Toward the evening Chip began to help prepare dinner for the crew with Earl, while muttering verses and words he had memorized almost correctly, to himself.
"Christianity, huh?", Earl suddenly asked and Chip looked over at him. "Yeah", he said and Earl chuckled. "My wife was a Christian woman, so beautiful and graceful. May God hold her dearly", he said and Chip tilted his head. "Are you...?" "I never really spend time thinking about it more then when my wife read that book to me from time to time. I don't know why, but I never felt like there was the time for it" "How about now?", Chip looked at him and Earl stood quiet for a moment, "It's not to late"

"I'm an old man, Chip. I appreciate the gesture, but I don't think he'd even want me to follow him. I did a lot of wrong" "And you think I didn't?", Chip asked, "I read in his word, there is more cheering in heaven for a redeemed soul then for one that never needed to be redeemed"
Earl sighed and then nodded. "That's what my wife always used to say", he replied and Chip smiled. "Would've loved to meet her"
"Oh she was great", Earl chuckled, a smile tugging on the corners of his mouth, "So beautiful and so wise, I don't know what she saw in me, but when I asked her to be with me she smiled so brightly, let me tell you it could've blinded a man"

He laughed in a hardy chuckle and continued to chop the potatoes.
Chip smiled at him and said: "Really?" "Oh yeah and elegant. She was so elegant, with her dresses that had those ruffles on the sleeves and she was kind so effortlessly", Earl shook his head with a smile, "What a woman" "I'm sure she'd love it if she knew how well you still talk about her" "Oh she would chuckle and tell me to stop making her blush. That's what she did when she was alive and I praised her in front of others", he told him and Chip felt it on his heart to listen to every story Earl felt like sharing for it made him joyful.

It was a side of Earl Chip had never seen before and all of it because God had given him a way to see it through him and the faith Earls wife had in him all these years ago.
Earl was laughing so sincerely when he told him all about this woman he had loved all his life and that he had continued to love.
"She really was the greatest thing that ever happened to me", he said eventually as he put the potato wedges into the oven and as he wiped over the counter he sighed, "I should probably be on my knees thanking this God everyday for making her so perfect"
"You wanna do it now?" "Chip, I'm an old man, when I get on my knees I'll never get up again", Earl chuckled and Chip shook his head with a chuckle himself. "Not that part, I mean how about we pray together and thank God for her?" "You know this whole prayer thing was always a reason why I didn't feel equipped to be a Christian like her, cause I don't know how to, but if you'd do it with me...", he tossed the towel he was holding over his shoulder and nodded, "It couldn't hurt, right?" "Right", Chip said and then he held his hands out to Earl who took them and as they closed their eyes the words found their way to Chip so effortlessly, he wasn't even sure if they truly came from him, "Dear Lord, me and Earl are here today to thank you and praise you for making his wife and for putting her in his path. We praise you for making her the kind daughter of yours that brightened Earls life and we thank you for making her a part of Earls journey. May she forever be with you in your kingdom of love and light and may you hold your hand over Earls heart so he may find your grace too, to one day reunite with his love under your light. Amen."

As he opened his eyes he saw Earl tearing up and smirked. "Was that a good prayer to you?", he asked and Earl started swinging his towel at him defensively. "Yeah, yeah, it was good, idiot", he said quickly and walked to the stove where a roast was simmering in a pot. "If you ever wanna talk about God or your wife again, you know where to find me", Chip said and took the plates out of a cabinet and started setting the table.

He hummed as he did and eventually he saw Earl taking the pot off the stove and knew it to be his cue to call the crew for dinner.
They came into the kitchen and the loud chatting filled the room, laughter and banter and Chip couldn't help but smile during the whole dinner. It was so incredible to him how God knew exactly who to put in his path for him to be so joyous and grateful.
It was like He had handpicked the most beautiful flowers to be the found family that would surround Chip, the kindest souls he had and the most loving ones with that.

He teared up and smiled. Queen next to him noticed and put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay, captain?" "I'm so grateful for all of you", he said and smiled at them, laughing when Queen hugged him. "I'm grateful for you too", they sang, "And for everything you did for me"
Chip smiled and hugged them a little tighter.