Chapter Text
The sound of seagulls has been the alarm of an early morning for as long as you could remember since you arrived here. The same old leak stained on the ceiling that was painted again and again over the years stared at you as you opened your eyes.
You took a deep breath taking in the warmth of the blankets one last time before standing up to start your day.
You opened the windows around the house so the outside noise mixed with the sizzling sound of the eggs cooking, making one matutine song. You hummed an old song while looking inside the fridge, finally pulling the bowl of strawberries and closing the door. The magnetic calendar swift around, your eyes darting straight at the red circle on tomorrow's date.
It drew a smile out of you, Monsignor Pruitt is finally coming home.
“How can you do this?!” You whisper-scream at Beverly, who only stood there with her hands laced together. You could see her eyebrows raised slightly, almost as if she was watching a child throw a tantrum, still, you kept going. “He's going to be all alone, in a place full of strangers! All his life stuck here on this island in the middle of nowhere, and NOW you want to send him out? What if he gets lost? W-what if he gets hurt? I just-”
“Y/N” Beverly called my name, raising her chin as a sign to stay quiet. She smiled once she noticed my silence. “I know you're concerned dear. I will... agree that this past few years you've been a great help for the church and specially to Monsignor Pruitt and his...delicate health” She falters for a seconds, “But, God gave him a chance to meet the Holy land and we should all be thankful that our poor Monsignor is finally exploring the beauty of the world, even if its at an old age”
Thinking of Beverly this early almost took your hunger away, for someone so devoted to God, she surely was closer to resemble the devil. At the end, your words were useless against her, so the only thing you could do was hug the monsignor one last time before his departure.
It's been a couple years since you got so close to the church and the monsignor. After coming to the island once your mother passed away the feeling of being lost in a world so big made you land on the old church one day, there, the monsignor made you feel like you weren't completely alone.
It broke your heart once you started to notice the signs of dementia, suddenly he was fumbling his words, his memories getting jumbled with each other. You started to see his body become lankier, often forgetting to eat. That's when you realized that your first friend on this island needed you as much as you needed him all those years back.
That's why you were devastated when Beverly sent him away on the trip. Without the money to accompany him, all you could do was pray for his safe return.
Finishing the last of your breakfast, you finish your morning routine before making your way to work. You close the door behind you as the cold wind hits your face, you walk towards the road, hugging your sweater closer to your body.
Your younger self would have killed you if she saw you now. Stepping in your thirties on an almost deserted island, working at the small and only convenience store, if you could even call it that, barely any friends, even less a romantic partner, and the only one you could call a close friend was a man in his late eighties with beginnings of dementia.
But
You couldn't complain, even if it's a small island, you feel safe here. And even if you don't have a ton of friends, you are thankful for the ones you have, who love you for who you are.
It's not the end of the story you wanted, but the story hasn't ended yet .
As you got closer to the store you could see Pike looking at you, his tail moving faster as you got closer.
“Hey Buddy” You greet him, giving him some deserving scratches.
The bell rang once you entered the store, Hassan raising his head to look who came in, smiling once he realized it's you.
“Morning Y/N”
“Morning Sheriff” You smile at his eye roll, his smile getting a bit bigger. “Good morning Hassan, how was your shift, any bad guys around the island?”
He put his hands on his waist, looking towards the door of his “office”, barely a broom closet .
“Only one, and he's asleep. Like always”
“Poor Joe. Let me get some coffee started for the both of you, and maybe something for Spike”
After a few hours and small talk with the people coming in and out of the store, Annie walked in with a smile.
“Y/N my sweet, how are you?” You smiled back at her, putting some final things in place.
“Annie! I’m great, how about you? Isn't Riley supposed to arrive today?” You asked, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
“Tomorrow. Finally my boy’s coming home! Maybe you could accompany me tomorrow! Isn't Monsignor Pruitt arriving as well?” The fact that most people know the closeness both of you have makes you feel embarrassed, clutching onto the poor monsignor like a lost child.
“Beverly told me that it was better if she waits for him, but I’m going later today to his house to make it a cozy as possible before he arrives”
Annie smiled at your words, her eyes warm. She took your hands with hers.
“You’re a good person Y/N. I’m glad that you're here with us, and I hope that maybe you and Riley can talk and know each other, I’m sure he’ll love to a friend in this island”
You left the store with her words in your mind, Annie was always kind to you since you first arrived. Her knowing your mother when young, she treated you with familiarity.
It somehow makes you miss her, your mom told you all about Crockett and how she decided to go to the city to pursue bigger things, falling in love and starting a family.
She did all that, but you could see her sometimes missing this place, and after your dad passed away she took it incredibly hard. So did you, but you could see how a part of her died with him.
So, when she got sick, it was only a matter of time that she went with him. It took a toll on you to lose both of them in a couple years, the city no longer home.
You decided to move here. Turns out, your mom never sold the house, and actually was very keen on having it well maintained over the years.
__________________________________________________
You said hi to a few people as you headed to the small cabin behind the church. Having a small talk with Erin as she was making her way towards her weekly checkup for her little bean, her baby bump finally starting to notice.
Finally arriving, you search in the pocket of your sweater for your keys, grabbing the key that the monsignor gave you a year back so you could come in and out. Of course, a few days later Beverly took notice and said that it was important that she as well should have one in case you weren't available.
You unlock the door, removing your bag and placing it on the small table next to it, stopping immediately at the sight of a massive open chest that wasn't there before.
The sound of the toilet being flush makes you snap your head towards it, a man coming out of the bathroom drying his hands with a small towel.
You took a step behind, ready to grab the handle of the door and run away when the boards of the floor creaked signaling your presence and making the man look towards you.
“Y/N” He said, his voice soft and mellow before smiling at you, his eyes gleaming.
“Who are you?” You asked nervously “ How you know my name and why are you looking me like a lost puppy?'' Where the questions you couldn't voice out
His smile dropped at your question, suddenly getting nervous.
“Right….Right, forgive me” He placed the towel on the counter before coming towards you. His height dwarfing you.
“I'm Father Paul Hill. The clergy sent me here while Monsignor Pruitt is on the city recovering from his health”
That statement made you forget about any stranger danger you had.
“What?! Is he ok? What happened? Where is he?” You moved past him, walking nervously around the living room.
“He’s...fine. He’s...” He cuts you off, making you stop and listen. He took a deep breath before moving towards you, placing his warm hand on your forearm, oddly calming you.
He motioned you to sit on the couch, following suit. His hands featherly drag down, until finally reaching your hands and slightly squeezing them.
You don't understand why you let a stranger touch you with such confidence, but you'll blame it on concern for the monsignor and maybe just because his touch felt comforting. It didn't stop your cheeks from feeling on fire.
He keeps gazing at you for a couple seconds, before clearing his throat to speak up.
“The Monsignor is fine, on the journey some people took notice of his poor health, and once he arrived in the city, the clergy decided that for his wellbeing it was better if he was checked into the hospital until recovery. They called me to take his place in the meantime.”
“Do you know what hospital, maybe I should go visit him, he-”
“No!” He responded more loudly than you expect, “I went to visit him a couple of times before coming here. He told me he didn't want any visitors until he’s feeling better”
You opened your mouth to protest but he kept going “-and, that you were probably too stubborn to listen and will insist until I tell you where he is. So he made me promise I wouldn't telltale”
He gave you a small smile but cast your eyes down in sadness. Why wouldn't the monsignor want any visits? Making sure YOU wouldn't? Maybe all this time he took pity on you and now he took the chance to breathe in peace.
Almost as he was reading your mind Father Paul squeezed your hands.
“Hey, hey” He moved a little closer, lowering his face to look you in the eyes. “Don't be sad, he told me all about you” He chuckled. “He only talked about you, really. I was looking forward to meeting the sweet Y/N he talked about so much. Can't say I'm disappointed. I know the both of you care for each other and I'm sure in a way he's trying to make you not concerned for him”
Between his words and the look he was giving you, your cheeks burned with embarrassment. You didn't even notice that you squeezed his hands a little harder.
“I..Thank you, for letting me know. If you ever talk to him can you tell him that I will miss him until he returns?”
His eyes turned softer, and you were amazed how someone can look so gentle.
"I let him know,” He said, his voice almost like a whisper.
Neither of you move, and without realizing you were staring at him.
He's so handsome.
You snap at your thoughts, heavenly aware that both of you were still holding hands. You draw back embarrassed and for a moment you could see his face dropping and his hands clenching at the missing space.
“I'm so sorry, I-I barge here a-and you must be tired” You stand up, he following quickly.
You grabbed your bag and turned, bumping into his chest as he was standing inches from you. He took a step back murmuring an apology.
“You don’t have to be sorry, I’m glad that you're the first face I meet on this island” You didn't understand why your cheeks were burning again.
You tried to say something, anything! But all you could do was keep staring at those incredible soft eyes of his.
“I hope to see you at Sunday's mass. And please, you are always welcome here, this is your home as much as it is mine, I will love to have some company”
You nod and he smiles at you before opening the door, his hand resting on the small of back guiding you outside.
“Take care my sweet Y/N '' It didn't even register what he just called you, you only looked at him in the doorway.
“You too Father”
And with that, you started walking home, the cold wind hitting your burning face.