Part 29 (2/2)
”I'm sorry, Crystal.”
Crystal looked away. She hated it when people said that, but it wasn't so bad coming from Sabrina.
”You gonna marry Rylan Jarvik?” Crystal suddenly asked. ”I don't know.”
”You should. He's a good man.”
”Why do you say that?”
”He doesn't think he's better than the rest of us.”
”That's true,” Sabrina agreed. ”He understands who he is and how much he needs G.o.d.”
”He doesn't look like a preacher.”
Sabrina laughed but didn't comment because their food was arriving.
”Do you mind if I pray?” Sabrina asked when the waiter left them.
239 ”I guess not,” Crystal said, but she didn't bow her head. She watched Sabrina, not able to help herself.
”Thank You, Father, for this food and this time Crystal and I can have together. In the name of Your Son, I pray. Amen.”
”Why do you say it like that?” Crystal asked the moment Sabrina's head came up. ”In the name of the Son?”
”Oh,” Sabrina said, a little stumped but still honest. ”I can't remember why. I'll have to get back to you on that.”
”It's doesn't matter.”
”It's a good question,” Sabrina said. ”I wish I could remember where that comes from.”
”You mean it comes from somewhere in the Bible?”
”Right,” Sabrina answered, picking up her fork as though she were asked these types of questions all the time. She was new at all of this and suddenly wished she was Rylan with all the answers.
”Why did you come to Token Creek?”
”I was ready for a change of scenery. Denver holds a lot of bad memories.”
”Is your family gone?”
”All but my sister, and we haven't been close for a long time.”
It never occurred to Crystal that this woman was alone too. Sabrina seemed so confident and clearheaded.
”Excuse me,” the waiter interrupted, his voice sounding tired. ”The men at the table by the door are wondering if you ladies would like company.”
”No, thank you,” Sabrina said, not even looking across the room but going right back to her dinner.
For a moment Crystal was so filled with envy that she could hardly think. Sabrina hadn't even glanced at the other table! Crystal thought she would give up everything to be that sure of herself.
”What's the matter?” Sabrina asked, catching the odd look on the other woman's face.
”You didn't even look,” Crystal said before she could stop herself.
240 ”Unless Rylan is sitting over there, I'm not interested,” Sabrina stated simply. ”And he wouldn't do that. If he came in, he'd come right to the table and say h.e.l.lo. No games. And you said you were taking the night off.”
Crystal had to smile at her. She had never met anyone like her, who wasn't a prost.i.tute but who talked about it without stumbling over each word.
”Am I being laughed at?”
”No,” Crystal said, but did not go back to her meal.
”You need to eat,” Sabrina said. ”No wonder you're skinny.” ”I'm padded where I need to be,” Crystal said, her voice a bit smug.
”You still need to eat,” Sabrina said, well aware of the other woman's full chest and sorry she felt it was all she needed.
Crystal didn't argue, but she did pick up her fork. She kept waiting for it, waiting for Sabrina to try and talk to her about G.o.d, but it didn't happen. They visited about everyth ing under the sun, learning that their tastes in colors and interests were similar. The evening ended, and with talk of doing it again, they went their separate ways. Crystal walked home in a state of wonder, having expected Sabrina to talk to her about G.o.d and not sure how she felt about the fact that she didn't.
”Why do we pray in Jesus' name?” Sabrina asked Jeanette at the breakfast table.
”We need the reminder that everything we have is because of Christ,” Jeanette said, reaching for her Bible. ”Let me read a verse to you, Bri.”
”We might have covered this in church before you moved to town, but Colossians 1:17 says, 'He is before all things, and by him all things consist.' We want to remember when we pray that we need to do it in Christ. His name is everything. He came to us from the 241 Father, and when we pray to the Father, we ask in His Son's name. If we can't ask in His Son's name, then something is wrong with what we're praying.”
Sabrina nodded, thinking about it because Rylan had also said that verse spoke of creation.
”Did that help?” Jeanette asked.
”I think so. I just need to figure out how I would describe it to someone who doesn't believe like we do.”
”Your friend with whom you had dinner?”
”Yes. I prayed before we ate and said 'in the name of Your Son.' She wanted to know why. I was embarra.s.sed to tell her I couldn't remember.”
Jeanette smiled at her. ”I think your honesty is refres.h.i.+ng. You just told her the truth.”
”I also told her I would get back to her on it.”
”Then the door is still open. That's wonderful.”
”I guess it is,” Sabrina said, not having thought of it.
”Why don't you ask her here for dinner next time? You can join us or cook something yourself.”
Sabrina stared at her, seeing no choice but to lay it on the line. ”Jeanette, Crystal is a prost.i.tute.”
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