“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Absolutely.
How’s your latte?”
“Good.”
“Would you like
another? My treat.”
“You’re trying to
buy my silence.”
“Lazarus, cynical
Lazarus. What are your plans for the
day?
“Me? I’m going back to the community.” He looked at Michael, quiet and hard.
“I’m not going with
you.”
“Suit yourself.”
“Have you met
Norman?”
“I’ve heard of
him.”
“He’s awesome.”
“He’s a human
being. Like the rest of us. We’re all awesome. We also all fart and burp.''
“Sounds like you’re
getting some wisdom.”
“Have you talked to
Sheila?”
“Would she like me
to talk to her?”
“She badly wants to
see you.”
“My mother is her
own universe. Too self-contained to
badly want anything.”
“I think you should
talk to her.”
“Look, she is my
mother, not yours. I will decide if I
should see her and not you, nor anyone else.”
“Don’t get
defensive. But she hasn’t talked to you
since the fire—“
“Lazarus. Please, let’s just leave it for know, can we.
Look, why don’t you return to the shelter with me for supper. Norman would be delighted to meet you.”
“I already told
Chris that I’d be back in time for Vespers.”
“Oh, Chris. He does like to have charge over everyone
now, doesn’t he?”
“Michael, you know
he isn’t like that.”
“Tone it down my
boy. Do you want to cause a scene?”
“I-am-not-your-boy.”
“As you wish. How are those kids doing? The ones we sent you the other day?”
“Not great. They’re using drugs.”
“On the premises?”
“They’ve already
been warned. Chris has threatened to
call the police. Can’t say that I blame
him.”
“Does he have any
idea of what that might do to the spirit of the place/”
“Too late. Those assholes have already wrecked it. They need tight supervision. We’re not a reform school.”
“I know, I
know. Look, I’ll talk to Norman, maybe
something can be done.”
“You think pretty
highly of this guy, Norman.”
“He’s an absolutely
awesome human being.”
“Are you in love
with him?”
“In—if you’re going
to go to such lengths to degrade my friendship with him—“
“There’s nothing
wrong with being in love. So are you?”
“I-I don’t know.”
“Have you ever?”
“Have I ever—“
“Known. That you’re in love?”
“Look, Lazarus,
you’re sure that you can’t come around to meet him?”
“You’re sure you
can’t come back with me?”
“You know that’s
impossible.”
“Your mother—“
“Never mind my
mother. Christ commands that we forsake
mother, father, sister, brother, all--that we forsake all to serve him”
“She needs you,
Michael. And you need her.”
“I’ll call her.”
“Tonight?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll tell
her. She’s terribly traumatized.”
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