Will You Pray for Me?

9

It's that day of the week again, and Frank is debating whether or not to go to his AA meeting, considering the last time he saw Gerard. He's not sure exactly what happened, or why Gerard was acting kind of awkward, but he hasn't stopped thinking about what Ray said. He needs a friend, if you know what I mean.

But what exactly did Ray mean? A lonely friend? A friend who's not an old lady? A gay friend? A single friend? The more Frank thinks about it, the weirder it gets, and he's not sure why would Gerard need a friend like him. He has Ray, of course, and Gerard is the kind of guy who'd consider God his friend. Isn't that enough?

Maybe Frank is just overthinking it, and Ray only meant that he needed a friend who understood his struggles, as in his addiction. And even though Frank doesn't consider himself an addict, he still has to go to four more court mandated meetings. He's sure it wouldn't be a big deal if he just started going to a different AA group. Except he doesn't want to do that whole thing where he has to open up to a new group of strangers.

That's what settles it. He grabs his jacket, and makes his way to the meeting, just in time.

Lucky for him, nothing relevant happens. So, maybe Frank was just overthinking what Ray said. He reminds himself it's all in his head, and that things are going great. He feels better, he has a job, and can soon move out of his mom's house. And he only has to attend three more of these stupid meetings.

'Hey, there,' Father Gerard tells him as Frank walks by, waving at someone else as they leave. 'I thought you wouldn't make it.'

Did he notice? 'I just had to run some errands before, but I'm here,' Frank lies, and hands him his card to get signed.

'Oh, wow! Only three more! Look at you, you're almost done!' Frank nods, trying to ignore his burning cheeks. He knows it's not a big accomplishment, considering he is not an addict, but he's grown a lot since he started. 'So, any big plans to celebrate when you're done with these meetings?'

Frank shrugs. 'I don't know yet. Probably get my own place.'

'That's huge!'

'Yeah. I need to go apartment hunting, soon. I love my mom, but I need my own space.'

For some reason, Gerard laughs at that. 'Well, let me know if you need help.' Frank tries not to overthink what he just said and just get out of there, but Gerard stops him. 'Hey, by the way – we might need some help at the shelter tomorrow night.'

Frank doesn't know what to say. He had mentioned that he'd be happy to help, but right now, he's not sure it's the right thing to do. But what else is he supposed to say. 'Yeah, sure,' he says with a smile, and goes home.

***

'Morning, honey,' Linda greets Frank as he walks in the kitchen the next morning. He kisses her on the cheek before grabbing a cup of coffee. 'You're working today?'

'Oh, no – it's my day off. But I needed to get some stuff, and maybe I'll go check out some apartments.'

Linda almost lets out a gasp, and Frank tries hard not to laugh at her reaction. 'But, Frankie! You don't need to leave! You know I love having you here, and I wouldn't mind if you stay here for the rest of your life.'

Frank appreciates that, he really does. 'I know, Ma, and I thank you very much. Especially right now. And I'm not leaving soon, but I just want to see my options, okay. I need some kinds of independence.' He still had two more months without a license, which meant having his mom drive him around or asking Ray. And he's only had this job for less than a month, so he can't afford to actually rent his own place right now, but he needs to at least take that step and look for apartments.