My heart dropped.
“Nathan,” I whispered. “What are you doing?”
He pulled out a folded sheet of paper.
I looked at Daniel.
Daniel looked at me.
Judging by his expression, he knew nothing about it either.
Then I saw Father Michael smiling.
Apparently, someone had known.
Nathan unfolded the page.
His hands were trembling.
Then he turned toward the congregation.
“I wrote something.”
A few people laughed softly, not at him, but because the announcement was so perfectly Nathan.
He looked down at the page.
When he began speaking, his voice shook.
“Sarah is my little sister.”
Then he looked directly at me.
“Dad always walked with her when she was scared.”
My hand flew to my mouth.
Nathan returned his eyes to the paper.
“Dad can’t do that today. So I did.”
The entire church went silent.
He continued.
“Dad told me I am her big brother, and I should take care of her.”
