Page 18 of Forgive Me Father
"Left her alone?" I question. "He hit you both," I assume, Aiden's head slowly nodding.
"Yeah, he did, still does-"
I stay silent for a moment, quieting the rage that’s currently urging me to rip David’s arms from his body.
"His punishments for me were always hands-on."
"Aiden," David snaps, tapping his foot impatiently from the doorway, watching his son with a threat beneath his gaze.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, Father Briar, but dinner is ready. Is he free to go for now? Has he received his prayers?"
As I glance back to Aiden, he swallows harshly, and I see a deep-rooted fear etched into his taut face.
"Nearly," I smile. "Give us five?"
David nods and moves back inside the house.
"I suppose my greatest sin is hoping she’d screw up big enough and he’d turn his attention to her for once," Aiden says, his selfish need to be free of his father obscuring his ability to see just how fucked up his strategy for freedom was. "Now, I've only made it worse for both of us," He sighs, getting up to go inside.
Grabbing his hand, I stop him before David can see.
"Is your father... hurting you now, Aiden?"
"Does it matter? Father Kevin helped him unburden himself of his sins regularly, so all’s forgiven, right? He gets to meet God, regardless."
I stand in his way, blocking him from moving closer to the front door.
"Has he touched you?" I push, his eyes narrowing at me.
Has he touched Eden?
"Have a good night, Father Briar."
Nudging past me, he slips inside the house, his head lowered as he passes his father. Watching her brother, Eden looks petrified, her eyes shifting from Aiden to me, before landing on her father who’d made his way outside to me.
As he walks closer, I see him in an entirely new light. His existence to me is a cruel mockery of God’s goodwill. His nature is corrupted and deeply entwined with the malevolence of Satan’s influence. Something dark and thick, like tar, lodges in my throat when I look at him.
"I'm sorry my kids dragged you out here, Father Briar," David says, almost playfully as if bemused.
How many times have you touched Aiden?
Have you touched Eden?
Why hasn’t Aiden told anyone?
How could Father Kevin allow such sins without contacting authorities?
Or killing the man himself.
"No bother, it seems to have been a misunderstanding-"
"Regardless, I will see to it Aiden recites his prayers and is properly punished.”
My blood runs cold.
"I don't think punishment is necessary-"
"Nonsense. It’s my duty as a father to remind them that actions have consequences. He committed a grave sin, and it pains me deeply to see either of them stray from the path God has set for them. I won’t let this go without consequence. He’ll face punishment, not just from me, but more importantly, he should seek forgiveness from God through confession and penance. Only by truly repenting can they begin to make amends and return to God’s grace.”
