Chapter 5
Conti, Italy
Marco
SUNDAY MORNING, THE normal Mass seemed somewhat shorter than usual, and I wondered idly if Father Rinaldo had cut it short in order to allow people time to go home and eat before the funeral. As we filed out of the church, the young priest who’d assisted with the service was standing beside Father Rinaldo. When I shook Father Rinaldo’s hand, I said, “Have you finally gotten an assistant after all these years?”
“Not exactly,” he said. “This is Father Tuccio, who will replace me when I retire at the end of the year.”
I greeted the young priest, said the expected things, then turned to Father Rinaldo and said, “It won’t be the same around here with Grandmother gone and you retired.”
“All things must come to an end, Conte Marco.”
Dani and I led the boys acro
