Sunday. Church with my parents and Anne.

"Please turn to Ephesians 5:1-2. It says, therefore be imitators of God as beloved children and walk in love. And imitate Christ, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for you. God sacrificed Jesus, and Jesus sacrificed himself for you. Love is sacrifice." Pastor Dan paused for dramatic effect before he concluded, "Let us leave now and bask in the love of the Lord. Be imitators of God, and love one another as he has loved you."

"Gabe, do you have time to get brunch with us before work?" Anne turned to me, a huge smile breaking across her face.

I nodded back flatly. She enthusiastically began clapping her hands together, as if the news that I could join them was the highlight of her life.

"I wanted to try the new place around the corner," she said, but it was posed more as a question waiting for my approval.

"That sounds fine."

"Gabriel, go get us a table. We will be over with Pastor Dan and Samantha shortly," my father interjected. Anne looked pleased with the additional confirmation she had received from my father.

"Yes, father." I was annoyed that he basically ordered me to do this before I even had a chance to offer. "Anne, are you ready to go?"

Anne nodded, standing up and straightening out her pleated skirt. Anne always dressed conservatively, although her long legs made it difficult. I could tell her skirt was meant to fall below her knees but instead it ended just above them. Maybe this should have excited me - She was so innocent yet so accidentally provocative. But it didn't.

I put my hand on the small of her back to lead her out of the church. Although Anne has long legs, she is relatively short. She took two steps in the time I took one as we walked onto the main street of the town, my hand still on the small of her back. The air is dry and the desert sun hot on my skin as we walk toward our destination. The bar I usually go to with the crew is across the street and I look at it longingly.

We enter the restaurant and get a table big enough for the both of our families. Anne sits next to me then looks at me shyly, "I'm so glad you could join us today, Gabe."

"Me too, Anne," I respond, almost robotically. Am I really? I live my life on autopilot. This is just another stop on my way to my final destination.

Anne is momentarily distracted by her phone as I scan the menu. I'd really like to order a drink but I knew my father would scoff at me - "This early, on a Sunday morning?" so I decide to play it safe and order orange juice. I then begin contemplating the all important question of how much bacon I should order before Anne rudely interrupts me.

"What did you think of my father's sermon today? I helped him write it," she said, beaming with pride. "I hope to become a lay servant soon. I can't wait to use my leadership to try to inspire commitment to Christ."

"It was great, Anne," I replied, before immediately turning my thoughts back to bacon.

"Oh yeah! I have to show you this funny post I saw online earlier today. Let me find it, my friend posted it on Facebook." Anne once again turns back to her phone.

I don't even look at her. I finally decided, as I always do, I will order what I always order when we go out for brunch, then can't help but to surrender to a huge yawn as I stare out the window. There is more traffic on the sidewalks of our small town right now, members of the church congregation going their separate ways following the service. I'd rather be in bed reading right now.

Anne is quiet long enough that I turn to look at her, and she's looking at her phone with a look of horror on her face. I continue to look at her, hoping she'll feel my gaze and just tell me what's going on so I don't have to ask. But, she doesn't move, and I get the feeling she wants me to ask her what's wrong. I can't stand the silence anymore, so I bite. "Uhh... are you okay?"

She responds immediately, like she had been waiting with bated breath for my permission to speak. "No! Look at what my friend just posted!"

I internally roll my eyes then reach over and take the phone from her. It's warm from her hands gripping it tightly. On the screen is a photo of two beautiful women. They are impeccably dressed. It looks like they were having dinner in a luxurious restaurant on a rooftop in front of the Eiffel tower in Paris. The sky is dark and stars are peeking out from behind sparse clouds. The woman on the left is kissing the woman on the right's cheek; the woman on the right proudly displaying a beautiful engagement ring on her left hand, the candlelight reflecting on the huge diamond. The caption, three simple words - "She said yes!"

I instantly know where this is going. Anne's demeanor is now one of anger. Her arms are crossed and her brow is furrowed as she takes the phone back. I don't know what to say, so I awkwardly stammer, "Uhh..."

"That's my childhood best friend! How could she do this?" Anne cries out, overdramatically in my opinion. She drops the phone into her lap and drops her head into her hands in upset. She's silent for a moment before her head snaps up and she says with a disgusted sneer, "I didn't know she was one of those people!"

Here we go.

Her demeanor changes once again. Suddenly she is sad, clutching her hands together in front of her chest. "I had to find out through social media. I'm so upset right now. I don't even want to think about her going to hell. I could have tried to help her."

Anne takes a deep breath as if she is trying to calm herself before she cries out, "Why didn't she tell me?"

This time I couldn't hide my reaction. I roll my eyes as I think about the obvious answer... probably because you would have called her one of 'those people'.

Instead of saying that outloud, I state "They look really happy, Anne."

Anne instantly goes back to being angry, "Really, Gabe? You're defending this sinful behavior? You're okay with my childhood best friend being a sinner and going to hell?"

We have no right to judge.

"Anne, she may be a sinner in that aspect, but you and I are also sinners. And as for trying to 'help her' ... that's not on you, you only need to point her to Christ. If she chooses to accept him, then great. Otherwise, all you need to do is love and support her. Live and let live, Anne. Besides, marriage itself as an institution in today's world is flawed and full of sin. Divorce happens all the time." I cross my arms in front of my chest as a nonverbal signal that I am done with this conversation, but Anne doesn't take the hint.

"Gabe, need I remind you of Corinthians 6:9-10?" she snaps. Once again, I can't hide my reaction, I roll my eyes and this time Anne definitely takes notice. Her arms also fold across her chest angrily, a signal that no matter what I'm going to say, she's going to dismiss.

"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived, neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters; Nor adulterers nor male prostitutes; nor homosexual offenders; Nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God," I quote the scripture to her flatly with unwavering eye contact. I don't even blink until I say, "...And?"

Anne stomps one foot onto the floor and slams one fist on the table in frustration. Her finger waves at me in anger as she says, "And...? My friend is doomed to hell!"

"Are we interrupting something?" Anne's father, Pastor Dan, says as he seats himself across the table from us. He is followed by Anne's mother, Samantha, and my parents. They all look at us expectantly. I keep my face straight and my arms crossed across my chest. I know Anne won't miss this opportunity.

"Gabe is defending homosexuality!" she scoffs, in a tone that makes me feel like and she's tattling on me. I don't have a little sister, but I imagine this is what it would be like if I did. I roll my eyes again.

Her overgeneralization of our conversation baits me into feeling obligated to respond. "I'm saying we should approach with love and acceptance rather than condemnation."

This time, Anne rolls her eyes. She begins to tell our parents about her friend. Our parents immediately sided with Anne and began quoting scripture that I heard many times before. I tune them out.

I turn my attention the my phone, reading a book I've downloaded , and completely ignoring the setting around me until the waiter comes to take our order. At this point, I place my order then turn my attention back to my novel, but not before noticing that they are still talking about Anne's friend and her fate. I could feel my father's disapproving eyes on me, but I knew he would anger even more if I opened my mouth the join the conversation.

Had I felt like debating, I would have quoted Matthew 7:1-6. "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged; And with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Brunch couldn't end quickly enough. I didn't say another word until it was time to say goodbye. I excused myself immediately to get ready for my shift.

xxx

Shan and I are serving a warrant. I'm driving our squad car, and Shan is reviewing the paperwork she has spread on her lap.

"So, where are we going for this warrant?" I ask. It's in the GPS, even though we likely don't need it, we know these streets like the back of our hand.

Shan reads me the address from the warrant rather than looking at the GPS. "46 South Lamar Street." This is an old apartment building, with about 10 units inside. We've been out here for a few calls, usually domestic disturbances, fights between couples that got a little too heated. Unlike the rest of the town, the majority of the residents in this apartment building were about our age.

I pull our cruiser up to the curb and Shan and I walk into the building. Shan purposefully walks into the building before me, holding the door for me, crushing social norms whereever she can. She's a badass.

The hallway smells musty, this is a very old building, and a lot of the lights have burned out. We walk down the dimly lit hallway until we reach unit 10. I position myself in front of the door before Shan can. Shan doesn't seem to notice as she is reading the paperwork as she follows me. If something were to go wrong, it would likely occur when the door is first opened. I know Shan can handle herself, but her connection to her family is so deep, I prefer to put myself into peril when possible rather than allowing her to risk herself. If something were to happen to me, there's not much I'd leave behind.

"We're looking for a Jane Doe," Shan says, stopping and looking up to meet my eyes.

"Seriously?" I ask, wondering if she's messing with me.

She looks back at me with a straight face. "Seriously."

I turn back to the heavy wooden door and knock heavily. We hear shuffling inside then a female voice calls out cheerily, "Coming." Shan and I stand and wait as we here muffled voices, and then the door swings open.

"Hey, baby cakes-" the cheery female voice says, while batting her eyelashes flirtatiously and squeezing her bare breasts together with her arms. Yup, you read that right, her bare breasts. She recoils in shock when she realizes it is Shan and I standing there. Shan and I keep straight faces but we're also in shock.

The girl that answered the door is standing there, entirely nude. Next to her is a man, also completely nude. They are about our age, their bodies meticulously maintained. They both look to be totally hairless, manicured and pedicured. When the apartment door was opened, the smell of dozens of scented candles hit us, and we can hear the light sound of water running in the background as if they were ready to get into the bath. There are red rose petals scattered on the floor. Romantic music plays softly, adding to the ambience.

The girl quickly regained her composure. She doesn't bother covering up, as if the shock that there are police at her door is more startling than the fact that she is totally nude when she answered the door. "Oh shit. What's going on?"

"We're looking for Ms. Jane Doe," I say as-a-matter-of-factly.

"That's me," the girl says. She looks nervous now.

Shan steps in. "We have a warrant for your arrest."

The man's jaw drops and Jane looks bewildered and scared. "What?!"

"You have a large amount of unpaid traffic tickets," I explain softly.

Jane looks distraught, but looks down in defeat, as if she knows that she has a large amount of unpaid tickets and was expecting this day to come. "Oh no! Is there any way I can pay for them now instead of being arrested?"

Shan speaks up. "Sure, we can escort you to the Court Clerk if you'd like to pay them now." One of the perks of living in a small town.

"Thank you so much!" Jane says, her face beaming. She steps into the hallway without hesitation. She's now standing nude in the hallway between Shan and I, her companion looking on from inside the apartment with a bashful look on his face. "How much is it? Let's get this over with."

I realize that she's completely forgotten the fact that she' isn't dressed. I try to say something but all that comes out is, "Uhh..."

"Why don't you take a moment to get dressed before we go," Shan says sweetly.

Jane gently facepalms before saying, "Yeah, that would be a good idea, wouldn't it. I'll be right back."

Shan and I watch as she disappears into the apartment and her male companion follows her obediently. She leaves the door open to us as a courtesy so that we know that she's coming back willingly and so that we can see her return.

Once she's out of sight, Shan turns to me. "Gabe... I'm confused. Is it normal to answer the door naked? Have I been doing it wrong all along?"

I reply, "If it's wrong, I don't wanna be right."

We laugh together, then stifle our laughter as we see Jane coming toward the door, this time, fully clothed in athletic wear.

She stops in the door way before asking, "You guys will give me a ride back?"

"Sure, and we won't even put the cuffs on you," Shan jokes.

Jane laughs. "I've always wanted to ride in a police car."

"Well, I guess your unlucky day just turned into your lucky day," I say, before turning to leave.

Shan does the same. "Let's go."

Jane walks between Shan and I, thanking us profusely for not arresting her and for letting her pay her tickets.

xxx

"

Was that our only warrant for the day?" I ask Shan as I pull away from the curb at Lamar Street.

Shan answers quicky. "Yeah. They want us by the high school for the rest of shift, there's a football game going on."

"Okay, got it," I guide the cruiser back onto the street and start the short journey to the high school.

Shan and I sit there for the rest of our shift, monitoring the traffic in and out, and on standby in case anything happens. Surprise, nothing happened.

"Well this has been extremely boring." I leave my phone in the pocket of the cruiser door during the day, and I've heard it vibrating all day. The first few times I had glanced at it and noticed that the crew's group text that was blowing up, so I didn't bother checking it. I knew Shan would check and tell me. "What's going on in the group text?"

"It's been a slow night all over," Shan reports. "Matt's trying to round everyone up for drinks. Everyone's back at the station but us and Travis."

I look at the clock to confirm it's at least 11 o'clock before I pull the cruiser out and begin driving back to the station. "We'll be back there in 5."

We arrive at the station. When we pull in, we see the crew hanging out front - Matt, Austin, and Travis, so we make a mental note to go in through that entrance.

I park the cruiser behind the secured station fence and Shan and I walk up to meet everyone. They're sharing stories from the day, but the conversation slows as Shan and I approach - we're the last to arrive.

"So, since you all suck at responding to texts, drinks anyone?" Matt asks.

"Yes, please," I say, thinking about all the events of the day and the drink I couldn't order at brunch.

"I'm down," Shan says.

"I have plans with my brother," Austin says.

"Lame," Matt says, turning to Austin and rolling his eyes. "I'm going to text Drew." It's one of Drew's days off. At our station, we do four on days and three off days. This is nice, since we always have a three day weekend, but it hardly ever actually falls on the weekend. Days off are never the same.

"I'll see you guys," Austin says, before stepping off the curb to leave to meet his brother.

"See you," we all say, before walking into the station to go to the locker room. Since we go out so often, I've made it a habit to keep several spare outfits at the station so I can change. If we aren't going out, I'm likely to just wear my uniform home. The only piece of my uniform that I keep on is my gun. I change the holster to something more comfortable, but it stays with me at all times, except when I sleep. What can I say? I live in Texas, and it's just a habit to carry it. I suppose it's become to me something like my wristwatch - if I'm not wearing it, I'm self conscious and feel like I'm missing something.

I check in our squad car, returning the keys are recording the mileage - our station is so small, and our town so quiet, we aren't allowed to take them home like some stations allow in other cities. Then I meet Shan, Matt, and Travis out front. We're all in our street clothes now, ready to relax. Together we walk to the employee parking lot to pick up our cars and head over to the bar.

xxx

I arrive at the bar, the same one I was looking at longingly this morning. I park my car knowing I will likely walk home later that night. We're regulars at this bar and there is a booth they pretty much save for us nightly just in case we show up. I walk in and see everyone already seated there, including Drew, and two pitchers of beer already on the table. I slide into the booth next to Matt, on the edge of the seat. I usually sit here as I'm usually one of the first to leave.

"So Gabe and I had an interesting experience today," Shan announces proudly.

"Do tell," Travis says, taking a sip of his draft beer.

"We served a warrant to a girl, and she and her boyfriend answered the door naked," Shan says, to the delight of Travis, Matt, and Drew, who instantly began to hang on every word Shan said. "She was really sweet. She told us in the cruiser that she is in a polyamorous relationship. They were expecting their girlfriend to come by so they opened the door naked."

Travis, Matt, and Drew look way too excited.

"Why do you guys always get all the fun stuff?" Travis says, pushing his bottom lip out into a pout. Drew and Matt nod in agreement and Shan laughs.

"Oh, come on, you have lots of good stories," I say, before taking a few huge gulps of my beer.

"That's just it, they're good stories," says Travis. "I never get any funny or dirty stories. Only the boring heartwarming ones."

We all laugh. Matt's eyes light up, and I know what's coming. "I've got a funny and dirty story for you all!"

Apparently, Drew does too, because he instantly rolls his eyes and snaps, "You're not-"

Matt cuts him off. "Remember that night that Drew got so drunk by himself-"

I pick up the story here, "He decided to walk through the drive through to get some tacos-"

"He didn't want to stop drinking so he took them to a bar-" Travis continues.

"And he ended up passing out face first into the tacos?" Shan says.

Drew's eyes roll and his hands fall to his hips, his eyes narrow as Matt tells the rest of the story. "And then the bar owner found him alone, drunk, and passed out in tacos and called the police. And I was on shift and I responded."

Drew decides he'd rather own his story and picks up from here, "And you cuffed me and laid me in the back of the cruiser... And took pictures, and hung them up in the most impossible place in the locker room...So everyone gets to look at them every day." Drew pauses and rolls his eyes one more time before saying, "We know that story by heart now, bro."

"It's truly one for the ages," Matt responds, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye.

Drew flexes his right arm and smiling says, "I know, I'm a legend." We all laugh, then take a drink of our beer.

Travis breaks the brief silence, "Did anyone hear from Greta?' to which, Shan rolls her eyes.

"She's on the group text. She's probably busy," Drew says, and Travis looks sad.

"So anyways..." Shan begins, "They're tossing around ideas for the fundraiser this year. So far, it's down to another Policeman's Ball, a bake sale, or a car wash."

"Well, I can't bake for shit, but speaking of Greta, I wouldn't mind seeing her do a car wash," Matt says, his eyes looking up toward the ceiling as if he's actually imagining the image in his mind. Shan rolls her eyes again, Drew nods in agreement, and Travis laughs.

"Good point! Shan, how do I vote for which one I'd prefer?" Travis says enthusiastically, which causes Shan to look at him with narrowed eyes and her arms crossed across her chest. "I feel very strongly about this decision."

Shan begins lecturing Travis, to which Travis reacts by making a show of yawning and looking uninterested, which just motivates Shan even more and she becomes more invigorated.

Greta works the front desk at the station. She is the definition of a badge bunny. As long as you wear the uniform, she'll sleep with you. Shan doesn't mind Greta, but she is the complete opposite of her. If any of the guys treated Shan like they treat Greta, she'd punch their lights out.

I tune back in just in time to catch the tail end of Shan's argument, "And that's why the Ball is the best way to raise money."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Travis says dismissively.

Shan rolls her eyes again, then her hands go onto her hips. "You guys are hopeless," she says playfully.

"Um, you're the only one here that thinks that," Matt says.

"Matt, you know I gotta back my partner up on everything. You guys are hopeless," I interject, saying it with finality, as if that would end the discussion. Drew laughs and Matt looks at me with mock disappointment.

"Thanks, partner," Shan says, winking at me.

"Anytime, partner," I reply, returning her wink. "Anyways, I think we should try the bake sale so Matt can show us his mad baking skills."

This time, it's Matt's turn to wink. "I do have mad skills, but they're not in the baking department."

Drew and Travis roar with laughter, which incites Shan to state once again - "Hopeless."

xxx

Eventually, I've nursed several beers and am feeling pleasantly buzzed. "Alright, I'm going to call it a night. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

They all bid me farewell before turning back to their conversation about the newest episode of some sitcom I don't watch.

It is a habit of mine to walk home from the bar whenever we go out. That way I can drink as much as I want and enjoy the cool desert air and the clear night sky. I don't live too far outside of town and there is a nice stretch of desert road I love to walk. When I wake up, I'll go on a jog and pick up my car before heading out to shift.

I got to my apartment, took a quick shower, then crawled into bed. I hadn't looked at my phone since the beginning of shift. I'm really bad about that. I had several texts from Anne.

They read:

Gabe, I am sorry if I upset you this morning.
That was not my intention.
I enjoy having these open minded discussions with you.
Please let me know when I can see you again. I hope you had a good day at work.
Goodnight.

On what planet was the discussion we were having this morning open minded? I scoffed to myself. She's fucking hilarious. I thought about how our conversation would go if I told her about the polyamorous girl we met this morning.

I didn't text her back. She was asleep anyways, so I didn't feel too guilty.

I plugged my phone into the charger and picked up the book that was under my pillow. Reading is what I do in my alone time. I love anything in the horror genre. I used to have to hide my books from my parents. Now that I live on my own, I have accrued quite a library.

I read until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.

I fall asleep, and my next state of awareness comes during a dream. In the dream, I am watching myself as a child. Childhood me is back at my desk, back straight and rigid, and my mother enters the room.

"Gabriel, are you ready to recite your verse for the day?" she says.

"Yes, mother. Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight," I say, my back turned away from my Bible and my study materials.

"Very good, Gabriel. And tell me what that means in your own words," my mother says.

"It means not to trust my own thoughts. It means to follow what the Lord says always. It means to do exactly what it says in the Bible and to never stray off path. It means not to sin."

In the dream, childhood me turns and looks directly at me, addressing me, "You're a sinner, Gabe. You shouldn't be so accepting of other people."

Now my mother turns to face me. "He's right, Gaby baby. You're going to hell for not trying to save their souls."

I woke up with start, and instantly felt the weight of guilt on my chest.