“A marriage is bloody private and so is a confession.”

His voice was both defensive and threatening at the same time, almost like the growl emanating from a predator when they find themselves cornered by a predator of their own. It made Bill think twice about the wisdom of asking Sean, his daughter’s husband, if they could have a quick chat about their marriage. The reference to confession was deliberate, Bill considered, a double edge to both his past life as a Catholic priest, and also Sean’s feeling of being accused of something even without knowing what.

“You needn’t talk if you don’t want to, Sean.” Bill kept the tone of his voice unconfrontational. His daughter Lucille had mentioned that Sean was depressed, and using again, and she was fearful he was a landmine – explode with no warning. Bill adored Lucille, and genuinely loved Sean, so this wasn’t a sacrifice.

“We both love Luci, Sean, and you look pretty spa-”

As his vision darkened, the last thing he saw was Sean running frantically out the door.