Jim, I’m afraid he must be daft.”
“I’m sure he is,” Judith replied, growing solemn.
“We’ll pray for the poor man,” the priest said. “I’ll
pray for you, too. Is there anything I can do before you
leave us?”
“Yes,” Judith said. “I’d like you to hear my confession. I couldn’t go before Christmas because I was laid
up with my hip. Would you mind?”
“I’d be delighted,” the priest replied, reaching into
his pocket and taking out the purple stole he wore for
the Sacrament of Penance.
Judith bowed her head and blessed herself, then recited a brief list of venial sins before she got to the crux
of the matter. As briefly as she could, she told Father
McConnaught about Joe and Dan and the deception
surrounding Mike’s paternity. She had resolved to end
the web of lies. But was it fair to Dan’s memory and
his conscientiousness as a father to Mike? This was the
sticking point, and had been since Dan died.
“Well now,” Father McConnaught said, “you take
Good Cheer and the blessed sisters who’ve run it all
these long years. Soon this place will be taken from
them, and they’ll be left with only memories. But no
one can take away what they did, how they served,
how much love they offered in the name of our
blessed Lord. Can we say less for your late husband,
rest his soul? No matter what his faults or failures,
he lived, he loved, he made his mark. Glory be to
God, eh?”
Through glistening tears, Judith smiled at Father McConnaught. “You’re right. Thank you so much. I feel
better. It’s just that it’ll be so hard to finally tell Mike.”
SUTURE SELF
323
“God will guide you,” the priest said, and gave Judith absolution.
Robbie the Robot, apparently swerving to avoid
someone in the hall, briefly faced into the room.
“Beep-beep,” he said.
Still smiling, Judith beeped right back.
Shortly before eleven, Joe and Mike showed up in
her hospital room. Judith was sitting with the release
form, checking off the detailed information and list of
instructions for posthospital care. Joe was wearing a
big bandage under his jacket, but definitely seemed on
the mend.
“Kristin and Little Mac are at the house,” Mike said.
“They rode down with me this morning. Mac wants to
see Ga-ga.”
Judith flinched as she always did when she heard
Mac’s name for her. She sometimes wondered if he
couldn’t pronounce “grandma” or if he was describing
her. Maybe he really was a Little Einstein.
