Chapter 14 - “DON’T USE MY DAUGHTER”The following Sunday, Elena arrived with a decision.
She had rehearsed it twice in the car.
Still, when she saw the parents gathering again, her stomach tightened.
Curtis Hale approached first.
“I want to apologize.”
Elena nodded.
“You don't have to.”
“I do.”
He looked toward Clara, who was helping Noah arrange canned food.
“I turned her question into evidence for my position.”
Elena appreciated the honesty.
“Thank you.”
Curtis hesitated.
“I still believe doctrine matters.”
“So do I.”
“Then we're not agreeing.”
“We don't have to agree about everything.”
He smiled.
“Fair enough.”
Across the room, Rachel was speaking with the woman who had criticized denominational exclusivity.
Her name was Meredith Cole.
“I wasn't attacking Clara,” Meredith insisted.
“I know.”
“I was actually defending her.”
Rachel shook her head.
“That's not the point.”
Meredith frowned.
“Then what is?”
“You were using her.”
“To make a point I think protects children.”
“She didn't ask to become your example.”
Meredith looked toward Clara.
Rachel continued.
“And Noah didn't ask to become Curtis's.”
The woman sighed.
“You're right.”
By lunchtime, the atmosphere had changed.
Not because anyone solved theology.
Because people agreed on one smaller principle:
Noah and Clara were children, not debate props.
Thomas Avery watched from the back.
When Rachel passed, he said:
“You and Elena did something important.”
“What?”
“You changed the question.”
Rachel raised an eyebrow.
“From which church is right to how adults should treat children asking questions.”
“That sounds much more manageable.”
“It usually helps to solve the problem actually in front of you.”
During lunch, Clara sat beside Noah.
“Your church macaroni is better.”
Noah looked offended.
“This isn't church macaroni.”
“What is it?”
“My dad made it.”
“Then your dad's macaroni is better.”
“Than Catholic macaroni?”
Clara laughed.
“Don't start.”
Elena heard them and smiled.
Daniel joined her.
“You look less stressed.”
“I am.”
“What happened?”
“Rachel and I had coffee.”
Daniel raised his eyebrows.
“Secret denominational negotiations?”
“Mostly medical trauma and parenting guilt.”
“Sounds cheerful.”
“It actually helped.”
Daniel watched the children.
“I've been thinking.”
“That sounds dangerous.”
“Very.”
He smiled.
“We teach Clara that faith is something she can trust.”
“Yes.”
“But trust isn't the same as never asking.”
“No.”
“I think I confused those.”
Elena looked at him.
“Me too.”
Later that afternoon, Rachel found Elena in the sanctuary.
The room was nearly empty.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Would you want to meet again?”
Elena smiled.
“For coffee?”
“Or something stronger.”
Elena laughed.
“Coffee first.”
Rachel sat beside her.
“I keep thinking about how quickly everyone split into groups.”
“So do I.”
“Mark did too.”
“Daniel said the same.”
Rachel ran her fingers along the edge of the pew.
“What if we do something different?”
Elena looked at her.
“What?”
“Not a theological panel.”
“Thank God.”
“No experts.”
“Better.”
“Just parents talking about what we tell kids when we don't have simple answers.”
Elena considered it.
“Would people come?”
“Probably to argue.”
“Then no.”
Rachel laughed.
“Okay. Maybe smaller.”
“How small?”
“Our families.”
Elena tilted her head.
“Just us?”
“And Thomas, maybe. If he promises not to psychoanalyze us.”
“Impossible.”
They smiled.
Then Clara and Noah ran in.
“We have a question,” Clara announced.
Elena looked at Rachel.
“Of course you do.”
Noah held up a sheet of paper.
They had written a list.
At the top, in large uneven letters:
QUESTIONS ADULTS DON'T ANSWER GOOD
Rachel covered her mouth.
Elena stared at the list.
“That's grammatically painful.”
Noah looked offended.
“It's a working title.”
Clara pointed.
“Question one.”
Elena read.
If God loves everybody, why do churches fight?
Question two:
If people believe different things, how do they know what is true?
Question three:
Can two people disagree and both still be good?
Question four:
Why do adults say ‘it's complicated’ when they don't know?
Thomas Avery walked into the sanctuary at exactly that moment.
Rachel handed him the paper.
He read it.
Then looked at the mothers.
“You're in trouble.”
Elena laughed.
“No.”
She looked at Clara.
May you like
Then Noah.
“We're finally getting somewhere.”
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