I had this lofty goal to write this story completely without dialogue from the perspective of Emilia. But Father Agustin had something to say, so we’re going back to dialogue with a new voice!
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“Thank you for meeting with me, Father.”
“It’s my pleasure, Emilia. I hope we’re not too far out of your way.”
“Not at all, even with our traffic.”
I chuckled. Miami traffic is rather atrocious.
“Well, thank you for sharing your findings with me. I am curious to hear more about this family tree.”
I gestured her to enter my office. The Stations of the Cross images were resting on the side of my office wall while our repainted walls were drying. I finally noticed that the boxed chocolates were starting to tower on the coffee table.
Emilia reached into her laptop bag and removed a book veiled in a mesh bag. She carried the book with both hands. Gold details decorated the brown leather cover.
“It’s a really interesting genealogy going back to early 1800s Spain. It includes details of every birth, marriage, and death in the Echevarria family. Up to modern times.”
“Interesting. And you believe that this could be connected to my family?”
“Well…it’s not just a belief. May I show it to you?”
“Of course. Here, let me clear my desk.”
I moved my email copies and parish event flyers onto my office chair. She opens the book to a family tree and points to my name. I whistled in amazement.
“How did you find this?”
“That’s the thing: it was left on the doorstep of our office building. Our security camera has a blind spot, so we couldn’t see who left it there.”
“Incredible…as far as I’m aware, no one is keeping track of our family to this extent.”
I looked over the family tree, I began to point out my loved ones.
“This is my twin, Antonio - with his wife Paola. They have two children, Celia and Andres.”
I traced up the family tree naming my parents, grandparents, and other extended family.
I finally noticed a pause filling up my office space.
“What can you tell me about your niece, Celia?”
I looked directly at her.
“What would you like to know?”
She searched for courage before letting out a quiet exhale.
“This family tree has glowed twice since I’ve had it, specifically around Celia’s name.”
I blinked.
“It glowed.”
“Yes, Father.”
“When did this happen?”
“In the evenings. Only twice, so far.”
She pointed right over Celia’s name.
“Whenever the family tree grows, there’s this little line that grows out of her name. But there’s some sort of…force? That holds it back. Then the book stops glowing.”
“A force.”
“Yes, Father.”
I ended our tennis match of responses. When I hear “a force,” I think of Star Wars. But this is not a science fiction.
“Has there been any changes in her life lately?”
“Well, she started dating a young man named Gael.”
“Have you met him yet?”
“Not formally. He and his family are parishioners, so I know of him.”
He attends Sunday mass with his grandmother - I suspect to please her, at the least. His parents might attend once a month.
“What does your brother think of him?”
“Antonio is protective of his only daughter. Nevertheless, he seems to approve.”
“Has anything significant happened since she starting dating this guy?”
Her question prompted me to think back to my latest phone call with my mother.
Apparently, Gael’s break pedal stopped working as he drove Celia back home from their date. He managed to keep his car on the right lane and navigate it safely home. It had slowed enough to avoid damaging the garage by the time he made it to the house.
My mother said that they lost color on their face when they saw her. By the grace of God, they had green lights guiding them home, but there was a speeding car behind that nearly collided them.
I shared this conversation with Emilia. She sucked in a short gasp as I recounted the details.
“Do these kind of situations happen to her often?”
“No, Celia is not clumsy nor reckless. Neither is Gael, according to my mother.”
Emilia stared intently at the book before offering a proposal.
“I’m going to keep an eye on this family tree, and notify you the next time it glows.”
She straightened her posture.
“I think you should keep an eye on your niece and her boyfriend. There could be a connection between her and its activity.”
Questions loomed over my thoughts. Mainly, if Celia is in danger because of this book.
“If I could make another request, Father, I’d like to know Gael’s full name - to look into his family history.”
“Surely, you don’t suspect he is responsible for the phenomena.”
“Oh, no, not at all. If Gael is new to Celia’s life, maybe the family tree has…thoughts…about their relationship.”
More questions flooded my thoughts. But it is apparent that Emilia’s interest in my family stems from good intentions.
“His full name is Gael Ruiz. His grandmother is a member of our Legion of Mary ministry. Her name is Lorena Ruiz-Esperanza.”
She copied their names on her phone, and thanked me for her time.
“Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I ask that you do not share your findings with the public.”
“Absolutely, Father. Remember, take note of anything - or anyone - unusual in Celia’s life. It might give us a clue into the situation.”
After I walked her out of the office, I notified my staff that I would go home for a short rest before my meeting with the Parish Council. On the way home, I meditated on the luminous mysteries for Celia.