The request, or at least submission to hear her story had her relax. She calmed down and looked away finally as she spoke in a more relaxed tone. "My grandparents came from Italy. I don't know why, but cause of them my moth'r was born here. I don't know the details, but they died or my mom left them, maybe because she wanted ta see our dad and they didn't like it. Eith'r way, she had a hard time bein foreign named and blood with no money ta help herself. She worked as a washin woman for a bit, but was dismissed when she 'ad me and no man in her life. She had to move her services ta the streets and back alleys. I fended for myself for the most part but I wasn't good at much. Then mom died. I scraped and fought for what I could, and still tried to get jobs but bein homeless and rough around the corners as I was, no one wanted me. Finally, I had ta follow in my moth'rs footsteps. I got into fights with other girls, and took the advice of one. She told me ta change my name and go to a new town. So I came here, and been here ev'r since."

Gabriel often found that those in the worst positions were already born in miserable circumstances that prevented them from rising above it. "I'm sorry you and your mother have lived such a rough life," he said, and he meant it, though it was hard to feel more than an intellectual empathy when his heart was still so eager to maintain the distance between them. "And... this thing between your mother and... your father... my father, if its true, when would it have taken place?"

Madeline waved him off. "I'm thirty-six. I'm sure ye can do yer math. Will that make it any more believable?" She looked at hiim and sighed. "i'm sure it's a shock. It is the truth." She rests her hands on her knee and looks to him. "Tell me about yerself, if you feel like it. I know what I saw from the outside."

Perhaps it did make it more believable, simply because it made it a little less painful. It seemed that for all his neglect of responsibility, at least his father hadn't added adultery to the list of sins. Had his mother known about this when she married him? Had she ever known?

Gabriel mirrored him in keeping his hands on his knees. He actually did not feel like telling her anything about himself and possibly giving her more ammunition. But he did not want to be rude either. "Well, there's not much to tell beyond what you know. "I was born in Hull to a doctor. I was going to be a doctor but then decided to be a priest. And now I'm a priest."

If he had at least finished his degree like his father had told him to do...

Maddie gave him a curious but also pitiful look. "Really? Nothing interesting at all... Just a perfect child until you decided to be a priest? Why? Scared of blood? Or.." She bit her lip to keep from continuing. She wouldn't get anywhere by egging him on by her distaste of the church.

"Or what?" he challenged. He did not take this kind of prying and implicit mockery well. Not at the moment and not from her. "I became a priest because I wanted to serve God and people. Because I was passionate about it."

Madeline remained relaxed and rose her brow, staring at him. "No need to get angry. I was gonna say ta feel better than others. Cause you've a power ov'r 'em, bein' closer to God in all. But if it isn't you, there's noth'n to be angry about. Isn't it? I just think someone must 'ave a moment of realizin they want ta be a priest. Not just something that they decide without a reason. But fine, you just wanted ta do it. You seem annoyed about helpin yer own sist'r. Guess I'm not good enough for you and God?" She said coolly.

Her words and attitude only irritated him further, but he tried to regain his calm. He took a deep breath, unclenched his hands that had turned to fists on his legs, and stared ahead at the table again, to avoid meeting her eye. "I'm still trying to figure out the truth." And the fact that she implied that he was supposed to help her, gave him some hope again that the story was false. That she was a con, trying to get money from him. That his father was innocent.

Madeline frowned and folded her arms as she leaned forward towards him. "M' mom is dead. Yer dad is dead. How can I prove it to ya? I just want ya to recognize yer blood."

She watched him, he was so stubborn. She hadn't asked for a coin and refused his charity. He was denying her and she wouldn't take it.

Well that was the problem, wasn't it? "Well I... need time to think." Not that he could think as of late. And this would only add to the chaos in his mind. But he was desperate to at least feel less cornered than he did now. This could be another topic on his list of big existential issues that he hoped would suddenly resolve themselves sometime soon and all would be clear. 'Soon' kept moving forward in time.