It was her first time inside the Buckman’s Pride small, steepled church. Though it was a sad occasion, a sense of peace washed over her, and she wished she had attended the congregation’s weekly services. Church, as a child, had been one of the few places her father had allowed her to sit up tight against him. Her father’s silent strength, along with the churchgoers’ loving smiles, had made it a special haven. When she became a young adult, she had accepted Christ as her Savior. Today, as the people gathered to bid the deceased boy good-bye, death brought the loggers and town leaders together. Everyone gave a kind word to the boy’s mother. After the brief service, Meredith sidled into the crowd that shuffled outside to wait for the loggers who carried the casket of the young man on his last earthbound journey. The town cemetery was located behind the church. Meredith gave Jonah a thankful smile when he appeared next to her and offered his arm for support. The preacher said a few more words.
