15, mid- June

When she was younger, Tabitha never thought much of what she would do if she were to have a grand party. Of course, she wanted a big dress and decorations so intricate that people would be in awe, but not specifics.

Well, she knew one thing, she was going to have a sweet sixteen, even if the majority of her family weren't around.

Her birthday was in two weeks, yet somehow she found herself going to Ireland instead of Manhattan with friends. She loved the country and her grandmother, but she wanted her party with people she knew.

Tabitha tried to reason with her parents about the situation, wanting to at least celebrate before she went, but it was a flat no. They couldn't afford to both have her party and send her to her grandmother's. Knowing how family came first, she finally conceded to their command, wanting to do what was right.

But that didn't stop her from grumbling about it.

There was a catch she was able to get her parents with; these were one of the moments when she was glad she was smart. She had saved money over the year, wanting to go to the Spice Girls concert when she went to Ireland. Well, not exactly in Ireland...more like London, but she was sure her grandmother would be happy to go with her. Tabitha's parents weren't too happy hearing how she spent money on concert tickets, but they did agree to see that she wasn't able to do anything else for her birthday.

Now all she had to do was count down the days till she turned 16. Oh, and tell her grandmother, of course.

Finishing her exams early, her school allowed an early leave, allowing her mother to pick up her report card. She was off again, excited to see her grandmother after ten months.

As promised, she called her grandmother often. They could talk for hours at a time. The townspeople asked how the young girl was doing, finding her now to be a part of their community.

The only time the latter would get quiet was when Sonya would mention Stephen, Father Foley. From her grandmother's perspective, he had quite a year. The church in the Vatican thought that he was doing well where he was and offered him to move up in rank, so he had gone for some time to visit. Sonya did admit to her granddaughter that she was alone without the priest, being the only one to hold her interest for such a long period. Her grandmother believed that soon he would be a prominent man in Ireland for his position, but Tabitha wondered if it was right. Then again, she didn't know how everyone else interacted with him or what he would do as a priest.

Now, she was back where she was a year ago, landing in the green country, anticipating the crisp air to greet her. This time around, she made sure to get some sort of sleep, and she bought herself a walkman and tons of CDs she collected over the year. Similar to last year, no one bothered her upfront, but this year there was some difference, especially with the guy she ended up sitting next to on the journey. She tended to cover herself with a thin blanket she had at hand, not appreciating the glances he would pass by her now and then.

Tabitha thought what she wore was normal, at least to travel. She wore an olive-green overalls dress reaching close to her knees, a plain white shirt underneath. Maybe it was because she managed to get a bit thinner in the last few months, allowing her face to look not as childlike as before. She wasn't sure, but at least now she could run straight for the exit.

She felt herself go through the motions once more, but now she felt as though it was a procedure she found reoccurring in her life. That thought brought a small laugh out, people looking at her. Barely sixteen yet and managed to make herself sound as though she lived a full cycle of memories.

The main difference of her arrival was that her grandmother wasn't alone like before. There was also a warily familiar face daunting in height over Grandma Sonya, who held a thin metal cane in her left hand.

She knew that her grandmother was a bit more sickly than before, but not to the point of needing a cane to support her. In her eyes, Tabitha thought that her grandmother was on the young side, barely 62 years old, but due to unfortunate genetics, was faced with several health complications that no one should ever face.

"Tabitha!" The sound of her grandmother's voice made her smile, running to her and giving a warm hug. The elder of the women kissed her forehead, glad to have some blood kin around her again.

For years her family has asked her to move to New York or Canada, believing that being closer to her would help Sonya out. She refused, not wanting to give up her independence altogether. Being married to her husband for several years, there were some restrictions she faced. Not anything life-threatening, but when her husband did pass after thirty-five years of marriage, she embraced the freedom of an empty nest a lot better than expected.

She wasn't used to depending on others, and Sonya wasn't going to lose face now. At least, not in front of her grandbaby. She took a good look at the young lady. Yes, lady, not girl. Fondly, she remembered what it was like to be nearing 16 at her age, an oddly magical time. After some moments, she noticed the biggest (and most obvious) change made.

"Your hair!"

A chuckle erupted from the elder woman seeing the length of Tabitha's hair now just above her shoulders, a straight middle part that she never would out her hair in before. Her hair was pretty thick, so the hair looked voluptuous despite the parting in her grandmother's opinion, who had admired her granddaughter's long hair.

Tabitha simply wanted change, and she was trying to follow Victoria Adams, well soon to be Victoria Beckham's style choices a little, even if it was just the hair for now. She liked the feeling of shorter hair. It felt lighter and freer, her face looked different than before, which wasn't a bad thing. She was able to pull off dark color lipsticks, making her feel like she could pull off the model look if she forgot about how short she was.

Both smiled at one another before they were interrupted by another voice, well someone trying to bring them back to reality a little. "We should get going now." Turning her head, Tabitha finally took a look at Father Foley, her head tilting a little in curiosity, seeing his own type of change.

He grew out a beard, on the thicker side, and perfectly trimmed by her estimate. It looked rather nice on him, making him seem just a bit less sinister than he could be. He also grew out his hair a little, not by a lot, but it was possibly an inch higher than before, enough to make it look bigger and bring out some slight curls.

Just as she assessed him, Stephen did the same, just not as openly as she had done. When first seeing her approach, he thought another girl had come in her place. She didn't look the same, and it wasn't just because of her hair.

Her body formed a lot more than before, last year it was there, but now it was more...cultivated. Through her dress, one could see the curving of her hips, which were on the larger side, but it wasn't anything bad. Being paired with a small waist did well for her. His eyes had drifted up, seeing that her chest also grew. He swallowed harshly. His eyes didn't leave her body.

After she had left last August, for the first few days, he had berated himself for his behavior, but eventually, he sought God's forgiveness. Going to another county a few hours out, he confessed his sin to another, hoping they wouldn't recognize him.

For the rest of the time, he was perfectly fine. There wasn't another event of that nature that happened with anyone, at the church, or anywhere else. Stephen thought he was doing good, thinking that he would contain himself when being tempted again.

The only thing he could do was ask God for help with this desire rising in him, something he believed he shouldn't have, not for a minor on top of that.

She did look mature compared to last year, the short hair taking to her face well. Her face thinned a bit, not chubby in the cheeks as before, her jaw more prominent.

She seemed to be just as sweet to her grandmother as before, ignoring him and everyone else around. He couldn't say he didn't mind her behavior towards him. She should still treat him with respect despite the conflict during their last meaning.

No matter what parishioners would disagree with him or his ideologies (which was rare), they would still treat him with the respect that was due to him. Stephen was a member of the Roman Catholic church, in line to move up to a bishop. The last thing he needed was someone questioning his position and role, even from a young girl who didn't know what was good for her.

Glancing around quickly, he noticed other men also staring at her, well, more of her back than anywhere else. Immediately he tried to make them leave, knowing this wasn't a safe place for neither of them anymore.

"Let's go. The car isn't too far from here." If he didn't have this beard, then she would've noticed how his cheeks turned color at her scrutiny. She seemed pleased with his look, though it shouldn't be surprising to him it was. He was used to women ogling him, often harassing him to go out on a date. There was just something about Tabitha that made him not mind as much.

Having the urge to protect her, and her ever so bare legs, he went right behind her and kept a hand near the small of her back, hiding her. He felt her body stiffen under his touch as if she had warned herself. He wanted to tell her there wasn't anything to worry about, but other questions would arise that he didn't care for anyone to ask. He wished he had a jacket to cover her with instead.

~~~

About 30 minutes into the drive was when they all became quiet. Sonya had fallen asleep. The new medication she had to take made her like that. Now there was just Tabitha and Stephen, the former of the two in the back seat listening to music. He found it disrespectful that she wouldn't talk to him, but it was better not to say a thing. They were driving in a rocky area. His concentration needed to be there rather than figuring out if he is liked or not by some teenager.

But she isn't just some teenager, his thoughts quickly reminded him. Looking through the rearview mirror, he saw her drift off into space, her fingers lingering towards the open air outside the window.

Her breathing was even. She was glad there wasn't any sort of anxiousness around the priest. Tabitha listened to her grandmother talk about the changes she made over the past year, not being able to open the shop as much, needing to go to the hospital often. She had caught the flu in the middle of December, which saddened the younger that her grandmother didn't utter a word about it.

She often heard her parents talk about persuading her grandmother to come to New York and reside there, but she refused. Though she understood that her grandmother did need care, Tabitha also understood that her freedom was the last thing she had.

Instead, Grandma Sonya said that Father Foley had become a big help to her, coming daily to make sure she was alright. He was the only one able to help her when she was sick in December. He had even learned to cook to make sure she had a hot meal.

In other words, what Tabitha was hearing is that he was practically an angel, but she couldn't argue with her grandmother. In her grandmother's eyes, he was the one sacrificing his time and effort on her, someone who wasn't related to by any means, not even someone who goes to his church.

She mentioned that when she ended up on bed rest, he would come every morning and read the Bible with her, not having a theologic debate since her lung capacity at the time wasn't high enough, but she appreciated it either way.

Tabitha finally glanced at the priest. Maybe she did misunderstand him last year. He seemed to be a decent person from his heart, but something was off about him. That, she knew for sure. There's no way a man considered this much of a saint to others could just 'attack' her, but then again, she did curse at him in a heated moment, something any adult would do.

When Sonya woke up, they had finally reached her cottage. Tabitha helped her to exit the car while Stephen got the bags. They all headed to the living room where Sonya laid down, Tabitha going to the kitchen to get water, and Stephen resting the bags near the stairs.

When Tabitha turned, she took notice of how big the man was, his head nearly reaching the ceiling. He didn't seem to notice her stare, but he told the elder of the two women that he would be back to make dinner. After taking his leave, the young girl took a seat next to her grandmother, happy to see she was alright.

"You know, it's so sad he's in the Church" giving an odd look, Tabitha tried to ask her grandmother what exactly she had meant by that.

"What are you talking about?"

Her grandmother smiled, "Oh, you know! He's such a handsome man and for him to give it all up for the Catholic Church in my opinion is sad. If only he was an Anglican or Protestant, he could've found himself a nice gal and have a family. I feel he may have been happier."

"Grandma, I know you mean well, but you can't assume that he would be happier if he had a wife and children. He had his reasons for choosing this path, and he'll just have to live with it." Tabitha wasn't sure why she was defending him. It was quite clear to her that he indeed wanted more than to be a priest his whole life.

"Don't you think him handsome?" The latter choked on thin air and saliva, hearing the question. She admits yes, he was handsome, but she was afraid if she voiced her thought, her grandmother may say stuff she didn't want to hear. "I suppose so. I mean, he's more on the sullen side for hints, but there's something there." Sonya chuckled, "You're right. He's oddly sheepish towards the female eye. I wonder sometimes why he chose this path, but it's not in my place to ask him that question." The young girl agreed, despite her curiosity, it wasn't right to ask him that if he wasn't comfortable.

Leaving her grandmother for a few moments, she decided to head off into the once familiar room that would once again become her abode for the summer. As she was unpacking, she found the tickets she kept pristine, remembering to ask her grandmother about it later.

~~~

Dinner came a lot quicker than Tabitha expected. She was too preoccupied trying to get everything back to her liking. It wasn't that her grandmother changed anything in the room, but she did decorate it a bit with her new stuff, as they say, in with the new out with the old.

She didn't head down the stairs until hearing the gruff voice of Father Foley, knowing she would soon be asking for her. Well, she assumed that he would, seeing that she expected him to be obsessed with her. Was it true? She wasn't sure, though, in reality, it was highly unlikely. Walking down the stairs, she took in the fragrant food climbing up the stairs. She didn't anticipate just how much food would be there or how great it was. She knew her grandmother didn't make it, so it had to the priest. It did surprise her that he could cook well, being a beginner and all.

Seeing there was still a table to set, she offered to do so, seeing that there wasn't anyone else who could do the task. Within minutes, all three members sat down on the square table in the kitchen. With the food covering most of the table, it seemed that Stephen was at the 'head' of the table, with Sonya and Tabitha on either side of him. They all said grace before passing out the food, to which the youngest was more than excited to eat.

There was mostly small talk going around, most of the elder and her health issues. Tabitha took this as a mental note to help in aiding her grandmother. Not that she wouldn't do that, but now her grandmother couldn't walk too much, so she would have to pull the weight of two people.

She wasn't sure if it would be best to bring up the tickets now, but knowing plans would need to be set, now was better than never.

Clearing her throat a little, she waited for the two elder members of the table to pay attention to her before telling them what was on her mind. "Well, Grandma, you know it's my 16th birthday coming up-"

"Yes! And I can't wait to celebrate it with you; you'll be the only grandchild I had the chance to do this with." Guilt entered Tabitha hearing this. Her grandmother was so excited to do something she wasn't fully capable of doing. "Well...I kinda had plans?" A nervous smile came across her face.

Perplexed, her grandmother asked her to elaborate, "Back home, since we weren't able to celebrate, ma and dad agreed that I would do something I wanted to do, so I bought tickets to the Spice Girls' concert ....in London." She didn't dare look up now. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. Seeing that her grandmother didn't say anything, and Father Foley's stare was burning holes through her, she merely picked at her food, not sure of which way this would go.

Maybe he was expecting this, for Tabitha to do something uncouth, as she always managed to do. He thought it selfish that she would want to head off to England to attend a concert when her grandmother was sick. He understood she was a teenager and wanted to do what she wanted for her birthday, but this was a bit much. For birthdays people shouldn't do things over the top. He didn't say anything. She wasn't his child, not that it would stop him. He trusted Sonya's judgment, being one not quick to anger. She'll most likely try to talk the girl out of it.

"Well, dear, since you planned that already with your parents' approval, then I guess we'll have to go along with it." Both Tabitha and Stephen opened their eyes wide, not expecting that response from her.

"Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to make the trip, but we can always celebrate when you get back." Did this mean she could go by herself? That would be so cool! Experiencing life on her own for a few days, without anyone to be with her.

"So, you're letting her off on her own?" She felt her eyes spread annoyance towards the priest, wondering why he always had something extra to say. Her grandmother laughed, "Of course not! She's too young to make that trip herself. I guess I should ask you before assuming, so I apologize, but could you accompany my granddaughter on her trip?"

Stephen wasn't expecting this at all, well first that she would allow her to go, but with him too? It would allow him time to get to know the girl a bit more, but with her resentment already made against him, it would be hard. Without Sonya there, things may be hostile. Knowing Tabitha from the previous year, she wasn't easily prone to listen to him, but maybe in a different country, she might behave herself.