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It wasn’t the world she had envisioned for their future

All she could think about were their plans slipping away Going so over fresh where he could just be him and she could just be her, untainted by slavery and the labels forced upon thee so he could play football while she studied art--all of it a distant drea a family--the concept overshadowed by reality She wasn’t sure as possible anyo or what they could do Would he be allowed to go to school? Could they bring children into that world?

More importantly, ould happen to Carmine? Could he live that life and be the sas, but not be a bad person? After being brutalized her entire life, how could she accept hi one of them?

How had Maura done it?

Vincent stood at the front of the di fla his hand as he sullenlybehind him after a , 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 hter "I’ve known your mother for decades I can safely say she sees and hears only what she wants, nothing ift with that woman"

Vincent smiled "Should you talk that way about people?"

"I’ 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 ithout oxygen for too long for hien?"

"Al 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"

"On the contrary, Vincenzo You coain You can’t fool God, either He knows everything, and it’s okay, because He’ll forgive you The question is whether you’re ready to be forgiven"

He was quiet, turning back to the lit candle "I a again "Forgive entle "Go on You’re safe here"

The word safe ain For the first ti into the church and believing he belonged, he felt like he was truly safe there

"The first tihteen I shot him once in the heart with my revolver He lost consciousness instantly, but it took exactly aI counted Seems so quick in retrospect, but while I watched it happen, it felt like he’d never die And the whole ti it see because you shouldn’t have killed hih blood Some seeped out onto his shirt, and his nose bled as he choked on a bit, but it was a relatively clean scene He bled out internally I thought a shot to the heart should’ve been messier"

Father Alberto was silent for a moment "Why did you kill him?"

"He raped my wife," he said, his voice an octave above a whisper "I was judge, jury, and executioner"

"You didn’t think God would make him pay?"

"Yes," he said "I just made it so he’d face God sooner"

"Why?"

Vincent’s brow furrowed "I told you why"