"So what's the difference between being a preacher and being a pastor? They sound the same to me."

Steve sat with Katie in the student lounge, the two currently in between separate morning classes. "It's more responsibility to be a pastor because then, you have to run the whole church. You know, manage the people and the money too. It's basically a job. If I wanted to, I could put together a sermon and preach on Sunday. That'd make me a preacher, but not a pastor."

Katie made some notes in her planner, putting stars on dates within its calendar. "So what happens when I meet Samuel then? Does he need to grant us a blessing or something?"

"No. He won't need to do anything. We can all just talk and eat or whatever. His wife, Vivian, will be there too, and so will Emily."

"Who's Emily?"

"Their daughter."

"Oh. How old is she?"

"She's four. I've known her since she was born. Before she was even my cousin. She calls me 'Uncle Steve' though."

"Well, that's sweet."

"Yeah. You'll love her. It's impossible not to. Anyway, Samuel said we can swing by around 6:30. Does that work for you?"

"Of course it does. I always have time for you."

"And don't worry, all right? He's not going to try to talk you into coming to church or anything."

"He won't try to convert me to your religion?"

"No. I mean, if you bring the subject up, he might tell you what he believes and why. He might even talk about God just in regular conversation, but he won't force anything on you. That's not Samuel."

"I thought that's what preachers were supposed to do."

"Maybe some do, but not him. If he was like that, we wouldn't have been able to get close as easily as we did. I like to say he met me right where I was because he really did, and I'm sure he'll do the same for you."

"Here, Stevie, try this."

Steve took the spoon Soda handed him, tasting the sauce. "Hey, that's good, man. What? Are you considering becoming a chef?"

Soda stirred the sauce, mixing some meat in with it. "Nah. But Penny's comin' over, so I wanted to cook somethin' for us to eat."

"You two have a lot to talk about."

"Yeah. So you're takin' Katie over to meet Samuel, huh?"

"Sure am. After this, she'll know everyone I've been wanting her to meet."

"Are you still plannin' to tell her about the abuse this week?"

"Yeah. I'm thinking probably tomorrow night. I figured that'll be a good time since classes will be wrapped up for the semester and all."

"So when you talk to her, are you going to tell her just that or everything?"

"I'm not sure yet. I'll probably start with telling her about Clara and what happened. I might get into all the effects or I might not. It just depends on exactly how she takes it, you know? I don't want to overwhelm her or myself with talking about it all at once."

"I guess what I'm really tryin' to ask is are you going to tell her anything about me?"

"You mean about the shooting?"

"Yeah. And everything after. Especially since that affected you too."

"Is it okay if I do tell her? If you aren't comfortable with it yet, I'll steer clear. I can tell Katie plenty about me without mentioning what happened to you."

"I don't mind if you tell her I got shot, Stevie."

"But is there anything else that you specifically don't want me to mention? I really don't know yet what direction that conversation will go, so there's lots of room for me to make sure I don't say something you'd rather I didn't."

"I don't want you to tell her I was suicidal. I'm not sure why. I just know I don't."

"Sure, man. I won't say a word about that."

"The other stuff is fine though. Like the flashbacks. I don't want you to think I'm tryin' to decide things for you when it comes to your girlfriend."

"No, it's fine, buddy. Part of this is your story too, so you've got every right to say something. I'm not even completely sure yet if I'll tell Katie I was suicidal or that I attempted to kill myself. Hearing about how I was abused might be enough for one conversation. I'll definitely tell her about my flashbacks since that's basically where it all started, but the rest of what we talk about will just center on how that part of it goes."

"You'll talk over here, right?"

"Yeah. I think that's best for me. I'll ask her to come over and just tell her I have something sensitive I need to talk about. Since she knows there's stuff I went through as a kid, she'll probably realize it's about that."

"And since you'll be here, I'll stay in for the night. I mean, I'll give you privacy and all too, but I'll stick around in case you need me."

"In case, huh? You know I will, buddy. This is kind of a big moment for me, so no matter how it goes, you'll definitely be part of it."

"It wonderful to meet you, Katie. Any friend of Steve's is a friend of mine."

Katie looked around Samuel's house, taking in both the typical surroundings and the man before her. "He speaks so highly of you, I hope that's the case. So you're a pastor?"

Samuel stirred the pitcher of lemonade, as he noticed Katie's gaze wandering about the house as if in search of something. "Yes. I've been a preacher of God's Word for quite a long time, but only just became a pastor."

Steve, who was near Katie's side, took the glass of lemonade Samuel handed him. "Yeah. When I first met him, I called him a preacher guy. He didn't take offense, and it just sort of stuck as a nickname."

"Yes. You thought you were insulting me, but I knew how to take it."

Katie spotted a picture of a little boy, as well as some of a little girl. "Are those your kids? Steve told me you have a daughter."

"We do. I'm sure she'll be excited to meet you too. She adores her Uncle Steve. The other pictures are of our son, Matthew, who passed away almost eleven years ago."

"Oh! I'm so sorry to hear that. I didn't mean to bring it up."

"It's okay. We have the pictures because he's still part of our family. I don't mind being asked about him. Emily even knows all about her brother, and he died years before she was born."

Steve saw the discomfort on Katie's face and decided to change the subject. "So, preacher guy, what else can we tell Katie about us? I feel like I'm missing something."

Katie answered instead, as she saw the cross that hung on the wall, a plaque with The Lord's Prayer just below it. "What made you decide to be a preacher?"

Samuel put the pitcher of lemonade in the refrigerator, as he followed Katie's gaze, seeing the religious mementos that were hallmarks of his faith. "I think I wanted to give other people hope. Faith has always been part of my life, but it became more so not long after Vivian and I got married. Her brother has been preaching since he was a teenager, and he encouraged me to do the same. He used to be the pastor at our church and basically took me under his wing, as far as learning how to lead. After Matthew died, I took a lot of comfort in God and knowing where our son is. Though that isn't to say I didn't also struggle with it at the same time."

Steve put his arm around Samuel's shoulders, as he remembered all the older man had shared with him about his little boy and how difficult the grief had been to reconcile with his faith. "Yeah. He helped me with some similar things because he's good at connecting with people. I think preaching is a great time to do that because that's when somebody may be listening and needing whatever story you've got to tell."

Katie turned to Steve then, her eyes meeting his. "Do you have a story to tell too?"

"Sure. I think we all do. That's what life is. A series of stories that work together to create the big picture."

"You're leavin' in two weeks? I didn't think it would be that soon."

Penny sat with Soda at the kitchen table, the couple finished with their meal. "I wasn't sure either, but the hospital recently had a couple of nurses quit. So they want me sooner rather than later."

Soda breathed over the hurt in his heart, as he took their plates to the sink, then returned to the table, more words on the tip of his tongue than he knew how to speak. "Oh. So, um, what about an apartment then?"

"The supervisors gave me some suggestions on nearby places. I'll have to go check them out as soon as possible, but I already know there are vacancies. Plus, I want to make sure the hospital has the sort of atmosphere I'm looking for."

"Yeah, sure. You want to be comfortable."

"We can do this, Sodapop. We can manage being together, while we live just over an hour apart."

Soda took a moment to respond, as he found he had to bring up the possibility that long-distance may not be the best answer for them. "Penny, do you ever think about seein' other people?"

"No. I honestly can't say I do. Not even when I was away at college. Why? Is that what you want?"

"No. I just wanted to put it out there because I feel like I'm losin' you. Yeah, we're still together, but what does that mean? I'm not askin' you to stay, but I am askin' you what happens for us now."

"Nothing, I don't think. We can keep going on just like we have been. Seeing each other when we can and talking on the phone. Maybe it isn't ideal, but we can do it."

"I know we can, but should we? When it can't go further, should we keep going?"

"Are you trying to say you want to break up with me?"

"No. I'm not sayin' that. I just can't make sense of what's happening here. You're leavin'. You're not going to live in Tulsa. But I am. I need to be near Darry and Steve and Emily."

"And I need to be away from the child we placed for adoption. I love her, but I can't be with her all the time. I couldn't come home after a day at work and hear how you played Candyland or made her blue macaroni and cheese. I need space from the decision we made. I need that separation. As much as I'm happy she calls Samuel and Vivian her parents, I'm just not like you. I can't handle being part of her daily life."

Soda moved closer to Penny, his fingers tucking strands of blond hair behind her ear. "I know that, sweetheart. I know it's too hard for you to be that close, and I understand."

"So what does this mean then? What do we do?"

"I think we have to accept that we love each other, but it doesn't mean we'll stay together forever. We won't get married and have that future."

"Please don't leave my life, Sodapop. I can't picture it without you."

"I can't picture mine without you either, but I think it's time for us to end the relationship. I don't like to call it breakin' up though cause we still have each other's hearts."

"But that's what it is, isn't it? We're saying it's over?"

"Yeah. I think the romance has to be."

Penny pressed her lips to Soda's, seeing it as one last kiss. She then rested her forehead on his, as she felt him stroking her shoulder. "Maybe it does, but we're keeping in touch. No matter what, this still isn't goodbye."