“And you need to stay away,” I state.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. I won’t come back,” she grumbles.
I eye her as she continues to look out the windshield. I want to believe she’s telling the truth. As a man of God, I truly believe in finding the good in people. Not that Taylor is a bad person. She just has this compulsive need to obsess over anything Asa Sharpe related. My sisters and I have dealt with this behavior for years. Now that Asa has signed on with Penelope’s PR firm, it makes him realistically within her reach.
Reaching over, I gently take Taylor’s chin and turn her face toward me, then lean over and kiss her cheek.
Letting her go, I reach for the door handle. “Be good. Go home and cuddle up on the couch with a big bowl of ice cream. I know how much comfort you always find in Rocky Road.”
She laughs and it makes me feel good to see the humor on her face.
With her lips still twitching, she nods and shoves me toward the door. “Out,” she orders playfully, “so I can leave before I change my mind.”
Flashing her an easy grin, I get out of her car. I stand on the sidewalk, my hands shoved into my pockets, as I watch her pull away from the curb. Looking down at my shoes as I turn to walk in the opposite direction, my smile is still in place.
* * *
“Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It’s been three months since my last confession.”
The voice on the other side of the screen pauses for a moment, and I sit and wait. Coming to confession isn’t easy for a lot of people. Sometimes it takes them a moment to gather their thoughts and their courage.
A deep inhale of breath comes before the man continues. “I’ve been having… sinful thoughts about my step-sister. They started about a year ago, and I’ve been able to push them aside, but it’s getting harder and harder lately.” He pauses again, and I get the feeling there’s more, so I stay silent. “Not only that, but I’ve also been thinking about my best friend in the same manner. My male best friend.” He emphasizes the word male.
“Impure thoughts are common among people. They happen to everyone. Even the purest person will have them.” I’ve spent my own fair share of time in a confessional, confessing my sinful thoughts to a fellow priest. “It’s recognizing those thoughts as sinful and not taking pleasure from them that matters.”
The other side of the screen is silent for a moment.
“Yeah,” he says quietly. “It’s kind of too late for that.”
“I see.” I fold my hands in my lap. “And do you plan to continue to allow these thoughts in your mind?”
A quiet, “I don’t know” reaches my ears.
“Are you regretful for having these thoughts?”
“Yes.”
“I can only offer penance for sins already committed. It is up to you to condemn these thoughts from your mind if you are truly regretful for having them.”
I drop my head, and I can’t contain the small smile from tipping up my lips. I recognized the voice the moment he spoke his first word. If I know anything about Jamison, and I know a lot since we grew up together, I know there will be no condemning his thoughts. Jamison grew up Catholic, but he doesn’t live his life solely by Catholic beliefs. It’s not my place to judge a person. Only God can do that. I can only help guide them down a righteous path.
Wiping the smile from my face, I send up a silent prayer, asking the Almighty to forgive me for my wayward thoughts during confession.
“For the transgressions you admitted to today, to earn forgiveness, your penance is to say ten Hail Mary’s.”
“Thank you, Father.”
Bowing my head, I say, “Please recite the Act of Contrition.”
“Wash me from my guilt and cleanse me of my sin. I acknowledge my offense; my sin is before me always.”
After he finishes reciting Psalms 51:2-3, I conclude our session with a prayer.
“Your sins are forgiven. Go in peace.”
Jamison mutters a thank you before I hear the door to the booth open and then close. Looking at the watch on my wrist, I figure he’s my last confession of the day, so I wait a few minutes before I rise from my seat and exit the booth. A couple of people linger in the pews, their heads bowed as they silently pray.
To not disturb them, I keep my feet light as I walk down the aisle toward the back of the church. I head straight for the food storage room.