George to say the grace just as Alex picked up his knife and fork. He laid them down, the soft thud clanging in his ears.
George immediately bowed his head. Alex watched as Drew reached for his wife’s hand. Then he watched George’s face as he prayed.
“Father, we thank you for this day, for safety on the water and for good weather. We thank you for friends and the fellowship we can have together.” George was quiet for a moment and Alex thought he was finished until he started up again.
“And, uh, we ask your forgiveness, Father, for…for doing and saying things we know we shouldn’t. We thank you most of all for who you are and what you’ve done for us. Help us to be mindful of you and act according to your will in all things. We ask that you bless this food now, to your use in our bodies. Amen.”
George opened his eyes and Alex quickly averted his, but in that second he thought he saw a flash of regret mixed with something else. He wondered what George was thinking. The others echoed the Amen and began passing bowls.
Alex watched them as he ate, his heart rate slowly returning to normal. They laughed and chatted, eating slowly and commenting often on how good it was. Are these people for real?
He remembered the table where he ate as a kid. It was cold gray metal and never covered. The plates were mismatched, some of them cracked. It was a table where Wild Bill took huge bites of steak, stuffing his mouth with more before swallowing what was already in it. Alex and the other kids ate freezer-burned hotdogs and over-cooked macaroni. They always knew what food they were not allowed to touch, and God help them if they dared to take what was not designated “foster food.”
Alex blocked the memories by listening to the conversation and managed to enjoy the meal—so much so that he couldn’t help complimenting Marie on her cooking.
“That’s one of the best meals I’ve ever had, Mrs. Adams.”
She beamed. “Thank you, Alex. It’s always nice to receive a compliment.”
Drew pushed his chair back. “So I suppose it’s up to us to clean up your kitchen now?” He winked at Alex. “Marie is the best cook on the West Coast, but she makes the worst mess while she does it.”
“Well, since we have a guest I could let you off the hook tonight.” Marie smiled at her husband.
Kenni stood and reached for her father’s plate. Alex saw her eyes flick toward him, then dart away again. He watched the soft curves of her body sway as she walked away. George picked up his plate and followed her, blocking his view.
“How are you with a tea towel, Alex?” Drew was already heading toward the kitchen.
Alex stood up. “Uh, okay I guess.” He hoped he didn’t drop anything as he joined the line at the sink. When they were almost done Drew invited him into the living room. Kenni was still putting leftovers away. He noticed George stayed behind.
Drew took a large recliner and waved Alex on to the long sofa. Alex sat on the edge for a moment, then tried to relax and pushed his body back into the soft cushions. He buried his hands in his armpits. They felt too thick, too rough and stiff to be exposed. He stretched out his legs, then pulled them in again. His feet seemed too big, his shoes too scarred and faded. He let his shoulders hunch forward and tried not to make contact with Drew’s piercing blue eyes.
“So what are your plans, Alex, if you don’t mind my asking?”
He shrugged. “I don’t really have any yet.”
“In a few days you’ll have some huge decisions to make.”
“Maybe.”
“You still think this is all a mistake?”
Alex looked up. “I find it more than a little hard to believe, yes.”
“I suppose I can understand that.”
“Can you?”
Drew lifted his chin. “I wasn’t always a wealthy man.”
Find that hard to believe too.
“Mind if I offer a little advice?”
Alex shrugged again. “Sure.”
“Get yourself a good financial advisor. I can recommend a couple. You’ll want to start thinking about investments or charitable donations. I can recommend a few good organizations that use their money wisely and well.”
Alex sighed and slumped back. “Maybe I’ll just give it all away and be done with it.”
Drew chuckled. “Well, that would make your life a lot simpler, I suppose, but wealth can be a great advantage. You could do a lot of good, bless a lot of people.”
When Alex didn’t respond Drew leaned forward. “Can I pray for you, Alex?”
The question so startled him that Alex just stared.
Drew smiled. “It’s been my experience that prayer helps a lot when it comes to making decisions, whether they’re about money or careers or just life in general. Praying about it can make all the difference.”
“You sort of have to believe in a god first, don’t you?”
The older man chuckled again. “That does help.”
“I only believe in what I can see.”
“Oh? But you believed in something unseen today.”
“What do you mean?”
“The wind. We couldn’t see it, but we believed it was there.”
Alex smirked. He’d heard this line before—from Pastor T. “Because of the evidence. The sails were full.”
“Exactly. There’s all kinds of evidence that God is here.”
“Maybe for you. I haven’t seen any.”
“Maybe you just aren’t looking at things the right way.”
Alex felt a pain knotting between his shoulder blades, but decided to play along. “For instance?”
Drew waved his hand toward the windows. “What do you see?”
Puget Sound lay calm and gleaming in the late day sun. Small waves rippled up onto the shore below them. Alex could hear their sighing between the cries of high-wheeling gulls.
“Water and birds,” he answered.
The chuckle came again and Alex turned back with a glare, thinking the man was mocking him. But Drew was smiling in a way that made Alex’s anger seep away.
“It’s an ocean teaming with life, Alex. Fish of all kinds and colors, fish that aren’t fish at all, but mammals—mammals that communicate and live communally. Organisms so small and so complex scientists are still puzzled by them after years of study. And plant life just as diverse. Do you think it all just happened?”
Alex shrugged. “I never really thought
