. Heavy with everything they couldn't say with words.
Sheldon, still standing behind them, crossed his arms and made a face.
"...Can we please leave now?! You two like old couple."
His voice sliced through the moment like a rusty pair of scissors.
Georgie pulled back, grinning against Veronica's forehead, while she pulled away with flushed cheeks and a soft laugh.
"What?" Georgie said with a teasing smirk. "Are you jealous?"
"I have a girlfriend… and you don't!"
Sheldon shot him a death glare.
"Brother. Need I remind you that i'm nine. Why would I want a girlfriend?"
Before Georgie could fire back, Veronica quickly stepped in.
"Okay! Let's go pick up Missy!" she said, her voice just a touch too loud.
Georgie laughed, then stepped back, waving as they climbed into the car.
He watched them drive off for a second longer, something warm blooming in his chest.
Then he turned, heading toward Fenley's car—toward Houston, toward opportunity, and maybe... toward something even bigger than he imagined.
"...Let's go," Fenley said flatly as Georgie climbed in.
"Ohhh… we're definitely having makeup sex, right?" Georgie grinned, already buckling his seatbelt.
Fenley let out a snort and shot him a sideways glare, but said nothing.
Still, the look said enough.
Yeah… they probably were.