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“It looks like Scott took care of getting your Sierra to you in one piece,” I tell Aiden.
He pulls out his phone and frowns, “Why didn’t my phone chime? Dad, didn’t you tell me that regardless of whether or not someone has the code, I’ll get an alert when the gate opens now?”
Reggie nods. “You should have.”
Aiden taps his screen. “I didn’t get an audible alert, even though there’s a text.”
Penny takes the phone out of his hand and flips a switch, “That’s because you had it on silent, Dad. Sheesh! What am I going to do with you?”
“You’re stuck with me forever!” Aiden teases, tickling her ribs and making her giggle uncontrollably. They run around the room in a game of tag while Aiden’s truck is being delivered.
I walk outside and talk to Scott, who is standing beside Jeremy and Jack. “Did you find anything?”
Scott pulls out a small Faraday bag and hands it to me. I open it up and see a small camera with a built-in tracker. Scott waits until I close the bag before speaking. “When we did a sweep of the vehicle, we found the camera in one of the vents. I have no idea how long it’s been there, Anna. Someone could have jimmied the lock while the truck was parked at the arena or hid it in there more than a year ago. There wasn’t any sign of a break-in, which makes it difficult to determine when the device was planted.”
“Thanks, Scott. Anything else?”
“No, Ma’am. That’s all we found.”
When my team arrives in a few hours, I’ll give the bag to Jerry. As one of the tech experts on our team, he might be able to narrow down where the device came from and who purchased it.
A few minutes later, the family comes out and piles into the two vehicles, Martha and Reggie in one, while Aiden, Penny, and I ride in the other. The trek to church takes about ten minutes, and my palms begin to sweat the closer we get.
We still have almost 15 minutes until the service is supposed to start, and I’m uncomfortable with all the eyes trained on us the moment we step foot inside the church. I lean over to Aiden and speak softly, “Why is everyone staring at you? I thought you were a regular here.”
He chuckles and whispers back, “They aren’t staring at me, Anna. They’re staring at you. They’re wondering who you are to us—to me. Only one other nanny ever attended church with my family, and that was Mrs. Gertie. She’s almost 60.”
“Oh. How come she isn’t Penny’s nanny anymore?”
“Last year, Gertie’s daughter had twins and needed some extra help while her husband was deployed. Gertie moved to Texas to be close to her family and never returned. However, she still keeps in touch with us through social media and the occasional handwritten letter.”
As light piano music begins to play, the musicians walk up to the stage, and everyone in the sanctuary ambles to their seats. Aiden gestures toward a pew in the last few rows that has enough room for the entire family. Scott and Jeremy take up their positions against the rear wall, hiding in the corners, while Jack stands by the back door, ready and waiting to escort Penny to the kiddy church when the time comes.
Martha and Reggie slide down the pew, and I follow them, ensuring that Aiden has a quick escape route if need be. Penny is nestled safely between her father and me. I jump when the band starts to play an upbeat worship song. It’s a far cry from the old-school hymnal music I remember. Instead, it’s lively, contemporary, and joyful. I find myself clapping with everyone else, even though I don’t know most of the words right off the bat. Thankfully, the lyrics are up on the screen, and it only takes until the second verse of each song before I have the melody down and can sing along. I grew up with hymnals, organs, and choirs made up of people who could barely carry a tune, which often bored me to tears and put me to sleep. This time, I’m wide awake and totally enraptured, and the pastor has yet to begin his sermon.
I watch as a man no older than 30 stands in front of the pulpit and dismisses the children for the children’s church. Martha and Penny push past us and meet Jack in the back before disappearing downstairs. I bite my thumbnail nervously, not wanting my charge to be out of my sight. Aiden notices and gently grabs my hand to stop me. However, he doesn’t release it and continues to hold it throughout the service. My heart opens up just a little bit more by the gesture.
“Everything is going to be all right, Anna. Jack will protect Mom and Penny with his life,” Aiden says in a gentle and reassuring way.
“I know, but I’m the one that’s supposed to be looking after Penny.”
“Anna, Jack is part of your team. Take the advice you all gave me last night and allow them to step up and fill in the gaps. Jack has more than proved that he’s up to the task.”
“You’re right. I should follow my own advice, but that’s always easier said than done.” I stop talking when the surprisingly young pastor begins to speak about the Resurrection of Jesus. There were plenty of verses quoted, but one caught my attention and had me leaning forward to hear more. He read Matthew 28:5-6 from the English Standard Version of the Bible found in the back of every pew.
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.”
I began imagining what it must have been like to walk into a tomb where a one- to two-ton stone had been rolled away, only to find it empty and see an angel sitting in the place where Jesus had been laid. I audibly gasp at the enormity of what my mind has conjured up as the pastor continues the story of the risen King. I quickly cover my mouth to hide my faux pas, ready to be reprimanded or shushed by the people surrounding me. Instead, they smile and nod approvingly, and one person even mouths, “Exciting, isn’t it?”
I dip my chin once but don’t raise my head, allowing my hair to hide my embarrassment. Aiden lifts my chin and whispers, “There’s nothing to be ashamed of, Anna. It’s okay to be in awe that Jesus conquered death so that we have a pathway to Him and a way to be forgiven. I’ve been a believer all my life, and I still can’t fathom the depths of His love for us. It’s that deep and abiding.”
When the service concludes, I’m ready to run down the aisle proclaiming my newfound love for Jesus, but something holds me back. I don’t know if it’s because I think the moment should be private or if it’s because I have unfinished business with Him that I need to resolve first. But I promise myself to have a tête-à-tête with God tonight because, until today, I’ve never felt worthy of His love—or anyone’s love, for that matter.
Reggie, Aiden, and I stand up and try to sneak out the back so that we can pick up Penny and Martha and leave as soon as possible. There is a party we need to get ready for and not a whole lot of time left to prepare. Scott and Jeremy effectively do their jobs by clearing a way for our departure and then following us down the stairs to where the children are playing.
When we arrive, the kids are bouncing boisterously around the room to peppy worship music that is playing loudly through the speakers. Penny is dancing and singing at the top of her lungs, spinning around in circles with her arms stretched out. It takes a second for her to notice that we’re there, but when she does, she runs over and grabs my hand.
“Anna, you have to meet my Sunday School teacher! She’s one of the nicest people I have ever met!” Penny drags me behind her, excited to introduce me to her friend. With every step we take closer to the woman, the more the hairs on my neck stand on end. A sense of danger permeates my body, and alarm bells start ringing in my head. I try to shake it off, but the feeling doesn’t go away.
