The image of Jesus was bathed in light. Thinking that was an amazing and strange bit of symbolism, I immediately scanned the church looking for the little girl. I couldn’t find her anywhere and as the mass was finishing I decided to stay back in the rear of the church so that I could see everyone leave through the only public door to the church. Even as I waited for the very last person to leave, the little girl was nowhere to be found. I must have had a strange expression on my face because the elderly priest, who just moments before had been giving the mass, walked up to me and said, “May I help you, my son?”

Not knowing what to say, I excused myself, still holding the votive card.

The walk home was in silence, and I noticed a strange peaceful sense that everything was going to be okay.

Rounding the corner to home, I could smell bread baking in the bakery and decided to try the old standard cheese Danish and to get an apricot and a cherry Danish for Maggie and Mama. It was almost 9am and I was feeling better about the meeting.