“Have you ever been?”
He gave a shrug. “My mom took me a few times on Christmas when I was younger, but my dad hated it, so we never went back. Which is fine with me. Those people are weird.”
Elly raised her arms in an exaggerated shrug. “I’m one of those people. Do you think I’m weird?”
Dennis took in her green floral skirt, white lacy top, beaded earrings, and hair that was still up in Velcro rollers. His eyes narrowed. “Is that a trick question?”
Elly felt her frustration building. “Dennis, do I ask you for anything?”
Dennis turned away from her. “No,” he said, leveling his gaze at the screen.
“Do I ask you to pitch in for the groceries, or the bills, or even for clothing?” Dennis stayed silent. “The answer is no, I don’t. So could you just, please….” Elly could feel herself losing her temper. It had been one of those mornings, when nothing went right. Her alarm had gone off, only to be punished by being thrown across the room. She awoke in a panic, tossing on a tattered skirt and light top. She didn’t have time to shower, so she threw her hair up in curlers. Limping with one shoe out into the kitchen, she was disgusted at the pile of dishes that had accumulated onto the counter top, as well as the underwear hanging over her computer chair. That’s it, she thought, Dennis is coming with me to church.
And so now, here she was, arguing with a nineteen-year-old, instead of doing her makeup. Keith had quietly let himself in a few minutes ago and was waiting patiently in the living room, looking handsome and dapper in a navy suit that took Elly’s breath away. Ironic, she thought to herself, I thought we had a little time before we were yelling at our teenager to come to church. She tried to lighten her tone. “You might really enjoy it. Reverend Mack is really down to Earth, very honest and frank….”
Dennis wouldn’t even look at her. “Nope.”
Elly suddenly imagined herself as a teapot, with boiling water rising inside her. She was about to explode. She took a deep breath and prepared for what would be a glorious unleashing upon Dennis. “You know what?”
She felt Keith’s hand on her shoulder, heavy and steady. His voice was strong. “Dennis.”
He looked up at Keith with a sneer. “Oh, good, you’re here.”
“Dennis, is there anything that you would like us to do with you? Something that means a lot to you? Because this means a lot to Elly.” Elly didn’t have the heart to tell Keith that she had decided on the spur of the moment to invite Dennis to church. In fact, she had done it out of spite, which was probably not great, but hey, ignorance was bliss. Keith was remaining calm, but Elly could see a vein bulging in his forehead. She wanted to soothe him, to wrap him in her arms and plant cool kisses all over him. But instead, they were arguing with a nerd. Such was life lately. “So what do you say? Could you come this morning, for her?”
Dennis closed his eyes, as if Keith’s words were pummeling him to death. “Fine. God. I’ll come.”
Elly let out a surprised squeak. He was coming, he was actually coming.
Dennis pushed the chair out from behind him. “But I’m not wearing a tie or anything.”
Keith gestured to his bottoms. “Understandable. But would you consider pants?”
Ten minutes later, Dennis emerged from his bedroom wearing his Star Wars T-shirt with an unbuttoned white shirt over it, and the khaki pants that Elly had bought him that week. (“Why do you insist on buying everyone khakis?” Snarky Teenager had raged, pulling at her hair in exasperation when Elly proudly showed off her purchase).
Elly was about to speak up when she felt Keith’s elbow buried deep in her side. “You look good!” he said. Elly bit her lip.
Dennis put his hands on his rotund hips. “I feel like a tool. Are we going or what?”
Elly gave an exasperated sigh and walked to the door. Dennis and Keith remained seated. “Um, Elly?” said Keith.
“Yes?” She turned, expecting a compliment on her ravishing beauty.
“You still have curlers in your hair.”
“Oh.” A blush rose over her face as she ran to her bedroom to yank them out.