Chapter Forty
Father Rivera’s snort-filled laughter reminded Father Gregory of a wild hog. It, mixed with Father Schmidt’s throaty chuckles and slurred speech, would’ve been entertaining any other time. But this evening it held no humor for the senior-ranking priest of the group.
Although Father Gregory had agreed to join his housemates in the parlor to watch a comedy movie and sip cocktails, his mind was somewhere else. Thoughts of Royce, her sister, and her brother-in-law had taken him prisoner. His brief encounter with Eric Benson had been awkward, but no hostile altercation had taken place. However, Royce’s brother-in-law had confirmed that he indeed was aware of their past involvement. And he’d made it crystal clear that under no circumstances should the relationship be rekindled. Father Gregory couldn’t exactly accuse the doctor of threatening him, but he had spoken to him quite candidly out of concern for Royce.
The two other priests suddenly howled at a funny scene in the movie. Father Gregory abandoned his thoughts of Eric Benson, the overprotective brother-in-law, to concentrate on Royce. He wondered what she was doing at that very moment. If she was as miserable as he was, she was damn near pathetic. A glass of wine and an all-star cast of talented comedians clowning through an outrageous plot couldn’t cure his ills not even for a night. Even though Father Gregory wasn’t alone, he was lonely and on the brink of tears. He didn’t want Royce’s life to be reduced to loneliness, teardrops, and sleepless nights. He loved her so much that he wanted her to be happy. He prayed that God would bless her with a wonderful husband who would love and honor her and give her the children she desired. She deserved that kind of life and so much more.
* * *
Tears found their way through Royce’s closed eyelids. She wiped them with the back of her hand and sniffled. She stared at the wick of the digital home pregnancy test, which guaranteed 99 percent accuracy, one more time. Its results were the same as the first three she’d taken. Royce was pregnant. It should’ve been the most joyous moment of her life, but that wasn’t the case. How could she be happy? There she was almost 32 years old, unmarried, and pregnant by a man with whom she had no future. Today was not a day of celebration. Royce was sad and ashamed. She was a registered nurse, for heaven’s sake! How had she been so irresponsible?
Royce picked up the phone with every intention of calling her mother to tell her that her out-of-the-blue prediction had been dead on point. She was expecting. She hadn’t planned to get pregnant, but she and Father Gregory had not been as careful as they should have been on a few occasions. Royce could recall a couple of times when they’d acted like two reckless teenagers in heat. She hadn’t been overly concerned because her cycle had the tendency to be irregular from time to time. Over the years, she’d missed a period here or there without alarm. But during those times she’d either been celibate or very cautious with her partner.
Through a heavy flow of tears, Royce noticed the time on her cell phone. It was much too late to call her mother. Andra was in Los Angeles at a television producers’ conference, and Royce had no intention of sharing her delicate situation with Zora. She needed compassion, not a lecture on stupidity and irresponsibility. Royce dialed the number of the person who had been her rock during her messy breakup with Marlon. The phone rang several times before the familiar, deep voice answered.
“Eric, it’s me, Royce. I’m sorry I woke you, but I really need to talk to you.”
“You didn’t wake me, little sis. Believe it or not, I just left Smitty’s Bar. I was hanging out and catching up with the fellows. I could swing by if you need me to.”
“I’ll make a pot of tea.”
* * *
“Would you care for a glass of wine also, ma’am?” the petite flight attendant with a cute pixie hairstyle asked Royce and smiled.
Eric held his breath, hoping that Zora wouldn’t make a big deal out of Royce’s beverage selection. Everyone in the family knew her to be a passionate lover of white wine. But she couldn’t drink alcohol in her condition. She had just entered her second trimester of pregnancy, according to his calculations. It was safe for her to travel to Dominica with the family and assist the medical team with pediatric checkups, but boozing it up was totally out of the question. Eric had invited Royce along on the mission only because she was so distraught about her unexpected pregnancy. And he believed she needed a break from Atlanta, where memories of her life with Father Gregory were still fresh.
Royce returned the flight attendant’s smile. “I would love a glass of orange juice, ma’am.”
“What?” Zora snapped, whipping her head in her sister’s direction. “You have never refused a glass of wine since the day you turned twenty-one. What’s going on with you, Royce Dominique?”
“You’ve been calling me fat ever since you and Eric returned from Sierra Leone. Now that I’m trying to watch my weight, you have the nerve to question me? Give me a break, Z.”
Royce’s smart and speedy response seemed to have quieted Zora for the time being. Eric was relieved. In a few weeks, it would be virtually impossible for Royce to hide her pregnancy from his ever-meddlesome wife. If she chose outfits that made her seem more slender and laid off of the ice cream and cookies, she could possibly buy herself some more time. Regardless, Eric was determined to protect Royce and support her until she was ready to tell the family about the baby. It was a day he was not looking forward to.
Tyler, who was sitting on the other side of Royce, removed his earplugs and smiled at his aunt. “I’m glad you decided to come with us. You and I can go swimming in the ocean, jet skiing, hiking in the mountains, and jogging on the beach. I can’t wait, Auntie Royce.”
“Neither can I,” she told the child with a straight face.
Royce and Eric’s eyes met. He offered her his most encouraging smile. Her baby was growing and developing fine, and Eric did want Royce to be as active as possible during the pregnancy. He would allow her to swim and jog as long as she was up to it. But there would be no jet skiing or hiking in the mountains.
Eric closed his eyes and reclined his seat. There was more on his mind at the moment than he was ready to deal with. Royce was pregnant by her priest, and they were keeping it a secret from Zora, his wife. He had never withheld anything important from her in the entire thirteen years they’d been married. The guilt was choking the life out of him, but he had made Royce a promise, and he was going to honor it. Then there was the issue of leaving his in-laws in the dark. Once again, he had given Royce his word that he wouldn’t utter one syllable until the time was right.
Eric found it strange that out of all of the promises Royce had coerced him to make, she never once asked him not to contact the baby’s father to tell him she was carrying his child. He wondered if he had the green light to give the priest a call to inform him he would have more to celebrate in January besides the New Year and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.
Eric felt that Father Gregory needed to know what his carelessness had caused. He was as much at fault as Royce. And it wasn’t fair that she was bearing such a heavy burden alone. Father Gregory may have been a priest, but his title didn’t excuse him from his duties as the father of Royce’s child. His inborn, sinful nature, like that of any other human being, had led him astray. No clergy collar, crucifix, or holy water had prevented his penis from popping out of his pants. And he would not be granted a pardon for his sexual misconduct. An innocent child would soon make his or her debut to the world. Every little girl and boy deserved the love and support of both of their living parents. Eric had no clue about Royce’s plans to deal with her baby’s father. He, on the other hand, had plenty of ideas and colorful words to say to the man. But he would wait to speak with Royce about his concerns privately after they’d settled in Dominica.
* * *
“I placed Father Gregory’s dinner plate in the microwave. His garden salad is in the refrigerator,” Mrs. Ellison told Fathers Schmidt and Rivera. “Please let him know when he wakes up from his nap. Enjoy your evening.”
Father Rivera nodded and smiled.
“Goodbye, Mrs. Ellison.”
Father Rivera turned to Father Schmidt as soon as the older woman left the dining room. “He hasn’t eaten in two days. I’m very concerned. It’s unhealthy for him to skip meals and spend so much time alone in his room. It appears that he’s depressed or in mourning.”
“I know exactly how he feels. He’s suffering emotionally and physically. It’s quite painful to lose the love of a woman.”
“I’m grateful that I will never experience such mental anguish. If falling in love causes so much pain, I consider myself blessed to have avoided it. Praised be to God for His mercy.”
“Falling in love can be a wonderful thing, my friend. There’s nothing more gratifying than giving your heart to a woman and have her give hers to you in return.”
“But when something goes wrong in the relationship, one suffers to the point that they seem suicidal like Father Gregory.”
“His case is different,” Father Schmidt pointed out, wagging his finger at his fellow priest. “He must suffer greater than ordinary men because he broke the sacred vow. Sin brings about tragedy. But when an ordained priest dishonors his ultimate commitment to the Lord and the church, he will reap God’s wrath tenfold.”
“I pity him.”
“I feel sorry for him as well, but he’ll recover in time. And hopefully, he will never get involved with a woman again. His unfortunate circumstances will serve as a reminder to him, I’m sure.”
Father Rivera frowned with confusion. “A reminder? What reminder is that, Father?”
“It will remind him why all Roman Catholic priests are avowed to a life of celibacy and bachelorhood. We are married to the church. She is our bride. Marriage or a romantic relationship with any woman is adulterous. It will hinder our ability to serve and minister to God’s people. The vow is not a punishment as others may believe. It is a commitment to God that sanctifies and strengthens us for His service.”
“Amen.”