reception.
“This is a big deal,” he said, looking
around.
Mickey smiled. “It’s a very big deal.” The
wimple felt stiff and tight under her jaw. “I’m not sure how they
work in these,” she said, sliding a finger under it and tugging on
the starched fabric, “but I guess I’ll get used to it.”
“Should I take a picture for Mom?” he
grinned, pulling out his phone.
“Oh, shut up,” she grumbled.
“Is that any way for a nun to talk?” he
teased.
Back in her cell that evening, Mickey signed
the contract ending her partnership in the surgical practice.
Chapter 14
A warm night breeze blowing off the bay
evaporated the light sweat covering Alice and Mickey’s naked
bodies. They were enjoying a rare weekend alone with no friends or
family joining them. Mickey lay with her head resting on Alice’s
shoulder, an arm and leg draped over Alice’s body, sifting Alice’s
silky dark hair through her fingers.
“That was amazing,” she said, still
breathing heavily. “You know exactly how to read me and give me
what I want.”
Alice traced a fingertip along Mickey’s
earlobe. “We’ve learned together, and it’s only gotten better with
time.”
Mickey sat up to pour them both more wine.
“The best things really do get better with some age on them,” she
said as she handed Alice her glass.
“Are you sure?” Alice asked, propping up
against the pillows.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I feel silly admitting it,” Alice
said softly, “but, I still get afraid sometimes that one of those
beautiful, adoring young medical students will catch your eye, and
you’ll take off for a new life with fewer obligations and better
sex.”
Mickey shook her head. “No one is more
beautiful to me than you are,” Mickey murmured, running her fingers
over Alice’s stomach. “I love our life just as it is.” She tilted
her head, looking down at Alice. “Besides, why in the world would I
want to start over having to break in someone new? It’s taken me
ten years to get you trained.”
“If this were white wine and I didn’t have
to worry about stains, you would be wearing it about now,” Alice
said wryly.
Mickey laughed and leaned down for a kiss.
She drained her wine glass and lay back down beside Alice on the
day bed they had put on the porch outside their bedroom. “I’m so
glad we had this porch screened in.”
Alice smiled in the dark. “I know. We
wouldn’t want your delicate freckled skin to get mosquito bites in
sensitive spots.”
Mickey rolled on top of Alice and grinned.
“You’re the only one allowed to bite my sensitive spots.”
Chapter 15
“It’s about time,” Sister Linus said as she
opened the door to let Mickey in with a breakfast tray.
Almost as soon as Mickey had ended her
retreat, Sister Cecilia had called upon her to resume bringing the
food trays to the chaplain’s residence.
“I don’t know how you did it,” Sister
Cecilia said, “but you’re the only one whose head Sister Linus
hasn’t bitten off. It’s like pulling teeth to get anyone else to do
this.”
Even once Mickey was in the Novitiate and
her duties were supposed to have changed, Sister Cecilia had
pleaded with the Novice mistress, Sister Josephine, “Please, give
Sister Michele leave to keep doing this.”
“I don’t mind,” Mickey said in response to
Sister Josephine’s questioning glance.
Sister Linus had, in fact, seemed to have
missed her. “I saw you,” she said now as she laid out the dishes on
the table. “When you were on your retreat. Under the cherry tree.
That tree was planted the year I entered. Seventy-six years
ago.”
“Really?” Mickey said in surprise. “So,
you’re…?”
“Ninety-four,” Sister Linus chuckled. “Back
then, we entered at eighteen. But I think some of the seniors had
bets on whether I’d last.” Her smile turned to a scowl. “But now,
they think I can’t do anything. ‘You should rest,’ they say.
‘You’ve earned your
“This is a big deal,” he said, looking
around.
Mickey smiled. “It’s a very big deal.” The
wimple felt stiff and tight under her jaw. “I’m not sure how they
work in these,” she said, sliding a finger under it and tugging on
the starched fabric, “but I guess I’ll get used to it.”
“Should I take a picture for Mom?” he
grinned, pulling out his phone.
“Oh, shut up,” she grumbled.
“Is that any way for a nun to talk?” he
teased.
Back in her cell that evening, Mickey signed
the contract ending her partnership in the surgical practice.
Chapter 14
A warm night breeze blowing off the bay
evaporated the light sweat covering Alice and Mickey’s naked
bodies. They were enjoying a rare weekend alone with no friends or
family joining them. Mickey lay with her head resting on Alice’s
shoulder, an arm and leg draped over Alice’s body, sifting Alice’s
silky dark hair through her fingers.
“That was amazing,” she said, still
breathing heavily. “You know exactly how to read me and give me
what I want.”
Alice traced a fingertip along Mickey’s
earlobe. “We’ve learned together, and it’s only gotten better with
time.”
Mickey sat up to pour them both more wine.
“The best things really do get better with some age on them,” she
said as she handed Alice her glass.
“Are you sure?” Alice asked, propping up
against the pillows.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I feel silly admitting it,” Alice
said softly, “but, I still get afraid sometimes that one of those
beautiful, adoring young medical students will catch your eye, and
you’ll take off for a new life with fewer obligations and better
sex.”
Mickey shook her head. “No one is more
beautiful to me than you are,” Mickey murmured, running her fingers
over Alice’s stomach. “I love our life just as it is.” She tilted
her head, looking down at Alice. “Besides, why in the world would I
want to start over having to break in someone new? It’s taken me
ten years to get you trained.”
“If this were white wine and I didn’t have
to worry about stains, you would be wearing it about now,” Alice
said wryly.
Mickey laughed and leaned down for a kiss.
She drained her wine glass and lay back down beside Alice on the
day bed they had put on the porch outside their bedroom. “I’m so
glad we had this porch screened in.”
Alice smiled in the dark. “I know. We
wouldn’t want your delicate freckled skin to get mosquito bites in
sensitive spots.”
Mickey rolled on top of Alice and grinned.
“You’re the only one allowed to bite my sensitive spots.”
Chapter 15
“It’s about time,” Sister Linus said as she
opened the door to let Mickey in with a breakfast tray.
Almost as soon as Mickey had ended her
retreat, Sister Cecilia had called upon her to resume bringing the
food trays to the chaplain’s residence.
“I don’t know how you did it,” Sister
Cecilia said, “but you’re the only one whose head Sister Linus
hasn’t bitten off. It’s like pulling teeth to get anyone else to do
this.”
Even once Mickey was in the Novitiate and
her duties were supposed to have changed, Sister Cecilia had
pleaded with the Novice mistress, Sister Josephine, “Please, give
Sister Michele leave to keep doing this.”
“I don’t mind,” Mickey said in response to
Sister Josephine’s questioning glance.
Sister Linus had, in fact, seemed to have
missed her. “I saw you,” she said now as she laid out the dishes on
the table. “When you were on your retreat. Under the cherry tree.
That tree was planted the year I entered. Seventy-six years
ago.”
“Really?” Mickey said in surprise. “So,
you’re…?”
“Ninety-four,” Sister Linus chuckled. “Back
then, we entered at eighteen. But I think some of the seniors had
bets on whether I’d last.” Her smile turned to a scowl. “But now,
they think I can’t do anything. ‘You should rest,’ they say.
‘You’ve earned your
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