Dare You to Move

"Welcome to the fallout
Welcome to resistance
The tension is here(x2)
Between who you are
And who you could be
Between how it is
And how it should be yeah
I dare you to move(x2)
I dare you to lift
Yourself up off by the floor
I dare you to move(x2)
Like today never happened
Today never happened before
Maybe redemption has stories to tell
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go? Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here" Dare You to Move by Switchfoot 

The cake was frosted and decorated and put in the refrigerator around 10:30pm. I was in bed, showered, clothes picked out and my nails clean by 11pm. I woke up at 6:30 the next morning and ironed my dress, straightened my hair, and got dressed before waking Trevor up before his alarm.

“What time do we need to leave?” I asked him as he squinted up at me.

“Church starts at 10.” He mumbled, trying to roll back over.

“Wake up, there might be traffic.”

“On Sunday?”

“Easter Sunday." I added.

He still laid there. I shook his arm.

“C’mon, I'll drive. You can sleep in the car.”

“You can’t drive. You don’t know where we're going.” Trevor groaned as he sat up.

“It's called a GPS, Trevor, most cars and phones have it.” I answered smartly.

“Where we're going is off the grid.”

“Even more reason for us to get going. And I need food. I still refuse to eat game meat.” I informed him.

“You’re such a brat.” Trevor complained, getting out of bed. I smiled at him. Trevor wasn't a morning person. I wasn't naturally either, but I was running off nerves. I instantly forgave his grumpy attitude.

“Let's go, out of the bed. Move it!”



After he sluggishly got up, dressed in a shirt and jeans (he was changing at church), we got in the car and took off. We stopped at Burger King. Once he was fed, he was in a much better mood. I took that as my opening to ask what he meant by "off the grid."

“The Church we're going to is in a town outside of Wichita Falls. It was originally cattle land. It was founded by my great, great, great, great, great great, great-“

“There's a town that old in Texas?” I asked, suspiciously.

“I might be a little off with the number of greats” he admitted, smiling.

“I bet the cow you are!” I said in a country accent.

He turned up the music and I laughed.

“Alright, I'm sorry, continue please.” I said, turning it back down.

“Are you gonna listen now?” he taunted me.

"Yes sir." I saluted him, sarcastically.

“Anyway, my granny is from the same town. Her grandfather started the church. That's where we're going." Trevor explained.

"Ok, cool." I smiled at him. I turned the music back on and jammed out to a top 40s station. The traffic was heavier than normal, with the holiday and light rain, but once we got out of Dallas, it was smooth sailing. The radio station started to fade out the closer we got to Wichita Falls, so I pulled out my phone.

"Just tune the radio. There's a great classic rock station." Trevor said.

I made a face. "Nope, passenger is the DJ." I replied.

"Since when?" He asked, giving me a sideways glance.

"Since forever. That's the rules. Besides, we should probably listen to something more church appropriate." I said, connecting my phone to the aux cord. One moment later, Hozier's "Take me to Church" played in the car.

Trevor laughed at me. "Don't stand next to me when we get to church. You're gonna get struck down."

I laughed. "Fine!" I said, before switching to the classic rock station Trevor requested. He frowned when he heard a Christian band. "I forgot they play Christian music Sunday morning."

"Good, we should listen." I grinned at him. The only song I knew was a song by Switchfoot.

When I saw the exit for Wichita Falls, I started to fix my hair and make-up. I re-did the ponytail half my hair was in, and straightened the rest through my fingers.

I didn't apply much makeup, especially since I hadn't mastered makeup in a moving vehicle, but I did my eyelashes with mascara, blue eye liner , and a bronze eye shadow.

"You look nice." Trevor said, looking over at me as I examined my final look. It was simple, but pretty. I felt confident, without feeling like I was doing too much.

"Thank you." I smiled. I hoped it held up. The rain was coming down harder as we drove through Wichita Falls.

Trevor's mom called him at 9:30.

"Hey mom." Trevor answered, putting the phone on speaker.

"Where are you?" She asked him, hurriedly.

"About 20 minutes away. We're already in Wichita Falls." He replied.

"Don't take the back roads. Peter and Lizzy got stuck in the mud. Y'all are gonna be late." His mom informed him.

"Sorry mom. Lily made me stop for food." Trevor grinned at me.

"You ate too! And I had to wake you up." I exclaimed.

"'Cause you kept me up late-" Trevor chuckled.

"Just get here fast. Your granny is already asking if you're gonna make it on time." Trevor's mom cut us off.

"I'll try. See ya in a little bit." Trevor hung up, stepping on the gas.

"Are we gonna make it?" I asked.

"Maybe, but I still have to change." Trevor shrugged, nonchalantly.

"We should have left earlier." I told him.

"The dirt roads would have got us there in time. I can't predict the weather."

"Meteorologists do. You could have checked it."

"Aren't you smart?"

"One of the many things you love about me." I smiled.



Trevor sped and we arrived at the small white southern Baptist church with 5 minutes to spare. Trevor grabbed his suit from the backseat and I grabbed the cake. Trevor took me through a side entrance and headed to the bathroom after pointing out the kitchen. It was about the same size as the kitchen in my apartment, with a simple 4 pot burner, an oven, a sink, refrigerator and counters that were filled with food. I set the cake on the counter after shifting a few things.

"There you are. Where's my son?" Mrs. Tobin said, as she startled me from the doorway.

"Bathroom." I supplied quickly. "Happy Easter. I love your dress."

"Thanks. You too." She returned. She was wearing a peach colored dress with a matching blazer. Her short blond hair was pulled back tightly in a clip. She looked lovely but flustered.

Trevor walked into the tiny kitchen and Mrs. Tobin finally flashed a smile. I grinned too. He cleaned up nice in a blue blazer, matching fitted slacks and a crisp white button down. The tie he wore was a pattern of blue, white and black and matched perfectly with my dress. He looked great.

"Hi mom. Happy Easter." He said, smiling and giving her a big hug.

"Happy Easter son!" Mrs. Tobin beamed.

When Trevor pulled away, he turned his smile on me. Yep, I could get used to suit and tie Trevor!

"Mom, I want you to meet my girlfriend, Lily. Lily, this is my mom." He said, teasing me.

"Stop it Trevor." I blushed.

"Yes, stop it and come on before the sermon starts." Mrs. Tobin said, leading us through the doorway and out to the main room.

There were 8 rows of wooden pews on two sides of the room that were already filled with people. Even though the rain stopped, it was still cloudy so the windows did nothing to brighten the room. Artificial lighting lit the room from ceiling fans. The organist was already playing music at the front, beside a huge cross.

I trailed Trevor, watching his steps on the rich burgundy carpet. We stopped suddenly, and I looked up to see Trevor's Granny in the front pew. She was wearing a pale yellow skirt set with a huge white hat with a matching yellow ribbon.

"Happy Easter Granny." Trevor said, giving her a hug as she sat.

"You're late. They're about to get started." She nagged him.

"We're right on time then." Trevor smiled.

His granny didn't respond, but put her purse in her lap. "Sit down."

"No, go ahead mom. We'll join you afterwards." Trevor said, grabbing my hand. Trevor's mom narrowed her eyes at him and his granny just gave him a nod, giving me a passing glance. I smiled and followed Trevor as he walked towards the back greeting pretty much everyone.

"Trevor, we should have sat with your family." I whispered, after we took our seats.

He shook his head. "No. I always hated sitting up front. I'm gonna tell them you couldn't sit that close to a cross."

I pinched him on his leg when he grinned.

"Oww!"

"Thou shalt not lie!" I reminded him.

"Thou shalt not pinch."

"That's not one of the ten commandments."

"You sure?" He asked me, wrapping his arm around me.

"Um, about 70% sure." I replied.

The choir started singing a hymn and I hushed. The service wasn't that different from chapel in college. After the hymns, Pastor Alan led us in a prayer. I put my head down and listened as he thanked God for our blessings, including everyone being able to gather to praise God's name.

"Amen." I repeated with everyone.

I followed along with the bible in the pew as he went over scriptures that detailed Jesus' resurrection. The choir sang again as the collection plate went around. Trevor and I both put in a twenty before passing it along. Pastor Alan's son, Pastor Alan Jr, stood in front of the congregation to start the sermon.

He started with the scripture his father ended on:

"But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep. For since by man [came] death, by man [came] also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive."

He then explained how Jesus was resurrected and ascended to the heavens with his father, God. Pastor Alan Jr. gave an engaging sermon on how as sinners, we are all spiritually dead; but because Jesus died for our sins, we can be reborn and ascend into heaven with our father God too. His words were full of passion as he urged us to follow God's path to salvation. It was uplifting just listening to him preach.

He then did a call to the alter, offering anyone and everyone to come accept Jesus as their savior. Trevor nudged me as the choir sang an inviting hymn.

I gave him a small smile. "Have you been Baptized?"

"Yes, as a baby. Apparently it was a huge argument between Mom and Granny."

"Your mom didn't want you to get Baptized?"

"No, Granny didn't. She doesn't believe parents can make a spiritual commitment for their child: just raise them right."

Strangely, I agreed with his granny.

A group of people made their way down, some renewing their commitment to God, others starting new. Afterwards, the service ended and people started to make their way back to the kitchen. Trevor and I joined his family up front to greet everyone. Trevor hugged all the ladies in the choir. He shook hands with Pastor Alan while I complimented Pastor Alan Jr. on his wonderful sermon.

"All the glory goes to God; he inspired every word. We love seeing new faces out here. You make sure Trevor brings you down here every time y'all visit." He smiled at me.

I nodded. "Absolutely."

We then joined everyone in the kitchen. A group of ladies had the food heated up and everyone lined up buffet style to get a plate.

"Take everything, but there's a few things you can't eat." Trevor whispered to me while handing me a paper platter.

"Ok..." I said.

There was ham, brisket, and fried chicken which Trevor deemed safe(meaning purchased at the store). He also told me to get extra corn casserole and macaroni and cheese because it was the best. He warned me to eat the potato salad at my own risk: Betty, the pastor's wife, made it and it always had egg shells in it. He made me avoid the deviled eggs at all cost, telling me if I ate it, I would spend the rest of the day in the bathroom.

"Ew." I frowned up, pushing it far away. "How do you know she made it?"

"'Cause everyone makes the same thing every year." Trevor smiled.

Interesting...

Trevor's granny made the macaroni and cheese. It was one of the best I've ever tasted.

"Mrs. Tobin, this is delicious." I complimented Trevor's Granny as I ate. She insisted Trevor sit down next to her again, and I sat beside him, next to his mom.

"Call me Helen. That Mrs. Tobin stuff is too formal." She said.

"Thank you-" I started, a little stunned by her pleasant attitude. I looked nervously at Trevor's mom. Trevor's mom was concentrating on her food and missed my glance.

"So how did you like the service?" Helen asked me.

I quickly chewed and swallowed. "It was wonderful. I told Pastor Alan how much I enjoyed his sermon."

"A little too flamboyant for me, but I'm used to my uncle's sermons. They bored me to tears coming up before I was saved." Granny said, not even lowering her voice. Trevor barely contained his chuckle. No way the pastors didn't hear her.

"When you were coming up, people came to hear the word: whether it fell on deaf ears was entirely up to the listener. Now we have to compete with the internet and TV just to get people to show up." Pastor Alan Jr. commented.

"What church did you attend growing up Lily?" Trevor's mom asked me.

"I didn't." I admitted, embarrassed.

"That's the best thing about my God: it's never too late." Pastor Alan senior comforted me.

 I smiled, gratefully. "I will say, I was never more inspired to join a church before today."

"We would be happy if this church was your home until you and Trevor find one in Dallas." Pastor Alan said.

"Hey, I thought we were talking about Lily. How'd I get into this?" Trevor cut in, with a smile.

"Because being saved is more than pouring some water over your head when you were a baby." Helen quipped. She was talking to Trevor, but looked at his mom.

"Granny, you need to try some of this coconut cake Lily made." Trevor changed the subject, heading towards the counter where the cake sat.

"Are you trying to kill me? You know I can't do all those sweets."

I knew she would think that.

"Lily measured out everything: the carbs and sugar per slice." He said, cutting her a slice of the pre-measured cake. He handed to her. "It's a smaller piece, but you can eat it. I even helped her make it. Try it."

"Let me pray on it first." She said, picking up her fork. I held my breath and Trevor laughed as she took a bite.

She chewed it with a thoughtful look on her face.

"What is that?" She asked.

I gulped. "What's what?"

"Did you get a jelly bean?" Trevor asked.

"I know what a jelly bean is. What gives it that coconut flavor?"

"Coconut?" Trevor grinned while everyone started laughing.

"I'm not talking to you." Helen turned to me.

"Maybe it's the Coco Lopez?"

"Lopez? What is that?"

Oh God, she's going to think that family she can't keep up with had something to do with the cake.

"It's cream of coconut. Like they use in pina coladas." I rapidly explained.

"That's what I'm tasting. It reminds me of a pina colada." Helen nodded. "I tell you what, we can trade recipes before you leave."

I smiled, relieved. "I would like that."

After lunch, all the members went outside to start the egg hunt for the kids. You could tell it was a tight knit community; the type of town where everyone knew everyone. They all cheered on each other's kids and scolded the bad behaving kids. It was so cute. Muddy, but cute.

Trevor introduced me as his girlfriend, but I was still very much an outsider. I didn't let it bother me though. I was perfectly content watching Trevor goof around with all his family and friends while I sat to the side, mud free. I figured I got Trevor all the time, I could let him do his thing for a day.

After the egg hunt, I thought we were going to head back to Dallas, but Trevor corrected me.

"No, we gotta go visit my uncle. He takes care of the land and the store out here." Trevor told me. "Do you want to change?" He asked.

"No, I'm okay if we're meeting more of your family."

"Ok. Be right back."


After he changed, we left the church. We drove for 5 minutes before we turned on a street named "Tobin".

"Ohmygod-er-gosh- stop!" I said, pointing out the sign. "Is this where the land is?"

"Yes..." He said, slowing down.

"So y'all have your own street?!?" I turned to him.

"It's not our street, but it's named after the family."

"How could you not tell me this?"

"Why would I?" He laughed.

"Now I understand why your granny doesn't want to taint the bloodline." I commented.

"What are you talking about?" He said, still laughing.

"You know, your granny wants blond hair, blue-eyed grandchildren to pass this all down to."

"Why would you think that? Did she say something to you?" Trevor questioned.

"No... actually your mom did. At Thanksgiving when we were leaving. She said your granny would be less cranky once you settled down with look alike kids."

"Lily, my mom and granny do not get along. The only time they attempted to was after I was born. My mom always said it was because I looked so much like my dad; she felt like she could correct all the mistakes she made with him. It was just a joke." Trevor explained.

"Oh." I said, thoughtfully.

"Is that why you were so nervous about coming back down here?" Trevor questioned.

"No." I lied.

Trevor pulled up to a nice, singe story house in the middle of nowhere. Really, there was nothing but the house and empty land.

"Lily, I don't care what our kids look like. My granny, nor anyone else, has no say in that. They could come out orange and it wouldn't matter as long as you're their mom."

I nodded, my stomach fluttering at his words. I was equal parts thrilled and terrified at the thought of having kids with him. "Ok, but if our kids come out orange, we have bigger issues." I joked.

"Not necessarily... if we have enough, we can open a chocolate factory."

I smiled. "Are you turning my kids into Oompa Loompas?"

"Are you turning down a chocolate factory?"

"Of course not! I just want to make sure we're on the same page. That's important with parenting."

Trevor laughed. "C'mon. If you should be nervous about meeting anyone, it's my uncle."

"Why?" I asked, my nerves returning as we got out of the car.

"'Cause he administrates the test."

"What test?"

"The test if you can be part of the family."

"What?!?"

"Let's go, out of the car. Move it!”