Summary

Christmas season arrives and Patricia's mother gets fully into the holiday spirit. She believes in "keeping the Christ in Christmas" (185). Patricia remembers a rare childhood Christmas when her father was able to be with them instead of working. Most priests spend the day in the Church before returning home alone since they do not have wives or families of their own. Patricia decides it is time to tell her father she is writing a book about him. He jokes that he will "murder [her]" before turning back to his football game (189). The seminarian returns wearing a new cologne to repel women and carrying a "book of prayers he calls his wife" (192). He, Jason, and Patricia get drunk together on martinis. Patricia asserts that Christmas is her favorite holiday, but the seminarian says that his favorite is Easter. To him, Christmas is lonely without...