She adores her big brothers." "She's a pain in the backside." Her expression told him that she didn't take his invective seriously. "After Sage said goodbye, Laurie got on the phone. She invited us out to lunch Sunday. I accepted." "Fine." "She also said she would love for us to join her at church." She had her back turned, ladling an aromatic sauce over the platter of pasta. When he didn't immediately respond, she swiveled her head around. "Chase?" "I heard you," he said tersely. "I just don't like the idea of church. I haven't been inside one since Tan… since the funeral." Marcie's posture improved to the point of rigidity. For a moment she was still. Then she set down the ladle, turned, and spoke to him directly. "It's up to you how you resolve your anger with God, Chase. But I must say this. Your first wife's name was Tanya. She is a fact of our lives. We can't continue to dance around her name. I'm not going to feel sick and grow ghastly pale every time it's spoken out loud." "But I might." Marcie recoiled as though he had struck her.
