Starting with a prayer

We all assembled at the table. Darren sat at the head of the table. Jess sat to his left, and I was invited to sit to his right, opposite her and with the window behind me. Max sat next to me, Kelley opposite him. Hellen sat at the far end of the table, nearest the kitchen.

Darren held out his hands, and the rest of the Gales followed suit, though slightly tentatively. He looked to me and smiled apologetically. "Only if you want to," he said. I decided to follow suit, and took his and Max's hands.

"Lord," Darren said, "in this time of testing, we are thankful for new friends, who may help us to better thrive in a world of dangers. We ask you to bless us all here, to watch over us, and to bless this meal which we now share. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Jess looked up at me, with a slightly goofy smile. Not quite apologetic, but acknowledging the awkwardness.

The Gales serve a terrific chicken roast. Hellen did all of the actual cooking, of course, but Darren played the role of host, making sure everyone was served. Our conversation was a little nervous, but warmed up a little after some hearty food.

Kelley and Hellen cleared away the dishes after we finished eating. We talked a little about University and work.

"Yes, it's Jess here who really started opening us up to the wider world, when she went to University."

Jess looked to you and rolled her eyes. "I was the first one here to use the Internet."

I was surprised. "Wow. You can barely get anything done these days without the Internet. How did that work?"

Darren shrugged. "We lived in a small, traditional town. We never needed it: everyone used the phone or called on someone to get things done. We all use it now, though. It's like you say: it's hard to do much without it."

Max piped up. "Jess is the technical expert of the family. I'm learning a bit now too, though. I want to get into IT."

"I'm sure you'd do well at it," Darren said paternally. He looked to Kelley, Max, and finally Jess. "We may have only been in the wide world for about five years, but we're blessed to all have brains in our heads. And none moreso than Jess. She's our resident math genius."

Jess blushed. "I'm not that great. I just enjoy it, is all."

Darren shook his head at her, looking to you. "Jess got a scholarship that paid for her entire Bachelor's studies, and now is in a paid graduate program. And she says that she 'just enjoys it'."

Jess looked up at her father. "Dad, I'm just lucky that you got the job here, so that I could get that scholarship. I still don't know what prompted you to move us from Innocence, but it changed my life."

Darren smiled at Jess with fatherly pride.

I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry, 'Innocence'?"

Darren smiled to me. "Our home town, in Utah. You won't have heard of it."

Jess was biting her lip gently, avoiding looking at me.

"Luke, you study psychology, right? Are you an expert in... in 'secs'?"

Darren looked to Max with a gentle warning look. Jess blushed slightly, but looked to me with a smile. "That's not what I said. I said that Luke will be very well acquainted with it, and that he could help me to work out a plan for us."

Max looked to me, beaming. "Jess is the family's secs genius too."

Darren cleared his throat. "That's enough, Max. We're all proud of Jess, Luke is here to help, but it's not a good idea to talk so openly about our blind spot."

"Sorry, Dad."

"That's okay, Max. Just watch what you say."

With that, Kelley and Hellen both returned from the kitchen. "It sounds like it might be the right time to have that talk," Hellen suggested. Kelley sat down at the table, followed by Hellen. The mood became quietly expectant.

"Jess," Darren said. "Would you like to begin?"

Jess looked up at me, and took a long, deep breath.