It was a quarter to one when the sun peeked out from behind a dark cloud and shone down on Sina.

The steps of Father Cal's house rested in his line of vision but Sina was sitting on the grass at a distance he felt safe. Next to him was his suitcase and a backpack. His whole life was crammed into them but according to Sina it hadn't been much of a life.

He wanted to smoke but didn't want to toss the ashes onto Father Caleb's perfectly perfect green grass. Somehow that wouldn't feel right. To keep himself busy, Sina ran his knuckles over the grass and thought about something Al-Jay told him before he left the bakery. Never feel regret when it comes to love. Not who you love. Not how you love. Ain't no shame in something as wonderful as that, sugah. And remember, we're all deserving of it. Doesn't matter how much you think you're unlovable. Someone out there'll find something so perfect about you that it'll take their breath away.

"I ain't deserving, Al-Jay. I ain't even a person. The devil is my daddy and I have issues." Relaxing his hand, Sina opened his palm and patted the tips of the blades. Soon, autumn would be upon them and the blades would fall victim to the unforgiving snow. "Summer flees like migrating birds. It's that wicked stench of June that makes us think this season is eternal. I know better. It's all always gone too soon. Like people you love."

A tiny ant having lost its way, scurried frantically up a blade of grass and onto Sina's finger. Noticing its panic, Sina furrowed his brows. "I could squish you and make my life easier." Instead, he looked around thinking he'd help the tiny thing. When he saw no traces of an anthill, Sina rose and began to search. "Where's your home? Not much of a conversationalist, huh?" He huffed at the confused ant, "Take a map with you next time. This is a one-time service."

Reaching the end of the yard, he saw a small mound of earth peeping up. In perfect formation, the ants in the colony headed towards the woods and vanished under clusters of wildflowers. "That'll be nine bucks for the cab service," Sina said as he set the ant down. Watching it scurry off he chuckled. "No tip? Whatever."

The sun looked down at Sina and the house a few seconds longer before it crept back behind the security of a large puff of gray.

Sina drew in a breath and smelled the rain that had yet to be spilled. Wiping his hands on his jeans, he turned away from the ants and headed to the house where he sat back down in the very same spot he had been sitting in before.

Bringing his knees to his chest, Sina wrapped his arms around them and rested his chin. He had just closed his eyes when he heard a clap of thunder and felt a shadow hovering over him. A faint chill approached and clung onto Sina like a desperate toddler in need of affection.

"You're tempting fate," a deep, soft voice said.

Sina opened his eyes. His heart fluttered behind his ribs when he saw Father Cal standing above him. "I'm a tease."

Caleb pointed to the sky which was rapidly getting darker. "It's going to rain in about a minute and you're sitting outside. I did say you were welcome to enter my house when you arrived."

Sina gave Caleb a faint shrug. "I know you did but I kinda don't like entering homes like that." Looking down at his feet he grunted. "You need to invite me in or I don't feel right."

Father Cal raised his gaze momentarily to the sky. A flash of lightning shot across the horizon and was coupled with a deafening clap of thunder. "OK, you can come into my house."

A frown wrinkled Sina's brow. "No, like say I'm invited. The words."

Father Caleb looked perplexed. "I don't get it."

Sina shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Please?"

"You're an interesting person, Sina. Alright. I'm inviting you in."

Sina hesitated. He looked to Cal's humble place. He'd never been invited inside anything by a holy person.

"Now?" Caleb suggested. "Before it begins to rain. Unless being wet is your thing." Extending his hand, he waited. "Are you going to get up?"

Looking at Caleb's hand, Sina tensed. "What?"

"People usually walk into a house. You're not going to crawl in, are you?"

"You mean like some spider?"

Holding his hand out still, Caleb wriggled his fingers. "Come on."

Sina looked at Father Cal's waiting hand. He didn't know what he should do but for one foolish second, the thought of sliding his hand in the preacher's felt like everything he ever wanted in the world. "Naw. It's fine. I'm alright." Pushing himself off the ground, Sina stood up and then grabbed his belongings. Though he ignored the hand with his eyes, in his mind, the vision of Caleb offering to help him up crept into a dark corner and rested there among every memory which had ever caused him any sort of joy.

When Father Cal lowered his hand, Sina couldn't tell if the look which had crossed his face was pity or disappointment.

"Let's go inside before the rain comes. I never did like storms."

"You think there's a storm on its way?" Sina asked in an attempt at conversation but did not look up at the sky.

"Something I've realized," Cal replied, "is that ever since I've been here, there's always some sort of storm ready to break out."

Sina hoisted his backpack over his shoulder and then took hold of his suitcase. "Yah. This place seems to have more rain than sun lately."

Caleb nodded and headed to the front door. "But it doesn't last forever."

"It just sometimes feels like forever." Sina glanced at the darkening sky, then followed the priest into the house.

*Fun Fact: The ant is a nod to one of the first stories I ever read on Wattpad that I fell in love with.