Father Thomas had served his small church faithfully for **37 years**.
He had baptized children.
Married couples.
Comforted grieving families.
And spent countless evenings listening to people describe their problems.
Everyone in town trusted him.
But Father Thomas had always been curious about what awaited him after death.
Then one night, he had a strange dream.
—
In the dream, Father Thomas suddenly found himself standing before enormous golden gates.
A bright light surrounded everything.
He looked down and realized he was wearing his finest church robes.
Then a familiar figure approached.
It was Saint Peter.
Peter smiled mysteriously.
“Father Thomas.”
Thomas looked around nervously.
“Am I… dead?”
Peter smiled.
“You certainly are.”
Thomas swallowed.
“And this is Heaven?”
Peter nodded.
Then opened the gates.
“Come in.”
—
Thomas stepped through.
He expected angels.
Clouds.
Music.
Instead, he saw something completely unexpected.
Standing only a few steps away was **Sister Maria**.
She was young.
Beautiful.
And someone Thomas had known for many years from a neighboring convent.
He stared at her in complete disbelief.
“Maria?”
She smiled.
“Hello, Thomas.”
He looked around.
Then whispered:
**”Maria… what are you doing here?”**
She stepped closer.
Then leaned toward his ear.
She whispered something so quietly that Thomas’s eyes widened.
—
He stared at her.
“You knew?”
Maria smiled.
“Of course.”
Thomas shook his head.
“But all those years…”
“Exactly.”
“I thought…”
She laughed softly.
“You were always so serious.”
Thomas looked toward Saint Peter.
“Is this some kind of mistake?”
Peter shook his head.
“No mistake.”
Thomas turned back to Maria.
“Then why are you here?”
Maria smiled.
“Because Heaven has rules.”
“What rules?”
She leaned closer again.
Then whispered:
**”Apparently, there are no vows up here.”**
Thomas’s eyes widened.
“Maria!”
She burst out laughing.
Then Saint Peter interrupted:
“Relax, Father.”
Thomas stared at him.
Peter smiled.
“It’s a dream.”
Thomas blinked.
“What?”
Peter pointed toward the gates.
“You’re not dead.”
Thomas suddenly woke up in his bed.
He sat upright.
Sweating.
Breathing heavily.
His wife was sleeping beside him.
Thomas stared into the darkness.
Then whispered:
“Thank God.”
His wife opened one eye.
“What?”
He shook his head.
“Nothing.”
She rolled over.
“Good. It’s five in the morning.”
Thomas lay back down.
Then smiled.
Because apparently, even in Heaven…
**he still wasn’t safe from Sister Maria.**
