Jack's eyes fluttered open, and he reached to where they had stashed their picnic basket. It lay on Sarah's right side. He stretched further and grabbed the bottle of peanuts he had tossed in at the last minute. With a gentle tug, he extricated himself from Sarah's embrace.

He firmly held onto the bottle and swung it, moving his body along with the projectile. But at the last second, before it could make contact with its intended target, Jack's eyes focused on the face of a fawn. The animal had raised its head and taken a step back. Jack halted his swing as he looked down at the trembling creature. His hand shook.

Slowly, his hand lowered until the bottle was safely back on the blanket.

"What is it?" Sarah asked, still obediently lying down.

"It's errhh... It's a fawn," Jack said with a concentrated frown. "It looks weak, kind of." As if waiting on cue, the young animal fell on its forelegs.

"Whoa!" Jack exclaimed. "Look!" Sarah gingerly turned on her side and raised her head to peep. "Gosh!" she said, gently sitting up. "She looks hurt. She must have been injured."

"Or just hungry," Jack suggested.

He looked at Sarah, hoping they were thinking the same things in the line of rescue. "We can't just give food," she said, surprisingly contradicting his line of thought. "We don't know if the mother is around somewhere. I hear it can be suicidal to be caught meddling with her kids."

"But the kid looks hungry and weary from roaming about. I don't think the mother or father is anywhere around," he countered.

She chewed the corner of her lips thoughtfully. "You think there's been a hit and run somewhere?"

Jack shrugged. "I don't want to be morbid, but why else would the fawn be here looking like this?" The animal's dark eyes were almost entirely closed. It looked like it would die any moment.

Sarah had more doubts. "What if it's just lost? Strayed from the rest of the family?"

"Well if she is the prodigal daughter she will need help to restore her strength before continuing her journey.” Jack said playfully.

She stared at him for a moment, then gave a little laugh. "Someone knows a thing or two about the Bible, don't they?"

Jack smiled and helped her as she tried to carry the basket closer. "My parents were religious," he said, starting to rummage for what they could use to help the animal. "They took us to church every Sunday. Catholics. They almost made me become a priest."

She burst out laughing. "As in... A 'priest' priest?"

Jack nodded and brought out an apple, looking at it confusedly. "A 'priest' priest."

"The apple looks fine," Sarah said softly.

Jack nodded, slicing off a piece. He crouched down slowly in front of the fawn, its head bowed in a gesture of submission. For a moment, the animal hesitated, eyeing the apple in his hand warily. But then, curiosity flickered in its eyes, and it cautiously opened its mouth to accept the slice.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Beside him, Sarah clapped quietly, her excitement barely contained. The fawn chewed eagerly, its wide eyes never leaving Jack as it finished the treat.

"It seems happy," Jack murmured, his hand hovering near its head before gently stroking its fur. The fawn leaned into his touch, content.

"She is happy. You saved her," Sarah whispered, passing him another apple. "Give her one more."

Jack continued to feed the animal slice by slice, his fingers brushing over its soft coat. As the fawn chewed, its small, delicate frame relaxing, Jack couldn’t help but wonder—had he really saved a life? It wasn’t human, but it mattered. The urge to protect, to rescue, had surprised him, bringing a quiet sense of relief. For the first time in a while, he didn’t feel consumed by the darkness that so often clouded his mind.

He stroked the fawn's head until its eyes fluttered shut, its breathing steady and calm.

Jack sat back on the blanket beside Sarah, drawing his knees to his chest and hugging them. He turned his palm up, staring at the hand that had just touched something so vulnerable, so trusting. The softness of its fur still lingered on his skin.

"The apple looks fine," Sarah said softly.

Jack nodded, slicing off a piece. He crouched down slowly in front of the fawn, its head bowed in a gesture of submission. For a moment, the animal hesitated, eyeing the apple in his hand warily. But then, curiosity flickered in its eyes, and it cautiously opened its mouth to accept the slice.

Beside him, Sarah clapped quietly, her excitement barely contained. The fawn chewed eagerly, its wide eyes never leaving Jack as it finished the treat.

"It seems happy," Jack murmured, his hand hovering near its head before gently stroking its fur. The fawn leaned into his touch, content.

"She is happy. You saved her," Sarah whispered, passing him another apple. "Give her one more."

Jack continued to feed the animal slice by slice, his fingers brushing over its soft coat. As the fawn chewed, its small, delicate frame relaxing, Jack couldn’t help but wonder—had he really saved a life? It wasn’t human, but it mattered. The urge to protect, to rescue, had surprised him, bringing a quiet sense of relief. For the first time in a while, he didn’t feel consumed by the darkness that so often clouded his mind.

He stroked the fawn's head until its eyes fluttered shut, its breathing steady and calm.

Jack sat back on the blanket beside Sarah, drawing his knees to his chest and hugging them. He turned his palm up, staring at the hand that had just touched something so vulnerable, so trusting. The softness of its fur still lingered on his skin.

"Father Jack saved the day," Sarah said from beside him, but sounding far away from him.

"What?" he asked, confused, his mind stuck on the impact that what he had just done was having on him.

She looked at him and shook her head. "Nothing." She looked pleased, smiling. He tried to concentrate on that smile, pushing every other thing out. "So... How does a boy who grew up in church end up writing about f*cking people?"

Jack’s eyebrow shot up. Hearing the "f" word from those beautiful, innocent lips of hers would never cease to intrigue him.

"What?" she said in a light tone. "Isn't that what you write about? You heard my brother's confession—We've read all your books. We discuss them when we have the chance."

The second eyebrow joined the first at the top of his forehead. "I find it interesting that you waited until now to reveal your true fandom. I thought I was escaping from fans, but instead, I've met the ultimate queen of them all."

She laughed heartily, throwing her head back, and Jack felt a strong desire to kiss her neck and lie next to her on the oversized blanket they had laid out in the early morning hours.

He sat poised next to her, not wanting to make any sudden movements. He took a moment to admire her beauty, starting with her ankle-length, yellow, flowery dress. Her shoes were off and her toes were painted a pristine white. He couldn't resist the thought of gently sucking on each toe until she cooed and begged for more. But he would never be greedy or ravenous with her. Instead, he savored every moment as he traced his tongue down the v-neck cut of her dress…