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an innocent, playful sound to it. Jayce didn’t seem innocent and playful. Of course the couple of times he’d come over to Zoey’s around Christmas he had, indeed, been playful. Only maybe it was the painkillers she’d been on. Because now she couldn’t seem to relax in his presence.
    “Everything okay?” Zoey asked.
    Maya nodded. “Yeah. It’s just, working with Jayce…it’ll take me a while to get used to it.”
    “Does he hit on you all the time? You know, he does that to everyone.”
    Maya frowned at her friend. “He’s never hit on me.”
    “Oh.” Zoey looked puzzled. “Okay. Well. What’s wrong, then?”
    “He’s just so—so—so big and scary.”
    Zoey laughed all out at this. “Really? Honestly, Maya, you do not have to be afraid of Jayce. He’s okay.”
    He’s okay. That was high praise coming from Zoey. Maya felt herself relaxing. “You think so?”
    “Yeah, definitely. I’m actually relieved you’re working for him, because I know how safe you’ll be there.”
    Maya let that sink in as she gathered her kids into their coats and ushered them out to her car. The church she attended stood on a hill. You could see the steeple from anywhere in town. The worship services were traditional with just a piano and an organ and old, red hymnals with tape on the spines to hold them together after decades of use.
    Maya took her kids to Sunday school and then went to her ladies’ class in the basement. She lit up when she walked in the door and saw her other best friend, Addy. She came home from school as many weekends as she could to appease her overbearing mother, whom she was seated next to. Addy lit up, too. Going to church was a miserable affair for Addy. She didn’t believe in any of it, unlike Maya, who clung to it with desperate hope and faith.
    Addy stood demurely and hugged her. Then Maya sat next to her, avoiding the sneer coming from Addy’s mother, who had never approved of Maya, even before she got knocked up in high school.  
    Class had yet to start. They all sat around the table with their Bibles and devotional books open—except for Addy. “I got to play with your precious angels yesterday,” Addy said.
    “You came by and I missed it?”
    “You were at work. Congratulations on the new job. How do you like it?”
    Maya shrugged. “It was my first night. I’m exhausted, I’ll tell you that, but Jayce says he can get me full-time hours. And Saturday night tips make the whole job worth it.”
    “I’m proud of you. And for you.”
    “I really want to pay Zoey rent. Though that may be a moot point. Kellen’s bound to win this who’s-moving-in-with-whom battle of theirs. His place is twice the size of hers and way nicer.”
    “She loves her house. He’s got a fight on his hands, for sure. Where will you go when they do move in together?”
    Zoey sighed. “I don’t know. I guess I’d better start looking.”
    “Good morning, ladies,” said Mrs. Kratz, their class teacher. She was a billowy woman in a billowy skirt and high-necked blouse. “Did everyone do the reading?”
    The women murmured noncommittally, but Maya nodded. She always did the readings.  
    “Good,” Mrs. Kratz said, taking the noise for affirmation. “Then let’s start with the scripture. First Corinthians seven-four: ‘The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. Do not deprive each other, except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.’ So, what does this verse mean?”
    Awkward silence. An older woman said, “Well, it means when we get married, our bodies exist in service to her husbands.”
    Mrs. Kratz nodded. “Good. Anyone else?”
    Another woman said, “It means that we aren’t to refuse him sex when he asks for