thirty-one
HEATHER SURVEYED THE SCENE AROUND HER, AMAZED. More than two hundred teen girls and guys were jumping to the beat like a pogo stick as the band rocked out in worship. The song was clearly a crowd favorite.
Heather leaned over to her brother, talking above the music. “Are they always this fired up? They’ve got me wanting to jump up and down.”
“Go for it!”
Ian led the way, jumping while singing with the rest. Are you living unashamed? Yes! Yes! Do you wanna praise His name? Yes! Yes!
The resemblance between them was still uncanny to her. Same blond coloring, lean build, even the same nose and thick eyebrows.
Heather joined him, laughing more than singing. Becky pointed at them across the room with a big grin. She’d been jumping the whole time, surrounded by the girls she taught in her small group.
Heather loved Ian and Becky’s hearts for these teens. Ian was the youth pastor, and from the time she’d arrived yesterday morning, it had been clear that kids were his life, starting with his own. Meghan, Hannah, and Riley were all under ten still, full of nonstop energy, and Ian had no problem engaging their every impulse. Meanwhile, their home had an open door, literally. Heather lost count of the number of teens who popped in during the course of the day, mostly just to hang out for a while. Ian lived within walking distance of the church—a purposeful move, he’d told her—so they could be a vibrant part of the neighborhood from which the church drew most of its members.
The band moved to a slower worship song, and Heather was impressed once again with these teens and their worship. They didn’t seem embarrassed to raise their hands. They seemed truly focused on God. Heather wondered how much Ian had to do with cultivating the spirit in the room.
She raised her own hands, thanking God for the weekend. It had exceeded her every expectation. Her brother and sister-in-law had embraced her as if they’d known her all her life and rejoiced when she told them of her newfound faith. The kids loved on her as well, excited to have an aunt to play with and even to sing with. They had a blast at the piano as the kids played the songs they’d been learning, and Heather chimed in with vocals. Turned out Ian could sing too—though he was quick to say he wasn’t as good as Heather—and they had fun singing together out of the kids’ hymn book. She’d already told them she planned to be a frequent visitor.
When church ended, the whole family took her to lunch. It was hard saying good-bye back at the house.
Becky hugged her first, her warmth enveloping Heather like an old blanket. “So you’re coming back next weekend, right?”
Heather laughed. “Don’t know if it’ll be that soon. But I sure will miss y’all. I feel like I’m part of the family already.”
“You are family, girl,” Becky said. Her brown eyes sparkled. “Now that we’ve all found one another, we don’t want to miss a beat. Come again soon . . . and stay longer.”
Heather smiled. “I will.”
“Thought I’d tell you,” Ian said, smiling, “the band needs a female vocalist for youth worship.” He added quickly, “I know you’re excited about this opportunity you might have with Peyton Vine, and we’re just small potatoes here in Normal, Illinois. But I thought I’d put that bug in your ear.”
It had only been three days, but Heather had hoped to hear from Peyton by now. She’d been checking her phone all weekend to see if she’d missed any calls.
“I can tell you one thing,” she said. “Small-potatoes Normal sure ain’t normal.” She smiled. “Normal knows how to worship. I loved visiting your church.”
“We loved having you,” Ian said. “Will you tell Diane you visited?”
Heather thought a moment. “Not yet. I mentioned we’d gotten back in touch, and she changed the subject pretty quickly. I think deep down she wishes she’d done more to get to know you when you were younger. She doesn’t know what to do with you now.”
“I get the feeling she may feel guilty, too, but I wish she wouldn’t. I grew up a happy kid. I’ll just keep praying for her.”
“Me too,” Heather said. She hugged her brother. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Ian looked her in the eye. “God’s got awesome plans for you, Heather. Just you wait and see.”