Father Aguirre laughed. “It has its peculiarities. But also its charms.” He sobered. “Your aunt was one of them, and we were all very sorry to lose her. Would you like me to take you to her resting place?”
Selena blinked.
It had not sunk in, not entirely, that her aunt was dead. Notreallydead, with a body and everything. She was more just ...not here. Selena had come looking for her and not found her. Surely Aunt Amelia was just ... somewhere else.
She had to lick her lips a few times to get the words out. “Resting place?”
Father Aguirre nodded. “She was not Catholic, though she was a good friend, so she is not in the churchyard. We buried her on the hillside. She had proper last rites—or as proper as I could make them—”
Selena, highly sensitive to awkwardness in herself, could recognize it in others.Is he scared I’ll accuse him of not treating my aunt right? I wasn’t here, I don’t get to do that.
It seemed very strange. Selena was thirty years old and Father Aguirre was certainly in his forties, if not older. And he was a priest. You didn’t have to reassure priests, did you?
“Thank you,” she said.Thank youalways seemed to work, if you couldn’t think of anything else. People liked to be thanked. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here. We lost communication for a while.”
He nodded.
She was relieved to reach the post office. Father Aguirre went ahead of her while she tied Copper to the porch, and Selena could hear the hum of conversation through the open door.
Copper settled down and put her head on her paws, and then Selena could not put it off any longer and slipped through the doorway.
“Selena!” said Jenny. “Good to see you again. Found the house all right?”
Selena nodded.
“Good, good. I was a bit worried, since it’s a long walk in the heat, but I figured Grandma Billy’d take care of you.”
“She did. She’s very kind.”
“She’s good people,” said Jenny.
“Salt of the earth,” said Father Aguirre, a bit dryly. “Certainly the most interesting Virgin Mary we’ve ever had at the nativity play ...”
Jenny grinned. “We’ve got a shortage of young women in these parts, if you hadn’t noticed, Father. Maybe Selena here will agree for the next one.”
“I’m not staying that long,” said Selena hurriedly. “Just a few days—just—I need to save up for a train ticket. Only till then.”
“Sure,” said Jenny agreeably.
Why does everybody say it like that?
“I’ll put down that you’re in residence right now, okay?” asked Jenny. “No time limit on it.”
“Sure,” said Selena, and then kicked herself mentally, hoping that didn’t sound like mockery. Father Aguirre chuckled.
“Is there a place in town that sells dog food?” asked Selena, hoping to change the subject.
“Absolutely,” said Jenny. “Go around the circle, third place on your left is the store. Connor ought to be in by now.”
Just before they parted ways on the porch, Selena said, “Um, Father Aguirre?”
He looked up. His expression was oddly hopeful.What’s he hoping for?
“I’ve got to take the dog food back to the house, and it’ll probably be too hot, but in a day or two, if you could show me where my aunt is, I’d appreciate that.”
He nodded. “I’d be glad to. Will you come by the church for the evening meal tonight? We do a community meal in the evenings on Wednesday and Saturday, it’s easier for those of us living alone.”
“Thank you,” said Selena. An evening meal might be a good time to ask about places to find work too.
