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“That sounds like a nice day. I didn’t realize you have cats.” I liked cats. I liked dogs better, but cats were okay. I couldn’t have either since the family whose basement I rented had serious allergies and they couldn’t risk it. I didn’t really have time to care for a pet anyway.
“Yep. Ada and Charles. They’re my babies.” She laughed, and I imagined she was talking to them as much as to me.
“Are they any special kind? Breed? I don’t actually know a lot about cats.”
“Nope. I got them from a rescue when they were kittens. Ada is a tortoiseshell. Charles is a tuxedo. Both are shorthaired.”
“Nice.” I didn’t actually know what that meant, but I could look it up later. “It’s nice that you have two so they can keep each other company when you’re at school.”
“That’s why I went ahead and took them both. They were already pretty bonded to one another from their time at the shelter, even though they weren’t from the same litter. So far, it’s definitely working out. For all of us. You don’t have a pet?”
“Nah. I wouldn’t mind a dog at some point, but right now I’m living in a basement apartment, and it’s not really feasible.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I don’t really have time right now, either. The pastor’s pushing me to go back for my master’s degree. He says when I grow out of youth ministry it’ll be a good thing to have already handled. Make me a better senior pastor candidate.” I reached for the remote and paused the show. I wasn’t really following it, and it was getting to the interesting part.
“Is that what you’re hoping for down the road? Your own church?”
Was it? My head dropped back on the sofa and I stared at the popcorn ceiling. “I don’t know. Maybe? Right now, I like working with the youth. I guess it’s not something I can do forever, though. At least, I’ve never met a fifty-year-old youth pastor, you know? Everyone seems to see it as a steppingstone.”
“Hm. I guess that’s true. I haven’t done a lot of thinking about it, if I’m honest.”
I chuckled. “Why would you?”
“You’ve got time to figure it out, though. Do you want to go back to school?”
“Not really.” I cringed. She was too easy to talk to.
“Then why are you thinking about it?”
I could give her all the reasons the pastor continued to bring up. I had the time now, when I was single and unencumbered with a wife and family. The church would let me do the work during the day as long as it didn’t interfere with handling my job. It was a good thing to have on my résumé. Blah blah. In the end, it boiled down to the same reason I was trying to figure out if there was relationship potential with Kayla. “It seems like I’m expected to do it.”
“And do you always do what you think people expect of you?”
“I guess I try to. Is that bad?”
“Not necessarily. But—and I’ll admit it seems weird to be the one saying this to you—when you’re a pastor, I feel like it’s more important to pray about it and do what God wants. Not anyone else.”
I closed my eyes. She wasn’t wrong. “It’s not always that easy.”
“I get it.” Sympathy laced her words. “I’ll pray for you to have clarity.”
“Thanks. Is there…is there something I can pray for you?” Was it overstepping to ask? We weren’t really even friends yet. It felt like I was pushing for intimacy she might not be ready for.
“Oh. Uh.”
“You don’t have to share. Only if you’re comfortable.”Way to go, Luke. Make things awkward.
“I guess you could pray about a project I’m working on—I’m not sure exactly which direction to go with it.”
I wanted to ask for more details. Maybe there would be a way for me to offer advice or help out in addition to praying. But I also wasn’t going to. Not after how hesitant she was to share anything in the first place. “All right. Will do.”
She cleared her throat. “I should let you go. I’ll see you tomorrow at five.”
“Yeah. Of course. Looking forward to it.”
Kayla made a noise that could have been agreement before the call ended.
