Edward Jones could say much of the same about his family. Although their history with the churchwas not as extensive as Sinclair’s family, he was proud of the more than 50 years his family had represented the membership of Emanuel Baptist; his father, a long standing member of the trustee board, and his mother, a distinguished member of the usher board. Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Jones were proud of their son. After graduating from Xavier University with a bachelor’s degree in engineering, Edward returned to his hometown and church and made the decision to finish graduate school closer to home. His commitment to God made evident, Edward became an associate pastor of Emanuel Baptist. The Joneses never expected their son to go into the pulpit, but were grateful and proud of his service to the church. Pastor Paul F. Robinson took Edward under his wing and groomed him for leadership within the Emanuel family.
Sinclair had known Edward since they were both very young. They grew up in the church together, and although they attended different schools and took different educational paths, the church always brought them back together. Whether it was a picnic, revival, family day, a wedding or a funeral, if they were in town, they both were at the church. Because she hadknown Edward almost her entire life, Sinclair never took him seriously. Growing up, he would pull her hair and tease her mercilessly. Edward was willing to get into trouble for doing it. His puppy love for her kept him coming back for more.
Both of them were very popular in their own right so neither of them ever had a problem with the opposite sex. Edward and Sinclair grew closer, but it was strictly platonic. They had gotten to be such good friends that when Sinclair’s heart was broken by her high school sweetheart, it was Edward she confided in. She cried on his shoulder, and he consoled her. She didn’t know then that Edward had always had a thing for her and wanted her to be his girl. He liked her a lot, but wasn’t willing to risk their ‘friendship’ for something more. If she rejected his advances, Edward would have been crushed. As such, he was content staying in the background and hoping against hope that he would have his chance to be the love of Sinclair’s life. Sure, he dated other people, but inevitably he would compare them to Sinclair and they would never measure up. He knew who he wanted. Edward knew who he loved - whether she realized it or not.
From the time Sinclair was old enough to dona choir robe and lift her melodic voice, Edward had been enamored with her. Whenever she would sing, he would become completely entranced. She had the voice of an angel, and the passion with which she sang always touched him in a way that no song and no singer had ever touched him before. Edward had almost given up all hope of ever having the girl he most desired when he got the perfect opportunity to let Sinclair know just how much she meant to him.
It was a Sunday morning and the church was packed. Both Edward and Sinclair were in service that day. Sinclair sat in the choir stand. Edward was seated in the front of the church with the other associate pastors. He had an unobstructed view of the choir stand, and even though the choir was not singing at the moment, he couldn’t take his eyes off Sinclair. He knew she was reeling from a failed relationship, and from what he could gather she wasn’t seeing anyone. He wasn’t sure that mattered anyway. Edward had gotten to the point where he could no longer hold back. He wanted to tell Sinclair how he felt, but deep down inside he was still a bit afraid she would brush him off – or worse - be offended. He didn’t want to lose her in any capacity, but being relegated to the friend position was no longer good enough for him. Edward wanted more.
Service was spirited this particular Sunday morning and the saints were in high praise. Even with everything going on around him, Edward couldn’t keep his mind or his eyes off Sinclair. She was perfect for him. He loved everything about her. He especially loved her mahogany skin and deep set black eyes which he found intense and mesmerizing. Sinclair wore her hair naturally - cut short and close to her head. It framed her face beautifully. More than that, Sinclair had the heart of God and she was smart too. Edward found her intelligence very sexy. Besides her natural beauty, Edward was in love with Sinclair’s spirit and willingness to be who she was and give of herself to others without condition.He knew she was the woman God had destined to be his futuresoul mateand wife.
It came time in the service for the choir to sing. An unconscious smile crossed Edward’s face. He knew that he would get a chance to hear his beautiful Sinclair lift her voice to the heavens. He had to catch himself, though. He didn’t want to draw too much attention to himself sitting in the front of the church grinning at the lead vocalist. He didn’t want to give the saints the wrong impression. So he tried to hide his smile as best he could. At least now when he gazed unwaveringly into the choir stand, it would at least be justified.