October to October

{Chapter Two}

  "Yes," Lauren said. "We talked about nature and God. The kids had fun, and we didn't sneak. We just left out the back door as I thought might be rude to walk through the adult class in the chapel."

  "I printed out some coloring sheets, and we talked about Noah and the ark," Ruth said with more than a little smugness in her voice, and Lauren felt her temper growing. "They have an assignment to draw their favorite animal, and they have to write a short paragraph on why they're thankful God made them."

  "You give out homework in Sunday school class?" Lauren asked.

   Monroe grinned over the top of her tea cup.

  "It's good for them," Ruth said with a sniff even though she was smiling too. "It'll get them ready for the real world of high school and piles of books plus their drawings are always so cute. I love hanging them on the walls. I can't wait until my fridge is covered in cute drawings from my own kids."

   "Aw," Monroe said; laying her head down on Ruth's shoulder. "Me either. I love stuff like that."

  Lauren sighed inwardly as the wedding talk began, and she excused herself to go see what her parents were doing in the other room that were making the Jensen's cackle so loudly. It turned out he was telling a story from work that Lauren heard several times, and she would bet money that the Jensen's had heard it too. Her father was terrible about repeating things. 

   Lauren returned to the kitchen, and she was glad to see that Wren, and Alex had shown up. Ruth shut up at the sight of her fiancee, and she was cuddled in the crook of Alex's arm as he talked. He and Wren were having discussing the sermon from last Sunday while Monroe begged Lauren for stories about college. Monroe felt left out since all of her friends were in college, and she was still in her last year of high school. She couldn't get enough information out of her best friends about what it was going to be like.

  "I can't wait until we're all there," Monroe said with a long sigh after Lauren finished telling her about the Halloween ball that was coming up that they were all going to attend except Alex and Ruth because he disapproved of Halloween, and now Ruth agreed although Halloween used to be one of her favorite holidays.

  "What are you going to dress up as for the ball?" Monroe asked Lauren.

  "I don't know," Lauren said with a shrug. "I haven't given it much thought."

  "If you guys are interested we're having a party at the church that night," Alex said; wearing his 'youth minister' clothes which was a suit jacket over one of his favorite Marvel t-shirts and dress pants. His blond hair was perfectly messy and styled to be that way. "We're going to have a ton of food and prizes. Monroe, you're coming right?"

  "Of course," Ruth said and gave Monroe a beaming smile. "She's too young to go to a frat party."

  "It isn't a frat party," Lauren said as she hoisted herself up on the counter. "It's a school sponsored event. It is open to only students though."

  "It's going to be fun," Wren said gleefully. "I think we should do a group costume. We'll have to think of something funny."

  "Yeah!" Lauren felt more excited about the party at the mention of a group costume. They always came up with the silliest things although she felt sad that Monroe and Ruth weren't going to be joining in. A few years ago they dressed up as a group of zombie brides for Halloween as the Antique Button had tons of old wedding dresses to pick from, and the friends threw a huge party for all their high school friends in Monroe's parent's three car garage. 

  That was before Ruth met Alex though, and before they left Monroe back in high school. Lauren felt guilty, but she knew Monroe would have a good time on Halloween no matter what party she attended. She always made the best of everything.