He Loved Me First ✓

He Loved Me First (14)

Chapter 14

“Oliver,” Father Pius said, as I walked out the door. I spun around to face him. “Welcome home.”

“Thanks,” I replied. Then I added, “Don't tell my parents you saw me.”

He understood that I didn't want them to know about my life changing completely. “It's not my place to tell them that, but don't you put it off too long. They deserve to know.”

“I know.”

I smiled, feeling so happy, and went to pray the Rosary in the church that was currently above my head. I walked out the front doors and sat on the stairs where Felicity was waiting for me. I completed the rest of my penance as well, laughing as I told her my favorite cheesy Catholic pick up line, “You must be Saint Anthony because you just found my heart.” This made her laugh, as I expected, but only after she rolled her eyes at it.

“Why is that so funny?” she asked.

“I don't know,” I said with a shrug. “You tell me.”

“It's such a bad joke, but it's hilarious for some reason.” She paused, then asked, “But you meant it?”

“Of course,” I said pleasantly. “I'll always love you, Felicity, no matter what may happen.”

I pulled her to her feet and wrapped my arms around her as we started dancing though there was no music playing. After a few moments, I released her. We sat back down on the steps and didn't say anything for quite some time. Both of us were just enjoying each other's company and the beautiful weather. “I've always wanted to live in a small town like this. It's so perfect,” Felicity finally said.

I looked over and her and said, “Have you been anywhere in this town besides this church?”

“Not really. No.”

I smiled and said, “Let me give you a tour, then.”

I took her by the hand and opened the passenger door of her car for her. She tossed me the keys and I drove the both of us all around. I showed her my elementary, middle, and high schools, the baseball field I got a home run on in the 8th grade, my favorite restaurants. We ate dinner in my absolute favorite one, my treat. The last stop on the tour was the house my parents still lived in. We were parked a little ways down the street on the opposite side of the road just staring at the house. “Are you going to go in?” Felicity asked.

I thought about it for a long while, and finally decided I wasn't. So okay, maybe I was too scared to talk to my own parents, but that all changed eventually.

Felicity drove us back home. I got a good night's sleep that night. Confession had been a reset button for me, and one that I really needed, at that. I had a clean conscience and went to sleep without lying awake thinking of all the things I had done wrong.

Pounding on my door early in the morning woke me up. When I got up to answer it, I saw it was Felicity, dressed up nicely for Mass. That was the only time I ever saw her dress up. “I forgot to tell you what time Mass was,” she said. “I just wanted to make sure you got up in time.”

“You could have simply called me,” I said, yawning.

She laughed. “I could have. But I wanted to come over. It was boring in my dorm.”

“Oh, was it?” I said.

“Okay, so I was a bit excited.”

I smiled and said, “I know the feeling.”

“So let's go already!”

“Sheesh! Impatient much?” I laughed and spent the next 15 minutes getting ready to go. I threw on a dress shirt and some dress pants that I had laid out the night before.

Felicity started running to the church as soon as we left my dorm. “We're not late, are we?” I asked, running to keep up with her.

“No, I just want to be there now.”

“Oh, I see,” I said. “I'll race ya!”

“Oh, you're on, Watts!” She grinned at me and sprinted ahead.

“Not so fast!” I said, rushing past her. I looked back for a second and saw her sticking her tongue out at me. I laughed.

We could see the church around the corner. Felicity was far behind me by this point. I slowed down a little to catch my breath. Out of nowhere, she runs past me and reaches the steps first. “Ha! I win!” she said.

“You cheated!”

“Did not!”

“Did so!” I said.

A lady walking past us into the church laughed at us and said, “Good morning, Felicity.”

Felicity looked embarrassed and said, “Good morning, Mrs. Larabee.”

“You brought someone with you this morning?” Mrs. Larabee asked.

“Yes. This is my friend, Oliver.”

“Nice to meet you,” she said, shaking my hand.

“You too,” I said.

“I hope to see you around here more often.”

“As do I,” I told her.