It had been longer than Terry wanted to admit since she set foot in a church. It wasn't that she had shunned her faith, or that anything had kept her from going. She had been lazy, and she didn't know any of her classmates who would've gone along with her.
Going to mass alone was embarrassing. Kitty was Jewish, so she couldn't have asked her. Miss Frost didn't strike her as the church-going type, and everyone else...well, it was just not really in good form to ask someone to go to church with you. They'd get awkward, and start thinking that you were trying to convert them.
There was something complete about having her father with her, going to midnight Mass on Christmas. Although she had gotten up at a decent time that morning, she had taken a mid-day nap in order to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for the ceremonies.
There was a faint aroma of incense within the cathedral, and the advent wreath neighboring the tabernacle let off a warm glow. This brought a smile to Terry's face. There seemed to be nothing to be anxious for this year. Things were almost normal this Christmas.