He Loved Me First ✓

He Loved Me First (19)

Chapter 19

*7 Years Later*

My parents still sent me letters every so often. I still ignored them. My sister's final vows were quickly coming upon us. I think Felicity and I were as excited as she was about that. Ah, yes, Felicity. She and I still met up at her family's dinners, except there was one less member of the family at this point, due to the young death of Peter (see his memoir, Loving You Always, for more information). His death affected me as much as it affected his family. He had become almost like a best friend to me over the years, and then he was gone. Just like that.

My goal was not to depress you with this book, so I'll just skip ahead to my sister's final vows. Of course, I was invited. And of course Felicity was as well. The two of us drove up to Ann Arbor, Michigan together. It reminded me of the time Felicity dragged me down to talk to Father Pius. That day was so long ago. It seems like an eternity ago, actually. Thinking about that time makes me want to laugh sometimes. As Felicity said, I thought I knew more than St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine and C.S. Lewis, just to name a few.

Finally, we arrived at the Motherhouse. I spotted my parents, and Felicity and I were careful to avoid them. We filmed the whole thing, and I went straight up to my sister, now Sister Peter Alice, OP (Order of Preachers) for all the rest of her life.

“Ollie!” she said, giving me a huge hug.

“Alice!” She frowned at me for a moment, then I corrected myself, “Sorry. Sister Peter Alice. Wow, that's weird.”

“Not for me. I've been using this name for seven years now. Anyway, I haven't seen you since you left for college!”

“You haven't changed a bit,” I told her with a smile.

“But you have.”

“Deo Gratias!” I said (Latin for “Thanks be to God”).

“I have prayed for you every single day for eleven years.”

“I know,” I said. “I figured as much. Thank you.”

“And now look at you! Ordination is in what-twelve months?”

“Eleven.”

“I wouldn't miss it for the world!” I smiled. But then she said, “You know, Mom and Dad are right over there. You should talk to them.”

“You know I can't.”

“Why?”

I sighed. “I don't know. I feel like all I ever do is disappoint them.”

“They deserve to know that you haven't been an atheist for eight years, and that you're a soon to be ordained seminarian!”

“I'll tell them. I promise. You just have to let me do it my way.”

“Okay,” she said softly. Then she perked up when she noticed Felicity standing on the outskirts. “You must be Felicity.”

“Yes,” Felicity said, smiling. “That'd be me. What horrible things did you hear about me?”

“Oh, none at all. I've heard only good things. I hear Oliver is your responsibility. He's told me you're the one that reconverted him.”

“I only helped a little. I'm sure you did more to help him than I did. You know, I'm a huge fan of yours. I guess I'm sort of a Watts fangirl.”

Sister Peter Alice stared at me questioningly and I replied, “She's read all of Mom's books-several times-and she knew all about both of us before she met us. If I didn't know better, I'd think this was just an elaborate plan of hers to meet all of us.”

“Except it's failing, as you flat out refuse to talk to your parents,” she noted.

“True. I promised you that you'd meet them. You will,” I said. I was firm with this, making sure she knew I intended to keep this promise to her, just as she intended to keep the promise she made to God as an eight year old.

Just then, I noticed the people I wanted to avoid coming our way. “Sorry. We have to go now!” I said. “Don't tell them you saw me!”

My sister sighed, but nodded. “Bye.”

As we were walking away, my parents approached her, asking who had just talked to her. I heard her answer, “Just a seminarian friend of mine.”