Taragin’s Hope Extract

“Angela, calm down,” Gina said, holding her hands up to show me she wasn’t going to hurt me, her deformed hand catching my attention. She’d never explained how that happened…

“Tell us what’s wrong.”

“She thinks she’s pregnant,” Judy said, glancing at me. “I think she’s convinced we’re going to throw her out.”

Joyce looked to me, frowning. “Why would you think that?”

“We wouldn’t be very good Saints if we threw you out on the street with no support just because you think you’re pregnant.” Gina turned her nose up slightly. “I would have thought you knew us better than that, Angela.”

I stared at her, trying to understand. “What?”

“Look, we’re nuns, not idiots. We know how the world works. There’s only one person at Sanctuary who’s still a virgin, and—”

“Who?” Joyce asked, staring at Mary as though she’d lost her head.

“Surely you can guess?” Judy asked, smirking. I relaxed, realising their attention was far away from me for the moment.

Mary grinned and mimed wrapping herself up in blankets. I smiled despite myself, recognising the glint in Judy’s eye. Gossip. They seemed almost normal, which both put me on edge, and relaxed me at the same time. Either something was wrong here, or they were serious about not throwing me out.

“No wonder Matthew’s always grouchy!” Gina giggled.

“And you know what makes it worse?”

Joyce, recovering from her giggles, answered for us all. “No…”

“He’s a Saint.”

The other girls burst into giggles again. I looked around at them.

“Huh?”

Judy grinned at me. “He’s a Saint. And being a Saint means—”

“He can’t masturbate!” the others chorused.

I couldn’t help but smile along with them.