Chapter 76

• “Yes, in fact, that was part of my plan for the day,” I tell her and she reaches over and squeezes my arm.
• We eat our brunch and set out on our tour of Athlone. She holds my hand and leans in close to me as we pass by all the shops until we reach the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. She lets go of my hand and gazes up at the massive structure for a moment then takes out her phone and begins clicking photos. I smile and say, “Give me your phone. I’ll take your photo on the stairs.” She’s practically beaming when she hands over the device and strikes a pose.
• We enter the church and she gasps at the marble pulpit illuminated by streams of red and blue light. “Sunday mass just ended. That’s why the lights are on,” I tell her.