Unfold

Chapter Thirty-Five (35)

Jean had thought maybe the fame of her video would have prepared her for seeing her picture all over the internet, or her interview on the news, but it didn't. The entire thing felt surreal.

Just about every person she had ever known reached out to her to express their support. Others were calling her a hero, even though she really didn't have much to do with anything. God had the entire situation in His hand the entire time.

Jean finally had a different attitude when walking into church. Sunday's had become her favorite day of the week. Jean's first week back, the pastor prayed over Jean with the entire church, and they thanked Jesus his faithfulness in bringing her back home.

This was the family she had been longing to have her entire life.

The incident made her quite popular in the church, and through it she was able to get to know many people. Now she always had someone to talk to when she walked through the doors as she always knew someone. She had even met a counselor who asked to meet with her so she could help her move forward. The door had swung wide open on that one.

Jean put on the dress she had worn the very first time she went to church with Shawn. She wanted to dress up nice, as Scottie was getting baptized and it was a huge deal to everyone. Shawn had often talked to her about Scottie's journey to faith and even Jean saw a recognizable difference in him.

Jean was surprised when she saw a big tub on the stage. She had always imagined baptisms as just a sprinkling of water, not an actual bath. She was shocked when the first person, wearing a t shirt and shorts, gave their testimony and stepped inside. She had never seen anyone actually get dunked completely under the water. She had read about Jesus getting baptized, and she supposed this was closer to that. If it really was supposed to symbolize dying to your old self and becoming a new creation, it seemed to be a good representation.

When Scottie walked up, he didn't have a piece of paper like everyone else to reference. Jean admired his confidence and she couldn't help but laugh when he had that big goofy smile on his face.

Not to her surprise, he had everyone laughing right away. However, Jean was surprised to see a more serious side of Scottie that she didn't see much. He talked about his family life and how he felt in comparison to his brother. He talked about the struggles he had. Jean was so tired of crying, but the tears fought at her eyes by seeing Scottie be so open and vulnerable in front of the entire church.

"So, all my friends decided to become believers, so I had to play along. It wasn't that I didn't believe, I just didn't want to be uncomfortable or change my life. I was happy with the way things were, or at least I thought I was."

He went on to say how he met a girl at church who was way too good for him, and the entire audience laughed when he looked up in the crowd and winked at Chloe. Jean looked over at her, she was sitting just a few seats down. She gazed up at him, that soft smile on her face as her eyes gleamed in response.

"It was Chloe," he said bluntly, making everyone laugh harder. Jean couldn't have been more proud to have him as one of her best friends.

He went on to say he knew he didn't stand a chance with her, and he actually started to read the Bible to impress her. He said that when he was doing so was when Jesus spoke to him the most.

Then he looked to Jean, and she felt her heart start racing when he didn't say anything more. He shook his head, looking at his feet, and for the first time since Jean had known him, he started to get emotional. He cleared his throat and recovered quickly, blinking a few times before carrying on with the same confidence he had before.

"So, when I found out what happened to my friend Jean Arthur, my best friend's girlfriend, I wanted to stop believing. I was so angry. If anyone knows Shawn, you know he is literally the best person on this planet."