A 'Touched By An Angel' story

And Sequel to 'Blowing Smoke', 'The Watch and the Star',

'The Hero', 'Christmas Wishes', 'In Need of Answers'

'Unspoken Whispers', 'Affirming a Friendship',

And 'Coming of Age'

By: Yvette Jessen

Ten-year-old Brittany Harrows stood before her classroom, her words soft as she addressed her fifth grade class. "The book I am giving my report on is called ''Hello Mister God, here is Anna'. It's about a little girl…" Her voice trailed off when she heard the voice of her teacher emerging, thus, interrupting the book report that she had painstakingly written.

"Brittany, I'm sorry, but that book is not allowed to be used in your report," the man said. "You will have to read another book and give your report another day."

"Why?" The inquisitive young girl asked.

"Because, the premise of that book is not appropriate for your reading list. Why didn't you select a book like 'Charlotte's Web', or 'The Cat Ate My Gym-suit'?" The teacher suggested and Brittany took her notebook and went back and sat down in her assigned seat. Instead of speaking, she simply stared down at the desk as the next child got up to give their report on 'Treasure Island'.

Sighing deeply, she stared down at the words on the report she had wanted to give. Her thoughts started to drift, and it was obvious that she didn't much care about the possibility that she would probably eventually be quizzed on what the other kid was saying. Anymore, she didn't much care about anything.

If the absolute truth were to be known, the small child had more on her mind than a stupid book report. Her family life was falling apart again, her mother spent most of the time yelling at employees and her uncle only came home when he had to. Her life was as lonely as it always had been. The only semblance of normality was when her grandmother would come down from Cape Cod to visit them. Katherine Livingston had moved there about six months ago and was living out her old age there near the seaside amidst the fresh air.

Today, Brittany's life was school and reading. She loved books, and would spend all her time reading about far off places and adventures. Ever since she could read, she had taken advantage of 'book report days'. She always came up with exotic and interesting books to write about, but this was the very first time she had been told that her topic was wrong, and this, if anything, made the unhappy little girl all the more gloomy.

Eventually, someone poked her on the shoulder, thus bringing her out of her reverie. She turned around and her eyes met those of Suzie Jeffries.

Suzie was one of the few kids at the school that she had known since the first grade. They had been in the same homeroom class back then, and they had shared a great many adventures with one another since then. Although, Brittany was not as close to Suzie as she had once been with Megan, she got along quite well with Suzie, and the two girls had become friends over the years, and now she felt that Suzie was one of her only friends left in this town.

Brittany smiled weakly as a means to acknowledge her, but her thoughts continued to drift. Suzie was one of the only children left from Vicki Hudson's first grade class, the other children had either moved away or they had been split up when the district went and built another elementary school. The other thing that connected Brittany and Suzie was Adam. Adam was an Angel of Death, and he had been Brittany's friend since she was six-years-old and he had been given the chance to meet her entire class and some of the children had started to lovingly call the angel their mascot. Brittany often wanted to ask Suzie if she remembered him, or all the adventures they had shared, but for some reason, Brittany never mentioned the angel to anyone and it was almost as though the child wanted to forget that the angel even existed or had been her best friend once upon a time.

"You OK?" Suzie asked softly as the other child continued to babble on about Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins.

Brittany nodded numbly without speaking, her eyes still staring down at the report she had put her heart and soul into writing. Instead of speaking, she merely handed the notebook to Suzie and watched as the other girl opened it and began to read.

Time seemed to crawl by and when the last bell of the day finally rang, Suzie handed the report back to Brittany. "Man Mr. Flores is an idiot," she whispered to her friend. "That's a really great report and it makes me want to go and read the book."

"Thanks," Brittany said numbly as she pulled out a dog-eared copy of the book and extended it to her friend as the two girls watched as the other kids left the classroom. Haphazardly, Brittany shoved the report into her backpack as Suzie took the book and left the room.

"See you tomorrow Brittany," Suzie said softly as she raced through the doorway and out into the hallway.

Once her friend was gone, Brittany stood up, and started getting ready to leave the room.

At that moment, however, the teacher had gotten to his feet and was walking over towards her desk, his voice stopping her. "Brittany, could you please stay for a few minutes?"

Brittany sighed all the while thinking that she was now in trouble. She nodded weakly as the teacher smiled weakly.

"About the report…" He began, but she, feeling pushed up against the wall, interrupted.

"…I'll write a new report tonight, I also read, 'Swiss Family Robinson'," she said softly as she heaved the backpack up onto her shoulder and was about to leave the classroom, all the while not wishing to get into another drawn out debate with him about school rules that made little, if no, sense to her anyway.

"I'm sorry about the report," he said sincerely, his voice causing her to abruptly look up. "You know that I hate having to enforce rules I don't believe in."

"Then why do you?" She asked before she could stop herself. "Why do a group of adults always try to dictate to us what we are supposed to read? They should be happy that we're reading."

"That's true," the teacher said. "You enjoy reading, don't you?"

"Yeah, my best friend and I talk about books sometimes," she shrugged her shoulders and looked at the teacher. "What is so wrong with doing a book report on a book that talks a little bit about God?"

"People interpret God as religion, Brittany, and they think that when God is mentioned, that someone else are trying to indoctrinate them. It's not a very popular view, but that's how it is," he offered honestly.

"Mr. Flores, do you believe in God?" Brittany asked.

"Yes, I do, that's why it is hard for me to enforce these rules, yet if I don't, I could lose my job, and seeing as I need this job, I don't really want to rock the boat." He shrugged his shoulders, but looked down at her. "Can you get a report done tonight? I know that you put a lot of work into your reports, but I have no choice in the matter, and I really don't want to fail you on this assignment."

"Yeah," Brittany said softly, but something in her made her look up at her teacher. "What would have to happen to persuade you to let me do this report?"

He shook his head. "I don't know, a miracle perhaps."

Brittany sighed but nodded and without another word, she left the classroom with her head downcast. As she slowly walked out into the hallway and through the corridors, she noticed one of the custodians standing at one end. It looked as though he was having trouble because he was standing and trying to empty a garbage can into a large cart-like receptacle. Once he appeared to have managed completing his task, he looked up and made brief eye contact with her, all the while, offering her a friendly smile.

Hesitantly, she returned the gesture and although she could not determine what motivated her to do so, she slowly walked over to him. "Hi," she offered as she watched him dumping another garbage can into the large trolley he was pushing. As he did, a sheet of paper floated to the ground and landed next to one of her feet. Without thinking, she leaned down and picked up the paper and tossed it into the container.

"Thank you," the man said as he regarded the despondent child who now stood next to the cart. "I appreciate your help."

Brittany shrugged her shoulders as he took yet another garbage can and dumped the contents of it into the receptacle. Tapping it against the side of the container, he waited until the rest of the papers had fallen before he sat it down on the ground. He glanced up to see that the young girl was now trying to adjust the straps of her backpack on her shoulders.

Before walking away from him, she abruptly stopped, got down onto her knees, pulled the backpack from her shoulders, opened it, and removed the report from it. She stared down at it for a few moments before tossing it into the container. Without even a word, she got back on her feet and walked slowly towards the doors leading outside without looking back.

Once she was gone, the custodian pulled the report out of the container and walked towards one of the classrooms, an eerie silence filling the air, but after some seconds had passed, he opened the notebook and started to read the neat print that was scrawled across the first page. As he finished reading this, he started to walk towards the door with a small sign that read the name 'Mr. Flores, English' in bold letters. Above the name was a small pane of translucent glass that acted as a small mirror into the classroom.

*****

As soon as Brittany had left his room, Michael Flores watched her leave and he looked down at the pile of reports now on his desk. Brittany was one of his favorite students. Never in his five years of teaching had he found a child so dedicated to reading as she was. He remembered the last report she had given and how she had read the longest book on the reading list and had given a report on it that literally blew his mind. This went beyond the fifth grade level, but he never spoke of this to the child or her family, simply because there seemed a genuine disinterest all the way around.

He remembered how they had had the parent teacher conference at the beginning of the school year, and Holly Harrows had sent her brother with her daughter instead of coming herself. This family seemed to not grasp the wonder of togetherness. Perhaps it was because they were one of the wealthiest families in the state.

He shook his head. It was true, he had never made a big deal about Brittany's reading and writing level, simply because he feared that if he did, the other children would feel slighted, and he knew that Brittany was not always the most popular child in the school. She had been through a great deal, her father was in prison, her family was wealthy, but never in his life had he met a child quite like Brittany Harrows before.

As he sunk into his contemplations, someone tapped on the door and he watched as it opened. "Michael?" A familiar voice emerged and he looked up to see his sister-in-law, Vicki Hudson standing in the doorway.

"Hi Vicki," he said softly.

"Hey, how's it going?" She asked, but all the while noticing his glum expression.

"Great," he mused softly, his voice a depiction of anything but.

"You look kind of lost, is everything OK?" Vicki eventually asked carefully, her voice soft.

"I just had to tell one of my kids that she was not allowed to do her book report on material that talks about God," Michael said softly as he stuffed a pile of reports into his briefcase. When he completed the task, he looked up at her.

"Those new rules," Vicki guessed, but when he nodded, she looked intently at her sister's husband. "It must be harder for you than for me because you work with children who are older and even more inquisitive than the little ones in my first grade classes. Does that even come close to why it is you are so glum?"

He nodded. "I wanted to tell her that I understood her feelings about this, but…" His voice trailed off.

"You do, Michael, more than a lot of people do," Vicki said softly as she rested her hand on his shoulder.

"What can you tell me about Brittany Harrows, Vicki? She's one of your former students, but there is something about her that is special, I can see it, she just doesn't seem to believe it." He said softly.

As he spoke the custodian walked into the room and smiled warmly at them. "Hello there, Leo," Michael greeted the man by name and Vicki looked up and offered a cordial smile as well.

"Hello Michael," the custodian offered a reciprocating greeting and smiled. "I don't mean to interrupt you both, but you don't happen to be speaking of a little girl with long brown hair and who is wearing a yellow sweatshirt?"

"Yes, actually we are, her name is Brittany and she's one of my best students," Michael answered honestly. "Why do you ask?"

"I know, I may seem a bit forward in saying so, but she dropped this in the garbage container out in the hall just now," he said as he handed the small notebook to the teacher. "You may find out a lot more about Brittany if you read this. I read the first part, and it really is impressive work."

Vicki took the report from him and looked down at it as she began to read. "Well, she's always been smart, sensitive, and has more faith than just about anyone I have ever met," Vicki said softly.

As she spoke, Leo smiled weakly before excusing himself from the room.

Once he was gone, Vicki looked at Michael and spoke, her voice unhappy. "Is Brittany the student that you had to say no to with regards to the book report?" She handed the notebook to him after she had skimmed down the first page. "You really should read this, not as a teacher, but as an observer of the trials and tribulations of children," she said after the extended silence had passed.

The teacher nodded numbly. "I told her that the only way that I could allow her to do this report would be if a miracle was to happen. Now, from looking at it, I am convinced that maybe she did this, not because of rules or regulations, but because she's really trying to find some semblance of faith or trust again. It's my fault, if she loses her faith…" His voice trailed, but somewhere he found the words he wanted to say and continued speaking. "…It may sound hard to believe for you, but I really did want to hear that report. Then after class, Suzie Jeffries was talking to her and she said that I was an idiot for disallowing her to read it. I think she was right, I was an idiot."

"No, you weren't. You have a lot more to lose than most, Michael. You need this job and Sandy will need your support if your child is born with Down's syndrome."

"She didn't want to about it, and I said an abortion was out of the question, a child is a gift," Michael said softly.

"Yes, for you both, it is, but you know that in times like this, I think God sends all of us an angel to watch over, and help us. He has sent angels to us in the past, Michael and who's to say He won't do it again?" Vicki asked assuredly.

"You really believe all that, these stories that there was an angel hanging around this school?" Michael asked softly.

"You may think me crazy, but yes I do, I met two of them, and one of them is my friend, the other is Brittany's very best friend in the world. The point is, it's not just an issue of Brittany's wavering faith, but it's an issue of yours too. Michael, you are not at fault for your child being born with Downs anymore than it is your fault that you had to enforce rules you don't believe in. I've had to enforce rules like that too, and I know how hard it is."

"Hard doesn't even begin to describe how torn I am feeling, Vicki," he whispered.

Vicki smiled weakly. "I know, but whatever happens, maybe we should just accept that God is waiting for just the right moment to help make things right. You just never really know, Michael."

He nodded and grabbed his leather briefcase in one hand, and the report in the other. As he started to walk slowly from the room, Vicki watched him leaving, and after a few moments, she started to follow him.

"I'll talk to you later," she offered softly, but she knew that he had not heard her because she could see him disappearing down the hall and around a corner. Once he was gone, she sighed deeply and walked slowly towards the door leading outside, as she did, she glanced back to see that Leo had stopped working and was staring off in the direction that Michael had walked in.

Swallowing the lump that formed unconsciously in her throat, she walked with weighted steps towards the door of her classroom, all the while, her thoughts literally racing.

*****

Outside, Brittany walked with weighted steps towards the bicycle rack. At this moment, she felt absolutely miserable, but for some reason, she had long since given up on the hope that she would see her best friend. Things were not all that hard, she was just angry and upset about the book report, but this felt as though it was much more critical, simply because of the all the events that were happening in her life now. For this reason, she had long since given up the hope that God would even care about her plight and send an angel to change her teacher's mind.

As she retrieved her bicycle, she unconsciously glanced skyward and took a deep breath. She could tell that the sky was getting darker by the minute and chances were that during this time of year, and in the wake of the flooding that had destroyed the farming community nearby. As the first drops of rain began to fall, she put her backpack on the back rack of her bike and covered it with a piece of plastic in order to keep her school books dry. As a bolt of lightening, followed by a crack of thunder could be seen and heard in the distance, she started to push the bicycle slowly across the school's courtyard.

She took a deep breath as she walked, her thoughts centered on the report that she was to write for her English teacher. She sighed deeply all the while wondering why it was that God or anything remotely relating to Him could possibly be against the rules.

Unbeknownst to her, someone had been watching her from across the courtyard and was now slowly following her, their light footsteps much softer than the sounds of her clattering bicycle or the distant thunder.

The drops of rain started to fall much quicker than before, and eventually, Brittany could now feel the steady shower was forcing her to find some sort of shelter. When she reached the end of the street, she noticed that there was a small church there, and without thinking, she ran towards the door, all the while trying to ignore the wetness as it splashed against her face and arms.

She sighed deeply and when she reached the church, she pulled her bicycle up against the building and once she had grabbed hold of her backpack, she ran towards the partition that would offer her some sort of shelter from the rain. This proved quickly unsuccessful because the wind direction suddenly shifted and she could once more feel the rain against her face. Instead of standing there and getting drenched, she rushed inside the small building, the door slamming behind her.

Behind her, Leo was walking and when he saw that although her bicycle was parked in front of the church, it was still getting wet. Without even thinking, he shoved the child’s bike over towards the partition and parked underneath the wooden structure, thus providing it some shelter from the passing shower. Once he had finished this task, he waited some minutes before deciding to go inside the church and talk with the little girl. The last thing he wanted to do was to behave in a way that would frighten or startle her.

After a few moments, he walked back towards the church, opened the heavy wooden door and stepped into the small, but relatively darkened foyer. He looked around the area, his gaze now on a pane of glass that showed him the inner recesses of the small, welcoming, and brightly lit sanctuary.

As he stood and watched the little girl through the large pane of glass, he could see that she was standing off to one side and was staring up at something that was hanging on the wall. A portrait seemed to almost beckon her. He opened the door and went into the sanctuary and he was able to see what it was that had captivated her.

Coming closer, He could see a portrait that hung on the wall, the little girl's eyes seemed to be staring at it as if in complete captivation, but he decided that it would be better to just watch her for a few more moments instead of abruptly approaching.

"You know her?" A voice emerged and he looked up to see a man who looked to be about sixty-years-old standing next to him.

"Not really, I only met her once today at the school," Leo responded as he dug his hand in his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. He wiped his face with it before returning it to his pocket.

"I used to see her all the time, she probably wouldn't remember me, but her grandfather used to hang around here a lot. He and I would get into debates constantly about scriptures and passages. He said that I was the only preacher in town who would put up with his shenanigans. He was a member of this church since I was in diapers, and when I came in as the preacher, he said: 'Now, I won't call you by some fancy title, you're Justin and that's it.' He was really a great guy, seemed so different from the rest of his family. In fact, I haven't seen any of this particular family here until today," the man responded as he motioned towards the unhappy child.

"Brittany?" Leo asked as the man nodded. "I see." He continued to watch the little girl. She finally had stopped looking at the portrait and had gone to sit down on the floor in front of the altar. Leo looked at the man as he continued to speak. "Please excuse me for a moment, I need to check something outside," he offered as he walked slowly towards the door.

Once outside, he sighed deeply, but could feel the rain as it continued to pour down on the town. Justin eventually came outside and joined Leo at the front entrance. Together, the two men looked out across the now soggy grounds.

"You new in town?" He asked looking at Leo.

"Yes, I'm just passing through, arrived and started working here today, I got a job out at the school. That's actually where I met Brittany," he responded. "She seems like a very special little girl, very smart, insightful, but all the words that people may say about her seems almost contradictory to what is going on with her now."

"I know what you mean; even though I haven't seen her in years, I know how she used to be. She was always happy when she came here, she carried that excitement around and it became contagious. Now, she seems different somehow. I only wish that people would notice this in her, no one seems to care much anymore about what is going on, they look at profit margins and other stuff, but they've forgotten what is really important."

"Maybe they're just waiting for someone to show them, maybe you?" Leo asked softly.

"I don't know about that, people aren't much into praying these days," the minister whispered softly. "The thing is this is a small town, and there's a lot of talking that goes on around here. I hear more rumors than I would like to admit to hearing. There are things you just might pick up on at the local diner that you wouldn't repeat without police protection."

"What do you mean?" Leo asked softly.

"Just things that I wouldn't have the courage to repeat, things that are centered around that little girl's family," he said softly. "I have heard stories that said that some of their workers are crooks, that they would not think twice about harming or killing any of them."

"Do you think that someone will try to harm the child?" Leo asked softly.

"I wouldn't put it past any of them, if they want money, then they'll hurt anyone or anything that will keep them from getting it," Justin said softly.

"And you trust me to tell me of these suspicions?" Leo asked softly.

The preacher shrugged his shoulders. "What can I say? These are just the words of an old man, it's not like there's any validity to them. Come on, let's get back inside, I still have work to do."

Leo nodded and turned to follow the man back inside the building. Sadly, he had the same feelings that the pastor had, but when he glanced up and made eye contact with two men who were now walking along the adjacent street, he nodded. Something was going to happen that day, and although no one knew what it was, the future of this small town would hang in the balance of one very innocent, and very brave little girl.

Taking a deep breath, he followed the pastor inside the church.

*****

Brittany had, by this time, gotten up off the floor and walked back over to the portrait and stood staring up at it for some minutes. In the painting, she saw a man holding a small child lovingly in his arms, all the while showing her the intricate petals of a small flower.

As she stared at it, she realized that, for some reason, there was something truly beautiful about the picture and somehow it managed to evoke an emotional response in her. When she suddenly felt the tears streaming down over her face, she realized how much she truly wished that someone would hold her as depicted in the picture. Through her innocent eyes, she could see the image of a loving father, a confidant and friend, but yet the more she stared at it, the sadder she became. Eventually, she turned away from it and made her way towards a small guest book that was situated on one side of the room. She stared down at the scrawled writing that was inside it, all the while trying to wipe the persistent tears from beneath her eyes.

"I see someone has decided to come in from the weather," a voice emerged and she abruptly turned around and looked into a pair of emphatic brown eyes.

"I guess so," Brittany said softly. "'I'm sorry if I'm not supposed to be in here, but it's raining and I didn't want to get wet."

"Oh nonsense, that's why a church is here. The house of the Lord is just as much a sanctuary for children coming in from a passing shower as it is for adults who want to hear me give a lesson." he smiled reassuringly at her. "I see you are looking at the guest register, we started this here about a year ago after one of our members went to Europe and visited a number of churches and cathedrals who also had these," he smiled as he looked down at the book. "This is one of the neatest things to have because our guests here come from all over the world, and most of the time we may not even know which corner they come from. A guest register will show us where our visitors have come from."

"I used to want to leave here and go somewhere else, but it didn't happen," she smiled weakly as she brushed her hand through the pages, but her gaze returned to the portrait.

"My name is Justin Waters, I'm the pastor here," he introduced himself all the while noticing her movements. "You're Brittany Harrows, right?"

"How do you know?" she whispered as she looked back in the direction of the painting on the wall and too shy to make eye contact with him.

"I knew your grandfather," he answered. "He used to come to church here. This was probably before you remember, but he would bring you here with him and you used to cry during the lessons and aggravate the old ladies."

"I don't remember," the little girl said softly.

"I figured as much, you were quite small the last time I saw you. Now, you've grown into quite the young lady." He smiled gently at her as a soft chuckle emerged. "I also noticed that you seem to be quite entranced with the picture on the wall over there," he said softly. "I like this picture myself and am quite fond of it, too."

"It's really pretty," she said softly.

"Yes, and depending on how you look at it, will depend on who the man in the picture is. To every person, he may be someone different," Justin said smiling.

Brittany nodded. "I like it, he looks like a nice man, like someone who would never hurt or disappoint me."

The pastor nodded. "That he is," he smiled gently at her. "I'll tell you what, I still have some work to do in my office, and even though I'm pretty sure that the rain will be letting up soon, it also might be a good idea for you to call your folks and tell them that you got held up because of the weather. You can tell them know you're here and that nothing has happened to you. What's say we go to my office and you can call them, and then afterwards you can come back here and have a look around until the rain lets up? How does that sound?" He suggested.

She nodded and walked with him to the office. "Thank you, I guess it's a good idea that I call home because my mom might be really worried that I didn't come home right after school."

He nodded. "Somehow I figured that."

As he showed her to the office, Brittany was able to make her call and once her mother knew that she was safe, they said their good-byes and the little girl walked alone back to the sanctuary.

As she reached the room, she saw a familiar man seated in the pew at the very front of the church. She walked slowly, but hesitantly, towards the front of the church and sat down on the opposite side of the aisle and stared at the altar, her thoughts literally racing out of control, but she glanced over at the man whom she recognized to be the custodian from her school.

At that moment, he looked up and spoke, his voice soft and gentle as he greeted her. "Oh, hello."

Brittany responded with a somewhat nervous nod of her head, but she stood up with the intention of leaving, but the man's voice caused her to stop this action and to sit back down on the pew.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Do you remember me, you were helping me with my job at your school?" he asked smiling and once she nodded, he continued. "You know, I don't know too many people around here, I just got into town today and managed to get this job. You really helped me with that, you helped make it possible for me to do a thorough job and to make a good first impression."

Brittany shrugged her shoulders. "I only picked up a piece of paper, it was no big deal."

He nodded. "It was a very nice gesture. My name's Leo, and based on the report I found and from talking to Justin Waters just now, I know that your name is Brittany, right?"

"Yes," she whispered and looked down at her lap.

"If you don't mind me saying so, you seem to have a lot on your mind," he said softly. "I can't help but wonder if you really had wanted to throw your report away, I mean, it looked as though you had put so much work into it. Why did you throw that away?"

The young girl shrugged her shoulders. "Because, it was useless."

"Useless?" He asked softly.

"Yeah," she whispered more to herself than to him.

"Why would so much hard work be considered useless?" He asked softly as he looked at her.

Brittany took a deep breath but shrugged her shoulders as she got to her feet and started to walk away from him. "I'm going to see if it's stopped raining." As she spoke, he looked over at the window and could hear the sounds of the falling rain still hitting against it. Seconds passed and she literally jumped when the sounds of thunder resonated the small church.

Leo looked at her. "I guess from the sounds of it, neither of us will be leaving this place any time soon, we're kind of stuck here for the moment," He smiled as he looked at her, his eyes intent, but there was a trace of openness in them that reminded her so much of Adam. "Why are you so unhappy, Brittany?" He eventually asked.

"I miss my best friend," she mumbled more to herself than to him, but she reached into the pocket of her dress and felt the smooth surface of the golden pocket watch that rested in there. "He's really far away, and now I really need him. I want to see him so badly, but just like everyone else, he's working and doesn't have time for me," she shrugged her shoulders.

"Working?" Leo looked at her. "So he's a grown up?"

"Yeah," she said but it emerged as more or less a sigh.

"What does he do?" He asked.

"He helps people," she whispered.

"I see," came the simple response and he looked at her. "Well, maybe I can help, if you need somebody to talk to, you can talk to me, I'm a really good listener."

Brittany shook her head. "It won't do any good, because you can't make things better."

"Well, that's true, I can't make things better, but I can listen and sometimes after having talked about how you feel, things tend to be a little better because they start to make a bit more since," he said softly. "You know whenever you talk to your mom or your friends, things somehow find their ways of working out, so why don't you give it a try?"

"I don't know," she whispered.

"I promise, I won't betray your trust, I have it from the highest authority that you can talk to me," he said smiling down at the little girl and waited as she processed his suggestion.

After a few moments, she spoke, her words barely audible. "I just wish that Adam was here," she said weakly. "I haven't seen him since my cousin, Jason, came to live with us, and that was months ago. I just miss him, I mean, I just want to understand why there are rules that say we can't talk about God at school, or why it is that my best friend is never here when I really need him."

"I take it you believe that your friend, Adam, could possibly shed some light on things?" Leo asked gently.

"Yeah, he's really smart," Brittany said softly. "When I was really little he would come, tell me stories, and sing me songs. He'd talk about God a lot, but he made it seem like God was right there in the room with us, and that He loved and understood us. Now I just don't know anymore. Everything is bad again, and Adam's not here to make things better. I think God hates me now."

"Are you completely certain of that?" Leo asked softly, but when she nodded, he continued. "I don't think you are, look at where you are sitting right now."

Brittany looked around the sanctuary, her eyes unhappy, but eventually, she looked at him. "Maybe," she mused. "I just wish I knew for certain that He's there and that He understands me."

"He understands you better than you think," Leo said softly. "Of that, you can be certain."

She shrugged her shoulders as the pastor came up the aisle and spoke. "It stopped raining, and now the sun's out."

Brittany nodded and without another word, she walked up the aisle and outside. The pastor looked at Leo and then at the altar. "I suppose its no secret that although her that her family is rich in material possessions, they are seriously lacking in the things that are really important."

"Like paying attention to and accepting that child," Leo nodded and watched as the heavy wooden door closed behind the little girl. "They believe that they are losing everything, but the greatest treasure stands before them and they don't even realize it." He shook his head sadly.

"Yes, that's true, and now the Livingston family is quickly losing everything, the local media is trying to second guess what will happen, but no one can really determine this," he shrugged his shoulders. "This whole thing is hitting that little girl profoundly, I can tell by looking at her. I haven't seen the surviving members of the family in years, but I always remembered things Kyle would say, and one of the things he said was that she was his greatest treasure, his most priceless and wonderful gift. He always wanted to instill his faith in her, but being surrounded by a family that focuses only on money may not be easy for this little girl to keep her faith."

"But, she has managed in some ways to keep it, right? I mean; think about it, look at where she chose to come, and this is no coincidence, Justin, there is no such thing as these kinds of chance occurrences," Leo said softly and once the pastor nodded he sighed sadly. "Seeing as that may be the case, then maybe that's all she has left, and maybe this faith is wavering under the weight of everything else that she is experiencing."

The pastor nodded sadly. "Yes, that may be true."

Leo glanced towards the door to the church and after a few moments, he got to his feet. "Maybe all they need is someone to inspire them otherwise." He smiled and walked up the aisle towards the door leading outside.

The pastor nodded, maybe this stranger was right, and maybe he had the ability to wake up this sleepy little town. It seemed to him to be more or less an uphill battle. This seemed to have come about only in the wake of the flooding. People had lost everything, their faith included.

At that moment, the pastor was thoroughly convinced that Leo would have quite a battle ahead of him if he were to help the locals realize this.

*****

As Brittany came up the walk to the large house where she lived, she could hear her mother yelling something at one of the many employees of the failing family business. The little girl sighed deeply as she opened the door and went inside. The house was, for the most part empty except for the meeting that was taking place in the front hallway of the house. Holly Harrows had arranged with an advisor to come in and work with her on salvaging what was left from the fields that had been destroyed by the floods.

The little girl looked around the large entryway and after a few seconds, she made eye contact with the advisor who was headedly arguing with her mother. Without disturbing either of them, Brittany left her mother alone with the advisor and silently walked through the foyer and up the stairs, all the while awaiting the comfort and sanctuary of her bedroom.

When she reached the door, she calmly opened it and closed it once she was safely in her room. She went over to the desk and picked up the paperback copy of 'Swiss Family Robinson' and opened it. After a few moments had passed and she could still hear the shouting literally engulfing the house, she decided that working on her report would be hopeless. She put the book back down on the table and rested her chin in her hands. "What am I supposed to do now?" She asked the stillness, all the while not really expecting any sort of answer, but sighing deeply as she stared down at the hard wooden surface of the desk. The book had been shoved to one side, but she grabbed her backpack and pulled as small folder out and opened it to the first blank page.

She had needed to write that report because somehow through it, she wanted to find her wavering faith once again. Yet, in the wake of her family's financial troubles seemed to be all she had left, and yet, no one seemed to understand the need she had for it.

She stared down at the blank page as she automatically wrote her name on the top right hand corner of it. As she did, she found herself staring down at her uneven handwriting. "What should I do now?" She repeated the question and after a few moments, she felt a hand on her shoulder and a gentle voice emerging.

"Don't give up hope, Brittany. No matter what may happen, don't lose hope, little one," Adam's voice suddenly emerged and she abruptly turned around to see that her best friend was now standing in the room. The angel had appeared from out of nowhere, and when she saw that he was dressed casually, she smiled as she looked up at him. The first thing she noticed, however, was that he no longer wore a beard, and his salt and pepper hair was growing out and had a wavy texture to it. She stood up, her small arms reaching out to him and wanting to be taken gently into his comforting embrace.

"Adam, it's you, y-you're here," she whispered, her eyes filled with sadness and lost hope. She shook her head in disbelief, but when she reached him, she could see that he was completely encased in sadness, and that his usual energy was not present. Yet, contrary to his hesitant assurances, as soon as she could feel his arms under her hands, she swallowed, her eyes filling with tears. "I missed you."

"Hello sweetheart," the angel got down on his knees so that he would be eye-level with her. As he looked at her, he tried to force a smile, the overwhelming sadness embodied him and he tried without much success at keeping a brave face as he looked deeply into the eyes of his young and very special friend. "You have a great deal on your mind, don't you, little one?" He asked softly. "All this fear and sadness that you carry are not directed towards your teacher or the book report, but rather about all the things happening to you at this time, and you need some support, don't you?"

She nodded numbly, her gaze now on the ground. "W-where have you been?" She whispered as she felt the angel taking her into his embrace.

"I've been working, little one," he offered honestly. "I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner, honey, but I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere until you're doing better. Now, tell me, what's wrong?"

At the moment when she was about to offer an answer to his inquiry, they were jarred back to reality when the sounds of a loud crash erupted the stillness of her room and Brittany looked at Adam with unsuppressed fright. "W-what was that?" She whispered all the while wanting to leave her room and go downstairs in order to find out what was happening.

She could hear what seemed to be the sounds of china shattering against the linoleum floor. This loud sound seemed to engulf the entire house and as Andrew, another Angel of Death appeared in the room, Brittany ignored this as the resonance of her mother's shouts reached a piercing almost frightened tone, and the young girl eventually turned and looked at Andrew, a question looming.

Andrew, like Adam seemed to carry himself with extreme sadness and the angel took a deep breath before walking towards the door leading out into the hallway. "Andrew," she whispered his name, her tiny voice barely audible, but the angel stopped and turned around.

As she looked up at him, she could see that unlike Adam, Andrew was dressed impeccably in a beige suit and tie, the angel glowing somewhat and seeing this, caused an involuntary shiver to curse through the child's fragile body once she realized what was happening, Andrew was there to work, something was about to happen and Brittany tried without success to remain calm, but her first intention was to flee from her room and run downstairs to warn her mother.

Before she could leave, Andrew reached out and touched her shoulder and Adam went over and took the child in his arms. "Don't go out there, Brittany," Andrew said softly as he got down on his knees next to where Adam was now firmly holding her in his embrace. "It would be too dangerous for you out there. For your own safety, you should stay right here with Adam. I'm going to see what is happening, but please don't leave this room, sweetheart." As he gently pleaded with her, he brushed a gentle hand through the girl's hair and looked at Adam. "This is very serious," he whispered, but left the room before Brittany could respond.

Once they were alone, Adam maintained his hold on her, his hands brushing through her long brown hair. "I'm scared," she whimpered softly. "Please make this stop, Adam," she continued to cry as the sounds of the heated argument resumed.

"Shhh, I know, honey, but you're not alone now," Adam whispered as the argument dissolved and the sound of a gunshot could be heard in every corner of the large house.

Brittany screamed shrilly as she covered her ears with her hands, the explosion of the gun literally piercing her ears. Seconds passed and Adam sighed deeply as he looked serenely into the eyes of the little girl. "Brittany, I want you to listen to me, sweetheart, do you remember how to alert the authorities? You did this once when Tess was here, now you need to do so again," the angel said soothingly as the sounds of a gun firing continued to be heard and a woman's agonized screams became the only sounds to be heard.

Brittany began to cry hysterically, all the while calling out to her mother, but Adam reached over and grabbed her quavering hand tightly but gently in his own. This prevented her from leaving the room, but all the while, he could feel her frantically struggling against his hold. "Brittany, you need to press the alarm button, now."

With tears still streaming down over her face, her small body wavering, she managed to make her way over to the alarm system that was on an adjacent wall. She pressed the button as hard as she could, but all the while, she sank to the ground as one word emerged from her quavering lips. "Mommy."

Adam had, by this time reached her side and pulled her into his arms and she continued to scream hysterically for her mother. She could no longer hear the sounds of her mother's voice, and this frightened her and she buried her face against the angel's chest, her agonized sobs hitting him directly in the center of his gentle heart.

Several minutes passed, and she could hear a loud siren in the distance, thus breaking the stillness of the area. She slowly broke out of the embrace and walked over to the window only to see someone running across the grounds in the direction of the adjacent woods. She could tell even from the distance that his clothes were the same as what she has seen on the man when she had come home and seen them talking in the foyer of the large house.

As an uncanny and eerie silence descended on the house, Brittany backed slowly away from the window and looked at Adam, all the while trying to decide what to do. When she heard the paramedics banging on the downstairs door, Brittany fled from her room, ran down the hall, and stumbled down the stairs; the angel having no choice, but to follow close behind.

When she reached the landing she rounded a corner with the intention of opening the front door. However, much to her horror, she discovered that the body of her mother was on the floor in a puddle of blood. Andrew was holding Holly's limp body in his arms and she could see that the angel was whispering something to the woman.

Seconds passed and Andrew stopped speaking, but he eventually looked up to see that they were both watching him. Taking a deep breath, Andrew gently put the body of the woman on the floor, his eyes filling with tears as he wretchedly shook his head as he brushed his hand over Holly's face, thus closing her eyes.

"She's gone," Adam whispered despondently as the paramedics grew impatient with waiting at the door, and eventually they had no choice but to break down the door in order to gain access to the house.

As the three of them reached the woman's body, they could clearly see that they were, tragically, too late. Brittany stood in shock, her young face losing all its color. The young girl's feet were practically rooted to the floor, and as they were pulling a gurney into the foyer of the house, she completely lost control of herself and crumpled to the ground in a heap, her arms reaching out to hold her mother, hoping desperately that her mother would return the embrace she was ready to give. Two of the three paramedics seemed not to notice the child, but one, a middle-aged woman approached the little girl on the ground.

Brittany did not seem to feel anything, even after the woman had reached her and rested a gentle hand on the child's shoulder. Instead, all she could hear echoing in her mind was the absolute finality of Adam's words as they hit her full force. She struggled against the woman who held her and she tried to crawl over to her mother, the skirt she wore now damp from the blood that was on the floor next to her mother's unmoving body.

"No, don't take my Mommy away," Brittany eventually whimpered as she reached for her mother's limp hand, but as she held the hand of her mother and did not feel the warmth of her mother reciprocating this simple gesture. Heartbroken, she closed her eyes as soft sobs emerged.

At that moment, she became consciously aware that the female paramedic was pulling her away from her mother's body, and she fought with all that was inside of her to be allowed to remain next to Holly. "Mommy," she screamed with agony as the words she had heard passing between the two angels repeated themselves over and over in her conscious. "No!" She screamed with all that was inside of her.

Seconds later, the paramedics had successfully loaded Holly's body into an ambulance while their colleague remained with Brittany and had started to help the grief-stricken child get to her feet. "Come with us, sweetheart," she said and Brittany numbly nodded and walked with the woman outside. Once she crawled into the back of the ambulance with her mother, she allowed the tears to relentlessly fall.

"We'll do everything we can for her, sweetheart," the kindly paramedic said, her voice gentle as her two colleagues continued their futile attempts to revive Holly.

"She's dead," Brittany whispered.

The paramedic looked at the little girl. "Why would you reach that conclusion, honey?" She asked softly.

"An angel told me, but he only comes to see me when things are bad," she whispered, her head hanging and she wrapped her arms self-consciously around herself, but seconds later, she sank into herself and lost consciousness.

For her part, the paramedic regarded the small child with surprise. "I think she's under shock, but I don't get it, how would she know that her mother is dead, there has been no verification of it?" the woman asked.

The other man shook his head and looked down at Holly. "But she is, I mean; with a gunshot to the heart, I would guess that this little girl witnessed the whole thing." He cast a sideways glance towards Brittany and when he saw her innocent face, he shook his head sadly. Something deep inside of him kept telling him that something traumatic had happened to the child, but what it was would probably remain trapped inside her broken, possibly shattered heart.

*****

Ten minutes later, the ambulance arrived at the emergency room and the paramedics helped a now conscious Brittany climb out of the back of it. Next to her, Adam stood, his arm around the child's shoulders, but her eyes were on Andrew who was now accompanying Holly's body into the large glass building.

As she entered the large and brightly decorated waiting room, Brittany looked around. Once her mother had been wheeled into the internal sanctions of the emergency room, the small child was gently told to go and sit down in one corner of the waiting room and the on duty staff would contact her family.

When she finally managed to heed these words and went to sit down, she could not sit still even after slowly lowering herself into a chair. She seemed not to notice that Adam had remained by her side and instead, she stared helplessly down at the floor.

For the next minutes, she sat and waited for someone to arrive, all the while she looked around the busy room in hopes that Adam would say something. She had heard his breathing right next to her, his eyes closing often and his soft utterances becoming his silent prayers that the Father would somehow help the little girl and her family.

Eventually, he glanced over at her and could see that she was now looking up at him, her eyes filled with an almost unfamiliar gleam. As she looked away from him, he could see that now she was staring down at the linoleum floor in the large and uninviting place.

For her part, she continued to take in this place, her eyes scanning the room and recognizing that very few people were present, and none of them seemed to really pay any attention to her. After some time had passed, she lowered her head once again and kept it down as Adam spoke, his words filled with melancholy.

"I'm sorry I couldn't always stay with you, sweetheart," he whispered, "but we need to talk about something really important," the angel whispered, his voice filled with traces of agony and sadness.

"My mommy's dead, isn't she?" Brittany whispered.

Adam nodded numbly. "I'm so sorry, honey," he whispered, his eyes filled with sadness, his voice cracking with emotion. "Andrew had to take her Home…"

Before he could say anything further to her, the little girl got up and stumbled away from him, her face a depiction of pain. "That's why you're here, isn't it?" She asked weakly as she turned around and faced him, her face was filled with bitterness and indescribable heartbreak. "You didn't care about me, you don't even love me, it's your job, and you just show up to take my mommy away from me. Why did you ever tell me that God was good, when all He wants to do is take away everyone I ever loved?"

"No, Brittany, that's not the reason why I'm here and it's certainly not the way things are." When she pushed away from him, he continued to speak, his voice gentle. "Please, honey, that's not the case at all, I love you very much, and I truly wish I could have come sooner," the angel whispered, agony shadowing his handsome face. "I'm here, now because I care about you, you're my friend."

"Stay away from me," she whimpered as she turned back around and ran towards the chapel. "Just leave me alone," She shouted as she disappeared inside the small room, the door slamming behind her.

Once she was gone, Adam looked up and saw Brittany's uncle, Hunter Livingston coming through the large glass doors, the man's eyes filled with horror and sadness, but it was obvious that he was still reeling from the news that his sister had been rushed to the hospital. When Hunter reached the unhappy angel, he stopped before seating himself in one of the chairs.

"Adam, you're here?" He asked softly, as a means of greeting the angel, but all the while acknowledging that the angel was someone the whole family knew. "Do you have any idea what happened?"

"One of the advisors to your family's business shot Holly this afternoon," Adam began and looked at the man sadly. "I honestly don't know anything else that happened, Hunter, I wasn't assigned to the case. Andrew was and maybe when you see him again, you can ask him what all had happened, and what specifically he had seen."

"That means that I can't ask Holly, because she's…" Hunter started to speak, but his voice trailed off and he looked at the angel with utter heartbreak in his eyes. "Adam, I don't blame you for this, but please, just tell me what you know."

"Holly didn't make it, that's all I do know," the angel said softly. "After it happened, Brittany saw a man running from the house," he stared despondently down at his lap. "She's angry with me right now, Hunter, I just tried to talked to her and she said that I was only here to hurt her."

"She said that to you?" Hunter asked softly.

"Yes," Adam whispered. "I truly do understand and realize that there was really nothing that I could have done to help Brittany, but I wanted to be her friend. I wanted to be there for her, and help her as much as I could," he whispered sadly as the tears streamed from beneath his unhappy gray eyes.

"Brittany loves you, Adam, I've seen it in her so many times," Hunter said softly. "You can't believe that she would just turn her back on you. That's not like her."

"Perhaps not, but we're talking about her mother, and because of what I am, I'm a reminder to her of all that she's lost. There's nothing I can do for her, and I've been informed that I am to leave her alone," Adam said in an agonized whisper with misery in his voice. "I failed, Hunter. I failed Brittany, Holly, and I think I even failed the Father."

"How could you have, you didn't create this situation, Adam?" Hunter asked, but he might as well have been talking to himself, because Adam was now gone and the young man was left seated in the room alone. Sighing deeply, he looked down at his lap, but after a few moments, he felt a hand on his shoulder and he glanced up to see that Monica now stood before him and she was smiling down at him.

"Hello Hunter," she said and smiled. "Do you remember me?"

"How could I forget you, Monica?" He asked softly as he stood up. "You were here and sort of helped Sam and me get together."

"Yes, I guess you do remember, sometimes humans forget, but it's nice to know that you remember," she said softly. "It's really nice to see you again, it's been a long time."

"Where's Tess?" He asked weakly. "I figured that when I would see you, I'd see her again, too."

Monica's smile faded slightly, but she looked at Hunter, her face still cheerful and filled with vitality. "Actually, I've taken Tess' place as supervisor. She went Home and started a new job," she smiled weakly at him. "I was promoted about a month ago, but I'm back here to help you and your family again."

"I guess you know, we need all the help we can get," Hunter said softly. "I suppose you know what happened to Holly this afternoon?"

"Yes, I do," she said nodding. "I was informed this afternoon that Andrew had come to handle the transition. Now, I'm here to help you and your family adjust to this tragedy."

"I honestly don't know what you can do, Monica," he whispered. "I know that it was a mistake to have Holly do the negotiations here, but you know how stubborn she is with stuff like that. I knew from the start that there was something shifty and underhanded about that guy, but she insisted that I should hire him and have him work up at the house. Money had started to disappear, accounts had been closed, and the truth is, I just didn't trust him, and now…" His voice trailed off and he stared despondently down at his shoes all the while getting to his feet. "…Now, I know why."

"Sit down," the angel said gently and helped the man to once again sit back down on one of the plush chairs. "I don't know what to say, and all of this has happened so suddenly, but you're not alone Hunter, and neither is that wee girl. She may have shoved Adam away, but she will need help and very soon, and I have it from the highest authority that when Brittany is ready, Adam will be back to help her. Right now, he must cope with the guilt that he carries in the depths of his heart about this event. Yet, through it all, I can promise you this; he will be back."

"I'm afraid, Monica, I don't know what to do; I feel so foolish," Hunter said softly.

"Whatever for? Hunter, your family has been a victim of a crime, and there is nothing that you could have done to prevent it," she whispered.

"There must have been something," he said defiantly. "I could have changed everything. I could have just said no and not hired the guy. Even then I could have told Holly not to enter into negotiations with anyone, without me being present." He shook his head. "My family's losing everything, and now Brittany has lost her mother." At that moment, the tears spilled down over his cheeks and he collapsed in the angel's loving embrace.

Monica wrapped her arms around him and held him, but as she looked up, she could see that someone had followed the little girl into the chapel, and she smiled weakly as she recognized whom it was. The child was indeed in the very best of hands. Sighing deeply, she brushed her hand over Hunter's head, this time not saying anything, just offering her silent comfort until the doctor had come out into the waiting room and cleared his throat, thus causing them both to raise their heads.

"Excuse me, is there anyone from Harrows or Livingston families here?" The doctor asked.

Hunter released his hold on Monica and stood up, his knees trembling as he walked towards the doctor. "Yes, I'm Holly's brother, Hunter Livingston."

"The paramedic said that there was a little girl," the doctor said softly, his eyes now scanning the large room.

"Yes, she's in the chapel, with a friend," Monica said as she stood up and joined them. "I'm Monica."

"She's a really good friend of the family," Hunter explained when the doctor cast a skeptical glance in the angel's direction.

"I see, well then, would you follow me, please?" the doctor said softly.

Hunter and Monica walked down the hall with the doctor and when they reached a small office, he ushered them inside. As soon as the door closed behind them, the doctor looked across his desk at them. "From the way you both look, I take it there is not much for me to say. Mr. Livingston, I'm terribly sorry. We did everything we could to help her, but from the look of things, we were battling a power way beyond our control."

Hunter nodded numbly. "She has a little girl, can you tell me honestly, how I will break this news to Brittany?"

The doctor shook his head sadly. "There are a number of crisis centers here in town that might be able to assist your family during this traumatic time, but aside from that, the only thing I can tell you is that I will be praying for all of you. Maybe that will help, around here it can't hurt."

Hunter numbly got to his feet. "Maybe," he whispered. "But, right now, I just want some justice for this, I want the police to find that scoundrel. Prayers can come later." With that, he got to his feet and angrily left the office.

Monica followed suit, but before leaving the office, she thanked the doctor and stepped out into the hallway. As she rounded a corner, she saw Hunter standing at the other end of the long corridor. She started to walk towards him but stopped some three feet away and spoke.

"Prayer does help, Hunter," she said to the man. "Right now, it seems really hard to believe, but it's the truth."

"Maybe for an angel," he choked back his tears. "My sister was never really the praying kind, look at how long it took for her to accept Adam. Oh, Monica, I don't know what to do anymore, I don't know how to face my niece or how to handle this. I wish my father were here. He would have known what to do, he always did. There was something really wise about him, he could handle anything. Now, I'm the head of the family and I don't know what to do. What I would give to have him here with us."

"But he's not here, Hunter, and you are the head of this family," Monica said carefully, her voice gentle. "This means that you and your family must survive without him, and you will. Just trust that God is here and He loves and wants to help you all, but that means you have to reach out to Him and say 'help me, lift me up, Father', and know that He will do just that."

"I've lost my faith, Monica, I don't know if I will ever find it again," he whispered.

With that, he walked slowly away from her, his head down and his shoulders slumped. Monica stared after him and sighed as she closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she watched as he disappeared around a corner.

*****

Across the town, Adam was walking alone, his eyes filled with sadness and his thought literally drifting. As he reached the water's edge along the banks of the small town lake, he looked out across the water as memories literally flooded him. He remembered all the times when Brittany and he had been in this place. He also remembered the afternoon when Sean had found him in this place. He recalled how the young boy had confided in him saying that he was his hero, and how flattered Adam had been in knowing this. Today, all of these events seemed to be a distant and remote memory for him.

He sighed deeply as he looked down at the ground. It was still wet from all the rain showers that seemed to have saturated the areas around the small Virginia town. Sinking down to his knees, he could feel the moistness of the cold earth seeping through his pants and touching his skin, but this seemed insignificant to him, his heart was breaking and he tried without success to forget all the hurtful words and actions that had brought him to this particular place.

Why did Holly have to die, what was the point to him coming only to watch his dear friend's mother being taken away from her? If the truth were to be known, Adam somehow believed that everything he had done had been wrong, that he had hurt Brittany more by coming now, than if he had just stayed away. He sighed deeply, his breathing uneven from these painful emotions out of his mind.

He looked up at this moment, and across the lake, he could see two people walking together, but they were too far away to pay him any mind. In the back of his mind, none of that mattered because he just wanted to be alone to cope with his own internalized turmoil. Lowering his head again, he could feel the tears that were streaming down his cheeks, but after a few seconds, someone had pressed a tissue in the despondent angel's trembling hand and he looked up. As he did, his eyes widened when he recognized whom it was who now stood before him. "Suzie?" He whispered her name, his throat dry and his voice raspy.

The child handed him a small bottle of water. "Here, take this, it will help," she whispered and watched as he opened the bottle and drank some of the contents. "Is that better?"

He nodded. "Thank you."

"Adam, I almost didn't recognize you without your beard," the child whispered as she looked at him. "You look different now," she said softly and smiled weakly at the angel, her eyes filled with love, contrary to the problems she had and the concern she now carried for him.

He shrugged his shoulders and took a deep breath. "I was just thinking about you and the other children from Vicki's class," he offered her a brave, almost forced smile.

"Oh yeah, well, they're all gone now, Megan moved away, Sean goes to the other school now, and Matthew…" Her voice trailed off. "…Well, you know, he's with God."

Adam nodded and looked at the child now standing and looking at him. Instead of speaking, he took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, I'm not really in a very conversational mood, Suzie, but I do remember all the fun we had when I would have a chance to visit you and the others"

The young girl nodded and shrugged her shoulders. "I know what you mean," she whispered as she looked down at the ground.

"You do? What has been happening here?" He whispered.

Suzie took a deep breath. "A lot," she whispered. "A whole lot."

"That doesn't really tell me anything, why don't you start from the beginning?" He whispered, as he suddenly noticed that the child looked as though she really needed a friend to listen to her. As if by impulse, his concerns shifted from his own troubles to that of the little girl. "Do you want to sit down?"

"The ground's all wet," she whispered.

Adam looked down at his knees and chuckled softly. "So it is." He took off the trench coat he was wearing and spread it out on the ground. "Now you can sit down," he offered gently and once she was seated comfortably on the ground, he looked at her. "Tell me what has happened here, Suzie, I really need to know."

"Do you know how we used to talk about God at school, and you'd tell us stories?" Once the angel nodded, she continued. "Then, there was this time when Brittany had her appendix removed, it was on Halloween and we would sit down on the mat in the classroom and we would pray for her," Suzie whispered. "I remember how it used to help us whenever we would pray and ask God to help us. When you were here, it was like God was here too, but then, because of me things changed," the little girl whispered.

"How did they change?" He asked softly.

"I came home one day and I was telling my mom about how school was, and I mentioned that some of us would pray before we had lunch in the cafeteria. I didn't think anything of it, but my mom got mad and asked me why I was doing that," Suzie sighed deeply and looked at the angel. "I told her that I always talk to God, that I had learned from Brittany and Megan how to pray. Well, she got really mad at me and started yelling at me saying that our family didn't need God, and that we didn't believe in God, and because she and Daddy didn't believe in God that I shouldn't either."

"That's not true, honey," Adam whispered.

"Yeah, but after that, she wouldn't let me pray anymore, she says that God is a joke and there is no such thing," she whispered. "Anyway, she was really mad that I had learned to pray in school and she decided that she was not going to pay school taxes and support a system that pushes this on kids." Suzie could feel the tears streaming down her face as she looked at the angel sadly.

"So, you don't pray anymore?" Adam asked softly.

She shook her head. "No, I'm not allowed to."

"You're not allowed to?" Adam looked at the child. "Oh Suzie, everyone can pray, sweetheart, no one can tell you or make you stop praying. Even if it's in your thoughts, you can carry on a conversation with God at any time, in any place, you are not limited by outside forces."

"Yes I am, my mom and dad don't believe in God, Adam, and they don't want me to pray," she whispered. "My parents are the reason that no one else in school can. It's because she and my dad went to the school board and made sure that no one else was allowed to mention God anymore. It's their fault that Brittany couldn't read her book report today, and its their fault that Mr. Flores may have to flunk Brittany in English. I was in the doorway earlier when they talked and he said that if she doesn't write a report tonight, she's gonna fail English, and it's all my fault."

"No, it's not your fault, Suzie," Adam said gently.

"Yes it is, some of the kids don't like me now because of what my mom and dad did, and I love my parents, Adam, but now…now…" She broke down and began to cry softly. "Just because my mom and dad don't believe in God…" Suzie's voice trailed off and she could feel the shame creeping up her cheeks. "But, I do," she quickly added. "I mean, you're an angel, I saw God's light in our classroom, and then I saw how much you cared for Brittany."

"I care for you too," Adam whispered smiling gently at her, "but Suzie, I don't understand why you blame yourself for this."

"It was my parents who got mad at me and said that there should not be anything about God allowed at school, and then they started making these rules about reports and free speech. They were saying that anything about God would not be tolerated. Kids can't pray together because they see it as wrong and this is all my fault," she whispered as she looked down at the ground, all the while waiting for the angel to get angry with her.

When he did not respond immediately, she looked up at him, the tears brimming from beneath her eyes. "Please say something," she begged all the while still fearing the worst. "Yell and scream at me, I don't care, just say something."

"It's their actions, not yours," the angel said softly. "Suzie, do you remember the time we spent together, how wonderful it was to be in the company of your class? Those are the things that you need to remember now. Remember all the fun we had, all the stories and jokes, Sean showing up at the school dressed in a beige suit? Do you remember."

Suzie smiled sadly as she looked at him. "I thought you'd be angry with me. I wanted to see you so bad," she whispered the tears streaming down her face. "But, I was so scared, I thought you had come back to tell me I was a failure to God. My parents don't want me to believe in God, they want me to look at things like they do, but I don't want to. I don't want to…" Her voice trailed off and she buried her tearstained face in her hands.

Adam looked at the child and smiled weakly as he enfolded her in his arms and pulled her onto his lap. "I know this may seem hard for you to believe, but you are not a failure to God, Suzie. You are in a very difficult situation right now, many adults wouldn't be able to handle it in the kind way you have. You are in the middle of an argument that is taking place between your parents, yourself, and your friends."

She nodded as tears continued to tumble down over her face. "I love my mom and dad, Adam, but I love God too, and I feel like I'm betraying Him because of my parents." She shook her head and looked down at the ground once again.

"You aren't. Do you remember what I told your class about free will?" He asked gently as he stroked the tears from her cheeks and smiled gently down at her.

"You said that God gave it to us so that we could make choices," she whispered.

"That's right, and the choices you make may affect others, but they are entirely your choices," he said gently. "God looks upon you in the same way. Your parents made choices, but those choices aren't a reflection on you. Other people may perceive it that way, sweetheart, but God doesn't, He loves you just as much as He always has. I promise you that, Suzie."

"Really? I mean; you're not just saying this because you're my friend?" She asked softly, her gaze still on the ground.

After a few seconds had passed, and her question remained somewhat in the air, she could feel that the angel had reached over, took her face in his gentle hands and tipped it up so that she would be looking at him. "I promise," he reaffirmed once she was looking at him.

In response to his words, the young girl threw herself into his arms and felt him wrapping her in a warm and loving embrace.

As they sat there for some time, Suzie found herself looking at him more intently. She could see the overall sadness that seemed to encase him and eventually she spoke, her question catapulting him back to reality. "Adam, why are you sad?" She eventually asked, her voice meek, but firm. "Is it something I said?"

"I am not sad because of you, Suzie, I'm sad because I was sent here during a time that has proven to be really hard and devastating for Brittany, and I don't know if or how I can help her," he whispered more to himself than to her.

"What do you mean?" Suzie asked.

"It's really too difficult for me to explain right now, sweetheart, but Brittany's lost her faith and now…" his voice trailed off and overcome with his emotions, the angel began to cry softly, his voice failing him and his pain coming forth.

Suzie looked at him, but instead of backing away from him, she remained wrapped in the angel's arms and seeing the hopelessness in his wise face only made her want to hold all the more tightly to him and comfort him as he wept. "Adam, I think God will make everything OK," she whispered softly to him as she kissed his tears away. "I know He will, I mean; He went and sent you."

The angel raised his head slowly, his eyes filled with sadness. "Thank you, Suzie," he whispered once he had made eye contact with the unhappy and heartbroken child who sat next to him. "I don't know what I can do, but maybe you can help."

"What can I do? I'm just a kid," she looked at him, but after a few moments, someone called her name and she looked at him apologetically. "I gotta go, my dad's calling me."

Adam nodded and looked at her. "Just go by Vicki Hudson's classroom tomorrow morning before school starts. It may be hard for you to be there, but if you are maybe you can help some of us help Brittany find her faith again."

"I read her report, Adam, it was beautiful," Suzie whispered.

"Then you're a few steps ahead of me because I haven't seen it yet," Adam whispered as Suzie started to walk away. "I'll see you tomorrow, Suzie."

The girl nodded and once she was gone, the angel took a deep breath. He now knew what it was he would have to do, but seeing as things were not easy for anyone involved, he could not help but ponder what would happen next, or what the Father had in mind. "Thank you, Father for being in control of this situation," he whispered under his breath, got to his feet, and walked slowly back in the direction of the small town.

*****

At the same time, inside the hospital chapel, Brittany was sitting in the front of the room, her head down and she staring at her hands. "Mommy," she whimpered every so often, but at the same time, she would pinch herself in the hopes of waking from some terrible dream. Eventually, she had to resolve herself to the horrible truth, her mother was gone, her life had, in the course of a few horrible hours turned completely upside down.

After about five minutes of being alone, the door opened and someone had come into the room, had walked quietly to the front of the room and sat down next to her.

When she didn't say anything, a soft masculine voice eventually emerged from the person who was now seated beside her, thus causing her to looked up and into a pair of emphatic blue eyes. "Hello, Brittany, I see we meet again."

She nodded as she looked away from Leo, her face the depiction of indescribable agony. "W-what are you doing here?" She whined softly as she tried without success at wiping the persistent tears from her eyes.

"I'm visiting friends," came the soft answer. "How are you?"

The little girl said nothing, she merely stared down at the marble style flooring without saying a word. When he received no answer, Leo looked around the room and then back at her. "You've had a really rough day, haven't you, little one?"

Instead of getting indignant with him and asking how he knew all of this, she simply nodded, her gaze still on the floor, her lips trembling but no sounds emerging except every so often to mumble the simple word 'mommy'.

Leo leaned over and touched her shoulder, his touch soothing and gentle. "This is a good place for you to be right now, Brittany," he whispered gently to her. "God will listen."

The little girl shook her head. "Why? I hate Him," she whispered more to herself than to the man seated next to her, but as she repeated these words, she could feel her body beginning to tremble because of her overwhelming emotions.

"He doesn't hate you, though," came the simple, but very soft answer. "It may seem hard to believe right now, but God brings peace to His children when they are sad. It is rather like that picture that we saw in the church today, the one you liked so much."

The child shook her head defiantly, the pain taking away any sense of rationale that she could have had. "It's a lie, it's all a lie, He hates me, and He takes everyone away that I love. To say that He loves me is a lie."

Leo shook his head. "No, sweetheart, it's the truth. There is a reason that you came in here, Brittany, and perhaps it is because you want to find that security because right now, you truly do need it."

Brittany looked at him, all the while wondering if he could read her thoughts. Eventually, she looked down at her lap, the tears still falling freely as she remembered the events that led up to her mother's death. As the thoughts literally engulfed her, she could feel herself breaking down. As she sobbed softly, her body began to literally shake like a leaf, the agony emerging in her emotions, but all the while, she maintained this old idea that her grandmother had instilled in her since the day her grandfather had died.

"Big girls don't cry," she whispered the statement all the while trying to keep her emotions under some sort of control. Yet, the more she tried to talk herself into believing this concept, the more her emotions careened out of her control, and she was unable to keep her tears at bay. "I want my mommy…" she whimpered again and again, the words meshing together until they emerged as garbled masses of syllables.

As her sobs grew in intensity, Leo leaned over, wrapped her in his arms, and gently pulled her onto his lap all the while holding her tightly in his arms. "Just cry sweetheart, it will bring you peace," he soothed her gently, his soft voice bringing her emotions out, and the pain emerging in her hysterical weeping.

Holding her, Leo could tell that Brittany did not need his coaxing to cry, she had simply cried, but he knew that this was not the end of the child's pain, it was the beginning. She would have to cry a few more times before she would find the healing she needed, and he had every intention of being there for her if ever she needed him.

Her sobs getting harder, the child buried her face against his chest and allowed her emotions to go full circle right there in his arms. As she felt this compassionate man holding her tightly in his embrace, her weeping grew in intensity until loud wails emerged from the child and she was literally screaming for her mother with all that was inside of her. "Mommy…" she cried desperately, her face still buried against Leo's chest. "I want my mommy…"

Leo nodded. "I know, baby girl, I know," he whispered as he brushed a gentle hand through her hair, his hands rough from the manual labor he had subjected them to, but at the same time, his hands seemed to have a calming affect on her.

After a few moments, her outburst had subsided and she could feel herself resting comfortably in his arms, her face still pressed against him and her breaths now coming in small gasps as she allowed her arms to wind around and hold tightly to him.

Seconds later and Hunter came into the chapel and found his niece asleep in the arms of a stranger and without thinking, he spoke up, his voice demanding, thus causing Brittany to open her eyes and raise her head somewhat. "What's going on here, who are you and what are you doing with my niece?"

"She's in shock," Leo whispered. "I was merely trying to comfort her."

"I know she's in shock, but that doesn't answer my question," Hunter said. "Who are you?"

"My name is Leo, and I met Brittany at the small community church this afternoon, and we've been sitting here talking," the soft answer emerged and he brushed a lock of Brittany's hair from her face. "She's exhausted, I think you need to take her home."

"Yes, I suppose I should," Hunter nodded and looked at the man as if trying to place him. "You look kind of familiar to me, have we met?"

"I don't really know, I work out at Brittany's school, started this morning, so maybe if you were there today, you saw me there," Leo smiled as Hunter took Brittany out of his arms and turned with the intention of carrying her out of the chapel. In the doorway, he stopped and turned around, but said nothing further.

Instead of leaving the chapel, Leo remained seated in the small room, his eyes taking in the place, until eventually, his gaze came to rest on the small altar. His mind was still on Brittany, but he could tell by looking at the child, that she had already been through so much and now it looked as though she would be going through even more.

At that moment, the door opened and Monica came into the small room. She had seen Hunter carrying Brittany out of the room, but as she came into the chapel and sat down in one of the seats in the back of the room, it was obvious that her thoughts were completely consumed because she had failed to see him present in the room.

As if by impulse, Leo turned around and smiled when he saw the angel seated in the room. "Monica," he whispered her name all the while smiling as he got to his feet and walked up the aisle towards her. Without speaking, he sat down in the seat in front of her and turned around so that he could see her, and as she looked up, he offered her a warm and cordial smile.

"You're here?" She whispered as she bowed her head slightly and closed her eyes. When she looked back up at him, she smiled as he nodded and spoke, thus responding to her inquiry.

"I am always with you," he said softly. "There is much to be done in this place, the child is in shock, she has lost her mother today and with that, she may have lost her faith as well as her best friend."

"You met Brittany then? Does she know the truth about you?" Monica asked.

"No, she doesn't, not yet, she thinks that I'm a custodian at her school, and that's how it should remain, at least for now," he said softly. "Monica, this family needs an angel, they are on the threshold of losing everything, material wise, and otherwise. Everything that they made is being lost, and what it is they may spiritually lose far outweighs everything material that they could stand to lose, simply because right now, their faith lays in the balance."

Monica nodded. "I noticed that when I talked to Hunter a few minutes ago. He's completely devastated."

"They all are," Leo said softly. "You will help them, like you wanted to help me, and how you have helped so many others. I will be here with the child, she has already pushed Adam away, but as you know, he will not leave for good, and Brittany needs more than that which an angel can provide."

"How will you manage if she doesn't know the truth?" Monica asked softly. "I don't mean to sound angry, but she's in a lot of pain, and the murderer saw her before she went to her room."

"Yes, I know," came the simple answer.

Monica looked at him. "I trust you, but this is such a heavy burden for them, and it all appears to be resting on the shoulders of a ten-year-old girl."

Leo looked at her, "she won't be alone, Monica, I promise you, she's never been alone."

The angel nodded as Leo got to his feet and offered his hand to her. When she accepted it, they left the chapel together, neither of them speaking, but there was a great deal filling both of their minds. Monica's worries were centered on Brittany and her family, until eventually she found her voice and spoke. "Where should I go now?" She asked weakly.

"You're mainly assigned to Hunter, this is going to be very hard for him, because he will become legal guardian for Brittany and everything about this little girl is going to remind him of her mother," came the soft answer.

Monica nodded and smiled as she disappeared and Leo nodded. "You'll do fine, Monica, I have a great deal of faith in you," he whispered under his breath and within seconds, he too had vanished.

*****

Vicki Hudson was sitting in her classroom two days later when someone tapped on the door and she looked up. School had not yet started and the teacher was taking advantage of the quiet time before her homeroom class was to filter into the room. Within seconds, Adam walked slowly into the room and when she looked up at him, her face was the depiction of about one thousand unasked questions. Yet, even then, she could not hide the surprise that embodied her at seeing the angel once again.

"Adam, what are you doing here? I haven't seen you in years," She offered a chair and watched as the depressed angel took a seat next to her desk. "What is it, what's wrong?" She asked softly when he did not respond to her initial question.

"I'm here because of Brittany," he whispered. "Vicki, I guess you heard the news, Brittany's mother was murdered two days ago."

Vicki nodded as she looked sadly at the angel who was standing in the room. "I read about it, but what happened, Adam? How did Holly Harrows get killed?" Her inquiry emerged with the hesitancy of a demand, but the angel knew that Vicki really cared for these children and he knew that she had a soft spot for the fetching young girl.

"Andrew was sent to her, Vicki, and I was with Brittany when it happened," the angel whispered as he covered his face with his trembling hands.

"Sit down, Adam," Vicki whispered gently. "I know that this must have come as a terrible shock to you."

He nodded, "it was terrible, Vicki," he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion as tears streamed down over his face.

"Shhh, it's OK, Adam," Vicki soothed him gently as she wound her arm around his shoulders. "You need to try to calm down, my friend." Once he seemed to be in control of his emotions, she continued. "Now, why don't you tell me what happened to Holly Harrows?" She asked softly.

"I can't say much, all I know is that she was shot, and died in Andrew's arms yesterday," Adam whispered as Michael came into the room had had heard what Vicki had just said, but had clearly not fully picked up on Adam's agonized response.

Michael looked down at the report that he was holding in his hands but he looked at Adam and then back at Vicki. "What happened?" He finally managed to speak, his voice indicative of someone who was about to get some bad news, but was not really sure what was going to happen after that.

"Brittany's mother was murdered yesterday," Vicki responded, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Murdered?" Michael shook his head with profound disbelief, but when Vicki shook her head, he sank down to his knees. "Oh God no."

"It's true," Adam whispered. "I was with Brittany when it happened."

Michael took a deep breath, but shook his head. "Oh that poor kid," he whispered. "I was just going to tell you about this report that Brittany wanted to give. I read through it and I know that I made a big mistake."

"And thanks to Leo for having actually fished it out of the garbage," Vicki said as she ran her hand across the cover of the report.

"Leo?" Adam looked at her.

"You know him?" Michael asked weakly.

"I've seen him around, but yes, he and I have met a few times," Adam offered. "The question that remains is, what are you going to do?"

The teacher looked down at the notebook and shook his head. "I don't know, I wish I did, but I don't."

Adam sighed deeply. "I don't know what to do either." He offered weakly, but looked at Vicki. "Brittany doesn't want to talk to me, but I really don't blame her for that. It hurts to say so, but I am what I am, and I cannot change that."

"What are you?" Michael finally asked.

"I'm an angel," Adam whispered, the enthusiasm obviously not there, and Michael arched an eyebrow as the words emerged. He looked at Vicki and shook his head.

"It's true," Vicki whispered, but Michael still had a look on his face of utter disbelief.

"There are no angels, I think you're a loony," the teacher responded as he got to his feet, but continued, his voice harsher than intended. "And I really don't have time for this."

"What would make you believe it? If he glowed, or described Heaven?" Vicki asked weakly. "You have spent your life trying to make everything like a list. You cannot, Michael, some things are just things that cannot be described, or rationalized. They just exist."

"Why would God send an angel here? And if you are an angel, why now, why not a month ago when the rains started and the entire town was flooded out?" Michael asked as the classroom door opened and Suzie came inside, her ears picking up on the words of her teacher. "Why would God care when this town is full of people who renounce Him?"

"Because He's unconditional," Suzie whispered, thus causing Michael to look up and see her standing in the room.

"I don't know about that," Michael said softly as he started to walk towards the door without looking back. Eventually it was Vicki's voice that brought him crashing back down to Earth.

"You really should listen to Adam, or at the very least, listen to one of your students." Vicki said assuredly. "Suzie is a reliable source, would you believe Adam if Suzie were to tell you that Adam is an angel, sent by God?" She looked at her brother-in-law, her eyes intent.

"I don't know if I would believe anyone," Michael said as he tossed the report on the desk.

"Then maybe you should believe Brittany," Suzie said softly. "She wrote about it in this. I read it, and I loved it."

Michael sighed deeply. "I'm not doubting that, Suzie," he whispered.

"You told Brittany that you believe in God, then how come an angel is so hard to believe?" She asked.

"Now wait a minute," Michael objected. "It may be strange for you to understand this Suzie, but I know it was your family that did this here, it was them who made us go by these new rules and regulations. I know, because my cousin is on the school board, so how can you turn around and tell me this?"

Suzie looked as though she had been slugged in the stomach, but without even a word to the two teachers, she fled the room, ran out into the hallway, thus leaving the three of them alone.

Once the child was gone, Vicki looked at Michael, her eyes blazing with anger. "How dare you say such things to her? She's only ten, Michael, and she is not at fault for anything that her parents did. She did everything she could to help fight these new rules, but do you even know how much of a burden that is for a little girl?"

"All I know is this new ruling has been a nightmare to contend with," Michael shot back defensively.

"I know, but a child is hardly at fault for what their parents choose to do. Did you even know that she would come into my room and pray? She told me about a week ago that this was the only place where she felt safe enough o talk to God without her mother finding out about it. Can you imagine having to grow up in a situation where your parents tell you that you are not allowed to have a relationship with God because they don't believe in Him?" When Michael shook his head, she continued. "I know that this rule has had a dramatic affect on you, but look at the impact it has had on the kids. Look at the fact that I could get into serious trouble for allowing Suzie to pray in my classroom, but to see her face, and to see how heartbroken this has made her, I won't say no. Sometimes, people have to put their moral ethics ahead of their job." Vicki shook her head as she looked at Adam. "You know about all of the stuff that Suzie was contending with, didn't you?"

Adam nodded. "Yes, two days ago I saw Suzie out at the lake, and she thought I would hate her for what her parents did. My heart really went out to her."

Michael took a deep breath. "She really doesn't believe what her parents did?"