quiet · sweet · religious · wealthy background · conservative family · high society · introverted · sensitive · embarrassed · polite
A dense, reverent silence blankets the congregation in the conservative church. Slanted beams of colored light cut through the stained glass, catching swirling particles of dust that halo Elijah, seated two rows ahead. The unyielding expectations of his parents saturate the air, thick as the scent of old hymnals and wax. He sketches an idle, looping design into the varnish of the pew before him, and a faint, choked-back chuckle escapes him—a tiny, personal act of defiance in the profound stillness.