Chapter 105

“Sign this for me!” She held out a pen for him and he took it automatically. It was hard to say which vice was his strongest, but it was definitely a tie between greed and pride. Opening up her book, he struggled with the pen as it kept slipping out of his fingers.

“Yeah, um, give me a second.” He handed her pen back and stuck his hand in the pocket of his robe to search for one of his own. Lily used the distraction to tone down the venue, removing people and structures as he tried in vain to sign his own name. He messed up several times, but Lily always handed him a fresh new book to try again.

“Can you tell me the story about when you were in a homeless shelter?” Lily bit her lip and swayed from side to side. “It’s my favorite.”

“Of course.” Deacon smiled, and the world behind him melted away. They were now standing inside the homeless shelter, and he led Lily over to a cot where a younger version of him sat on the edge.

She didn’t care so much about the st