Page 58 of Intimately Faithful

“There was a happiness in my boy not even God could put there.” - Robert

It was like having a deep pulsing wound that pained when poked, being away from her.

Danny left Aoife in bed …his bed… at 5:45 am that morning to go on his run around the town. It was while he was jogging by the edge of the mountains, a normal favorite route that he had a pang of separation anxiety for her and almost turned around.

Christ above, he was being a righteejit.

Fortunately for him, or maybe divine intervention, when he arrived back at the church grounds, he quickly showered at home and got into his work clothes of blue jeans and a T-shirt over a plain, long-sleeved Henley, giving his hair a cursory brush back with his fingers, he found an old friend in the church thumbing through one of the spring gala pamphlets.

As pastor, Danny was involved in most of the towns activities, especially charity based.

“We didn’t have a meeting, did we?” He asked his old friend and NA sponsor.

“Here’s your hat, what’s your hurry?” Chuckled Robert as he turned to watch Danny’s stride along the aisle. The pair shook hands and then went in for the hug as normal. Danny grinned back. “Sorry, I just meant I wasn’t expecting you today or even until the end of the month. It’s good to see you, actually.”

“Problem?”

“No. Maybe. I could do with your ear.”

“Lucky I have two. Shall we have tea?”

With a hot pot of earl grey made, Danny carried both cups and biscuits through from the back room and found Robert in the front pew scrolling on his phone. “I keep promising Mariah I’ll spend less time on this thing, but here I am.” He chuckled. “I tell her I could be addicted to crack again.”

Wasn’t that the truth.

Addicts tended to replace one addiction with another when they got sober.

With Danny he could say his was exercise.

There was nothing better than running on a cool winter morning or a sunny spring day. It cleared out his cobwebs and let him think quietly, especially on those days he just wanted to score a hit.

That monster never quite left his back, but he’d found tools to combat it.

That included Robert himself. He’d met the older man during his third week of attending church in that basement after his NA meetings. Only to find out they had more in common than faith. Robert too had been an addict back in the 70’s, clean and sober ever since, and a pastor in his own church in Denver.

Danny owed the man his literal life. He’d saved him one too many times those early months when all Danny wanted to do was slide back into the dark. With Robert on the end of a phone willing to drive hours if need be to pick Danny up, no matter the time of day, Danny had made it through the other side.

It was because of Robert too that Danny pursued a job in the church.

It was also because of him that he didn’t return to his old way of life back in Ireland. Instead, choosing to stay in America.

He was friend, family, a confidant and savior.

Robert knew about his life. And that included everything about Aoife.

Danny didn’t beat around the bush.

“Aoife is back.”

“Ahhh, well this is going to be more interesting than scrolling recipes on Facebook.” Robert mused, pushing his phone away in his jacket pocket. He accepted both cup and a plate of ginger biscuits. Sugar was also another addiction replacement. The pair of them could go through a box of biscuits in an hour between them.

“When did this happen?”

“This past week.”

“I can’t decide if you’re happy or not about her reappearance.”

“A little of both,” Danny said. “Happier.”

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