Chapter 5 - The Shadow of Saint Jude's
The morning of the performance arrived under a heavy blanket of gray clouds that promised early snow. I left the estate early, arriving at Saint Jude’s before the morning classes commenced. I needed to see her, to ensure that the security measures we had woven around the sanctuary remained unbroken.
I found Lily in the chapel.
The chapel was a vaulted, quiet sanctuary lit by dozens of flickering votive candles beneath stained-glass windows depicting the saints of mercy. Lily was parked near the front pew, her hands folded neatly in her lap, looking up at the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows.
Her lilac wheelchair was already polished, the purple butterflies gleaming in the amber candlelight.
I walked down the stone aisle, my footsteps muffled by the thick wool runner, but she heard the creak of my leather shoes.
"Mr. Dinosaur," she said without turning around.
"How did you know it was me?" I asked, coming to stand beside her chair.
"Because the floor shakes a little bit when you walk," she replied with a small, contented smile. "Like a friendly earthquake."
I looked up at the statue of the Virgin, remembering the days when my mother had dragged me to this very altar, forcing me to kneel until my knees were bruised, praying that I would choose a path other than the one carved by my father’s guns. My mother had failed to save me, but she had poured her fortune into this building so that others might have a chance to escape the dark.
"What were you praying for, Lily?"
She hesitated, her fingers twisting the fabric of her skirt. "I was asking God not to let my wheels squeak on the wood."
"I oiled them myself yesterday," I reminded her. "They won't squeak."
"And... I asked Him to tell my mommy and daddy where I am tonight."
The quiet in the chapel became immense, broken only by the crackle of a candle wick. I stood beside her, my hands deep in my overcoat pockets, feeling completely powerless in the face of her innocence.
"Sister Beatrice told me they live in Heaven now," Lily continued, her voice small and clear against the stone walls. "She said Heaven has big windows so they can look down. But what if the clouds are too thick tonight? What if it snows, and they can't see the gym?"
I slowly sank onto the wooden pew beside her, reaching out to rest my massive palm over her tiny, cold hands. "Your parents will see you, Lily. Even if the sky is black as pitch. A father... a real father never loses sight of his daughter."
She looked up at me, her blue eyes searching my face with that terrifying, uncanny maturity that only suffering can breed in a child. "Did you ever have a little girl, Mr. Dominic?"
"No," I answered, the truth tasting like iron on my tongue. "The life I chose... it didn't leave room for daughters."
"That's sad," she whispered, leaning her head against my arm, her golden curls resting against my dark coat. "You would be a good daddy. You're very big, so nobody could ever hurt your family. And you know how to dance in a pink skirt."
I closed my eyes, swallowing a knot that felt larger than my fist. "We have to get you ready, princess. The show starts in eight hours."
"Are you nervous, Mr. Dinosaur?"
I looked down at the tiny hand resting under mine. "Terrified," I admitted.
May you like
She giggled, the sound bouncing off the high stone arches like sunlight piercing through smoke. "Don't worry. If you mess up the steps, I'll just tell everyone you're my bodyguard."
"Deal," I said.
