St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, 17 June 1995 C.E.

[hear_the_voices]

Rich and Amy Milton have a habit of volunteering their only daughter for things, especially things that need to be done at church. After all, they know when she is and isn't free, they know what she can and can't do, and it's good for her to help out. It never occurs to then to ask her, and it hasn't yet occurred to her to object. (That argument, epic though it will be, is still a few years away.)

So for now, Rich or Amy says something like, "Of course, Father Barton. Anna would be happy to glue the donor bookplates into the front of seven hundred and fifty new hymnals this weekend." Or, like today, "Oh, don't worry, Sr. Felicity. Anna can help you sort, organize, catalog, and iron all the altar cloths and other linens on Saturday."

For the record, there are a a lot of altar cloths and other linens at St. Michael's.

Anna is kind of relieved when Sr. Felicity says they'll have to stop because she needs to go get ready to do the music for the Saturday night mass. "And no running in the church, Anna," Sr. Felicity calls after her, as Anna leaves for her father's office to let him know that she is done for the day.

Anna slows from a run to what is probably best called a skip, slightly guiltily, and then knocks once on her father's door before opening it.