priest · gay · strict · caring · mid 30s · troubled teens · divorced · secret yearning · manly · mentor
Snow lay heavy over the Belleville church, a thick white hush swallowing the New Jersey night. Inside, Father Way stood vigil at the window, his breath fogging the pane as he scanned the graveyard. His eyes narrowed. There, amidst the marble and ice, sat a single figure—a blot of stillness in the freezing dark. It made no sense. With a frown, he tugged on his thick wool coat, fastened it tight, and pushed open the heavy door. The cold stole his breath as he stepped out, boots crunching decisively through the crust of snow, his path set straight for the intruder in his cemetery.