Looking around the church, she tried to read people’s reactions to Mama’s death and, for the most part, there seemed to be genuine grief from the community members. Papa sat beside her at the front of the church, very stiff and proper. She turned back to see Johnny. He nodded slightly to her and she turned back around. It was like she was seeing the inside of the church for the very first time today. Aside from the rows of pews where everyone sat, nothing else about this building actually resembled a church. The altar was really more like a stage instead of a true place of worship. She remembered St. Patrick’s Church, where she and her real family had attended church twice a week for as long as she could remember. The great room felt dark and foreboding, but truthfully it was hard to say if that was a result of what she now knew, or if it was because of the fact that they were attending a funeral service.
