Page 5 of For I Have Sinned

Celine

“You guys always thought I loved going to know to church when I was younger, but I didn’t and the feeling hasn’t changed. It’s time for me to move on from that part of my life and⁠—”

“Are you breaking up with them?” Vince asks, laughing from where he is sitting on the couch, watching TV.

Amelia and I sit at my island, practicing what I’m going to say to my parents. It’s been an hour of brainstorming, and everything that I’ve come up with has been shit.

“It did not sound like a breakup speech.” I huff with a hint of annoyance.

“It kind of did,” Amelia agrees with Vince.

I groan, dropping my head into my hands. “I’m never going to be able to get through this, and I’m going to be stuck going to church for the rest of my life!”

“Maybe just stop showing up,” Vince suggests.

“Yeah, right. I’ve made up tons of excuses in the past as to why I couldn’t go. There are only so many I can make.” I sigh, lifting my head. “Plus, I wouldn’t put it past them to break down my door and drag me by my hair.”

“It can’t be that bad.” Amelia tries to reassure me.

My eyes move from Vince to her. “You don’t know my parents.”

“Because we’ve never met them,” she states dryly.

“And for good reasons.” I point at Amelia. “They’d judge you for all your tattoos and piercings, and you—” I turn to Vince, “they would probably burst into flames knowing that you’re gay.”

He turns his head away from the TV, staring at me with a mischievous smirk.

“That would solve the problem then! Let’s give them a call and ask to meet up for lunch. I can tell them how much I love men!”

I roll my eyes and laugh. “Not happening. I’m not letting either of you anywhere near them. They’d drag the two of you to church with me to cleanse you of your sins.”

“Mmm, yeah. Not happening.” Vince’s lips curl in disgust.

“What’s holding you back?” My attention pulls back to Amelia once she asks her question.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re always complaining about them and not sugarcoating anything when you tell us what bothers you about the whole situation. Why not just unleash it all on them?”

“Amelia has a point.” Vince stands from the couch to join us. “What’s the worst that could happen if you ripped them a new one? They disown you? That wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

I chew on the inside of my lip, eyes staring at the floor as I think about what they are saying. They are right, of course. They’re always right. I have no trouble being brutally honest with other people, but when it comes to my parents, I never wanted to hurt their feelings. I always hid in my shell around them, but I can no longer sugarcoat things. I need to lay it all out there and get it over with because if not, this cycle will never end.

“Fine. I’ll tell them what’s really on my mind.” I finally agree, straightening my back with a new profound confidence. “Preferably before Sunday, so I don’t have to go back to that convent.”

“What was it like?” Amelia asks, and Vince gives her a weird look. “What? I’ve only ever seen them in movies.”

“It wasn’t anything special. Offices, a chapel, priests, and nuns.” I shrug, but then my eyes light up when I remember my favorite thing about the convent. “They did have a beautiful courtyard full of different plants and flowers!”

“Were the priests cute?” Vince questions, completely ignoring my comment about the courtyard.

“Really? That’s what you took out of all of that?” I call him out, and he shrugs, then gives me a look to encourage me to continue. “The one was older, like my parents’ age, and the other one was a few years older than me.”

Vince narrows his eyes at me. “That didn’t answer my question.”

“You’re insufferable.” I tease.

“And waiting.” He folds his arms over his chest, and Amelia lets out a laugh.