Chapter 6: More Than Everyone Sees
1137 Words
Sarah's first mistake was assuming she understood Mark Santiago.
Her second mistake was realizing she wanted to.
The problem wasn't that Mark was difficult to figure out.
It was the opposite.
Everyone seemed convinced they already knew exactly who he was.
The basketball captain.
The honor student.
The church volunteer.
The guy who smiled at everyone.
The guy everyone liked.
The guy who somehow managed to be good at everything.
At least, that was the version people talked about.
Sarah wasn't entirely convinced.
Because people rarely talked about the parts that weren't visible.
And, sometimes, she caught glimpses of something else.
Something quieter.
Something hidden.
Like the way his smile occasionally faded when he thought nobody was looking.
Saturday morning arrived bright and warm.
Sarah sat at the kitchen table, helping her father organize medical paperwork.
The stack seemed endless.
Insurance forms.
Hospital bills.
Prescription receipts.
Recovery schedules.
She hated every single piece of paper.
Not because they were difficult.
Because they reminded her why she was here.
Why she had left everything behind.
Her father noticed her expression.
"Don't glare at the paperwork."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm evaluating it."
"With hostility."
Sarah smiled.
"Maybe a little."
Her father laughed.
The sound immediately lifted the heaviness in the room.
For a while, they worked quietly.
Then her father looked up.
"How's choir?"
Sarah froze.
Immediately suspicious.
"Why?"
"No reason."
"That's never true."
Her father grinned.
"I heard you're making friends."
Sarah pointed accusingly.
"Mom told you."
"Your mother tells me everything."
"That's concerning."
"I happen to enjoy being informed."
Sarah shook her head.
The entire family seemed determined to discuss choir lately.
And for reasons she preferred not to examine too closely, one particular choir member kept appearing in those conversations.
Fortunately, her father changed the subject before she could become uncomfortable.
Unfortunately, she spent the rest of the morning thinking about choir anyway.
That afternoon, Sarah stopped by the grocery store.
The town wasn't large.
Running into familiar faces was practically unavoidable.
Still, she wasn't expecting to see Mark.
He stood near the produce section, pushing a shopping cart.
Not unusual.
What caught her attention was who was with him.
A little girl.
Maybe seven years old.
The child sat inside the cart wearing oversized glasses and enthusiastically eating a cookie.
Mark appeared to be negotiating.
"No more cookies."
The girl gasped.
"You said that fifteen minutes ago."
"Because you've had three."
"Technically two and a half."
Mark looked impressed.
"I appreciate the honesty."
The girl smiled proudly.
Sarah couldn't help laughing.
The sound escaped before she realized it.
Both of them turned.
The little girl immediately pointed.
"Who's that?"
Mark looked up.
Recognition flashed across his face.
"Hey, Sarah."
"Hi."
The little girl narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"You know her?"
Mark laughed.
"Yes."
The girl looked at Sarah.
Then at Mark.
Then back to Sarah.
Her eyes widened dramatically.
"Oh."
"Oh?" Sarah asked.
Mark immediately looked nervous.
A terrible sign.
The little girl hopped out of the cart.
"I'm Emma."
"Sarah."
"It's nice to meet you."
"You too."
Emma studied her carefully.
Then smiled.
"I like you."
Sarah blinked.
"That was fast."
"I'm usually right."
Mark groaned.
"Please ignore her."
"Can't."
Emma grinned.
"It's impossible."
Unfortunately, she wasn't wrong.
After a few minutes of conversation, Sarah learned Emma was Mark's younger sister.
And apparently, his favorite responsibility.
Their parents worked long hours.
Mark often picked her up from school.
Helped with homework.
Cooked dinner when necessary.
Made sure she got where she needed to be.
The information surprised Sarah.
Not because she couldn't imagine Mark helping.
Because nobody ever talked about it.
At school, everyone focused on basketball.
Awards.
Achievements.
Popularity.
Nobody mentioned the younger sister who clearly adored him.
As they walked through the store together, Sarah noticed something else.
Mark constantly checked on Emma.
Without even thinking about it.
Was she hungry?
Tired?
Bored?
Safe?
The attention seemed automatic.
Natural.
Like he'd been doing it for years.
"You take care of her a lot."
The words slipped out before Sarah could stop them.
Mark glanced toward Emma.
His expression softened.
"Someone has to."
The answer was simple.
But something in his voice suggested a deeper story.
Sarah didn't press.
Not yet.
When they reached the checkout line, Emma suddenly remembered something.
"Oh!"
She turned toward Sarah.
"Are you also in choir?"
Sarah nodded.
Emma grinned.
"He talks about choir all the time."
Mark nearly dropped a bag of apples.
"What?"
Sarah raised an eyebrow.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Emma continued enthusiastically.
"He likes—"
"Emma."
The warning came immediately.
The little girl blinked.
Then smiled innocently.
"What?"
Mark looked exhausted.
Sarah fought a laugh.
The entire interaction felt strangely normal.
Comfortable.
The kind of comfort she hadn't expected.
Not with him.
Not yet.
Later that evening, Sarah found herself thinking about the encounter.
Not because of anything Emma almost said.
Definitely not.
It was something else.
For the first time, she had seen Mark outside the church.
Outside school.
Outside the version everyone expected him to be.
And what she saw impressed her.
Not because he was perfect.
Because he wasn't.
He looked tired.
Overworked.
Stressed.
Yet he still showed up for everyone.
His family.
His team.
The choir.
His friends.
The realization made her uncomfortable.
Because it was easier to keep people at a distance when they remained simple.
Mark was becoming increasingly difficult to simplify.
Sunday morning arrived with clear skies and church bells.
The choir gathered before Mass.
Members chatted while arranging music.
Mia immediately appeared beside Sarah.
"Good morning."
"Morning."
"You look thoughtful."
"I always look thoughtful."
"That's true."
Mia nodded.
"You look extra thoughtful."
Sarah ignored her.
Mia gasped dramatically.
"You saw Mark outside the choir."
Sarah stared.
"What?"
"The town has approximately three pieces of news."
"Mia."
"I know everything."
"That's concerning."
"It is."
Sarah laughed despite herself.
Mia grinned triumphantly.
Before she could continue interrogating, Mrs. Henderson called everyone together.
The choir quickly assembled.
Mark arrived moments later.
Their eyes met briefly.
A simple smile.
A simple nod.
Yet somehow it felt different than before.
As though they now shared a small secret.
Not a romantic one.
Not even a significant one.
Just a moment.
A glimpse into each other's lives.
And somehow, that felt important.
As Mass began, Sarah opened her music folder.
The familiar notes stared back at her.
For the first time in a long while, she wasn't thinking about the future.
Or the scholarship.
Or everything she had lost.
She was thinking about the people around her.
The choir.
Her family.
Her new friends.
And one boy who might be far more complicated than everyone believed.
Maybe even more complicated than she was.
The thought stayed with her throughout the morning.
And for reasons she couldn't explain, it made her smile.
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