She chose to give David time only, for she would have more time with him than she ever had with Patrick, but as recompense, Patrick got time & all eternity.

“For time & all eternity” had replaced “till death us do part”. Becoming gods & goddesses had replaced becoming sexless angels.

I wanted Mother to marry David so I wouldn’t lose him if I married, for there was a part of me that knew it was I who I kept him with us.

I could not reconcile the two becoming one flesh if a third was in the mix, but then, didn’t many wonderful things have more than two components?

I never understood why someone could only have one father & mother, but numerous children; one spouse, but numerous siblings.

As a veil was placed over a bride’s face, even had a veil been placed over our consciousness at birth, so we would live by faith, not memory.

They spoke of forever families, of gods & goddesses, of spirit children conceived in celestial terms.  David said it sounded like a Greek myth.

If Mother married David, I would need never worry about losing him, for he would be ours forever.

David was perfection personified, & Mother acted like it was a sin to see only his goodness–goodness that did not abase itself to piousness.

“You’ll always be his biggest advocate,” Mother said, stroking my cheek with her finger, “just as I knew you would be, for he is your whole life.”