FAITH & HOPE 34

HOPE They were seated at one of the many tables in the room, Hope, Faith, their mothers, as well as two other mother - daughter duos. Hope searched the room for Laura - Lee and Corral who were supposed to be attending as well, but saw no sign of them. Hope and Faith had spent the afternoon getting ready. They painted their nails, did each other’s make - up, and last but not least, slipped on their dresses. Faith stuck with the red dress, and Hope decided on a pale blue gown that contrasted nicely against her skin tone. Now they were sitting next to each other, their mother’s beside them. It was surreal, Hope thought as she surveyed the room. She turned to the side and Met Faith’s gaze, flashing her a small smile. Everything that had happened in the past week had been hectic, stressful and crazy. But somehow, here they were. Smiling, happy, acting normal in public. It was as though there was never any conflict. No life - crisis, panicked decision making, re-evaluation of her entire existence. Joana and Claudia were immersed in conversation, discussing homemade candles as well as the new fabric shop that had opened in town. Hope turned to Faith. ‘So’, she said. ‘What do you think so far?’ Faith shrugged. ‘There’s not much to it. We’re just sitting here, waiting for the food.’ ‘Yes, but look around,’ Hope smiled as she gestured to the room. ‘Isn’t it all so beautiful?’ ‘I guess.’ ‘What do you mean I guess?’ ‘Beauty is just a matter of perception.’ Hope rolled her eyes. ‘It will be fun. I promise.’ Faith seemed to grow more comfortable the longer she sat there and Hope took in her surroundings with ease. They chatted, made small talk about simple things, the mundane things. Claudia talked about her business, Joana told her about church. Faith told them about Sebastian’s summer job and Hope talked about Matthew. The food was brought out at six o’clock. Everyone was served a plate of tenderloin beef with grilled vegetables and a salad. Hope and Joana opted for the marinara pasta with a side of vegetables. They drank fruity mocktails and laughed as the night progressed. Hope felt as though she was learning so much about Faith and her mother that she didn’t know before. Observing them in this environment was so different, seeing how they spoke and interacted with one another. Hope knew that Faith’s relationship with her mother was strained. It was apparent after all the hours Faith spent talking about the struggle she felt living with her mother, and how she felt like she didn’t understand her as a person. Hope couldn’t relate. She felt that her own mother was the one person who knew her best in the entire world. They had always been close, and they told each other everything. Hope couldn’t recall a time when they had a fight or disagreement. That was healthy, she believed. Never fighting with the ones you love. She couldn’t understand how Faith never got along with her mother. But Hope also understood that their family dynamics were vastly different. Faith had lost a sibling - Claudia lost a daughter, The strain that would put on a family was inconceivable. And then the divorce. There was so much tension in that family - so much hostility and build - up, no one quite saying how they truly felt, or talking about the issue at hand. Hope wanted so badly to intervene. To do something, say something. Talk to Faith, find a way to SORT OUT their family issues. But Hope also knew that it wasn’t her place. She could control a lot of things in her life, but this was one that she was going to have to leave to God. Watching Faith and her mother at the table that night, you would never suspect that there were issues between them. They got along swimmingly, talking and laughing about the same things. Faith butting in and interrupting her mother’s thought to finish the story. They had the same facial structure, Hope thought. Round faces, button noses and those piercing blue eyes. Claudia also possessed the same raven black hair as Faith, except she kept her straight and pinned back. Faith’s hair, on the other hand, was a way mess most of the time. But in a good way. A decadent mess. ‘You have to understand,’ Claudia was saying. ’George is a very safe place to live. Don’t think otherwise.’ ‘But still,’ Faith cut in. ’We could have been shot.’ Claudia gave her daughter a look. ’It wasn’t that bad. Don’t exaggerate.’ ‘So what happened?’ Hope asked. Faith turned to her and began telling the story. ’So we’re walking down the street one night. It’s dark and after nine. This truck is driving pretty fast down one of the streets, and it pulls up at one of the stop signs, but doesn’t quite stop. It kind of just rolls through. So I see this and I yell, nice stop asshole! I didn’t think much of it. Thought he’d just continue driving. But then the truck slams on the breaks, we see the reverse lights come on, and it backs up all the way until it’s right beside us.’ Hope noticed her own mother’s reaction. It was of intrigue and astonishment. Faith turned to her mother to let her finish. ’So they rolled down the window,’ Claudia said. ’Yelled some obscene words at my loud - mouthed daughter. And then they drove off.’ ‘I’m telling you.’ Faith laughed, clearly finding this amusing. ’We could have been shot.’