Page 138 of Third and Ten

“Yes, sir, thank you,” JD answers, reaching over to entwine our fingers.

“Let’s get to it, then. Do you have a date in mind?”

JD clears his throat. “Well, that’s the thing. How far out are we talking here?”

“Usually six months would be the minimum.”

He glances over at me and squeezes my hand gently. “Do you think we could possibly bend those rules for special circumstances?”

Father Conrad’s eyebrows rise sharply. “I see. But there’s no need to rush to the altar. I imagine you still have a few months before things would be obvious, right?” he asks, peering at me.

“A few months?”

“Before, you know, things would become obvious…”

“Oh,” I reply. “Actually, that’s not—I’m not pregnant.”

He smiles politely. “I’m sorry for assuming, then.”

“Yeah, that’s definitely not the reason we’re here,” JD says, a tinge of humor in his voice. I glare at him out of the corner of my eye.

“So, what’s the hurry?” the priest asks.

“We’re trying to get custody of Tenley’s nephew. The court date is in just over a month, and we’d really like to keep him here with us instead of allowing his biological father—whom he’s only just met—to force him to move away.”

“Ethan, isn’t it? Great kid. He’s in our confirmation class this year,” Father Conrad says with a warm smile.

“Thank you, Father. You probably remember that my parents have been raising him since my sister passed away. But, JD and I would like to to give my mom a break and take over as his permanent guardians. We really want to provide him with the closest thing to a traditional family unit that we can, and we believe that the judge might look more favorably on us if we can show him that Ethan will have a father figure at home.”

He nods and leans back in his chair, steepling his fingers. “While I think it’s very charitable of you to want to do this for your nephew, I still have concerns about the two of you getting married for the right reasons. You haven’t been dating for all that long, have you?”

JD swallows hard as the priest stares him down, and it’s almost as if they’re having a silent exchange. “A couple of months.”

“Now, you know it would be irresponsible of me to let you rush into the sacrament of marriage without really considering the permanence of these vows. And there are still other logistical issues and requirements you must meet, such as completing Pre-Cana and natural family planning classes—”

“We know it seems fast,” I interrupt him. “But we’re not that young, and we’re both well established in our careers and ready to take marriage seriously. In fact, my friend, Sybil Thibodeaux, might have mentioned to you that I’ve just completed my NFP instructor certification, so that’s one thing we can check off the list, right?” I volunteer.

I see the priest’s eyes dart to my hand as JD rubs the back of it softly. “When exactly were you hoping to have the wedding?”

“Literally as soon as possible,” JD deadpans.

“We don’t want anything big. The smaller, the better,” I add.

“Within the month? It’ll have to wait until after Christmas.”

“Name the day and time, Father,” says JD. “We’ll be there.”

“And you’re both really sure about this, that you fully understand the gravity of this commitment?”

“We do. That’s why we’re here with you and not at the courthouse. We want to do this right, with a sacramental wedding.” JD hesitates and clears his throat before continuing. “I’ve definitely been feeling it. You know, that pull from the Holy Spirit we talked about? This is it.”

I wonder what he’s referring to, but Father Conrad seems to understand. The priest’s eyes dart back and forth between us for a minute, a smile taking over his features. “Hmm. I think I get it,” he says, smirking at JD. “You’re very much in love, aren’t you?”

“Oh, yeah,” JD answers with a sigh.

“And by wanting to do this right, you mean that…”

“I’m afraid it’s either the altar or the confessional by next month, Father,” JD admits, shaking his head.

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