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I s as my eyes well My heart aches with too e I feel so satiated in his arain

I feel as if I’azes hold His face is leaner Sharper I can see it plainly, and it makes my heart bleed

My throat stings as I rasp, “Thank you”

“Of course”

There’s a certain sweetness on his face, a gentle boyishness about his sine if I’d ht hurts, so I wipe it away, giving hih the door

Twenty-Five

Finley

There’s only five of us atmass: old Mr Button, Mrs Adaan, Father Barnard, and myself Father Barnard wears his purple Lenten vestment with the small stain on the left sleeve and blows his nose four times on a kerchief

I wear a h spot on the pew The dress is one of those we received last year in a reen, so I bid for it Many of the dresses were for sirls…like Holly I won’t think of her now Not in church

I clutch lass beads that belonged to Gaue so it flows fro to disoodbye

O ive us of our sins Save us from the fires of hell Lead all souls into heaven, especially those most in need of thy mercy

I can whip through the rosary h the prayers slowly as I trek fro The words are like an incantation, warding off all thought, obstructing sorrow I don’t notice until I reach the clinic that the h to numb my ears and mouth and nose

I slip the key into the lock on the door of the residence, and I hear Baby’s hooves click When I step inside, her wars

“Hi there, fluffins”

She peers up at me with her sheepy eyes, and I crouch down beside her