Page 60 of Property of Quake

"You knew something would happen."

Her eyes crinkle at the corners. Not with amusement but with wisdom that comes from being alive as long as she has. "No," she says quietly. "I hoped."

"Hoped?"

"Yes, hoped,” she confirms. “I hoped that someone would eventually see Whitney the way I've always seen her."

The answer isn't what I expect, not even close. My confusion must show because Sister Beatrice leans back in her chair and studies me for several moments.

"I love that girl as though she were my own."

“Never thought otherwise.”

"She arrived here carrying so much grief that she could barely stand underneath it." The sadness in her voice surprises me. "Ryan's death changed her."

"It did,” I agree, knowing the story because Whitney told me the day after I told her about my sister.

The older nun glances toward the hallway. "But grief has a way of disguising itself as purpose."

"What does that mean?"

Her eyes return to mine. "It means a person can make life-changing decisions while they're hurting."

The statement lingers between us, heavy, important. Before I can ask anything else, she smiles again, and this time it’s full of genuine amusement.

"Do you love her?" she asks.

“Yeah,” I say without hesitation, and her shoulders relax like she’s been waiting a lifetime to hear that.

"Good."

I blink. "Good?"

"Very good."

I shake my head. "You're impossible."

"So I've been told,” she quips.

Footsteps echo in the hallway, and I know immediately who it is. I’m pretty sure I could identify Whitney's presence in a crowded room without ever looking up.

She steps into the office carrying a stack of folders and freezes.

"Quake."

The way she says my name does interesting things to my heartbeat.

"Hey."

Sister Beatrice rises to her feet and gathers her paperwork. "I was just leaving."

Whitney looks confused. "You were?"

The older nun moves toward the door. "I am now." When she reaches it, she pauses and looks directly at Whitney. "Don't be afraid of the answer simply because it's different from the one you expected."

With those parting words, she leaves, and the silence that follows feels enormous. Whitney stares after her for a few moments before facing me.

"So that wasn't cryptic at all."