Unsettled Spirits by Sophie Weeks

Author:Sophie Weeks
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781620151129
Publisher: Booktrope Editions

CHAPTER 12

SARAH'S SENSE OF PURPOSE SUSTAINED her for the next several days, though Samuel never called or came home at all. She became overtired from the long hours, having trouble sleeping properly at night. In her eagerness to do what was right and make Samuel proud, she kept the shop open every day for all of its posted hours. Business was good, and every night Sarah counted the take carefully and put it in the safe.

Mike came by on Saturday, and Sarah was glad to see him. She had felt sorry for her harsh words at her birthday dinner, even though they were pretty much par for the course whenever the two of them talked religion. Sarah led him upstairs, since he said he wanted to talk to Lucy.

“How have you been?” he said a little stiffly.

“Okay. Samuel's sister died, so I've been all alone here.”

“Poor man. Was he very close to her?”

“I don't know; I think so. They argued like they were close,” Sarah said, thinking of their casual, insulting intimacy. “He spent most of his time off with her family.”

“Tell him I'll say a prayer for him,” Mike said.

Sarah was tempted again to ask what good that would do, but she'd already been combative enough with him. “Okay. Thanks.” Then she hollered, “Lucy! Get in here.”

Lucy sashayed through the wall, and it was clear—to Sarah, at least—that she'd known Mike was there and just wanted to make an entrance. She looked him over approvingly, apparently finding his clerical suit much more to her taste than his casual clothes. “Oh, hello. Did you come to see me?”

“I did,” Mike smiled. “I wondered if maybe you'd like to talk some.”

“About what?” Lucy asked, climbing up to perch on the back of Sarah's armchair.

“Well—” Mike floundered just a little. “About your life and things.”

“Oh, that.” Then Lucy brightened. “Like confession?”

“If you want. Though I'm not sure how the sacrament works after death; it's an unusual situation, to say the least.” He glanced at Sarah. “Could you leave us alone for a little while?”

Sarah nodded, but Lucy objected, “Oh, don't make her go.”

Mike sat down on Sarah's bed, pulling his stole out of his pocket. “But this is something important, Lucy. Something sacred.”

“Isn't it still sacred if she hears?”

“The point is that confession is secret. It's between you, me, and God. Otherwise you might not tell me everything, and then I wouldn't be able to help you.”

“Fine …” Lucy sighed and said to Sarah, “I'll come and fetch you when he's done being boring.”

“Might be awhile,” Sarah teased, then smiled at Mike and mouthed “thank you” before she left. She didn't think this was really going to work, but she also wasn't willing to reject any reasonable hope Lucy might have. She was worried, though, about giving Lucy false hope. With everything they tried, every failure, Sarah could see Lucy losing hope. And what if she was right not to hope? What if her future was like this, forever, as long as humanity endured or longer even? Sarah shivered at that idea.

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