Is this the final stop? (Toni Shalifoe)

Chapter 29

Toni hears people "hmm" and "oooh" after listening to Dave starting to talk about changes. Her body stiffens at his words "evil" and "blessin'." She's not sure she's ready to hear what he's about to say.

Dave stands behind the podium, but starts to walk away from it. He's no less quiet away from the microphone. Then, Toni realizes he has one of those wireless microphones that makes him look like some kind of boy band member. The little wire curling around his face.

She didn't notice it. Before, Toni's never paid much attention to Dave. But as of late, as of the hunting incident, she has been. Keeping a close eye on him. Always measuring his anger, where he's at, how she's affecting it. How to not set it off. Set him off.

He starts pacing up and down the aisle making nice eye contact with families on the left and right. He continues, "Because some people in this world, maybe even sittin' in this room, think change is bad. That it only brings uneasiness, that the surety of what is already known is good enough. But how can we only accept good enough when we know our God is givin' us great? Is that fair of His followers?"

"No!" A little boy yells, excitedly. Toni kind of laughs at the moment, but she's still uneasy.

"Yes, you're right little Samuel."

Of course he knows everyone by name, she thinks.

"We who do not know, who cannot comprehend God's great plans, cannot think that 'good enough' is enough. Some may just accept good enough in this moment, but that doesn't mean good enough will be the next one. That doesn't mean great isn't on the horizon?"

As Dave walks up the aisle backwards, he nods at Shelby with a smile. She returns it with brightness in her eyes that Toni hasn't seen all day.

"We should not settle with good enough. With the comfortable. No, God built us to contain multitudes. They can be presented in challenges, in times of adversity, in times of joy."

Toni bounces her knee, a bit edgy, but so far, so good. She could roll with this, this whole not settling for good enough sermon. It's basically what her coach tells her in every practice. And what some of the other players should really be listening and taking to heart.

"Our family has had a lot of changes recently."

And Toni's knee stops. Even this garners a look from Shelby. Toni thinks she sees fear in her eyes, but she looks away too quickly for Toni to confirm.

"From losing a friend of our own..."

The whole mood changes.

"Our good friend. And that was a, a sudden change..."

Toni looks around and sees some people lower their head, others stiffen. She knows looking over at Shelby to check in won't help her, even though she wishes it would. Toni knows Dave's talking about Becca.

She realizes this is the first time.

Toni pops her eyebrows at the thought that he'd only mention Becca and what happened to her in public. Never in private. Only for the show. Only to use Becca. For his purposes, for his benefit. But not even say her name.

Shelby sees Becca's parents. Still donning black in their grief, as a way to communicate that they will never get over it. Shelby watches them. Watches Becca's mom wipe away a tear. Toni's eyes gaze from Shelby to the couple. She looks back and sees Shelby fidgeting with the buttons on her jeans jacket. Opening and closing it up. Shelby ends up buttoning herself all the way to the neck by the end of her fidgeting.

"...to gaining a new member in our own family," Dave continues.

Toni can now feel all the eyes on her.