Summertime Haze
Part 1.6 - The Counselor's Plan
“Henry, darling, I thought I’d call and let you know that I’ve recently moved to Willow Creek,” Ellen smiled.
“Don’t tell me you did this for me too,” Henry sighed. “I appreciate all that you’ve done, Ellen, but please, you have a good job back in Newcrest, don’t uproot yourself and move here just because I did.”
Ellen laughed. “Oh, Henry, I think you’re getting a little too full of yourself there, hm? I’m smarter than that- I mean, I give advice for a living. I think I know how to make the right decisions.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Are you kidding me? The cherry blossoms, the humidity, the willow trees… it’s lovely here. This town actually has history, it isn’t made up of bland suburbs like Newcrest.”
“So you just fell in love with the place, huh?”
“That’s right,” Ellen laughed. “Now that I’m here, I thought I’d suggest that you accompany me to church this morning?”
Henry frowned. “Ellen… you know that I’m not religious. I can’t support a religion that’s against who I am fundamentally.”
“Oh, I know, I know, Henry… it’d just be lovely to have someone to go with… I’m a social person, and being there alone isn’t as pleasant and freeing as it was back in Newcrest when I had everyone with me.”
Henry sighed. “Okay, Ellen, I’ll go. Meet you there.”
“See you at 10!” Ellen said cheerfully before hanging up.
Henry grimaced and headed towards the stairs. While he did love Ellen for all that he’d done in getting him through high school, her moving here still seemed odd to him. For now, though, he’d take her at her word. She’d done nothing to make him not trust her, so far, in fact, everything she’d done for years had been to help him. Helping him find friends by matching him with Tiki. Comforting him when he came crying to her about his sexuality. Matching him with various colleges that were affordable for him and his single mom. Ellen was a good person, through and through.
Even if she wanted to drag him to church. Henry wasn’t excited, but he figured he’d take it as a learning opportunity; he wasn’t going to start praying to the Mother, but he’d learn the various customs and rules and try to figure out why so many of Her followers hated people like him. Henry went into his bedroom and riffled through the drawers of his dresser until he produced a nice shirt and a pair of slacks. If he was going to go to church for once in his life, he supposed he’d better dress the part. Truly show that he’d spent enough time in the closet to dress nice.
Henry waited outside the grounds of ‘The First Church of our Mother’ for Ellen to show up. It was a beautiful, yet imposing building, with a tower that looked down on the surrounding gardens that the faithful regularly roamed, seeming to judge all who walked beneath it. The gardens themselves were overgrown with wild grass, Henry had heard that this particular church’s philosophy was that the Mother wanted them to leave nature untouched. Other churches, like the Church of our Mother’s Sacred Touch in Windenburg, apparently believed the opposite.
One of the faithful, who’d been watching him from across the grounds for a while, walked up to him.
“You there, boy. It’s much to hot for you to be out here alone. Please, come in,” the faithful said.
Henry shook his head. “No thanks. I’m waiting for a friend, we’re supposed to go in together.”
Almost as if on cue, Ellen walked up to the church. “I’m glad you could make it, Henry,” she smiled.
The faithful smiled, and gestured for Henry and Ellen to walk up the path to the church. Ellen took Henry’s hand, and led the way.
“I know you’ve never been, so I need to ask… do you know what to do while we share our blessings with the Mother?” Ellen asked.
Henry frowned. “Well, I know it’s something to do with reflecting-“
“Exactly. The eighth command in Her Blessed Scroll speaks of reflecting on oneself and that around to you to achieve inner peace. That’s what we base our service on, and the reason why many of us hang up mirrors; to respect Her wishes.”
Ellen pushed open the doors, and led Henry towards a bench that was near the front of the church. The two sat there in silence for about ten minutes, then four faithful, including the one who’d spoken to Henry outside, came into the room.
One of them moved to the podium at the front of the room. She gave a speech about the Mother’s blessing and wishes, then asked for everyone to look into the mirrors around the room and reflect on one mistake they’d made in the last week. Henry’s was- of course- kissing Bennett. That very action would clearly be considered blasphemy in this environment, but seeing that he wasn’t planning on coming back, Henry wasn’t overly concerned.
Henry finished his personal reflection long before anyone else in the room. Instead, he focused on the hottie the next row over, who looked to be very lost in thought. He snorted and looked away, shaking his head. One of the faithful opened her eyes and gave him a disapproving look, and Henry waved an apology. He was just way too thirsty. Didn’t help that his only relationship had lasted a week and was four years before.
A minute later, the faithful ended the service, and everyone slowly trickled out of the building.
“I’m going to go to the gym, honey,” said the man Henry had been watching.
“Okay sweetie, just don’t take too long, alright? We need to pick Nathan up from his piano lessons at 2, and Jennifer has her ballet recital at four and you promised you’d be there this time,” his wife said.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” the man smiled.
The man waved goodbye to his wife and started to leave the room.
Henry quickly turned to Ellen. “My turn. Let’s go to the gym. It’s good to stay in shape, isn’t it?”
Ellen rolled her eyes and sighed. “Oh, alright Henry. I guess we might as well make a day out of this.”
Henry smiled at her, and led the way out of the church. Sure, the man was married, and Henry was going to respect that, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t stare.
Luckily for Henry, the man didn’t look to be headed to a car. There was only one gym within a reasonable walking distance of The First Church of our Mother, and the man seemed to be much to busy to jog to one that was further.
The gym was a nice one. The kind the rich go to, with top level machines and a bar on the roof for when they got too tired. The bar basically negated all the work done, and kept the wealthy customers coming back, so the business model definitely worked.
“This place? Are you serious Henry?” Ellen asked, exasperated. “I’m positive that not one of us has the money for this.”
Henry frowned. She was right, he hadn’t thought this far. However…
“I have an idea, follow me,” Henry said quickly.
He walked closely behind the man he’d followed from church, and watched as he showed his gym membership to the people at the front desk. They barely glanced at it.
“We’re with him,” Henry mouthed, pointing at the man.
The woman at the desk rolled her eyes and waved them through.
Once they were out of earshot, Ellen turned to him. “Well, well, well. As your former school counselor, I do feel a little conflicted, but for now, that was very well done, Henry.”
Henry shrugged.
Henry let Ellen look around, admiring the place, until the man from church emerged from the locker room dressed in his workout clothes and headed towards a certain machine. He tapped Ellen, and the two followed him at more of a distance. Henry chose a machine with a nice view, and tried his best to work out in his overly restricting church clothes.
Ellen laughed. “This,” she said, gesturing, “Isn’t working. Why did you suggest this anyway, Henry?”
“Uh…” Henry stammered.
Ellen followed Henry’s eyes, and saw the man from church.
“Oh,” she sighed. “Come on, Henry. We both saw him with his wife at church, don’t impose on their relationship.”
“He’s just so damn attractive!” Henry exclaimed. “I really want to be in a relationship right now, Ellen, I haven’t been in one since the guy I first came to talk to you about. I literally just went and kissed my neighbor last week. The one with the crazy mohawk I was telling you about.”
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Ellen was silent for a moment before speaking. “You know… I’ve heard of this therapist that’s really good. That one author… can’t remember her name now, but she praised the woman. And she lives here in Willow Creek now. I’ll call her for you and set up a appointment that’ll help you control your… well, lust.”
“Thanks, Ellen,” Henry nodded.
“And that man over there, that’s just so 'damn attractive'? His name is Toby. And his wife’s name is Hayley. Don’t forget that. Him and his wife.”
Ellen was silent for a moment before speaking. “You know… I’ve heard of this therapist that’s really good. That one author… can’t remember her name now, but she praised the woman. And she lives here in Willow Creek now. I’ll call her for you and set up a appointment that’ll help you control your… well, lust.”
“Thanks, Ellen,” Henry nodded.
“And that man over there, that’s just so 'damn attractive'? His name is Toby. And his wife’s name is Hayley. Don’t forget that. Him and his wife.”
Huge thank you to the original creator of the Baxter family, featuring Toby, Hayley, and their two kids, Nathan and Jennifer. They're all very well made.