with his face stone cold. “Stay with Reverend Hunter, Apron. Until I get back.”
Mr. and Mrs. Haffenreffer walked by us next. Mrs. Haffenreffer’s arm was tucked inside Mr. Haffenreffer’s elbow and her eyes were pinched up as much as her mouth now. Mr. Haffenreffer nodded at me, but in a thank-God-you’re-not- my -kid kind of way.
“Who’s the bride?” Chad asked way too loudly.
“M,” I answered. I was glad about Grandma Bramhall’s shake, but now I was stuck with Reverend Hunter.
“ Who ?”
“She’s from Brazil.”
Chad just said, “Oh.”
Down at the altar, Nurse Silvia and the other nurse were pulling M up by the elbows. The veil was flipped over her head so you could see her red, crying face. Reverend Hunter said something as he walked by her and headed into his office. After that, all three nurses headed up the aisle toward us.
M hissed at me. If she were a lion, I would have been dinner. Nurse Silvia didn’t look at me, but there wasn’t a speck of brown shine on her lips anymore.
“Whoa,” Chad said trying to shake M’s mood off his arm. “If looks could kill.”
I swallowed. They didn’t know the half of it.
Outside, the siren turned on again. At the altar, M’s red roses were lying on the top step.
“Did your grandmother have a heart attack?” Mike asked.
“Maybe.”
“Do you want us to drive you to the hospital to find out?” he asked. Chad’s face scrunched up next to him.
“That’s okay. Her head’s still shaking. And my dad told me to stay here.”
“You sure?”
I nodded.
“But don’t you, like, go to school?” Chad asked.
“Not when your dad’s getting married,” I mumbled. Mike flashed Chad a look.
“Well, any who ,” Chad said clapping his hands and heading back up the aisle. “We have work to do, Mikey.”
Mike smelled like soap and Mr. Solo mixed together. “Don’t lift anything heavy,” he warned Chad.
“Okay, Mom ,” Chad sang back to him.
“That’s Mother to you,” he called back.
I looked around the Church of Sadness, wondering where the least amount of tears could be stuck. Mike was watching me. “Did you bring anything to do? Homework or anything?”
I shook my head.
He started to say something but then took my arm instead and hooked it under his. Pressed together like that, the thing in my belly button pinged on again. “Tell you what. Let’s go find the Reverend,” he said, walking me down the aisle.
When we got to the end, Mike let go of my arm and picked up the roses.
“For you,” he said. “I now pronounce you … a kid.”
He handed them to me and I stared into the dark red swirls, which were perfect except for the fact that they were M’s. I looked back up at Mike, and then I was looking at two Jesuses: one standing in front of me, bowing slightly, and the other, on the rug hanging above him.
“Wait here,” Mike said. Then he walked over to Reverend Hunter’s door, knocked, and stepped in.
After he said something, he waved me over and I put down the roses.
Reverend Hunter had changed into black pants and a white shirt, and one of his arms was in the middle of sliding into a black sleeve.
“That’s a terrible story, son. I’m sorry for you both,” he said. “Did they get into your shop?”
“No,” Mike shook his head. “The shop’s okay. But we’re running a little behind.”
Reverend Hunter handed Mike a keychain. “Take all the time you need,” he said.
Mike nodded. “Thanks for the second chance, Reverend. I’ll make sure to lock it this time. Thanks. Thank you.”
Reverend Hunter dipped his chin and finished getting into his coat. “Very good,” he said gathering some papers together. When Mike turned to me, he winked.
“And one more thing, Reverend. I know Apron’s dad told her to stay with you until he got back—”
Reverend Hunter’s eyebrows lifted. “Oh dear,” he said, just noticing me. “I’m due at a meeting in twenty minutes. I guess you can come if you
Mr. and Mrs. Haffenreffer walked by us next. Mrs. Haffenreffer’s arm was tucked inside Mr. Haffenreffer’s elbow and her eyes were pinched up as much as her mouth now. Mr. Haffenreffer nodded at me, but in a thank-God-you’re-not- my -kid kind of way.
“Who’s the bride?” Chad asked way too loudly.
“M,” I answered. I was glad about Grandma Bramhall’s shake, but now I was stuck with Reverend Hunter.
“ Who ?”
“She’s from Brazil.”
Chad just said, “Oh.”
Down at the altar, Nurse Silvia and the other nurse were pulling M up by the elbows. The veil was flipped over her head so you could see her red, crying face. Reverend Hunter said something as he walked by her and headed into his office. After that, all three nurses headed up the aisle toward us.
M hissed at me. If she were a lion, I would have been dinner. Nurse Silvia didn’t look at me, but there wasn’t a speck of brown shine on her lips anymore.
“Whoa,” Chad said trying to shake M’s mood off his arm. “If looks could kill.”
I swallowed. They didn’t know the half of it.
Outside, the siren turned on again. At the altar, M’s red roses were lying on the top step.
“Did your grandmother have a heart attack?” Mike asked.
“Maybe.”
“Do you want us to drive you to the hospital to find out?” he asked. Chad’s face scrunched up next to him.
“That’s okay. Her head’s still shaking. And my dad told me to stay here.”
“You sure?”
I nodded.
“But don’t you, like, go to school?” Chad asked.
“Not when your dad’s getting married,” I mumbled. Mike flashed Chad a look.
“Well, any who ,” Chad said clapping his hands and heading back up the aisle. “We have work to do, Mikey.”
Mike smelled like soap and Mr. Solo mixed together. “Don’t lift anything heavy,” he warned Chad.
“Okay, Mom ,” Chad sang back to him.
“That’s Mother to you,” he called back.
I looked around the Church of Sadness, wondering where the least amount of tears could be stuck. Mike was watching me. “Did you bring anything to do? Homework or anything?”
I shook my head.
He started to say something but then took my arm instead and hooked it under his. Pressed together like that, the thing in my belly button pinged on again. “Tell you what. Let’s go find the Reverend,” he said, walking me down the aisle.
When we got to the end, Mike let go of my arm and picked up the roses.
“For you,” he said. “I now pronounce you … a kid.”
He handed them to me and I stared into the dark red swirls, which were perfect except for the fact that they were M’s. I looked back up at Mike, and then I was looking at two Jesuses: one standing in front of me, bowing slightly, and the other, on the rug hanging above him.
“Wait here,” Mike said. Then he walked over to Reverend Hunter’s door, knocked, and stepped in.
After he said something, he waved me over and I put down the roses.
Reverend Hunter had changed into black pants and a white shirt, and one of his arms was in the middle of sliding into a black sleeve.
“That’s a terrible story, son. I’m sorry for you both,” he said. “Did they get into your shop?”
“No,” Mike shook his head. “The shop’s okay. But we’re running a little behind.”
Reverend Hunter handed Mike a keychain. “Take all the time you need,” he said.
Mike nodded. “Thanks for the second chance, Reverend. I’ll make sure to lock it this time. Thanks. Thank you.”
Reverend Hunter dipped his chin and finished getting into his coat. “Very good,” he said gathering some papers together. When Mike turned to me, he winked.
“And one more thing, Reverend. I know Apron’s dad told her to stay with you until he got back—”
Reverend Hunter’s eyebrows lifted. “Oh dear,” he said, just noticing me. “I’m due at a meeting in twenty minutes. I guess you can come if you
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