“You actually expect me to not care about someone whose job is to guard my life? That’s not natural.”
“That’sexactlywhat I expect,” he yelled. “And I mostcertainlyexpect him to respect the boundaries I set when I gave him that damn job.”
I rolled my eyes. As if he was doing Wes a favor by keeping him in such a shitty position. But there was no sense in arguing any further with my father. He was irrational.
“Anything else?” he asked.
“No,” I muttered before hanging up.
I stood there for a while, my cheeks burning in anger. But as I walked back into the hospital, my anger turned to sadness. Tears stung my eyes again. The reality of this situation once again hit me. Wes had almost died. Taking a bodyguard position and hoping for the best was one thing. But actually proving yourself the way he had, sacrificing his life for mine, was beyond heroic. How could I ever repay him? The bullet hadn’t killed him, but it very well could’ve killedmehad he not been so damn selfless.
I burst into tears. An urgent need to see Wes came over me, so I rushed down to his room. But when I got there, he was sleeping. He looked so peaceful. The rise and fall of his chest comforted me. The sound of his breathing was music to my ears. That meant he was alive. But Wes needed rest after what he’d been through, so rather than risk waking him by sitting at his bedside, I wandered around a bit and ended up in the chapel again.
All the noise of the hospital disappeared the moment the chapel door closed behind me. It seemed almost completely soundproof. There was a small altar at the front of the room and some bookshelves that held bibles.
I took a seat at one of the dark wooden pews and lowered the little platform that was made for kneeling. This was the first place I’d truly felt safe in a while.Emotions flooded me as I leaned against the pew in front of me and sobbed.
After several minutes, a voice startled me. “Are you okay, young lady?”
I turned to find a priest standing there. He was tall, bald, and dressed from head to toe in black with a white Roman collar.
“Hello,” I said. “Is it okay that I’m in here?”
“Of course. All are welcome here,” he answered softly. “Do you have a sick loved one?”
I shook my head. “Thankfully, he’s not ill. But he was injured, and he’s recovering.” I let out a shaky breath. “He got shot. We were very lucky.”
He took a seat next to me. “Do you need someone to talk to?”
I looked into his eyes. “Can I trust you?”
He placed his hand on my arm and smiled kindly. “If you can’t trust me, I’m not sure who you can trust.”
He had a point.
“I’m Father Maloney.”
“Hi, Father. I’m Juliette.”
It might’ve been risky, but I unloaded the truth on this poor priest because I had to let it all out, and he was someone with no ties to the situation. While I didn’t give him my dad’s name, I recalled everything from the beginning with Wes up until the shooting. He listened intently and didn’t interrupt.
When I finally finished, he nodded and said, “Everyone is given a cross in life, Juliette. Unfortunately, yours was handed to you directly by your father.”
I nodded.
“You seem to hold a lot of resentment toward him for the position he’s put you in. And I’m sure you believe it’s warranted.” He paused. “But resentment will sicken you like a terminal disease if you let it. It comes from within you, and you’re the only one with the power to take it away. Your father knows not what he does. If he truly understood the level of sin, he’d ask the Lord for forgiveness and become a better man. You must learn to forgive your father anyway, and try your best to live a purposeful life despite him, without allowing that resentment in.”
I blinked. “How do I do that when my father’s actions impact literally every part of my life?”
“It’s not easy. You must radically accept things as they are. As hard as that may be, everything you experience is in God’s plan. Sometimes we have to go through difficult things in order to receive the gifts he has to bestow on us. It takes a bit of blind trust, and most of all...it takes time and patience to see this through.”
The moment he saidgift, my mind went to Wes. He was my one gift in all this.
“Well, this terrible situation brought me to the only man I’ve ever loved,” I said. “So in that sense, I can understand what you mean. I would’ve never known Wes existed were it not for my father’s terrible business. And I can’t imagine never meeting him.”
“That’s a great example of how life works in funny ways that are perfectly orchestrated by God.” He smiled. “Have faith that everything will work out in the end, and don’t be afraid to seek help when you feel you can’t handle things. Even if that means just coming here to pray.”
I wondered if it would be too much to ask for Father Maloney’s cell number. I chuckled to myself and decided against it. “Well, I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me.”
