The congregation moves to their knees and Finn joins them. He bows his head and he prays.

There is a twinge of fondness in my heart, like a ghost coming back to wander the halls of the home it once inhabited. It’s not real, it’s not really here. But it used to be.

Finn is on his knees and he’s praying, and there’s no part of me that still believes in miracles, but still I have the urge to join him.

What would I pray for? For redemption? For peace? For him to be a better man?

I don’t pray. There’s no point. I stare at the altar and try to remember what my brother’s face looked like.

When the final organ note is played and the long service is over, Finn doesn’t rise immediately.

The congregants shuffle out the other end of the pew, leaving us alone.

Finn’s eyes are wide and wet as he rises from his knees and looks over at me.

“Are you ready to leave?” I ask. I’m annoyed I’ve spent my whole morning with him rather than with Lena, Maxine, or Oliver.

“Not quite. I’ll need to go to confession.”

I swallow down a laugh, even though none of this is funny. “And will the priest forgive you for what you did to my brother?”

He nods. “That is his job.”

“What will your penance be?”

He gestures between us. “It’s this, I think.”

I’m so disgusted I can no longer stand the sight of him. That vague stabbing sense of fondness is gone, lost like a wisp of incense smoke in the rafters.

“I don’t intend to waste my whole day sitting around waiting for you, so please, keep the descriptions of your crimes brief.”

He nods. “Will do.”

The confession booth is across the main floor of the cathedral. Finn joins the small line and I stand behind him, shuffling my feet against the stone floors.

We stand in complete silence like strangers. I wish we were strangers. It would be simpler.

He walks into the booth with his head down. Good. I hope he is ashamed.

I sit in one of the pews and count every cross I can see. I’m at 113 before I run out.

I don’t have to wait much longer until Finn comes out of the confessional. His face is a little red, but his eye is already swollen from Oliver’s punch, so it’s unclear if he’s been shedding tears.

“What did the father say?”

“He told me to come back on Wednesday.”

“That much to forgive, huh?” I joke but Finn doesn’t smile. He’s deadly serious as he replies, “Yes.”