Families Are Forever

She wore white gloves. It was interesting. I could tell you that she had eyes
like ruby but they weren't hard. She had a smolder. Literally. Her eyes burned
and licked at the air around her gaze. It was incredible. But it was the gloves
that caught my attention. They extended just shy of her elbows and clung to her
forearm fur tightly.

"Hi." she had whispered as she pointed at the seat next to me in the pew. She
was questioning if the seat was free.

"Please." I replied as I gestured at the space in return. I smiled to her
encouragingly but the attention made her self conscious and she quickly looked
away. I took the opportunity to look at her clothing. She wore a jean jacket
with the sleeves cut off, a midriff baring under shirt, and a long black skirt.
She didn't wear shoes and I had an urge to look closely at the massive claws
that extended dangerously from her large and well padded feet.

"Investigating?" I inquired. The service had yet to begin and I was curious why
a Hell Hound had decided to visit our ward. Sure, we had a Kikimora who was
married to one of the gentlemen and another man was rumored to be living with a
Danuki who refused to tithe and never showed up. But a Hell Hound was a sight
to see.

She fidgeted, looked about the room, and every muscle tensed. She looked closer
to a caged animal than a person present of her own will. "I just wanted to
look." she replied shyly. Her left ear twitched and she wiggled her nose while
peering about the room.

"Every one here is very nice." I tried to assure her. "What is your name?" I
asked with as friendly a smile as I could muster.

"Ariya." she finally turned her attention on me fully. She seemed to be eyeing
me in a predatory fashion. I could tell she didn't trust me.

"My name is Anon." I offered in reply. She probably had every Fallen Paladin
and Hell fetishist in a thousand mile radius constantly approaching her. I
probably looked like just another freak trying to get an easy lay. I felt a
little anxious conversing with her.

"I got my book in the mail." she offered as she reached into an inner pocket in
her jean jacket and withdrew the blue book. "I read it." her voice low in
volume and nervous.

"That's awesome." I was genuinely surprised. She didn't seem to be untruthful
and there really was no reason to lie about reading a book. "Did you enjoy it?"
I asked. My voice was probably an octave too high and my tenor two points too
fast. I worried about how she might interpret my eagerness.

"I liked it. Enough to bring me here." she chuckled a little. Her gloved hand
rose and she ran her fingers through her soft black hair in order to pull it
away from her eyes. Her grin was white, sharp, and perfect.

"That is awesome. Super awesome." I stumbled on my words nervously as I stared
at her face. I could feel the awkward silence beginning to coalesce around us
and gave thanks as a member of the congregation approached the podium to open
service with a prayer.

I bowed my head and cast a side long glance at her. She sat bolt upright and
fidgeted with wide eyes. I wondered if I reached out and touched her arm if she
would spontaneously combust or explode. She was taught like a steel cable.

She didn't pray. She didn't partake in the sacrament, only passing it on
without a second glance, and she kept her eyes on every member of the
congregation with a reserved and empty expression. I wondered if I was staring
at her.

The first hour completed, I moved to stand with the rest of the congregation.
I noticed the nervous look on her face, and since the missionaries looked busy
with a couple, I stepped up to the plate. "We have a co-ed class in another
room now. Then they will have a class for just the sisters while the men
participate in another class. I can walk you over there if you would like to
complete the full block."

She was silent. I could see her appraising me. Then she nodded. "Lead the way."
her voice made my heart skip and I grinned at her.

The next class was on the importance of family. We discussed how families could
be together forever, and that even death could not separate the family. I
couldn't help but to watch her face as she read along with the class, nodded,
and even grinned as the book promised eternal life for believers and the chance
to build a family that could last for all time.

The class ended as it had began, with prayer and promise.

"One more class. Right?" she asked me with an expectant grin.

"One more." I nodded. You will go with the sisters.

"Will you be here when I am done?" she asked nervously.

"I will hang out. I want to know what you think." I replied with an encouraging
smile.

"Thanks Anon." she left with the ladies of the ward and I meandered to my
regularly scheduled programming. Although, the thought of her never left my
mind and I was less than helpful or present for the final hour. They discussed
our duties as husbands in how we should treat our families. I wondered what she
learned.

Once more, our meeting ended and I moved with the slightest hint of urgency to
the front entrance. I was surprised to see her sitting on one of the couches
near the entrance conversing with the wife of one of the members I had class
with who was currently bouncing a baby on her knee. She spotted me and waved.
"Anon was showing me the ropes." she spoke as she pointed at me.

I grinned. "Just helping out." I explained away.

"I'm really glad I came today Anon. I kept telling myself I should go and I
never did it, but something told me today was the day." she gushed. The fire in
her eyes radiated with strength and she bounced on the balls of her feet with
excitement.

"Are you hungry?" the words spilled from my lips unbidden. I froze and knew my
face must have shown fear. I could see a flash in her eyes and I wish I knew
what she was thinking.

"Sure. I was thinking about going to Denny's." she nodded. I think I could see
a smirk or a smile. Something in her expression made my heart flutter.

Every weekend she showed up to church like clock work. After church we would go
to Denny's. The waitresses got to know us. The congregation knew it was an us.
We knew it would be us.

We sat in my car, the snow falling silently all around us. "Is there something
bothering you?" she had asked me. I had wanted to propose on one knee but it
was too cold for her and she had moved us to the warmth and comfort of the car.

"Yes." I replied. "I don't want to go home to an empty house any more. I want
to go home to you. Will you marry me?" I asked her as I extended my palm
towards her. The shiny little diamond caught the light and twinkled.

"Anon!" she cried out. She still wore her white gloves. The gloves she always
wore. The gloves I noticed first. Her hands were shaking and she hovered them
softly over the box.

"This needs to come off." I spoke softly as I tugged on the glove. It slipped
downwards and I cupped her paw in my hand as I lifted it to my lips. "I need to
know. Why the gloves?" her hands, furry, large, and clawed were beautiful.

"I couldn't soil the book. The church. Or you... I felt like I couldn't take
them off." she whispered.

I kissed her hands again and again. "I should have asked. I am so sorry I never
asked before. You have always been perfect." I gushed.

"I love you." she cried and shook in her seat as I slipped the ring on her
finger.

We still go to church every Sunday. She still wears her gloves at church. Just
at church. She says it helps her with wrangling our pups. Since we got married
though, her friends have heard that families are forever... and they filled the
ward with Hell Hounds, Oni, Lamia, and every monster girl imaginable. Looking
for their forever family.