Page 53 of Icarus

“You guys did get quiet pretty much as soon as you got up the stairs . . .”

“Please don’t tell him,” Icarus whispered, staring at the linoleum beneath his feet.

“Hey . . . hey, are you okay?” She stroked her fingers through her baby’s hair, concerned.

“I’m fine. I just wanted to apologize and let you know it won’t happen again. I hope you have a good rest of your afternoon. I’ll see you around.”

Icarus backed out of the kitchen and out of their lives and fled back upstairs into his tower.

Sanctus Deus

Angus Gallagher came upon the house like a thunderstorm.

“Where did you go?” Icarus asked.

Angus eyed the flowers on the table and the empty dish rack and Icarus thanked God that he’d decided to put everything away instead of letting them sit there and dry.

“Genoa.”

He placed his bag next to the door.

“It’s time to pray.”

Icarus knelt. He could smell travel on his father’s coat: the stale airport air, the salt of the sea, even the stink of fish if he strained for it.

“Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus—”

The house felt new and dangerous. Like Angus would magically know there’d been people here, would feel it in the air, would feel it in the way Icarus moved and looked at him.

The wafer Angus put on his tongue tasted like ash and the wine was sour.

“Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Thy dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and for the sins of the whole world.”

Icarus opened an eye, but his father was resolute in his devotion, still as stone. One gray eye cracked a slit, slid in his direction, and Icarus froze like the prey of a snake.

“Do you have any confessions?”

Icarus paused.

“Greed. I have been wanting things I cannot have. Things that can’t be bought or sold.”

Angus never asked him to elaborate on his sins.

“Blood or prayer?”

Icarus eyed the switch that hung on the altar. He was always allowed to choose.

“Prayer.”

“Three Hail Marys, for heavenly consolation.”

“Yes, Father.”

He remained kneeling as Angus rose, went to his workroom, and shut the door.

Ripe

There was an early frost Monday morning. Julian brought him a spiced cider. Icarus brought Julian a piece of brown Betty in a Tupperware container.