It had been a long time since Karen had set foot within the confines of a church, and she needed to do so now that she was settled in town. She had set off for a walk in the misty morning in order to do some contemplating, and she would give a heavy sigh when she realized she needed to sit down and the nearest place to do so was the church in question. She went inside, moved to light a candle, crossed herself and said, "Forgive me, Father, for not kneelin', but me belly is in the way." And then she would move to the front pew to sit down.

She was grateful for the load off of her feet. It wasn't easy being pregnant and it was getting warmer, and the fact she was very likely carrying Twins made her belly bulkier than it should have been at five months along. Good Lord, but it seemed nature was stacked against her. She pulled out a hanky and wiped her brow, then gave a heavy puff and bowed her head. She curled her fingers around her rosary and began to move the beads accordingly between her fingers.