The gentle notes of the organ echoed through my body. I was like this chapel, an empty vessel meant to be filled with worship and the love of God. The beautiful colors that danced on the pews from the stained glass windows, that was Him. The warmth I felt on my skin from the sunlight, that was Him. The love, the peace, the belonging that I felt every time I entered this building, that was Him. He was always there for me, ever since the beginning.

I never knew anything but the church. Father Andrew had told me the story many times over the years: how one autumn night he woke from a very deep sleep for seemingly no reason, how he felt this sudden need to leave his chamber and go to the garden, how some force compelled him to go to the fountain even though it had been dry and broken for many years, and how in the stone arms of the Virgin Mother he found a living baby wrapped in a shawl and sleeping soundly. Pinned to the shawl was a note with a single word written: Venus.

This was the name he gave to me. Father Andrew could have taken me to the church's orphanage with the other children who had been abandoned, but he didn't. He was sure God had led him to me for a reason, that I had a special purpose in his life, and so he raised me like a daughter. My childhood was filled with worship and prayer. While other children threw fits, played with toys, and slept through services, I was always focused on Father Andrew as he preached.

This life was all I had ever known and was all I wanted to know. I couldn't imagine my life without the church, without prayer, without the family I had made from the community. Father Andrew had insisted more than once that I should experience the outside world before fully committing myself, but I always knew it was my duty to serve God. So he agreed that on my 21st birthday if I still wished, he would let me take my vows and join the church's convent.

To covet is a sin, but I coveted a permanent place in the church more than anything. As the last notes of the organ faded away the peace I felt was replaced with restlessness. My birthday was next week, sadly I would only be twenty. One year. Only one year left until I could fulfill my dream.

Father Andrew said the final prayer of mass and with the last "amen" everyone stood to leave. I shuffled through the crowd and made my way to him. He smiled when he saw me.

"Venus," he said, embracing me. "How was I today?"

"Doing our Lord proud, as always, Father."

He let out a small chuckle and squeezed my hand gently. "You praise me too much, Dear. Will you head home now?"

"I was thinking we could walk together."

He still smiled but his eyes looked a little sad. "I wish I could, but I'll be in the confessional for a few hours today. I feel Him saying there are those who need to repent today."

All I could do was nod. Father Andrew's work was important, but at times I missed my childhood. The days when we would walk hand in hand to our chamber or he would carry me on his shoulders while we sang hymns loudly in the garden. As the years went by I felt we had drifted. He seemed to sense this.

"Oh, have you decided what cake you would like for your birthday?" He asked.

"Father, I'm not a child." I said, looking away. "Isn't it a bit vain at this point to celebrate my birthday?"

He laughed. "Not at all. October 30th, that day is filled with so much sin and evil, yet He chose that day to bless me with you. We are celebrating His love. Besides," he said with a wink," I think our Lord will forgive you the indulgence of one chocolate cake."

I smiled. "Vanilla, please."

He patted my hand. "So is His will! You be safe on the way home, Dear."

I gave him a nod and left. When I was still young Father Andrew and I shared his chamber, but as I grew into my teenage years he felt more privacy would be appropriate. He restored the old gardener's cottage, and I lived there now. Most fathers would worry about their daughters living by themselves and out of sight, but not Father Andrew. You have God to watch your safety and your conscience to watch your actions. He told me.

He had trusted me so much I felt it was my duty not to betray him. I never really had a taste for alcohol, drugs, or other substances. As for boys, well the church kept me busy. In my free time, I tended to the large garden or my home. No one really wandered that far from the church so I never had anyone bother me.

This is why I was surprised to see someone near my home. He was dressed in all black, which wasn't too unusual with the cemetery being near, but the leather jacket led me to believe he wasn't in mourning. He seemed to be studying my home.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" I asked.

He turned to look at me. The first things I noticed were his eyes, they were a deep green that seemed to pierce right through me. A lump grew in my throat and I couldn't speak.

"Where am I?" His voice was gentle but raspy.

Ah, he was lost. That explained why he was all the way back here. I cleared my throat.

"This is the back garden of the Sacred Heart Chapel. Where are you trying to go?"

His face twisted into a sneer. "Sacred Heart? Then I'm trying to go literally anywhere else."

Another rebellious boy, though he did look to be about my age. It wasn't the first time some troubled person had made a rude remark about the church, but I couldn't help but be a little defensive. After all, it was my home.

"Mind if I ask what's so wrong with Sacred Heart?"

He seemed a little shocked at the sharp edge in my voice.

"Sorry, I don't really like churches. Any of them. Nothing against this one specifically."

"Then why are you here?"

"Oh, I came through the woods." He said. "Didn't have a plan of where to go. I was actually surprised anything was here."

"Well, if you want to leave you can either go back through the forest or take the path here to reach the front," I said, moving past him to get to my house.

"Do you live here?"

I sighed. Normally I would enjoy some company, but something about his attitude bothered me more than the average church-hater. He had been in an almost defensive stance ever since he found out this was a church.

"I thought you wanted to leave?" I said, hoping he would take the hint.

He didn't. "I did, but now I think I might stick around to..." he paused and slowly examined me from head to toe, "appreciate the view."

I blushed and turned away to unlock my door. Great, he was a creep too.

I heard him approach me. I wondered if anyone would be able to hear me scream from here? I felt his fingertips touch my arm. Nothing threatening, more to get my attention.

"Hey, wait. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable." He said.

He sounded sincere, but I still didn't want to look at him. I wanted to run in the house and lock him out, but something told me he wouldn't go away so easily.

"Sorry," he said again, "I guess that came off as really pervy, but hey, had to shoot my shot. It's not every day a man sees an angel on Earth. Although, I guess this would be the place to see one."

I couldn't help letting out a small giggle.

"Made you laugh! That means we're good now. Right?"

I smiled and gave a small nod. Okay, so he was a rebellious macho-type guy, but he at least had the decency to apologize. He wasn't great with first impressions, but he didn't seem like a bad guy.

He wedged himself between me and the cottage and leaned against the door. I blushed and moved my arm away. Now that he was right in front of me I couldn't help looking at him. He wore a plain black T-shirt under his jacket. He wasn't super muscular, but he did look strong. At 5'4" I was about average height, but even leaning he looked like he was about a foot taller than me. His hair reached his ears, it was wavy and black, though I wasn't sure if he dyed it or not. He was actually very handsome, but something about him still made me feel like I was in danger.

"So, does this make us even?" He asked.

"Huh?"

"Well, I checked you out, you've been checking me out. Makes us even, right?"

I turned bright red when I realized I had been staring at him this whole time. He started laughing, it made me blush more. I wanted to crawl into a hole somewhere.

He put his hand under my chin and lifted my eyes to meet his.

"Hey, like I said. We're even now, so don't worry about it."

I tried to answer, but his eyes made the lump in my throat reappear. I just nodded weakly.

"Oh, by the way, I'm Mal."

"Mel?" I asked.

"No, not Mel. Mal. It's short for something else, but it's hard for people to say so I just go by Mal."

"Mal." I said quietly.

He smiled and leaned closer. "What about you, Angel? You have a name?"

The pet name flustered me again and all I could do was babble. "I-I'm, uh, I-"

"Venus!"

I turned and saw Father Andrew rushing toward us. I heard Mal suck his teeth in annoyance. He let go of my chin and leaned back, crossing his arms. I suddenly became aware of how this scene might have looked and moved away quickly.

Father Andrew came over, I heard him trying to catch his breath as he spoke. "Venus, is everything okay?"

I looked down in shame. "Everything is fine, Father. This man got lost back here so we were just talking."

A heavy silence filled the air.

"So," Mal said suddenly, "is he 'father' as in priest, or 'father' as in daddy?"

I was shocked at how bold he still was. Most people tend to shy away from strange religious leaders.

"Um, both." I said.

"Preist's daughter, huh?" He said, smiling. "I've heard rumors about girls like you."

He winked at me. Father Andrew immediately pulled me behind him.

"Are you still lost? I can escort you out." He said sharply.

Mal waved him off and shook his head.

"Nah, she already told me." He peered around Father Andrew to look at me. "I knew you were an angel, didn't know you were a goddess. See you soon, Venus."

I jumped a little at the sound of my name. He smiled and walked away, slowly disappearing into the woods. I stared after him for a while. The sound of Father Andrew clearing his throat was the only thing that reminded me he was there.

He looked at me and frowned. I hung my head. I should have felt ashamed, I should have felt sinful, but all I could feel was the way Mal had said my name echoing through the deepest parts of my body.