Sempre (Sempre 1)

More importantly, what would happen to Carmine? Could he live that life and be the same person she loved? Could someone do bad things, but not be a bad person? After being brutalized her entire life, how could she accept him becoming one of them?

How had Maura done it?

* * *

Vincent stood at the front of the dim church, staring at the flickering flame of the candle he had lit. It glowed brightly, illuminating his hand as he sullenly made the sign of the cross. There was a quiet shuffling behind him after a moment. Vincent turned to see Father Alberto approaching, clutching a Bible. He nodded at the priest. “Father.”

“How are you, my child?”

“I’m well.”

Father Alberto shook his head. “There are certain people in life you can never fool, Vincenzo, and your priest is one of them.”

“Who are the others?” he asked curiously. “My mother?”

The sober old priest actually barked with laughter. “I’ve known your mother for decades. I can safely say she sees and hears only what she wants, nothing more. It’s a gift with that woman.”

Vincent smiled. “Should you talk that way about people?”

“I’m not judging,” he said. “I’m simply telling the truth. While in church. It’s a nice concept. Would you like to give it a try?”

“Sure.”

“Then I’ll ask again. How are you, my child?”

Vincent hesitated. “Terrified.”

There was no surprise in Father Alberto’s expression. “What scares you, Vincenzo?”

“Corrado’s in the hospital.”

“I heard. Is he getting better?”

“Not that I can tell,” he said. “Celia believes he’ll be fine, that he’ll wake up soon, but I don’t see how. His brain went without oxygen for too long for him to walk away from this.”

“How long was he without oxygen?”

“Almost four minutes.”

“Is it impossible to recover after being down for four minutes?”

“Impossible? No, but it is improbable.”

“A doctor would also say an Immaculate Conception is improbable.”

“No, a doctor would say an Immaculate Conception is impossible.”

“But yet Mother Mary had Jesus.”

“She did.”

“Miracles happen,” he said. “There’s a reason you don’t see what Celia does.”

“Because I’m a doctor?”

“No, because you’ve lost your faith.”

Vincent looked at the priest with disbelief. “If that were true, I wouldn’t come here.”