Ace's POV

Jesus, You are going to have to help me with this. I'm so nervous. I know I'm supposed to be fearless. It is really hard though. I will be fearless for You. You are on my side and I will trust You. Amen.

I let out a breath and knock on her door. I silently wait in the empty hallway. I glance down both ways on either side of me.

The door opens and Sophie leans against it with her eyes closed. "Yes?"

"Will you come to church with me?"

She nods and yawns. "Let me get ready." She answers and closes the door.

I lean against the wall to the right of her door.

Thank you, Lord.

A while later, Sophie walks out with Aaron and two bags.

"Do you mind if he comes with us?" She questions.

"Of course not. Do you want me to carry the bags or Aaron?" I say and hold my arms out.

Aaron leans toward me and she laughs. "I guess Aaron wants you. We will have to take my car unless we have time to put his car seat in your car."

"We can take your car," I say as I hold Aaron and start walking to her car.

----THE YEAR OF HELLOS----

"Do you think someone will say something?" Sophie asks as I get Aaron out of his car seat.

I stand up straight with him in my arms. "I'm sure they will. It's not worth to worry about what people say. We know each other. They don't know us." She nods and I wrap my left arm around her. "It's going to be okay."

She wraps her right arm around me and we start towards the building that many call church.

----THE YEAR OF HELLOS----

I hold Sophie's hand when the singing begins. She squeezes my hand and bounces Aaron on her hip.

"Today we are going to be looking in the book of Jeremiah. I'm going to read chapter thirty-one verses one through seventeen. If you didn't already know, Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet.

"The main verse I'm going to focus on is verse three: The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee (KJV). God is always with us. In the new and old, when you are saved and before you are saved, when you are lost and when you are found. We love because He first loved us and still does.

"Verse seven says For thus saith the Lord ; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Lord , save thy people, the remnant of Israel. I don't know about you all, but I cannot sing (KJV)." The preacher laughs. "I might not sound good when I sing but I'm still going to do it because I'm doing it for Him. He wants and deserves our praise.

"Verse seventeen says And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord , that thy children shall come again to their own border (KJV). Praise his holy name! We can have hope threw Him! Someone needs to shout!"

Aaron makes a noise that I can only describe as a baby shout and everyone laughs. Sophie hides her face in my shoulder. "That was embarrassing," she whispers to me.

I smile at her and shake my head. "It was a blessing." I go back to focus on the preacher.

After the message is over, the singers go back up and start the song Come To The Alter.

----THE YEAR OF HELLOS----
NICO'S POV

"Hey, man. Wanna go grab some lunch?" Jasper asks.

"No," I say without looking away from the TV.

"Well, I-." He starts to say but someone knocks on our door. "I guess I'll get it." He walks in front of me very slowly and I try to push him out of the way. He knows not to mess with me when the Wildcats are playing. "Back again?"

"Yes, is that a problem?" Her voice floats into my ears like a catchy love song and I turn towards her, completely forgetting about the basketball game.

"How did you do that?" Jasper questions.

I stand up and greet her with a tight hug. "Hi."

"Hey," she giggles.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why are you here?" I ask and let go of Sonya.

"Sophie left to go to church with Ace so I decided to come see what you were doing."

"Well, I'm glad you are here. Do you want to go get some lunch?"

"I literally just asked you that!" Jasper exclaims.

"Eh. I don't know. Pizza delivery sounds better."

"Yeah. Absolutely."

"Seriously? I feel like a dust bunny underneath my bed." Jasper says. "I'm leaving."