I Promise You This (Love in Provence Book 3) (14 page)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Two days later, Molly’s collarbone surgery was at ten o’clock. Three hours later, she opened her eyes and saw Kat sitting beside her in the recovery room.

“Is it over?” Molly whispered.

“All done,” Kat said, patting Molly’s hand. “Dr. Primeau said it went like clockwork and he will see you later toda-a-a-y.” Her jaw dropped. She stood up abruptly, almost knocking her chair over in shock, and looked at Molly in astonishment.

“You just spoke!”

Molly smiled dreamily and drifted back into a deep postsurgery sleep.

Katherine texted Philippe, her hands shaking as she told him the news. He’d sat with Kat until Molly was out of surgery and then had left, city map in hand, to do some investigating at the city’s food markets.

Trying to remain calm, Katherine asked the recovery room nurse to page Dr. Primeau. Then she promptly texted the news to Andrea and Nick.

Checking a schedule on her desk, the nurse informed her that the doctor was in the operating room for the remainder of the day. She would leave a message for him.

At 2:30 p.m., Molly was in her room, still sound asleep. Katherine asked the nurse on duty to tell Molly that she and Philippe would be back with dinner. Before her surgery, Molly had written her order for Chinese food for dinner at 6:00 p.m. and even specified a restaurant. Her appetite was back in full force. She also wrote that Father DeCarlo would be joining them.

Katherine left to meet Philippe for their appointment at 3:00 p.m. at the French consulate to go over all the paperwork required for Katherine to live in France. The previous day they had gathered originals and photocopies of her birth certificate, passport, and divorce papers, along with banking information, in case that was required. Everything had been translated into French, and the birth certificate had the apostille seal document attached.

There were two forms the consulate had to supply to them: a
certificat de coutume
, or a customs certificate stating that one’s home country’s marriage customs were similar to those of France—for example, one could not have seven wives), and a
certificat de capacité matrimoniale
, stating that one was indeed single.

In the papers Philippe had brought with him from France was a brochure titled
“Guide des futurs époux.”
“You know you have to marry me if we follow this guide because it calls you my spouse,” he teased her.

They had both laughed—Kat a bit nervously—when he added, as he took her in his arms, “
Voilà!
I said the M word out loud.”

“Yes, you certainly did. I heard it too.”

“Well, what do you say, Madame Scaredy-Kat? Molly wrote me a note and said that’s what I should call you, by the way. Tony explained the word to me. Do I hear a
oui
?”

Katherine had not been entirely surprised at her hesitation. Her insecurities of the past couple of weeks were lingering, even though Philippe’s understanding of them had eased her anxiety. She knew there was no question about her feelings for Philippe. Those were crystal clear.

Am I worried that if we are married, we won’t behave the same way? Am I worried that once we are married, there is something to end?

Sensing something was not quite right, Philippe had said, “
Ne t’inquiète pas, mon amour
. Don’t worry. No pressure.” He gave her such an irresistible smile she couldn’t help but smile back.

“What’s wrong with me? I’m not worried. I just feel afraid to say yes.”

“Then don’t say yes. Say
oui
! Maybe you will feel better about
le mariage en français. Oui?
”

Katherine had squeezed her eyes shut but couldn’t hide her grin.
What
is
wrong with me? Why can’t I just say yes?

“We can do whatever you like. A big blowout affair. A church wedding. A quiet appearance at the Hôtel de Ville.
Qu’est-ce que tu veux?
What’s your pleasure?”

Katherine face had paled slightly, and she felt a nervous flutter in her stomach. “Do I have to decide now? Let me adjust to the shock that we’re doing this . . . period!”

“You have six months before some of these documents will have to be resubmitted. Enough time?”

Katherine fought to quell her jitters.
Behave like the mature woman you are!

She’d closed her eyes for a moment and then said, “Okay.
Oui!
”

“
Oui
what?
Oui
to waiting six months?”

Taking a deep breath, Katherine replied, in a voice just above a whisper, “
Oui
, let’s get married . . . maybe in six months.”

Philippe then picked her up and whirled her around.

As he set her back down, Kat had continued, “Let’s plan on sometime between now and the six-month deadline, when the spirit moves us. But for now it will just be our special secret.
Bonne idée?
”

“
La meilleure idée
, Minou! The best!
Oui!
”

They’d collapsed in laughter on the sofa and then went out to Merlot, Kat’s favorite neighborhood restaurant. They’d toasted their decision with a glass of champagne and ended the celebratory meal by sharing a
crème brûlée
.

Today they were fully prepared with paperwork and looking forward to having all the preamble taken care of.

Except for the last-minute jitters.

This morning, Katherine had suddenly become paranoid that somewhere in the jumble of bureaucracy, something would prevent her from returning with Philippe. He had calmly attempted to reassure her, but even he found himself getting anxious today.

Giddy with happiness and relief, they left the French consulate arm in arm. Their bulging envelope contained all the documentation they needed to build a life together in France. Their
dossier de mariage
was complete.

“This calls for another bottle of champagne,” Philippe told Katherine. “Too bad we can’t pop the cork in the hospital with Molly—we have so much to celebrate with her. I can’t believe she started speaking again. Just like that!”

“I know! We’ll set aside a bottle for that express purpose once she’s out of the hospital. Now, that will be a party!”

As they walked along, they went back over all that had transpired at the consulate. To their great surprise, the process had been quite simple since they had already done their homework. The administrator who had assisted them commented it would make everyone’s job much easier if all potential candidates were as well prepared.

They were a bit early to pick up dinner for Molly, so they stopped in at a small coffee shop on the way. Philippe entertained Kat with some funny stories of his visit to the St. Lawrence market and how one of the cheese vendors happened to be a cousin to a supplier Philippe had known for years near Toulon. That immediately qualified him as honorary family, and a bottle of rosé was opened.

“This being Canada and not France,” Philippe told her with a chuckle, “we drank it from coffee mugs behind the counter. Not quite the same.”

Katherine smiled in amusement. Then she took out her phone. “Look at this e-mail from Nick. Whoever he has looking into Molly’s situation has done a fantastic job. I didn’t realize that the St.-George Clinic in Cimiez was so high-tech.”

Philippe said, “Oh, yes, it’s been rated the number-one medical facility in France in many polls.”

“Well, Nick’s helper—for want of a better word—got contact information for every kind of therapy Molly might need. Though who knows, she may not need the speech therapy after all. I can’t wait to get back to the hospital and see what’s happening.”

“That makes two of us,” Philippe responded. “But no matter what, it will be fun to have Molly stay with us. Of course, I am much happier that we can help her at our place rather than you having to come back to Toronto. It’s, as you say, a wiener, wiener.”

Katherine patted his hand. “Close. It’s a win-win situation.”

“You’ll have me speaking perfect English yet, Minou! How long do you think Molly will stay in France? It would be nice if we could keep her with us through the summer.”

“I agree. I just realized I forgot to tell you that someone from the private school where Molly teaches got in touch with me. He brought some insurance documents to the hospital for me to sign and told me that the insurance will pay Molly’s rent while she’s on medical leave. As long as she’s receiving treatment, that cost will be covered.”

“That worked out well. That’s something else she does not have to worry about.”

“I’m not sure if you know, but Molly has no savings. She spent every cent paying off enormous drug rehab bills that her brother ran up through the years. So this insurance is a real lifesaver. Now if we could just find her a good man, all would be well. What do you think about introducing her to Gilles?”

Philippe gave her a strange look. “Oh, I don’t know about that. But to change the subject, I’m starving. Let’s go pick up dinner and get back to Molly.”

Along with their dinner order, they added extra spring rolls and a deluxe order of a vegetarian noodle dish to leave at the nurses’ station. Katherine knew the nurses deserved treats once she’d seen the care they dispensed day and night.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Father DeCarlo and Molly were deep in conversation when Katherine and Philippe walked in. Katherine noticed he was holding Molly’s hand but quickly slipped it gently back on the bed.

Molly was talking as though nothing had ever been wrong with her voice. The tone was thin and raspy, but she was speaking.

Katherine and Philippe stood in the doorway, not believing their ears.

“They don’t know why,” Molly said, in answer to their barrage of questions. “Something to do with the anesthetic is the only explanation they’ve come up with so far.”

“Dinner is served,” Kat announced as she opened the containers and set them on the dresser. “Molly, point to . . . wait, no, tell me what you want and I’ll fix you a plate. It’s so good for me to hear your voice again.”

“Katski, it’s good for me to hear my fuc . . .” Molly stopped in midsentence.

Three sets of eyes stared wide-eyed, waiting.

“Uh . . . my voice again!” she continued. “Ha! Had you worried there for a minute, right? So was I!”

“With or without f-bombs,” Kat said. “Seriously, I’m glad to hear your voice either way at this point!”

“Well, before the accident you pretty much had those f-bombs under control. We just didn’t know what would happen after your voice came back,” Tony said.

Kat declared, “Now that you’ve called me Katski, I finally feel like life is returning to normal. No one else calls me that.”

“Bon appétit!”
Philippe wished everyone as they all filled their plates.

Their dinner conversation was lively and laughter-filled, with Molly adding comments in her usual flippant way. A way that had been sorely missed, they all agreed.

Tony DeCarlo was good company. It was really the first time Katherine felt she had truly relaxed and talked to him as a regular guy and not a priest. She was aware of how considerate he was of Molly, making sure she was comfortable. But then, he was also that way with her and with Philippe, she realized
. I guess that’s his compassionate nature and nothing else
,
she tried to convince herself.

“Molly tells me she may stay with you in France for a while to finish her convalescence,” Tony said to them. “What a great idea. Nick is certainly a take-charge kind of guy—and I mean that in a good way.”

“Yes,” Katherine agreed. “We were all flabbergasted when he first mentioned the idea.”

“Flabber what?” Philippe asked. Without waiting for an explanation, he said, “We’re happy about his idea,” flashing Molly a smile. “We’ve already got a long list of chores you can do.”

Molly’s eyes twinkled, “With pleasure, as long as there’s wine and cheese involved. Oh, and nougat!”

“And Kat already has started thinking about matchmaking, so prepare yourself.”

A noticeable silence fell over the room, and then a nurse came in. “Whom do we thank for the delicious Chinese food?” she asked.

Molly pointed at Kat and Philippe, and the nurse told them how much everyone had enjoyed the treat. By the time the woman left the room, the atmosphere was back on an even keel.

Shortly after they finished eating, Father DeCarlo—Tony—received a phone call and said he had to go to another part of the hospital. He told Molly he would see her in the morning.

Katherine and Philippe stayed a while longer, but Molly was beginning to fade.

“This has been the best day since I got here, Moll! It’s such a relief to see you back to normal,” Kat said as she hugged her good-bye.

“D’accord,”
Philippe said after kissing Molly’s cheeks. She waved as they disappeared out the door.

When they neared the elevator, they heard their names being softly called and saw Tony beckoning them down the hall.

“I’m glad I caught you. I thought I might be too late,” he said, a little out of breath. “Sorry, I just ran up three flights of stairs!” He gestured to a door. “Have you got a few minutes?”

“Of course,” Kat and Philippe replied in unison.

They walked through the door into a small chapel. The room was wood-paneled with secular images of nature carved into the light oak. Two stained-glass windows in a modern motif softly glowed with moonlight shining through. There were six rows of pews and a simple altar at the front.

“We have one of these on every second floor,” Tony said. “It’s surprising how often they get used by all denominations as well as those simply looking for a peaceful place to process their feelings. Please, have a seat.”

He remained standing and gazed intently at them both for a moment before clearing his throat. “Katherine, you are truly Molly’s family. She has no one else.”

Kat nodded. “I know. She’s always been like a sister to me, and never more than at this point in our lives.”

“Precisely,” the priest continued. “Your love for each other is obvious, and that’s why I feel it’s appropriate to have this conversation with you. And you too, Philippe, since you and Kat are together.”

He continued hesitantly. “It’s . . . it’s . . . rather ironic we are meeting in a holy place. I have a confession to make—a bit of role reversal here, with the priest doing the confessing . . .”

He stared up at the ceiling for a moment. Katherine reached for Philippe’s hand. She felt a deep sense of foreboding but didn’t know why.

Bringing his gaze back to them, Father Anthony DeCarlo quietly admitted, “Molly and I are in love with each other. We have been for many years.”

No one said anything.

After a pause, he continued. “I know this is a bit of a shock, but please hear me out. As you can well imagine, I’ve been deeply conflicted about this. It’s a complex struggle about trying to do what God expects, what the church expects, and what my transformed heart expects. Deep inside, I have known my true desire for some time. When Molly had this accident, I realized how close I came—we all came—to losing her. It was the impetus for me to take action.”

Silence filled the small chapel before Katherine spoke in almost a whisper.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to do what Molly doesn’t want me to do. I’m going to leave the Catholic Church.”

Philippe shook his head. “We never know what life is going to put in our path.”

Katherine didn’t know what to say. She continued to sit quietly, her eyes never leaving Tony’s. In her heart, she felt happy to know that Molly had this love in her life instead of some random lover.

Tony continued, “So true, Philippe. It’s strange how things happen. Molly going to be with you in France for a while is the best thing that could happen for our situation. I have actually begun the process of leaving the church. In fact, I have not offered the sacraments for several years, and my role has more and more evolved into our street ministry program. My bishop and archbishop have met with me several times and persuaded me to stay. Now they reluctantly agree it’s best that I leave.”

“I can’t imagine the conflict you’ve faced,” Philippe repeated, at a loss for the right words.

“It’s been gut-wrenching because my love for my religion has guided my life since I was a teenager. I never anticipated being in a situation that would dishonor my promises to God. I have never wanted to offend my church. And let me be clear, I am not doing that now. But that is the perception of my superiors, sadly.”

Shifting somewhat uncomfortably where they sat, Katherine and Philippe could see the pain etched on the priest’s face. His voice broke as he continued.

“However, my love for Molly is stronger than any other love I have experienced. In spite of my love and commitment for the ministry God called me to, I have been struggling for years, feeling I was missing the core of the human experience. A life with Molly is most important to me. For many years we tried to have a simple friendship, but that became impossible.”

“You said Molly doesn’t want you to leave the church,” Katherine said.

“Molly thinks she would not be able to stand the guilt of being the reason I left the church. I don’t want her to feel that—ever. I believe once I have officially made the break, she will be able to accept it because I will still be in a ministry.”

“What will you do?” Katherine asked.

“I’ve been invited to be a priest with the Church of England. It’s really quite ironic—there are some married Anglican priests who have been accepted into the Catholic Church, but because I began in the Catholic Church and took the vow of celibacy, I cannot be married and stay. Hopefully that will change one day. I know other priests who have left the church to marry and who would have gladly stayed if it had been possible.”

“Pope Francis appears to be an extremely forward-thinking man. Perhaps things will change,” Katherine offered.

“We live in hope. In the meantime, with Molly overseas with you, I can finalize all I need to do and spare her any guilt or anxiety. The most important thing is for her to get better.”

“And today is really the first time that I feel she is truly making progress,” Katherine said.

“Yes, there was a time when that wasn’t a certainty, and that’s when I realized what a loss she would be to me. Please don’t tell her about this conversation, but I felt it was time you knew the truth.”

Philippe reached out to shake the priest’s hand, “Of course we will keep this between us. We wish you good luck with all you have to face in the coming months. Please let us know if there is anything we can do, besides taking good care of Molly.”

Katherine stood, not quite knowing what to do. Suddenly she blurted, “Um . . . just one thing. Those roses?”

Tony nodded and then broke the awkwardness by reaching out to hug her. Kat hugged him back, feeling strong affection for him and this tumultuous situation he faced.

As they prepared to leave, he said, “I hope I’m not putting you in an awkward position and that this hasn’t been too much of a shock.”

Katherine shook her head. Her thoughts were swirling. In spite of the suspicions she’d had, it was still a surprise to sit there and hear him say it out loud. She felt as if she had contributed nothing intelligent to the conversation, but deep inside she also felt pure happiness for Molly.

Looking intently into Tony’s eyes, Katherine saw nothing but raw emotion and honesty. “No, Philippe spoke for both of us. We only want the best for you and Molly.”