papal shoes down the laundry chute. panicking, Maria considers sliding four stories down to the central laundry; landing on a pile of the finest linens, 1000 count linens, holy linens. same creases, same sweat, same stains. and now. two red shoes caught in a swirl of dirty cotton. Maria pictures his holiness standing barefoot. she twists her wedding ring and wonders who to ask forgiveness from.