AN: There will be snippets of a church service and Sunday School. I'm not attempting to push any religion, just give us a new place to visit and develop character, and set the scene of course.

Part 75

The next morning, Eddie and Gunter joined Sarah and Miss. Crawly for cartoons and bowls of cereal. Gunter made sure she also had some juice and a piece of bread with peanut butter.

Eddie was laughing at a little mouse being chased by a cookie-shaped boulder when his phone rang. "I love Mousington Adventures. Eddie Moon-Suarez speaking." He announced.

"Eddie, thank heaven… you're alright!" His father's voice made him stand up and leave the room.

Gunter leaned down. "You keep watching cartoons with Miss. Crawly" he whispered before following his beau.

Eddie was hunched over the secretary's desk. He saw Gunter and put the call on speaker. "What do you want, Mr. Noodleman."

Frederick groaned. "Son, I saw the news, I'm so… so sorry. I know it's not enough. I know you hate me. I just needed to know you were alright. The news made it sound… so dire…"

The sheep heard the concern but he still didn't think he could ever forgive his father. "Did you hear about your wife?"

"I did… I'm sorry I ever married her. Your grandmother warned me… She was naught but a gold digger," he sighed. "She never really loved either of us. I'm sorry I let her hurt you. I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm truly sorry for Mr. Moon. He was a very good friend to you, even if he did want our money for his shows, I know he at least cared about you."

"He loved me, Dad. He loved me. And because of you… We never even had a chance to try," Eddie looked at Gunter. He was happy with the hog, he loved him. Maybe he and Buster wouldn't have been as happy, maybe they would have been happier, maybe it would have blown up in their faces. "We never even got to find out… He was trying so hard to win your approval." Gunter took his hand and rubbed his back. "You can say sorry all you like. It doesn't change any of you. Don't contact me again." He hung up the phone and sighed. "I'm sorry…"

"For what? I know that if he were here, you'd be together. I know I'm second. It's okay," Gunter reassured him. "It's okay that you're still mourning. I am too. I still love you."

Eddie leaned into his lover. "And I still love you. I'm sure. It's just… I can't forgive him for sending Buster away. I can't forgive him for how he and Mom treated me. I can't forgive him for any of it. I don't want to. I just want to cut all contact and never see or speak to him again." Tears hit the desk, falling from bitter, hurt eyes.

His hog rubbed his back. "Then that's what you do. You have a father and a mother who really love you now. You don't need to even think about him."

Eddie turned into Gunter, letting himself cry into his big chest. Gunter let himself cry with him, lamenting the could have beens and the if onlys.

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Ash got up that morning to find Tyler putting on a really nice suit that she'd never seen. "Whoa! You getting spiffed up for a reason?"

He laughed. "It's Sunday," he reminded her. "I'm going to church. Alphonso's picking me up."

"Oh! Well, have fun," she told him. She got boxes of cereal out of the cabinet and set out the milk, bowls and spoons. The twins would be up in a few minutes.

He tilted his head, pondering. "You know, you would be welcome to join us. It can be a lot of fun. There's Sunday School and there are classes for the kids. And we sing and dance and just fellowship."

Tyler spoke so highly of the weekly event and it wasn't like they had anything else to do. "Are you sure? I'll be honest, I don't believe… like at all."

He nodded. "You don't have to. Sure, they'll talk about God and stuff like that but no one is required to believe just to go. I'll be honest, I kind of zone out during the sermon myself even though I do believe. But the rest is really a lot of fun." He chuckled.

She thought about it. It would be something to get them out of the apartment, keep them busy. It's what they all needed. To be busy. "Alright. How long until Alphonso gets here?"

"Oh not for another hour, there's plenty of time," he promised. "I'll help get them ready."

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Meena brushed her tufts of hair and brushed her teeth before putting on a purple, ankle-length dress. She put on her makeup and cast sideways glance at her Bible. She remembered the deal she had made but she just didn't know.

"Hey, Tyler. We'll be there to pick you up at 8:30, don't worry," she heard her husband chuckle. "Oh no! That's no problem at all! They're welcome to join us! There's plenty of room in the backity-back seat for their boosters. Oh? Don't worry, Rosita and Norman accidentally left a few behind during the move. They can use those. Awesome, see you soon." He hung up his phone and came into the bedroom. "Ash and the twins are gonna join us."

"That's nice," she said softly.

He walked over and hugged her. "What's wrong?" He asked.

She sighed. "When I first heard Eddie was hurt again and that it was even worse, I… I… I prayed. And I made a deal that if he saved Eddie then I would believe…" She looked down. "I just…"

He held her. "You don't want to believe. In a god that would take away someone you love." She looked up at him. "Especially a god who is supposed to be a loving god."

"How did you know?" Meena asked him and he just kissed her tenderly.

"I told you my story, Meena. You know that I know exactly what it's like to be angry at God when things like this happen," he replied.

She kissed him back. "Yes, that's it. I'm angry!" She realized this was the first time she was acknowledging it. She clenched his fists. "He already took my dad before I even had a chance to know him. Why did he have to take Mr. Moon too?"

"I don't know, these are questions that I asked myself everyday. I still ask sometimes. But there's always a reason. It helps to ask what good things that have happened since and possibly even because Mr. Moon passed away. Calloway stayed with the troupe because of it," he pointed out. "He told me that he was planning to go back into hiding as soon as the show's run was done but he couldn't leave. Eddie was rescued from an abusive household. Porsha was given a family, a loving father and mother. Nooshy was homeless when Johnny met her. Now she has a home and a family. Lance told Tyler the only reason he called her was because he saw it on the news. Because they reconnected and rekindled their relationship in time for her to form a bond with those kids, they aren't in the system or with a mother who doesn't want them."

She thought about it. "I'm still angry. I'm glad for all of those things but I still wish he was here. I wish he could be a part of these things. I wish…." She leaned into her husband.

He rubbed her shoulders. "You can be angry for as long as you want to. He gets it. And if you feel you can't talk to Him, you can talk to His Son. And if you don't want to talk to either of them, that's okay. You can always talk to me." He held her close.

She sighed. "And it's okay that I still feel like this? It's okay that I'm mad?"

Alphonso couldn't help a light chuckle. "Let me put it this way. One day, our child will be furious with either or both of us. Even if what we did was for their good. We're going to ground them, we're going to put them through tutoring, we're going to do something that they won't like, or we'll say no to something they want and they will be angry. And that's okay. They can be angry and when they're ready to forgive us, we'll be here, ready to hold them and tell them it's alright." He rubbed her back. "Anger is a natural emotion that we all feel at times. And when that time comes for our child, we will both be better equipped to guide them."

She cuddled closely into him. "I love you, Alphonso." She let his embrace comfort her, her breathing returning to normal. She wiped her face and blew her nose. "Well, now I need to redo my mascara and finish getting ready. Can you handle the booster seats? I can help."

"No, you're not allowed to pick up anything heavier than a jug of milk. I got it, my goddess," he kissed her again and went to get the boosters into their SUV.

Meena couldn't help smiling after him. She rubbed her belly. He was right. Anger was normal, it was how one handles their anger that made the difference.

She met him at the vehicle and got into the front passenger seat. "You really should consider that Youth Pastor job, you're really good at it." She teased him.

He sighed. "I'd love it but… I couldn't without telling them everything and letting them decide. I just don't think I'm right with what I did."

She took his hand before he started the truck. "Alphonso, that's in your past. You regret it. You've changed. If you feel you need to tell them, then okay. But it was in the past, it's really none of their business. It has no bearing on your abilities at all. In fact, it probably makes you more qualified for the job." She squeezed his hand.

"I just think they should know. If it came out somehow and I wasn't open about it, that would look so much worse," he rationalized.

She held his hand. "Then I'll be with you when you do. And seriously, if this makes them change their mind about making you a youth pastor, then we might change churches." She let go but only so they could get going. "I love you no matter what is in your past."

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The First Baptist Church of Santa Francesca was big, as Ash remembered it from Halloween. The big gray hippo in a black pinstripe suit greeted everyone at the door.

"Alphonso!" She heard him greet a little too excitedly. "How are you? I saw your prayer request on the community board. Is your friend alright?"

Alphonso nodded and shook his hand. "He's fine. He's out of the hospital. He had a pretty miraculous recovery. Only God, am I right?"

John laughed. "Indeed. Now, have you given any thought to my offer?"

"I have and after talking with my wife, I'm interested but… I think we should talk about a few things in private before we make any commitments," Alphonso said. "There's something you should know first."

John nodded. "Do you have time after the service today? Although I doubt anything you have to say could affect anything."

Alphonso nodded and followed his wife inside while Tyler and Ash stopped with the twins. "Oh, Tyler, who are your friends?"

"This is my good friend, Ash Beaumont, and her kids, Raquelle and Lancey," Tyler introduced him.

He smiled at Ash. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Beaumont. I'm Pastor John Olivier. Welcome to First Baptist SF. And hello, Raquelle, Lancey, how old are you?"

"5 and a half," Raquelle replied. "So is Lancey."

John nodded. "Well, it's almost time for Sunday School. Tyler, do you remember where the Kidz Klub is?" He asked.

"Yep, don't worry about us, Pastor John," he led them all inside. Alphonso was waiting. "So, Alphie, what was Pastor John talking about?"

Alphie looked at Meena who nodded. "They want me to be the new youth pastor."

Tyler whooped. "Yeah! Go for it, Alphie! This is your dream."

Alphonso shrugged. "Yeah, it is but… I need to talk to him first. Meena and I gotta get to class and so do the kids and you guys. See you at our usual spot?"

Tyler nodded. "Yep. Save us four spots please." He asked before he led Ash and the kids down the kids hallway.

AN: Ending this here. We'll pick up with the service and ultimately Alphonso confessing to Pastor John. Will they still want him to be a youth pastor? Find out later. Until then, good night. Oh, it was suggested to do more with Marcus and Klaus. First I kind of feel like they've run their course and Johnny and Ryan have had a lot of spotlight lately.