With much of the work done, a smaller
group had gathered in Annabelle's nursery to see to
finishing touches. Owen stood in the center of
the room, reading from his phone. "'Annabelle's
temperature remained stable throughout the
night. She only fussed when she was hungry or
needed her diaper changed. Portia is thrilled
with her progress and says that unless something
changes in the next 24 hours, our girl's getting
released! Hope to see some of you today. A
request from JenniAnn: please bring real coffee.'"
Kemara laughed. "I will most certainly do that."
Owen smiled and continued. "'We can't wait to
get to the Tunnels and then home. Thank you for
everything you're doing. We... we thank God for
you and love you all very... very much. Always,
Andrew and JenniAnn and Annabelle.'" He put the
phone down and surveyed the room. There wasn't
much more that any of them could do. The walls
were painted and the furniture pushed back into
place. Vincent had brought a bed from the
Tunnels' surplus and he and Devin had set it up, both
suspecting Andrew wouldn't roam far. Though much
of the decorating had been left alone, everyone had
added their own touches to welcome Annabelle.
Vincent set a hand on Owen's shoulder. "I think
you should visit them today."
Owen shook his head. He wanted to meet his
closest friend's daughter very much but he felt badly
doing so before his mentor and her grandfather could.
"Go for me. Please," Vincent requested. "I
would like you to bring her this." He pressed a
soft object into Owen's hands. "Psyche mentioned
on the phone that Kelly brought them Stellaluna.
I made one like this for Psyche when she was
small. I want Annabelle to have one, too."
Owen looked down to find he was holding a hand-sewn
plush bat. He'd seen JenniAnn's before. In
fact, he knew she sometimes still slept with it.
"I... I will," he promised. "So who else is
visiting today other than Kemara and me? We
should probably work out some sort of schedule
again. The way I hear it, that room's not that
big. Any more than four at a time and we might
be tripping over each other."
Monica raised her hand. "Arthur and I have
already been... me twice. But Arthur hasn't
since Annabelle got out of the nursery. I'd like
to take him up this evening, after his shift ends, if
that works."
"I have an assignment this evening but I would love to
meet that sweet girl. And I... I have some
things I would like to say to her parents." Tess
bowed her head for a moment.
Adam rested a hand on her shoulder. The night
before, Tess had confessed that she wished she'd been
a little less harsh with both Andrew and JenniAnn at
times.
"Tess, you can go with Kemara and me," Owen
offered. "We can step out for a snack or
something... coffee refills maybe... while you talk."
"Thank you."
"Mick? Beth?" Owen called.
Mick shook his head. "Thank you but I,
uh... Not so good with hospitals. A lot of
blood around."
Beth laced her fingers through his, knowing this was
only a half-truth. Mick could stomach hospitals
well enough. The wall-to-wall reminders of his
infertility were harder to confront. "We'll wait
to come see them all when they're Below."
Despite his own regrets, Mick smiled. "I am
looking forward to seeing them with her. They
deserve this after years of patching so many of our
lives up."
Beth nodded. "We might not even be married if
not for them. Maybe not... not even speaking."
Mick wrapped his arms around her waist.
"God only knows where I'd be," Owen mused. "Or
if I'd be... in this sphere of existence, at
least." He looked to Vincent with a wavering
smile. "I loved the Tunnels from the start but
it wasn't until the two of them hauled me off to a
production of A Man of No Importance that I
realized that... that I really would be not just
tolerated but loved."
Kemara nodded. "They helped me to realize that,
too. I got to know JenniAnn the most. At
first. I actually... I thought she and Andrew
were dating." She looked over at Adam, Monica,
and Tess. "Sorry!"
Adam laughed. "Don't be. We're used to
misunderstandings like that."
"Good. Well, I mean... okay. I was shocked
when I found out the truth: that Andrew was an angel
of death. And that he chose to spend so much
time here... with us humans." Kemara shook her
head in amazement. "I spent so many years being
rejected and taunted by kids at school and here was
this angel who could have spent time in Heaven...
choosing to meet a friend and me for coffee.
Then there was everything with Ivy and that was
healing, too. I wouldn't have had that...
wouldn't have met her or any of you without them."
Monica hugged the woman. "We're very glad we
could meet you... and that you stuck around, Kemara."
The others murmured agreement.
"Psyche always gave me hope," Devin added. He
turned to his brother. "For you."
Vincent look curiously at him.
"You were different with her. You were so
reserved even with Catherine, for a while... a long
while," Devin teased. "But with Psyche... with
her you were a natural." He chuckled. "I
can still remember one time she came toddling into
your room, interrupting a very intent conversation we
were having about Othello. She had
managed to drench herself in blue paint and was
hysterical. It was like whatever part of you
agonized about your hands and your face and your
instincts finally shut up and shutdown. You
cleaned her up, washed her hair, got her changed, and
brushed out her hair... all while continuing to
lambast the Moor!"
Vincent laughed at the memory.
"Blue's a good color for Psyche. You should have
left her," Owen joked.
Kemara shook her head. "JenniAnn is not a
Smurf."
Devin smiled. "No. She's not. She's
a human. And when I saw you with her... I knew
that eventually you'd realize you were, too, and let
all that other nonsense go."
Vincent nodded, brushing at a tear.
Kemara squeezed his hand. "And JenniAnn and
Andrew both have mentioned to me how you and Catherine
helped them to see the value in what they shared...
and to stick with each other even when that didn't
resemble anything they'd once planned for themselves."
Monica smiled wistfully. "And I... I still look
to them when I wonder if the future... with Arthur...
is really possible. They help me to believe it
is."
Tess hugged her. "It's amazing how connected
each life can be to another. Isn't it, babies?"
The others nodded.
Adam sighed and leaned his head back, staring up at
the ceiling which Owen had painted to resemble the sky
shifting from sunrise to sunset. "Now we have
one more life to be connected to."
The others all smiled then looked over at the crib,
imagining the day Annabelle would come home to it.
*~*~*
"She... is... a... doll!" Owen gushed as he held
Annabelle shortly after arriving at the
hospital.
"That she is..." Tess cooed. She laughed when
the baby spit out her pacifier and gave a big
yawn.
"Can I paint her when you get back home?" Owen
requested.
Andrew smiled and replaced the pacifier when Annabelle
seemed to be missing it. "Of course."
"I have a feeling Annabelle will get a whole
series. She is so sweet," Kemara agreed.
"How light does she feel?"
"See for yourself," Owen offered.
Kemara smiled when she had Annabelle. Andrew and
JenniAnn had left her unswaddled for a bit so she
kicked her legs. "Maybe she'll be a dancer!"
Kemara wished.
JenniAnn beamed. "I hope so. Of some sort,
at least." She glanced over at Andrew,
daydreaming about Annabelle learning to dance by
putting her feet on his, just as she had once with
Vincent.
Beside her, Andrew was imagining the same and grinning
at the idea. Then his mind drifted ahead.
School dances. Boys... What if one broke
her heart? He caught himself and shook his
head. Annabelle wasn't even a week old!
Not even a week old and she already had him so wound
around her tiny finger that he was mentally lecturing
imaginary teenage boys. He chuckled.
After letting out a dreamy sigh, JenniAnn hugged
Owen. "I've heard others gushing about the
nursery. Thank you... and Vincent... for heading
that up. And you, Kemara and Tess, and everyone
who's helped!"
Owen returned the hug. "My pleasure. And
everyone's been a pleasure to work with. It's
been really nice to spend so much time with
everyone. Despite having a pretty quick turn
around time, no one was stressed or
short-tempered. It was all very pleasant... or
maybe it was just the paint fumes making everyone very
mellow," he teased.
Kemara laughed. "I think it was everyone being
so happy." She gently squeezed Annabelle then
turned her over to Tess who had quietly but anxiously
been awaiting her turn. Once the angel had the
baby, Kemara looked over at Owen who nodded.
"Hey, Kemara and I are going to go peruse the
cafeteria then we'll be right back," Owen announced.
Andrew's eye brow raised. "You actually want to
eat hospital food?"
"They have like eight flavors of Jello! How is
that not awesome?" Owen defended.
The angel of death chuckled. "I guess it
is. Enjoy!"
"You'll come back?" JenniAnn checked.
"Definitely... with Jello," Kemara vowed before
following Owen out the door.
"Well, that seemed staged," Andrew noted.
Tess finally looked up from Annabelle's face. "I
asked for a few minutes with the two of you," she
explained.
"Tess..." Andrew murmured when he saw the tears in his
old friend's eyes. "What's wrong?" He
wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her to the
couch, sitting at her right side while JenniAnn
settled to her left.
"Ever since Miss Wings told me the news, I... I've
been thinking. For a while now I've regretted
how harsh I sometimes was with you, Angel Boy."
Andrew shook his head. "Tess, that's in the
past. We've
talked about this. Let it go. I have. You know
that. "
JenniAnn bowed her head. She hadn't let it
go. Not really.
Tess patted his cheek. "I know. It's your
way, baby." She smiled. "But I got to
thinking about it again because... Andrew, at least a
few of those times you got so upset because you were
trying to protect a child or... or a woman who had
been wronged. And I thought it was unbecoming of
an angel of death. But maybe those incidents
weren't meant to prepare you for your work as an angel
of death. Maybe they were meant to prepare you
for her." She stroked Annabelle's hair.
"And her." Tess turned to JenniAnn who set her
hand over hers. "And all the others who have
found their way to you. You acted in a way
becoming of a friend, of a father, of an uncle.
I'm very proud of you and I love you."
Andrew felt tears glide down his cheeks but let them
go. While he'd sometimes clung to the belief
that he'd been in the right despite Tess'
admonishments, he'd never thought of his behavior then
in that light. Now Tess' words seemed undeniably
true. He hugged her. "Thank you.
I... I love you, too, Tess."
The supervisor nodded then smiled at JenniAnn who was
also crying. Tess recognized that any slight she
had inflicted on Andrew had hurt her, too. She
was relieved to see forgiveness on JenniAnn's
face. "And you, baby... I should have
believed... should have trusted... I saw how much your
friendship meant to Andrew and I worried that one day
you'd move on and hurt him. But you never did."
"I... I wish that were true," JenniAnn lamented.
"We all have doubts sometimes. But yours never
lasted long. You never left. Not
really. You always came back and now...
Baby, you live in a castle connected to his house by a
tunnel. You aren't going anywhere."
JenniAnn laughed. "Nope."
Tess smiled.
"Would you sing something for Annabelle?" JenniAnn
requested.
"Her first Tess song..." Andrew mused.
"Of course, I will!" Tess kissed Annabelle then
began to sing, choosing not a lullaby but a song that
meant so much to her, to Andrew, to all of them.
Abide with me; fast falls the
eventide;
The darkness deepens;
Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers
fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless,
oh, abide with me.
As Tess neared the end of the song, Owen and Kemara
returned. Both sensed that something healing had
occurred. They smiled... then passed out the
Jello.
*~*~*
Andrew and JenniAnn watched anxiously as Portia
listened to Annabelle's heartbeat and took her
temperature.
When the doctor turned back to them, her smile
stretched from ear to ear. "Everything's
normal. I see no reason to keep her here after
tonight. I think you better tell Vincent to be
ready to meet his granddaughter tomorrow morning."
JenniAnn threw her arms around Andrew's neck and wept
happily.
Andrew beamed. "Thank you, Portia. That's
wonderful, wonderful news!" Once JenniAnn had
released him, he scooped up Annabelle. "One more
night and then we're on our way home," he
murmured.
"How long will you stay Below?" Portia questioned.
"We'll head home on the 13th," JenniAnn answered as
she smoothed Annabelle's hair. "Owen thinks it
best to wait a week with the fresh paint."
"Well, I'm glad about that." Portia smiled at
Annabelle. "I'll get to see you every day until
then! And you can meet my little girl."
"I'm so excited for Persephone and Shelby and all the
kids to meet her. Vincent said I could bring her
to classes whenever I want." JenniAnn
smiled. "Catherine said he'd prefer I always
do... so would I."
Andrew sighed happily. It would be easier for
him to leave when he had to, knowing Annabelle would
be with her mother all day.
"I would still like to give her a brief check every
day, at least until you leave the Tunnels. No
real reason. Just..."
Andrew squeezed her hand. He knew, like himself,
Portia carried the memories of cases that had gone
badly. If a few minutes with Annabelle was going
to stave those fears off, it was worth it.
"Absolutely," he agreed. "She's a blessed little
girl... her own personal physician."
Portia's eyes lit up. "Happily."
A knock sounded on the door and Kelly poked her head
in. "Look who I found!" She stepped inside
and ushered Arthur and Monica in.
JenniAnn enthusiastically hugged them both.
"We're leaving tomorrow morning!" she cheered.
"That's great!" Arthur gushed. "Vincent's beyond
excited. I thought he was going to wear a trail
in your carpet while waiting for word."
JenniAnn hurried to her purse and pulled out her
phone, promptly sending out a text. "Hopefully
that gives him some peace." She returned to
Andrew's side and kissed Annabelle. "Less then
24 hours and you can meet your Grandpa Vincent!"
Kelly smiled then let out a sigh. "I also come
for professional reasons." She held out a
folder. "Paperwork for you, Andrew.
Sorry."
"I'm good with paperwork. I've been an IRS agent
about two dozen times, after all." Andrew
grinned then turned to Arthur. "You want to hold
Annabelle since you haven't had a chance?"
"Yes... please."
Monica watched, feeling torn as Arthur cradled
Annabelle. All day long she had tried to prepare
herself for this moment. All at once she felt
such joy for her friends, a twinge of jealousy, and
the stirrings of an old longing.
"Monica, come sit with us, please," Arthur requested,
pulling her out of her thoughts.
JenniAnn squeezed the angel's hand and urged her
forward.
Letting out a deep breath, Monica joined Arthur on the
couch and rested her chin on his shoulder. "She
is so lovely," she cooed. "Aren't you, Annabelle
Luna?"
Andrew looked wistfully at the two then took the
papers and settled into the recliner, using the
briefcase Kelly offered as a desk. He
immediately burst out laughing. "All right,
whose idea was this?"
JenniAnn sat on the arm of the chair and peeked at the
papers, not understanding what had set Andrew off
until his finger slid under a line where his alleged
last name was typed. She laughed. "So let
me get this straight... I spent the summer with
Mr. Rochester and am apparently now raising a baby
with Mr. Darcy?"
Andrew grinned. "So it would seem.
Unfortunately, I don't have an English accent."
JenniAnn shrugged and hugged him. "I like your
accent better, anyway. I hope Annabelle picks it
up... Mr. Darcy."
Arthur smiled up at them then looked down to Annabelle
whose eye lids were drooping. "Umm, I think
she's about to fall asleep. Do one of
you..." He frowned, not in a particular hurry to
turn the baby over.
"Are you okay with keeping her?" JenniAnn asked.
The man nodded. "Definitely."
Andrew smiled. "Thank you."
"Would you sing to her?" Monica asked. While
they were working together in the Philippines, she had
overheard Arthur singing to some of the children and
been even more enchanted. Bittersweet as it was,
she longed to hear him sing again.
"Sure. My mom used to sing me to sleep with this
one." Arthur began to sing, the others joining
in on the brief chorus.
"Oh once I had a little dog, his
color it was brown.
I taught him for to
whistle, to sing and dance and run.
His legs they were
fourteen yards long, his ears so very wide.
Around the world in
half a day, upon him I could ride.
Sing Tarry-O Day, Sing,
Autumn to May."
Kelly studied Monica. Even as she sang along,
she prayed. Andrew and JenniAnn had received
their heart's desire and Kelly prayed that, somehow,
Monica would, too. Looking at Arthur, Kelly
suspected the longing was shared. After a few
moments, a peace settled over Kelly. She didn't
know what was coming but she heard the Father's
voice. This wouldn't be the last time she would
help this group welcome a child.
Andrew busied himself with the paperwork, piping up
when the song reached the chorus. He stole
glances at Monica, wondering what exactly she was
thinking. Even amidst his own happiness, he
hadn't lost sight of how emotional Annabelle's arrival
might be for some of their friends, especially Arthur
and Monica and Beth and Mick. However, he
couldn't feel sadness or angst. God's miracles
were unceasing and Andrew knew Annabelle would be far
from the last.
*~*~*
Fr. Mike admired all the hand-carved knick-knacks
stashed in Joshua's apartment. "So this is what
you do when you're actually here..." he mused.
"Do you ever sleep?"
Joshua set down his carving knife and smiled.
"When I'm like this, yes. Sometimes."
"So... Andrew and JenniAnn are thinking of
putting off Annabelle's baptism until Holy Week.
They're hoping their friend, Ivy, can come then since
she'll be on break. But I was thinking... that
gives you some time. Maybe by then... well,
surely you could be there."
Joshua nodded. "I hope so."
"Is that what all this is? For them?" The
priest's quick inventory of Joshua's collection took
in many items that reminded him of his friends.
He picked up two owls that, though separate pieces,
slid together. "For Max and Rose, I presume?"
"Yeah." Joshua approached.
Fr. Mike hugged him. "They'll all treasure
them. I know how much mine means to me."
He thought of the statue Joshua had made him depicting
himself as a baby with his Abi and Ama. Joshua
had given it to him after Yosef and Maryam had left
with promises to return. Fr. Mike kept it on his
bedside table where he saw it every morning and every
night.
Joshua picked one item off the shelf. "Could you
please take this to them when you go to Annabelle's
Naming Ceremony Below? It'll likely be
Monday. They'll want to fit it in before Robert
and Allison need to head back on Tuesday."
Fr. Mike admired the piece. It was a beautiful
abstract statue of a man and a woman with a
baby. A white butterfly was perched on the
infant's hand. "Josh... They'll love
it." After Joshua had wrapped the figurine up in
tissue paper, the priest settled it into his
bag. Then he pulled two envelopes out. "I
have something for you. Not from me
personally. I'm just the messenger."
Joshua looked curiously at the envelopes. The
Father had not said anything to him about them.
"Who are they from?"
Fr. Mike handed him the envelopes. "When I
visited Andrew and JenniAnn to discuss their wishes
regarding the baptism, JenniAnn was... well, there may
have been some caffeine involvement but I suspect she
was just plain overjoyed."
Joshua smiled then sobered. "I'm losing their
words... I don't know exactly what they're doing or
thinking at every moment any more. But I did
feel that."
"Well, she kept repeating the word 'blessed' over and
over. And Andrew..." Fr. Mike
chuckled. "I've heard that sometimes guys turns
into their fathers when they themselves become
fathers... but I think Andrew's taking it quite
literally. He's growing a beard."
Joshua chuckled. "JenniAnn is no doubt thrilled
by that, too."
"Very. I can't wait until you can see them
together! Josh, the way she looks at him and him
at her and both of them at Annabelle... And
maybe it's just in my head but I swear she looks more
at them than anyone else. She knows they're
hers."
"She does."
The priest beamed. "Well, of course they won't
leave her for more than a few minutes at a time so
they're cooped up in that hospital room... not too
many ways to express that joy and energy. So I
suggested JenniAnn write a letter... to you. She
did. Andrew, too. He also tucked some
photos in his envelope of everyone's visits. He
thought you might want them."
Joshua nodded, his eyes welling.
"Andrew distracted JenniAnn while I grabbed her letter
for you. So... sit down, read, look, I'll
be back in a little bit." Fr. Mike hugged him
then hurried out the door.
Joshua sunk onto his bed and eagerly opened the
envelope from Andrew. He spent a few moments
with each photo then set them down in front of him and
admired the whole series, truly feeling the happiness
that each image captured. Then he moved onto the
letters. As he read Andrew's and JenniAnn's
words, they seemed as near as they'd always
been. He let each word comfort him and hung onto
the voice of his Father, reminding him that their
reunion would come soon.
The following morning, Andrew recorded as JenniAnn
dressed Annabelle. The angel chuckled as the
baby made a face when her mother slid a hat onto her
head.
"You may have a lot of hair but it's not enough to
keep you warm out there, sweetheart!" JenniAnn
assured. She bent to kiss her forehead.
"You look so cute! Grandma's got good tastes,
huh?" She fingered the soft, fleece sleeper
covered in butterflies and daisies that her mother had
bought. She scooped Annabelle up and then
stepped towards the door and smiled and waved to
Andrew and the camera. "Could you please pan
around so we can see the whole room?"
"Good idea," Andrew agreed. He moved to the
center of the room and spun. "So this is where
we stayed for the first four days of your life,
Annabelle."
"This is where you got told your first story,"
JenniAnn added.
Andrew turned to the bed. "And we were right
over there when we gave you a bottle for the first
time."
"And that window... that's where Uncle Andrew and I
would stand when we prayed for... for you."
Andrew filmed a few seconds of the view outside the
window then he panned around the room once more and
ended with Annabelle and JenniAnn. "And there
you are... almost time to go and meet your Grandpa
Vincent and so many other friends and then... then
we'll go home. We love you so much, Annabelle."
JenniAnn snuggled her closer. "Always."
His eyes misting, Andrew turned off the camera.
JenniAnn laid Annabelle back down in her
bassinet. "Let's wait til Portia's here to
escort us out before we put on her coat. I don't
want her to overheat."
Andrew smiled. "Good idea." He moved
beside her and sighed as they both gazed down at
Annabelle.
"Were we this happy in your vision?" JenniAnn asked,
peering up at Andrew.
Andrew wrapped his arms around her and shook his
head. "We were happy but no. I... I don't
think God would have let me feel this... this
overwhelming joy until she... she was ours to
keep. I couldn't have spent a month and a half
not feeling this after I... I had."
JenniAnn's eyes welled and she reached up to kiss his
cheek. "I love you so much."
"I love you, too, my Laja." Andrew's heart
swelled as he held her and they resumed watching over
Annabelle together until Portia came to officially
release their girl.
*~*~*
Allison madly snapped photos as Andrew and JenniAnn
exited the hospital with the latter holding Annabelle
and Robert and Portia trailing them with their
bags. Once Andrew had displayed his car seat
acumen, Annabelle was officially released from the
hospital. Allison and JenniAnn hopped into the
backseat with the baby while Andrew settled into
driver's seat of the Jolly Green with Robert and
Portia in the passenger's seats. Once the door
was closed, the five adults silently stared at each
other for a moment. The day they'd waited for
had finally come and they needed a few moments for the
reality of that to sink in.
"So are... are we ready?" Andrew asked.
JenniAnn leaned forward and took his hand.
"Yes."
Andrew brought her hand to his lips then, once
everyone was buckled in, he pulled away from the curb
and headed to Cora's house from which they would make
their way to the Tunnels.
Annabelle was headed home.
*~*~*
Andrew beamed as he stepped into JenniAnn's chamber
and came face to face with Catherine, Vincent, and
Jacob. "There's more baby stuff than there is
baby," he noted wryly before setting the bags
down. "We'll deal with that later." He met
Vincent's expectant gaze. "She got waylaid by
well-wishers but it's you she most wants to see."
As Catherine hugged her husband's arm, she remembered
the past few nights. She had woken up many times
to find Vincent no longer in bed but instead pacing
the room. He had to see Annabelle and
JenniAnn... and soon. "Go. Declare
godparent's rights."
Vincent nodded, ready to do so but then JenniAnn
appeared, Annabelle swaddled in her arms.
"We're here."
Transfixed, Vincent could only stare at the two.
JenniAnn closed the distance. "Vincent, I... I
want you to meet your granddaughter. This is
Annabelle Luna. Annabelle, this is your Grandpa
Vincent."
Vincent pulled them both to him and kissed JenniAnn's
forehead. "Psyche..." He caressed her face
then gazed down at the infant. "She's..."
No photographs and no phone calls could have prepared
Vincent for the feelings that swelled up inside
him. He could scarcely believe this little one
was somehow his but she was and he adored her.
"Psyche... she's so beautiful."
"You want to hold her?"
Vincent eagerly accepted the baby.
"Annabelle..." he cooed. "Psyche, she's... so
precious. I am so... so very happy for you."
Andrew watched as JenniAnn rested her head on
Vincent's shoulder and took Catherine's hand in
hers. He smiled at her as she spoke the words
they both felt so strongly.
"Thank you both for teaching me that... that love's
always worth it. Even when the way is
difficult. I was so little when you two were
first... well, finding your way. But I was old
enough to realize it wasn't always easy. And
yet... you taught me to stick with the one I loved no
matter what and because of that... we have our
Annabelle."
Andrew drew closer and set a hand on each of their
backs.
"Psyche..." Catherine kissed her cousin's hair
and reached back to pat Andrew's hand. "Thank
you. And I'm very, very glad we have this little
girl. And I call dibs after Vincent."
Annabelle's parents laughed.
JenniAnn nodded. "You got it."
Andrew grinned, moving to face them. "You can
probably also have her at 1 AM. Or 2:15...
4:30..." His smile became more tender and more
serious when he looked to Annabelle snuggled in her
grandpa's arms. "But you'll have to fight me for
her."
Just as Andrew began to feel stricken by the memories
of how desperate Annabelle's situation had been in the
beginning, JenniAnn embraced him tightly. All
was well.
As all four of the adults basked in the beauty and
wondrousness of what had come to pass, a voice boomed
from the corridor.
"Delivery for Princess Psyche Dwynwen Chandler!"
Devin entered the room, his arms laden. After
setting down the largest package, he held some flowers
out to JenniAnn. "For mom." Next came a
brightly colored plush bear. "For baby."
"Thank you, Devin. They're beautiful."
JenniAnn hugged the man after admiring the
gifts. "And Annabelle will love the bear.
You want to meet her?"
Nodding, Devin stared at Vincent and Annabelle.
JenniAnn pulled him closer. "Devin, this is
Annabelle Luna. Annabelle, this is Devin.
Your... great uncle."
"God, kid... She's beautiful. Look at
those tiny hands!" Devin enthused.
Vincent beamed. "They're perfect."
Curious, he looked to the abandoned package.
"Devin, what is that you brought with you?"
"Oh that? That's for the rest of us. A
door." Devin looked to JenniAnn with a teasing
grin. "I love you, kid. And this little
one, too. But..."
"You got that to muffle the crying, didn't you?"
"Well..."
Catherine punched her brother-in-law in the arm as she
laughed and rolled her eyes. "Typical..."
Devin shrugged. "Well, now, it's also to give
the girls their privacy. Mommy and baby
time..."
Andrew smiled when Devin caught his eyes.
"Mommy and baby and uncle time is important without a
bunch of..."
"Hello!" an aged but still booming voice called.
Father shuffled into the chamber with a small band of
other well-wishers trailing in behind him.
"Where is she? Let me see her."
Vincent made the most of his last few moments holding
Annabelle before others, his wife included, would want
their turn.
Andrew watched, deeply moved, as he saw Vincent kiss
the baby then close his eyes. He pulled JenniAnn
to him. "Look," he whispered. "A
benediction from Grandpa."
JenniAnn's eyes welled, knowing that whatever words
Vincent was praying, they would be ones of pure love
and hope. Those feelings surrounded her as her
parents and many of their friends swarmed into the
chamber.
Andrew rested his chin on his friend's hair.
"Whatever happens, whatever comes... Annabelle will
have no shortage of people to remind her that she is
loved."
JenniAnn beamed, recognizing that this knowledge was
among the greatest assurances any parent could
receive.
*~*~*
Though Andrew had been thankful to
find that a cot had been brought into JenniAnn's
room for his benefit, for the time being he was
content to remain with her and Annabelle on the
bed. The baby was dozing between the adults
and neither could take their eyes off her.
JenniAnn's cheeks flushed when she finally looked
away from Annabelle and met Andrew's gaze.
"Vincent said he and Devin put up a bed in her
nursery back home. Are you... I mean do you
want... to stay?"
Smiling dreamily, Andrew nodded. "Yes."
JenniAnn smiled. "Kay." She was
somewhat concerned about how she would adjust to
sleeping alone in a room but it would practically
be the same room so long as she kept the door
between the two open. She reached over and
rested her hand on his scruffy cheek.
"I should shave before the ceremony
tomorrow. Tess... nicely... said I look like
a ragamuffin. But it's true."
"I like ragamuffins."
"Okay then I won't."
JenniAnn laughed. "Well, I don't mean you
can't shave. I'm fine either way."
"I think I can think of better ways to spend that
chunk of time in the morning.
Besides..." Andrew caught himself before he
announced that he'd fit right in with
Joshua. "I like it myself," he covered.
Annabelle stirred and opened her mouth as if she
was ready to start crying then seemed to decide
she was too tired to bother.
Andrew chuckled. "Well then..."
JenniAnn gently patted her tummy.
"Why don't you sing to her?"
"You have a much better voice."
Andrew stroked her hair. "I like your
voice."
JenniAnn smiled softly and began to sing "Child of
Mine" until Annabelle drifted back to sleep.
*~*~*
February 10th, 2014
After Annabelle's Naming Ceremony was over, everyone
gathered for dinner together. A line of
well-wishers snaked through the dining hall, each
eager to greet Annabelle and congratulate Andrew and
JenniAnn. Shelby stood near the cradle, acting
every bit the protective big sister.
After several minutes, Fr. Mike found himself at the
head of the line. He hugged Andrew and
JenniAnn. "Beautiful ceremony! And
Annabelle was a perfect angel up there with all those
people staring at her."
JenniAnn beamed. "Let's hope her patience lasts
til Spring when you pour that water over her."
The priest laughed. "No worries even if she
fusses. Trust me. I've seen it all.
One time I baptized a toddler and he was so irritated
he kicked me in the shin. It was a truly holy
occasion."
"That's mean!" Shelby exclaimed.
Fr. Mike ruffled her hair. "He was just confused
and didn't understand."
Andrew chuckled. "Well, I can assure you that
Annabelle won't be causing bruises."
"Annabelle will never hurt anyone," Shelby insisted as
she straightened the bow in the baby's hair.
Touched by her unquestioning devotion, Fr. Mike knelt
down. "I brought you something I thought maybe
you could share with Annabelle." He produced a
book from his bag.
"Frozen!" Shelby shrieked. Weeks before
Andrew, JenniAnn, Kemara, Rose, Max, Violeta, and Owen
had taken several of the children to see the movie and
Shelby had yet to get over it. "I can read it to
her! Can't I?" she implored.
"You bet," Andrew agreed.
"I think that's absolutely the perfect book for the
two of you to read together," JenniAnn added.
She squeezed Fr. Mike's hand appreciatively.
Not wanting to waste any time, Shelby plopped into a
chair by the cradle and began to read aloud.
"It's a hit, Fr. Mike. Thanks." Andrew
hugged him.
"I'm glad and you're welcome. I brought a couple
things." Fr. Mike handed a small box to
JenniAnn.
"Her first rosary..." She kissed Fr. Mike's
cheek. "Thank you, Fr. Mike. It's
beautiful and means so much coming from you."
"You're very welcome. Now this..." He held
up a bag. "I have to confess that I was so
excited for you both that I couldn't resist telling an
old friend. Don't worry. I didn't get into
specifics." Fr. Mike grinned. That didn't
mean the friend didn't know the specifics...
Andrew's eye brow crooked upward. It wasn't like
Fr. Mike to be at all indiscreet. Which meant he
likely knew the 'old friend' himself.
"He was so touched that he made this for you three and
asked me to bring it to you. He's a
woodcarver... among other things. A real
Renaissance man."
Andrew bowed his head. That settled it.
Joshua had sent a gift.
"Aww... how sweet!" JenniAnn accepted the bag,
pulled away the tissue paper, and removed the
statue. "Oh..." She sighed. "But
how..." She shook her head. The white
butterfly was surely just a coincidence. Or
Jesus had whispered of it to the woodcarver.
Andrew circled his arm around her waist. He knew
she was remembering the white butterfly in the
woods... just as he was. That night she had been
plagued by the sufferings of children. The
butterfly had given her hope in God's healing love...
now Annabelle had done the same. The sculpture
was perfect.
"It's beautiful," JenniAnn finally choked out.
"Please thank him. If we write him a note...
could you bring it to him?"
Fr. Mike nodded. "Of course."
For a few moments, JenniAnn buried her face in
Andrew's shoulder until she regained composure and
recommenced visiting with her friends.
*~*~*
As he prepared to go Above,
Andrew watched Allison and Robert fuss over
Annabelle. He hoped that stepping away
might have the added benefit of giving them more
quality time with their granddaughter.
"I wish we could stay longer," Robert
lamented. "But mother's not backing off
this visit with her cousins and I guess I don't
blame her with everyone getting so... old.
But..."
JenniAnn reached for her father's hand.
"You can come see her as soon as you get back,"
she reassured. "Just use the portal."
"But a week is an eternity!" Allison whined as
she kissed Annabelle's hair. "Isn't
it? Isn't it, sweetie?"
Andrew chuckled at the baby talk. He'd
always wondered why humans did that... until
he'd started doing it himself.
"Andrew, you'll be back before we leave?" Robert
questioned.
Buttoning his coat, the angel turned around and
nodded effusively. "Oh yeah. I'll
only be an hour or two. Just need to do
something Above."
Robert smiled. "Good."
JenniAnn approached Andrew and hugged him.
He'd seemed so happy all day and yet there was a
touch of sadness to him. "Everything all
right?" she whispered.
Andrew smiled gently. "Everything's
wonderful. I just..." He looked back
over at Allison and Robert.
JenniAnn noticed the wistfulness in his
gaze. She blushed, wishing she'd realized
what was going on earlier. Andrew had been
able to introduce many of his friends to
Annabelle but only she had been able to see her
own parents welcome their baby. "Are you
going to spend a lil time with your Dad?"
Touched that she'd gathered as much, Andrew
sighed and kissed her hair. "Yes."
"Good." JenniAnn turned back to Annabelle
and her grandparents. "They love and trust
you now more than ever," she murmured.
"I... I'm glad." Andrew had felt as much
but was relieved to have it verified.
While Allison and Robert had once regarded him
with a confused chill, they'd warmed to him long
ago... but enough to entrust their only
grandchild to him? He beamed. It
certainly seemed so.
JenniAnn grabbed his scarf and set it around his
neck. "Go. And please... tell Him
thank You for me a-and that I love Him."
Andrew brushed at the tear that slid down his
cheek. "I will, Laja."
"Thanks." JenniAnn sucked in a deep breath
and let it out. "Now go so you can be back
in time for coffee and cake!"
Andrew chuckled. "Definitely." He
hugged her then kissed Annabelle and bid the
Chandlers adieu.
After making his way to the nearest exit, Andrew
hurried along the now-familiar path to Joshua's
apartment. He trekked up the stairs,
smiling as he did. While still a work in
progress, they were improved since Joshua had
arrived. Much of the building was looking
better.
When he reached room 333, Andrew knocked.
Joshua's face lit up when he opened the door and
found Andrew. He ushered him inside then
pulled him into a hug.
"Thank you," the angel murmured as he wept with
joy in his Creator's arms.
"You're very welcome. Come sit. You
look a little tired."
Andrew gratefully sunk into a chair. The
brisk walk might not have been the best idea
when he hadn't slept much...
"How is everyone?" Joshua questioned eagerly.
"Unbelievably happy. Well... Allison and
Robert wish they could stay longer but
otherwise... blissful. A-and JenniAnn
sends her love and thanks." Andrew smiled
when Joshua pressed a bottle of ginger ale into
his hand. "Thanks."
"My pleasure."
Andrew took a sip. "It's been wonderful
watching JenniAnn introduce Annabelle to her
grandparents. I feel such... amazing
happiness. But... It's made me miss
you and the Father even though I... I know
you're always there."
Touched, Joshua squeezed Andrew's hand.
"Yes. But human form sometimes makes it
harder to feel that." He sighed.
"But for now we have some time so... you want to
look at some cradle plans?"
His eyes brimming again, Andrew nodded.
"I'd love to." He smiled tenderly when
Joshua pulled a sketchbook off the table.
"So these are just a few ideas I had," Joshua
began as he flipped to the front of the pad.
"Roses..." Andrew reached out to touch the
page.
Joshua smiled. "Yeah. I thought it
might be a nice touch to carve some in. Do
you think a rocking cradle or a swinging
one? Both would be safe but I think
JenniAnn might feel like a rocking one is more
solid. But since she knows it's coming
from you..."
The angel of death soaked in Joshua's excitement
and happiness as he rattled off all the
possibilities for Annabelle's cradle. But
no single element was more important to Andrew
than knowing that Annabelle would drift to sleep
in a cradle made by his hands and those of the
One who had made them all.
February 13th, 2014
When Owen had decided the nursery
had been aired out enough, he and Vincent escorted
Andrew, JenniAnn, and Annabelle to
Willowveil.
"You ready?" the artist asked as he excitedly
stood outside the closed door.
"Very," Andrew answered as JenniAnn nodded while
wiping some drool from her daughter's face.
As soon as the door was opened, Lulu and Fawn
rushed in to investigate the "new" room.
"Oh..." JenniAnn spun slowly as she stood in
the middle of the room. "Oh Annabelle look
what everyone did for you... The
ceiling... And... everything..."
"You know, if I'd known this all was coming, I
would have bought stock in Kleenex beforehand,"
Owen teased as he handed his friend a
tissue.
JenniAnn laughed, hugging him with her free arm
then embracing her godfather. "It's so
beautiful!"
Andrew hugged the two men. "It really
is." He gaped at the ceiling. "How did
you do that?"
"I sketched it out. Got help with the
painting. Vampires help when one's painting
a ceiling."
JenniAnn smiled, remembering Logan's unusual
painting technique. "I don't know how we'll
begin to repay everyone for all this time and
effort."
"You won't," Vincent countered. "The time
was given freely and willingly and with
love. Your happiness and your continued love
is the only repayment any of us should desire."
"That we can handle," Andrew murmured. He
walked around the room with Annabelle and
JenniAnn, taking in all the personal
touches. The quilt from Mary and her circle,
books from JenniAnn's childhood that her parents
had brought along in addition to several of
Vincent's choosing, the dog from the angels of
death. Andrew laughed when he noticed the
scented candles were strategically placed near the
changing table. The coffee table was covered
in handmade gifts from JenniAnn's students.
In keeping with the room's theme, Owen had done
small paintings of friendly moons and stars and
suns and hung them on the walls. Andrew
approached the crib Catherine was lending them
until he could finish Annabelle's cradle.
JenniAnn sighed. "Just wait til you see what
Uncle Andrew is making you, Annabelle," she
cooed.
Andrew smiled. The day before he'd presented
JenniAnn with the final plans from Joshua.
She'd sobbed for five minutes straight and then
clung to him for another five. As Andrew
thought of the time he and Joshua would spend on
the cradle, he fingered the beautiful mobile
hanging above the crib.
Vincent chuckled when Annabelle angled around to
find the source of the chiming noise. "From
Monica and Arthur. They purchased it from a
friend they made in the Philippines. It's
meant to be a wind chime but we thought it would
make for a good mobile."
"A very good one," Andrew agreed as Annabelle
studied it.
"Open the dresser," Owen directed. "A gift
from Eliot and Brittony, by the way."
JenniAnn rested her fingers on the beautiful oaken
piece. "It's beautiful."
"That Celtic cross with the bedtime blessing on
top is from Kemara," Vincent explained. "And
the framed poem beside it is from Miss Lee."
"Aww... Kemara and Ivy..." JenniAnn snuggled
Annabelle. "We're very blessed, aren't we,
sweetheart?"
"Very." Andrew opened a drawer and
smiled.
Owen and Vincent stepped nearer to explain the
origins of the pieces if needed.
JenniAnn laughed as Andrew held up a crimson and
gold jumper, tights, and shirt ensemble.
"Max and Rose?"
Owen grinned. "Obviously."
"A frilly dress!" JenniAnn exclaimed as Andrew
moved to the next piece.
"From Mick and Beth. There are matching
shoes, as well."
Next was a sleeper covered in rainbow music notes.
"Tess," Andrew correctly guessed. He laughed
when he pulled out a set of superhero
T-shirts. "Logan got into the baby clothes
buying spree?"
"Very exuberantly... but then is there anything
Logan doesn't do with exuberance?"
JenniAnn smiled. "And that is why we love
him."
Owen nodded. "That drawer below is filled
with clothes from Raquel. She wants so much
to be here but the ship doesn't dock until next
week... so I guess she decided to drown her
sorrows by buying out a boutique."
Andrew marveled at the generosity everyone had
shown. Soon Owen was waving a tissue at
him. Chuckling, he took it and wiped at his
eyes.
Owen stooped down. "One more thing."
He opened the bottom drawer which contained one
lone garment.
JenniAnn gasped in admiration as Owen held it
up. She reached out to touch the immaculate
white baptismal gown.
Vincent took her other hand in his, smiling when
her fingers looped around one of his. "I
found some Irish lace when I was going through my
mother's things. Catherine and I kept
some... in hopes it may one day trim bridal
handkerchiefs. But as for the rest...
Catherine and your mother bought the gown and
Monica and Tess helped add the trim."
Teary-eyed, Andrew took Annabelle so JenniAnn
could focus on her godfather. She threw her
arms around him and sobbed into his sweater,
grateful and glad and humbled and uplifted all at
once.
After nuzzling Annabelle's hair, Andrew looked up
to see that Owen was sniffling. He grabbed a
tissue and handed it to him with a knowing smile.
"Okay, fine. So I'm just as much a sap as
the rest of you." Owen grinned and let the
tears of happiness fall.
*~*~*
February 14th,
2014
"It's so hard to decide how to dress her!
Everyone gave such cute stuff!"
Andrew made faces at Annabelle as JenniAnn looked
through her wardrobe. "We'll have plenty of
time to show it all off, Laja."
JenniAnn turned to face him and smiled.
"Yeah." Late in the night, she'd been seized
by the sudden panic that somehow everything would
fall through but Andrew's assurance and faith had
cured her of that. And maybe because of the
dreamy comfort she'd felt after that, Annabelle's
nickname had slipped from her lips. "Belle,
how do you feel about going Gryffindor today?"
Andrew stood up and sat the baby on her changing
table. "I don't know about Belle but it
sounds like a plan to me. Besides, crimson
is appropriate for Valentine's Day, right?"
"Yup."
Soon they had Belle cleaned up, dressed, fed, and
ready for her first visit to the Cafe.
"Should we bring the car seat?" JenniAnn asked.
Andrew chuckled. "You think there might
actually be a moment that someone's not holding
her?"
JenniAnn grinned. "No, guess not."
"So we ready?"
"Just let me..." JenniAnn dug through the
diaper bag, double-checking to make sure they had
everything they might need. "Yep, we're
good."
"Then off we go! Your first Valentine's
party, Belle!" Andrew gushed as he headed to the
door.
"Oh wait..."
Andrew halted. "What is it?"
JenniAnn stood on tiptoe and kissed his
cheek. "Just wanted to say thank you.
And I love you."
Andrew returned the kiss. "You're welcome
and thank you and... I love you, too. Both
of you." He kissed Annabelle's cheek before
they set off on the quick walk to the Cafe.
Unsurprisingly, they were swarmed when they
stepped inside... and the first to reach them was
Raquel.
"I thought you couldn't get here until next week!"
Andrew cried as he hugged her.
Once he'd let her go, Raquel pulled JenniAnn to
her. "You'll both have to forgive Owen and
me for a small lie. Nico and I docked this
morning but we wanted to surprise you. He'll
be by later today. Now... let me see this
little girl I've heard so much about."
Andrew placed Belle in her arms.
"Oh sweet pea..." Raquel murmured.
Shelby ran up and tugged at JenniAnn's arm.
"Come sit by me! We saved you all a spot
towards the front."
JenniAnn obediently followed with Andrew and
Raquel.
After everyone had settled back down, Rose and Max
stood in front of the screen.
"So..." Rose began. "We hope this year's
video doesn't seem too thrown together but, for
obvious reasons, there was a last minute switch in
producers." She beamed at Andrew and
JenniAnn.
"Nonetheless, we hope we did justice to this
tradition that Andrew and JenniAnn have kept going
for a while. It meant a lot to Rose and me
to take this over because, well, we were just so
happy about Annabelle but also..." Max's
eyes flooded. "I know I haven't been here as
long as some of you but I... I couldn't love you
all more if... if I'd always been here. I
hope the way Rose and I feel about you... about
our family... comes through." He swiped at a
tear and smiled. "But whether it does or
doesn't, I think we can all agree that the video
has a really adorable finale."
With that, the couple sat down on the floor near
Andrew and JenniAnn and began the video.
As "The Circle Game" started up, childhood photos
of each human present morphed into current
photos. For the angels, Violeta and Eli had
smuggled old photographs out of Records. The
crowd laughed as, in many cases, sober tintypes
gave way to wacky digital photos.
"This is an adorable idea!" JenniAnn enthused,
squeezing Rose's and Max's shoulders.
They beamed as the video progressed, incorporating
clips from all their holidays and celebrations
together, their trip to Alaska, and all the other
adventures and mundane occurrences that had
comprised their shared lives during the previous
year.
A lump caught in Andrew's throat as a photograph
Arthur had snapped before Christmas Mass glided
across the screen. He heard Violeta and
Monica both gasp nearby. Unknowingly, Arthur
had captured Joshua, Yosef, and Maryam, too.
"Love..." JenniAnn whispered, pressing a tissue
into his hand when she noticed he was crying.
Andrew squeezed her hand and smiled to reassure
her as another song began and photographs from the
last week cycled by. The sentiment of the
song couldn't have matched what he felt more
perfectly if he'd chosen it himself.
"Sometimes I sit on my front
porch swing,
just soaking up the
day.
I think to myself,
I think to myself
this world is a
beautiful place.
I have been
blessed.
And I feel like I've
found my way."
*~*~*
Joshua stared at the laptop
screen as the video neared its end. He
didn't care that Mike was seeing him cry
so. He hadn't made "Jesus wept" the most
eye-catchingly short passage in the Bible for
no reason.
"I
thank God for all I've been given
at the end of every
day.
I have been blessed
with so much more
than I deserve
to be here with the
ones that love me,
to love them so
much it hurts.
I have been
blessed."
Fr. Mike hugged Joshua when the video ended.
"So... so thanks for that. We really have
been blessed."
Joshua nodded, returned the hug, and dried his
eyes. "Thank you for bringing me that."
"You're welcome. Andrew and Violeta packed
up some of the food for us, too." The priest
began to unload the cooler. "When you were
hungry... I gave you neon pink Valentine's cookies
and TLS sandwiches also shaped like hearts.
Oh and Violeta went through the conversation
hearts and handpicked the ones she thought were
appropriate for you to have," the priest joked,
hoping to make Joshua laugh.
He succeeded.
"Good job on the photo-bomb, by the way."
Joshua laughed again. "I didn't even realize
we'd done that!"
"It's going to be lotsa of fun when they watch
that again after your time with them."
Joshua beamed, already imagining what that time
might be like.
"And you might want to get some ear plugs for when
JenniAnn finds out you made that statue. She
can shriek in decibels that I didn't even realize
existed. But I guess you did."
"Yes and I'll prepare myself."
After saying a blessing, Joshua dug into the
leftovers with Fr. Mike. "Hmm...
Actually, I think this is RBLS, not TLS.
Yeah, it is."
"RBLS?"
"Roast beef like substance. Adam's really
improving. It's delicious."
Fr. Mike shook his head in bemusement. "Only
in Dyeland..."
Joshua smirked and glanced back at the
laptop. He sighed happily. St.
Patrick's Day was less than a month away... the
next holiday. And when it arrived, he would
be among them.
Joshua smiled.
*~*~*
Epilogue
February 17th,
2014
Andrew hugged Annabelle. "Belle, I'll see
you tonight, okay? I have to go meet my next
assignment."
The baby voiced her disapproval by spitting up on
his sweater.
"After I change..." The angel wiped her face
then set her back down in the cradle that he had
presented to her and JenniAnn the previous
night. JenniAnn had clung to him for ten
minutes... at least five of which Andrew was sure
were owed to Joshua.
JenniAnn giggled. She yanked another sweater
off the top of the stack of laundry she was
folding then picked Annabelle up.
After hastily changing, Andrew grinned.
"Okay, now I'm off!" He kissed Annabelle's
hair and then her mother's. "Be back by
6:00. Call if you need me to pick anything
up. And I'll just be in Manhattan if..."
JenniAnn squeezed his hand. "We'll be just
fine. And Violeta's gonna be by within the
hour to help."
Andrew took in a deep breath and nodded.
"Right."
"I'll text you photos if Belle does anything
excessively cute."
The angel smiled. "Thank you." He
hugged her again then stepped into the hall,
surfacing in an alley near St. Genesius' Community
Theatre. He entered and, finding no one in
the lobby, followed the music into the theatre
proper.
"'I don't know how to love him. What to do,
how to move him? I've been changed, yes
really changed. ,'" a young woman on the stage
sang. She looked curiously at Andrew but
kept singing. "'In these past few days, when
I've seen myself, I seem like someone else.'"
"Feel it, sweetheart. You love this man and
you feel him slipping away... headed for something
terrible."
Andrew's gaze traveled to a woman in the
audience. A shawl was wrapped tightly around
her thin shoulders and her head was wrapped in a
brightly colored scarf. Though she couldn't
see him, he smiled tenderly. Not wanting to
alarm the actress, the angel didn't come any
nearer.
"'I don't know how to take this. I don't see
why he moves me. He's a man. He's just
a man,'" the woman intoned, her eyes filling with
tears.
"There it is!"
"Mary" struggled with the next line, her voice
growing shaky. "'And I've had s-so many men
before, in very many ways, he... he's just o-one
more.'"
Andrew bowed his head. Though not perfect,
the rawness suited the song.
"Emma..." her listener murmured, moved.
"'Should I bring him down?'" The singer fell
to her knees, her hair hiding her face.
"'Should I scream and shout?'"
Andrew was enthralled through the rest of the
song. This woman would sing to Joshua night
after night...
When the song ended, the woman in the audience
gingerly stood and clapped. "Beautiful, Emma!
Brava! Now come down here, please."
Andrew took the opportunity to approach. His
steps alerted the woman to his presence. She
turned and smiled at him.
"You must be Andrew from the hospice!" she
greeted, sticking her hand out.
As
Andrew returned her smile and her handshake, he
noticed her cheeks were sallow and her skin pale
but her eyes flickered with life and joy.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Lucy, please."
Emma hopped off the stage and curiously approached
them. "Hospice?"
"I'm happy to meet you, Lucy. I..."
Andrew paused, not sure what Emma knew.
Lucy rested an arm around the younger woman's
shoulders. "Andrew, this is Emma. Our
Mary Magdalene. Emma, this is Andrew.
He's going to be helping me out until I shuffle
off this old mortal coil."
Though it caused Emma to wince, Andrew was pleased
by Lucy's fearless and matter-of-fact attitude.
"B-but not yet," Emma sputtered.
Lucy kissed her temple. "Now don't worry,
darling. I'm going to a good place."
Emma forced a smile for her and for Andrew.
"Pleased to meet you, Andrew."
Andrew shook her hand. "And I'm very pleased
to meet you. You have a beautiful voice."
Emma blushed. "Thank you."
"Emma is also helping my husband, Doug the
Director. You'll get to meet him soon.
Now, come along backstage, Andrew. I want
you to meet everyone."
Andrew swallowed the lump in his throat as Lucy
took his hand and led him away.
So it began.
*~*~*
Outside the theatre, a man walked down the street
and merrily hummed. After a while, he began
to sing quietly to himself and, upon discovering
no one paid him any mind, his volume increased.
"Pre-eeee-eee-pare ye the way of the Lord," he
chortled as he paused in front of a telephone pole
and tacked a flier up. He continued to sing
as he wandered into a restaurant, pausing his song
only to ask if he could post his flier on their
community bulletin board. After doing so, he
continued down the street.
"Pre-eeee-eee-pare
ye the..."
"What do you think you're doing there, young
man?" a deep voice demanded.
The man with the fliers tensed then turned
around, his face breaking into a smile when he
saw the source of the question. "Yeshua!"
Joshua grinned back and, after setting down the
groceries he was carrying, pulled the man into a
hug. "Greetings, Yohannan!" He
glanced down at the papers. "Really, what
are you doing?"
Beaming Yohannan held the papers out for his
cousin to read.
"'Carpentry. Stonework.
Woodcarving. Good Rates. Honest
Work,'" Joshua read. "'Call Joshua
Davidson at...' Yohannan... what is this
number? I don't even have a phone."
Yohannan tilted his head towards an empty bus
stop and when Joshua had followed him inside, he
pulled a bright red cell phone from the pocket
of his jeans. "I do. I'll get word
to you when people call." He admired the
phone. "Such a small thing and yet so much
in it. If I had one of these back
then... I could have been a voice crying
out in the wilderness and on Twitter.
Although I do not care at all for the
limitations... only 140 letters?"
Joshua laughed. "It would have been a
trial for you... and for me for that
matter. So... you don't think I can get
work on my own?" he teased.
"Yes... but I've been reading files. That
Emma is not a very trusting sort. She'll
want to investigate you before you're
hired. So I put you on Yelp, too."
Joshua blinked. "You got on Yelp?"
Yohannan shrugged. "It's my job. I
prepare your way."
"Yeah, about that... You do realize that
song you were singing is not actually in the
musical I'm going to be in, right?" Joshua
hoped Yohannan wasn't setting himself up for
disappointment.
"Oh yes. But I was already dead when Jesus
Christ Superstar's plot begins so I don't
have a song in that one... It would have
been quite macabre, actually, if I had."
Yohannan wrinkled his nose.
Joshua was laughing so hard tears were
forming. Yohannan had always had a very
dark sense of humor... "Well, thank you
for your efforts. Good ideas all.
Now..."
Yohannan's phone rang. "This is Yohannan,
personal assistant to Mr. Davidson.
Yes. I will tell him. I see..."
Joshua curiously waited for his cousin to hang
up.
"Come on," Yohannan beckoned for Joshua to leave
the bus stop.
"Where are we going?"
"To your apartment. Our mothers have lunch
waiting."
Joshua's face lit up. "Ama and Elizabeth!"
"Your friend Mike asked your Ama to come...
something about want versus need. We came,
as well."
Joshua smiled lovingly. The priest, who
had seen him struggle with being closer to
Andrew's family yet further away than ever, had
sensed he wanted his own family near. "I
am grateful." He slung his free arm around
his cousin's shoulders as they began to walk
away.
Before they got too far, Joshua looked back once
more at St. Genesius', knowing Andrew would
effectively deal with everything that would
arise there until he returned... Soon.
The End
Author's note: So... *that* was
surprising. For many years, I've planned for
Annabelle's arrival and the beginnings of "Uncle
Andrew." However, I didn't account for the
feelings I would have when push came to shove.
For a while now I've had this vision of Andrew finding
a baby and then wanting to bring her home to
JenniAnn. And there was that. But then I
also couldn't shake this feeling that, while Andrew
would never turn away from God as Kelly did, he would
probably harbor wishes to raise the baby himself after
sharing such an intense introduction. So I just
couldn't imagine it as cut and dried as "JenniAnn is
the parent, Andrew is the uncle" anymore. In
keeping with the Dyeland tradition of nothing making
sense on paper and yet somehow working... Annabelle
belongs equally to Andrew and JenniAnn. Happy
medium! I don't feel like LJA stole a baby from
Andrew and Andrew doesn't have to give up his job
which woulda really screwed some things up.
Before I get to the credits... This newsletter
is dedicated to John Dye for providing this single
girl with many years of quality Valentine's Day
fun. I've been writing a Valentine's story for
years now and, honestly, it's one of my favorite
holiday traditions. So thank you, John, for
that! Happy Valentine's Day!
Cultural references:
"The Circle Game" by Joni Mitchell
Jesus Christ Superstar
Les Miserables
Peter Pan
Chants by Hildegard of Bingen
"Tender Shepherd" from Peter Pan
Revelation 5:5
John 20:13
Matthew 26:15
1 Timothy 6:15
Revelation 17:14
Revelation 19:16
Genesis 18:14
Ruth 1
Luke 2:52
Luke 22:42
Matthew 6:10
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
1 Thessalonians 5:1-2
"Find Your Wings" by Mark Harris
Matthew 2:1
Jeremiah 29:11
Genesis 37
Three Men and a Baby
Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
"Tell Me Why"
A Man of No Importance
Othello by William Shakespeare
The Smurfs
"Abide with Me" composed by Henry F. Lyte and William
H. Monk
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
"Autumn to May" by Peter Yarrow and Noel (Paul)
Stookey
"Child of Mine" by Carole King
Frozen
"Blessed" by Martina McBride
John 11:35
Matthew 25:35
Godspell
JABB
TOC
JABB
405
(Photo Credits: The photographs used on this page are
from Touched by an Angel and owned by CBS
Productions, Caroline Productions, and Moon Water
Productions. They are not being used to seek profit.)