Single Rose by Pamela Griffin

Author:Pamela Griffin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2013-11-27T00:00:00+00:00

Eight

Crossing her arms over her chest, Marissa leaned her veiled head and shoulder against the dark corridor wall on the other side of the sanctuary and let the tears that had sprung up out of nowhere silently flow. A widening rectangle of golden light alerted her to the fact that someone had opened the door behind her. She straightened with a little sniffle, hoping the intruder couldn’t tell she’d been crying.

“Miss Hughes?” Genna’s uncertain voice came from behind her. “Is everything okay?”

Marissa ran the backs of her fingers under her eyes and turned to face the child with a bright smile, one that faltered upon seeing Antonio standing in back of the girl. His expression under the brown cotton turban was a mask of concern.

“You did really well,” Genna said. “I would’ve been scared if you hadn’t been standing by me when I had to say those lines. So please don’t feel bad, Miss Hughes. Anyone could’ve tripped on their robe if they’d been wearing one as long as yours. At least you didn’t fall on Chris—you just bumped him a little. And he probably stepped on his own big foot.”

Antonio set his hands atop Genna’s shoulders. “Genna, why don’t you go ask the other kids to put their costumes and props back in the boxes before they go home? With all the excitement of rushing to egg hunts and Easter baskets, they might forget.”

She smiled as she craned her head to look back at him. “I got a huge white chocolate bunny with crushed Oreos in it. But Mama says I have to eat all my ham and green beans and corn before I get any.”

“Well, you know what they say, Genna. Mama knows best.” Marissa tried to make her words sound light, but they came out strained instead.

“I thought that was ‘Father knows best,’ ” Antonio inserted with a smile.

“It’s just not fair,” Genna said. “Chris ate all his candy before church this morning. . . ’Course, Mama and Daddy don’t know. ’Bye!” A mischievous twinkle of a sister about to tell on her brother entered Genna’s eyes before she scampered away, the hem of her blue cloak she’d worn as Mary flapping behind her.

“Hank and Jenny certainly have their hands full,” Marissa told Antonio, feeling a little self-conscious with the way he was staring at her. “Did you see Hank? He was in clown gear today for the little tots’ church. You couldn’t miss him. He was the one with the Afro colored like an Easter egg.” To her horror her voice cracked, and she felt another onslaught of tears prick her eyes. The bridge of her nose stung with the pressure.

Wordlessly, Antonio took hold of her elbow and moved with her down the dark hall toward the glowing red exit sign. He pushed on the door’s silver cross bar with a metallic thunk and led her outside.

Through tear-blurred vision, Marissa saw that the back parking lot held only three cars. Most everyone had departed, probably anxious to consume bountiful feasts of Easter dinners.

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