I decided to stay and try to relax a bit. I was in no rush to go face Hollis at the moment. But after a little while, the lack of sleep and exhaustion must’ve caught up with me, because the next thing I knew, a man was waking me up—a man wearing a collar.
“What time is it?” I rubbed my eyes.
The priest smiled. “It’s about ten o’clock. I saw you in here a few hours ago and figured you needed some sleep. But there’s a daily mass that’s going to start in about twenty minutes. So I wanted to wake you now so you didn’t wake up in the middle of it.”
“Oh. Sorry. Okay. Thank you. I’ll get out of here. I hadn’t meant to fall asleep.”
“There’s no rush. Can I ask what you’re at the hospital for? Are you visiting someone?”
I nodded. “My best friend. She’s very sick.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Thank you.”
“Would it be alright if I sat down with you for a few minutes?”
“Of course.”
I’d been sitting at the end of the pew, so I scooted over to make room, and the priest took a seat.
“Will your friend be in the hospital long?”
I frowned. “I think so. Unless....”
The priest nodded even though I couldn’t complete my sentence. “You know, no one cares for the caretaker. Everyone is naturally focused on the patient, but the caretaker has an important role. You need to rest and tend to your own needs in order to be able to do the job of being by the side of your loved one.”
I sighed. “Yeah. I know. Last night was just so shocking.”
“What’s your friend’s name?”
“Bree…Anna. Her name is Brianna.”
“And your name?”
“Elodie.”
The priest held out a hand to me. “I’m Father Joe. Shall we say a prayer for Brianna together?”
“Oh. Yes. That would be great.” I put my hand in his and closed my eyes.
The priest recited a few prayers and then added, “Dear Heavenly Father, today I ask that you look down with compassion on our friend Brianna, who has been confined to a bed of sickness. Please send comfort and healing. We pray for Your gracious kindness to strengthen and heal, whatever the problem is that has caused this illness in her body. And we pray for strength for her family and friends, especially Elodie, that they may hold her hand with courage and love in her time of need. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
I made the sign of the cross and opened my eyes. “Amen.”
Father Joe smiled warmly at me. “Would you like to say confession? Many people find it helps take some of the weight off their shoulders. You’re carrying enough when you’re taking care of a sick loved one.”
I smiled. “You said you have a mass to give soon. Not sure there’s enough time for me to tell you all the things I’ve done wrong since the last time I’ve been to church.”
Father Joe laughed. “Why don’t you give it a shot, if you feel up to it. I’m sure it can’t be that bad.”
“Well, I’ve definitely lied on a few occasions.”
“Okay.”
“And I might be lying again right now, actually. Because I’m pretty sure it was on more than a few occasions. In my last job, I used to manipulate men into compromising positions in order to enhance their wives’ divorce settlements.”
The priest’s brows shot up. “Sorry. We’re not supposed to show any emotion, but that’s one I hadn’t heard before.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, those weren’t my finest moments. But anyway, I definitely lied a lot. I also curse like a sailor and use the Lord’s name in vain occasionally. Oh, and I’m divorced. But my ex-husband cheated on me and is a jerk, so I think I should get a free pass on that one.”
“Alright. Anything else?”
“I don’t think so. Oh, wait. Premarital sex is a sin, right?”
“It is.”
“But I love him. So that should count for something, too, right?”
Father Joe smiled. “Say four Hail Marys and two Our Fathers.”
“Okay.” I started to shut my eyes and then changed my mind. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Is it possible to love two people at the same time?”
“That’s a big question.” He was silent for a long time. “I think it’s possible to love many people at the same time. But I don’t think it’s possible to love two people in exactly the same way.”
“But can a man fall in love with someone new, if he never stopped loving the person he was in love with first?”
“There are some people who come into our lives and take a little piece of our hearts when they go. So they’ll always have that love with them. But the heart is resilient and will eventually heal itself. Though the new heart isn’t the same as the old heart, and that’s why we never love two people the same way.”