A 'Touched by an Angel' story

By: Yvette Jessen

© 2002 not intended to infringe on any previously held copyrights.

Please Note: This story is the twentieth in a sequence of stories, which I have written, which are centered on my character, Christina, her family and friends. The first one is entitled ‘The Innocence of a Child’, the second ‘A Little Girl’s Wish’, the third ‘The Senior Prom’, the fourth 'Stealing Second', the fifth 'Another Halloween Night', the sixth 'An Overdue Appointment', the seventh 'Homecoming', the eighth 'Solitary Without Hope', the ninth 'Making the Grade', the tenth 'Till Death Do Us Part', the eleventh 'Olivia's Battle', the twelfth 'In the Father's Arms', the thirteenth 'The Healing Spirit', the fourteenth 'Fulfilled Promises', the fifteenth 'Pennies From Heaven', the sixteenth, 'The Father's Little Ones', the seventeenth, 'In the Heart of a Dreamer', the eighteenth, 'Letting Go', and the nineteenth, 'Sealed With a Kiss'.

*****

Jeremy Lowery was smiling like the cat that ate the canary once his daughter Laura and her fiancé Sebastian had made the announcement, thus setting the date for their eventual marriage. Ironically, he could vividly remember the day he had heard they were planning to marry; it had been over a year since Laura and Sebastian had announced their engagement and it was getting to the point that Jeremy had started to ponder whether or not the two of them were actually intending on getting married at all. Everyone was clapping as Sebastian wound his arms around Laura's neck and they shared a kiss right in the middle of the living room.

A quick glance around the house, and he could see that a number of their guests had not expected this announcement at all, but now that it had been made, a number of them were clapping him on the shoulder as though he had run the Boston Marathon to completion. He glanced around the room and could see that his two younger daughters were engrossed in watching television. He had set it up so that they could watch '101 Dalmatians' for the fiftieth time. He smiled as one of his special friends, a fourteen-year-old girl named Erina Parker came over and sat down next to him.

"Hi, I brought you some ice cream," Erina offered, her eyes shining brightly as she sat down next to him. Over the course of the past year, Jeremy had become a sort of mentor for the teenager and she had spent a number of days in his company after school when he was recovering from the gunshot he had sustained the year before.

"Thanks, banana split, my favorite," Jeremy said as he accepted the bowl from her and glanced over towards the television where his two adopted daughters were sitting and watching television. "Your aunt and uncle still here?"

"Yes, Uncle Jessup is in the kitchen with Christina learning how not to make banana splits. Aunt Phyllis decided to go for a walk," Erina said shrugging her shoulders.

"Well, why don't you go and get to know some of the young people here, instead of hanging around a grouchy old person like me?" Jeremy asked, his eyes twinkling and he could feel Erina wrap her arms around him, hug him and then get up off the sofa and go over and watch television with Dawn and Denise.

Taking a deep breath, he stretched his hands over his head and looked around the room his thoughts coming back to the announcement that he had had heard. Bringing the spoonful of ice cream to his lips, he sighed with the utmost contentment. Laura was now nearly 20-years-old, she had grown into a beautiful and charismatic young woman, and he was so proud of her. No matter how you sliced it, he thought with a smile, it's wonderful that they are finally going to get married.

Still, he knew that this was very hard for Sebastian; the young German man was alone here, except for Laura and her family. Jeremy had watched as Sebastian had spent the last year sometimes working two jobs to provide him and Laura an apartment for after they had gotten married. Jeremy had offered to help Sebastian more often than not, but the young man was bound and determined to do this all on his own, and for that Jeremy held him in high regard.

He watched as Sebastian sat down on the other side of the room, his hazel eyes filled with joy as he looked up and made eye contact with him. Jeremy slowly got up off the sofa and made his way over to where his future son-in-law was sitting.

"Don't tell me all the crazies in my family are making you clam up," Jeremy said as he sat down across from Sebastian.

"No, I sometimes spend a little time alone, just watching," Sebastian said smiling shyly. "I have always liked to watch people. It gives me a sense of what they are like."

"Nothing wrong with that," Jeremy said smiling. "I wasn't sure if you were feeling a little left out here. It must be hard to be so far away from home."

"No, actually, home is here," Sebastian said smiling weakly as he glanced across the room and could see that Laura was walking around tending to the guests and their needs. "You know, I think that Laura is a very special person, but not because of what she's been through, but because of the influence you and Christina have had on her life. She told me about when she was little, and she met you, and Christina."

"And Andrew, you can't forget him," Jeremy said smiling.

"How often do you see the angels?" Sebastian asked. "I haven't seen them in well over a year."

"We only see them off and on," Jeremy said smiling slightly.

"You ever miss them?"

"Christina does, she misses Andrew sometimes, especially when things are going well. It's hard to explain, but she told me once that when things go bad, she can always look forward to seeing Andrew again, and that would make all the heartache and trouble worth it," Jeremy said softly. "I guess now that things are going well, the angels are off helping people who need them more than we do."

Sebastian nodded as he glanced around the room. "I think about Adam sometimes, too."

"And he thinks about you too, baby," Upon hearing the familiar alto voice, both Jeremy and Sebastian turned around to see Tess was standing behind them.

"Still not using the door, huh?" Jeremy quipped.

"Oh Honey, you know that around here the door is always open," Tess said and looked at Sebastian. "You're looking good there, Sebastian, how are you doing?"

"Great," the young man said smiling. "It's wonderful to see you again."

Tess smiled. "Jeremy, we're going to be here awhile, but Andrew wanted to stop by and see all of you and there's a few things I need to discuss with you if that's OK?"

"Sure, there's nobody in my den, why don't we go in there?" He suggested and Tess nodded as they got up and left Sebastian alone.

*****

On the other side of the room, Donna Thomas was standing and watching all the events that were taking place there. Most of the people were happy about Laura and Sebastian's announcement, but she could not force herself to be happy. She was happy for her granddaughter and the young man whom Laura had professed her love to, but the concerned look that she carried on her face was not for Laura, but rather for someone else who was attending the small gathering at her daughter and son-in-law's house. After spending some time mingling with the guests, she excused herself and went outside onto the terrace. All the while she carried a tired expression on her face, but eventually she sat down on a chair and looked out across the nearby field.

"Donna, is everything OK?" A slightly accented voice emerged and she turned around to see that Monica was standing next to the door. She knew the angels pretty well, but not as well as her daughter Christina, and their presence, instead of making her feel better, somehow managed to unsettle her all the more.

"Oh, Monica, I didn't even know that you were even here," she smiled somewhat embarrassed. "I guess I haven't been paying the best of attention these days, and I figured that since everything was going relatively well that I didn't expect to see you today." She paused and when she saw the earnest look on the face of the angel, her smile vanished. "I take it you aren't here to visit and bring glad tidings. There's a reason why, isn't there?"

Monica shook her head. "I don't really know specifically why we are here." Instead of elaborating, she looked at Donna, concern shadowing her sympathetic brown eyes. "What is it?"

"I don't really know, I guess, I haven't really been myself lately. I know this sounds somewhat pessimistic, but the way things have been going, I guess, I sometimes think that something else is about to happen, but then when I stop to think about it, I realize in some ways, that maybe everything that could possibly happen, already has. Does that make even a small amount of sense to you or am I just getting wayward in my old age?"

Monica smiled and shook her head. "You're not wayward, Donna, but time brings changes and maybe hearing that your granddaughter and her fiancé have set a date to get married is a bit overwhelming for you."

"Yes, well it's no secret, Daniel and I aren't spring chickens anymore, Daniel's just retired, I'm getting ready to and well, we start to think about this kind of thing rather often. In a few years, Brendan may be getting married and then what? Two old people set out to pasture, just collecting dust until we die? What kind of life is that, and what are we going to do once we're set out to pasture."

"You know, I heard that the community center is looking for some people to come and do workshops for them. After Erin Hudson stopped teaching dancing there, she and Billy moved to Seattle, maybe there's something you and Daniel can do there to help out. I have heard of people teaching art classes or languages, maybe you two can do something there," Monica offered.

Donna smiled weakly. "You know, come to think of it, maybe that's not such a bad idea, Laura started working out there part time right after Patrick died and now she's working full time and is on the permanent staff. She even managed to get Sebastian lined up to teach art classes, and Rachel still teaches sign language classes there." The woman smiled and nodded. "Maybe that's just we both need."

Monica smiled when she saw the almost obvious light once again appear in Donna's face. "Do you want a cup of coffee?"

"Still addicted, huh? I think your little coffee fetish is something I find so cute, Monica, it makes you almost seem like one of us," Donna began to laugh as she watched through the window and back into the house.

"Just don't tell Tess that, she's still getting onto me about trying to make Gloria addicted to it," Monica smiled, but her eyes followed those of Donna and soon both the angel and the woman were both watching through the sliding glass door into Christina and Jeremy's living room.

From there, Donna could see that her and Daniel's adopted son Brendan was playing cards with Christina's teenage nephew, Adam Joshua. Today, he was 15 and went by AJ. The boy now had the build of a linebacker and the appetite of a ravenous tiger. As she continued to watch, she looked back at Monica. "You ever notice how kids grow up so fast?"

Monica smiled, "yes, I have, but I still remember when Christina was a little girl, and now she's a grown woman."

"She's going to be OK; isn't she, Monica?" Donna asked. "I may be out of line for saying so, but I did notice how she was behaving the last time you and your friends were here, specifically whenever she was around Andrew. She looked just a little more than smitten by him."

"Yes, she went through a little bit, but I think she's OK now. I don't think you've met Sam; he's Tess' supervisor and a pretty tough customer. Anyway, he showed up and talked to her about it, so I think things are going to be getting back to normal for her. I think it would have been a different story had Jeremy not survived."

Donna nodded and her attention diverted to where Erina was seated on the sofa talking to her son-in-law. "Looks like there's another little girl who gets stars in her eyes when she talks to an older man. Did you ever notice that the older you get, your circle of family and friends just keeps growing and growing?"

Monica smiled and nodded. "I noticed that."

"You going to be staying for awhile?" Donna asked.

"Yes, she is," Tess' voice emerged and they turned around to see the eldest of the angels. "Our next assignment is at the community center."

"Who is it, Tess?" Monica asked.

"There's a little girl there who claims to see angels, and she's gotten into quite a bit of trouble with her family as a result of it," Tess said shaking her head.

"Can she?" Donna asked.

"Yes, and no," came the answer.

"I don't understand," Monica interjected before Donna could say the same thing.

"Well, Angel Girl, she can, but her parents are similar to the parents of Scott Reinhardt. Do you remember him?"

"Wasn't he at Simon Davies' funeral?" Donna asked. "He was an attractive young man."

"Yes, Scott has been working on community awareness with regards to hate crimes. He has been working with Brittany Bowen on this, but the reason Scott is important is because of how it was with his parents wanting him to be a scientific type of person," Tess explained.

"Wait a minute, I think I understand," Donna interrupted. "Christina told me about this kind of situation, Scott wanted to do things other kids do, and his father was pushing Quantum Physics on him. His mother was there when Olivia…" her voice trailed off as she released a pent up sigh.

Olivia had been her and Daniel's adopted daughter, she was Brendan's birth mother, but had died during childbirth to her son and though her name was not often brought up, whenever Donna would remember Olivia, she would become somewhat saddened. Olivia had requested that the child bear the name of his father as well as the greatest influence in her life, Andrew.

Self-consciously, Donna glanced back into the house and could see that Brendan was now sitting at the table with a large bowl of ice cream in front of him, the boy only knew that he was named after Andrew, but he was not sure as to why. Since Andrew had not been in and out of Brendan's life extensively, they had opted to not tell him about the angels at all, at least not until the boy was older.

Now that he was approaching his teenage years and Donna started to wonder if she should have told him that there were angels in their lives. It was hard enough that Brendan had started to ask questions about his birth parents, and she could not offer him too much information about his father.

My plate is full, she thought sadly as she tried to refocus her attention back on the two angels who were now talking about the case they had at the community center. Taking a deep breath, Donna stood up, excused herself and went back into the house. Once she was gone, Monica looked at Tess, a question looming.

"Donna is not looking very good these days, is she, Tess?" Monica finally asked.

"She's got a lot going on in her life, baby," Tess said. "Andrew is going to be working with Brendan, but he does not yet know how he will help the boy, or what it will entail. I have already told Jeremy about it, so he will know what is going to be happening and will be able to offer his support not only to Andrew, but to Brendan."

"Olivia's son?" Monica asked. "But why?"

"He's getting to the age where he is going to be asking a lot of questions about his past, and these questions will not be easy for Donna or Daniel to answer, especially Daniel since he's still saddened whenever he thinks about Olivia, and now he and Christina have something very prolific in common."

"They both know the feeling of loosing a child." Monica said softly.

"That's right," Tess replied. "Without any knowledge of his past means that Brendan will be needing someone who understands him. That's why Andrew is going to have an experience that very few angels experience. You did once, and now Andrew will have to."

"What?" Monica asked, but the look on her pretty face was shadowed with confusion.

"Do you remember an assignment you had some years ago when you hit your head?" Tess asked.

"I suffered temporary amnesia," Monica said softly.

"That's right, baby, Gloria, you, and me will be leaving very soon, we have an assignment over at the community center, but Andrew is going to stay here, and he's going to have to deal with more than just an lapsing memory."

"I guess there is still so much happening in all of their lives, isn't there? I mean, Tess, this is a wee bit confusing. You mentioned Scott Reinhardt earlier, and then we talked about Brendan, then about Laura and Sebastian getting married, and Andrew loosing his memory. I must admit that this is getting very confusing."

The eldest of the angels nodded. "It's going to get more complicating before it gets less and Miss Wings, you can bet the farm on that."

*****

In the house, Brendan Thomas was still seated behind the coffee table and was watching the movie 101 Dalmatians behind where his two cousins were seated and staring at the screen in wide-eyed captivation. He continued to watch the twin girls, Dawn and Denise shifted their weight in order to made themselves comfortable in front of the television, both giggling at the movie and the boy found himself getting annoyed with watching them.

He continued to listlessly stir the ice cream in the bowl as he halfway watched the movie and halfway sunk into his contemplations. He really didn't know why he had even been brought here. He knew Christina and Jeremy pretty well, but he didn't like being around all these strange people, he didn't know. He stared down at the glob of chocolate ice cream as it started to melt, his eyes literally bearing down into the gooey substance.

"Hi," a friendly sounding voice emerged, thus causing him to look up to see that Andrew was now standing over him, his tall frame practically towering over the boy. He nodded as he glanced back up and continued to watch the movie, but after a few seconds he turned and noticed that Andrew had lowered himself onto the sofa and began to brush his hand through his short blondish-brown hair.

"Hey," Brendan said listlessly.

"What are you eating there, it looks good?" Andrew asked, but noticed that the boy just kept stirring the ice cream that was left in the bowl.

"Christina is in the kitchen making banana splits, and she said that it's a good way to get potassium without even knowing it," Brendan stabbed at the banana that was now lodged against the side of the bowl but Andrew noticed that he didn't eat any of it. Instead he pushed the bowl away all the while trying to divert his attention back onto the television.

"Well, you'll only get the potassium if you eat that," Andrew said smiling, but when the boy didn't return the gesture, his smile eventually vanished and a look of concern crossed the angel's face. "Is everything OK?"

"No, I'm just not in the mood for this stupid movie, and I don't like bananas," Brendan said sharply.

Andrew could sense the hostility in the young boy's mannerisms and instead of react to that, he smiled gently at him. "Brendan, what's wrong?"

"What makes you think that something's wrong?" The sharp question emerged.

Before Andrew could say anything, Daniel's voice emerged and the boy released a pent up sigh as his adoptive father words emerged and he snapped his head up defiantly. "Brendan Andrew, you know better than to talk to people that way."

The boy, instead of speaking to his adopted father, stood up, and walked out of the room. Once he disappeared outside, Daniel came over and sat down next to Andrew, his hand resting on the angel's arm. "Don't take it too hard, Andrew, he's going through a period where he is pushing everyone away. I think all boys go through this kind of thing at one time or another."

Andrew nodded. "I understand."

"You feel connected to him, don't you?" Daniel asked.

"Yes, I suppose I do," Andrew said softly. "He's Olivia's son and I remember so much about her."

"Me too, she was so strong, but independent," Daniel said sadly. "I miss her even today. I know that might sounds weird to you but it's true. I just can't believe she's gone." He looked at the angel. "When Patrick died, I could not help but remember her."

Andrew rested a gentle hand on Daniel's shoulder. "I'm sorry that my being here reminds you of the painful times, Daniel."

"No, Andrew, it's not you, but I have to tell you something, and seeing that you do feel connected to Brendan, you have to know that Donna and I didn't tell him about you. I mean; he knows that he's named after you, but he doesn't know…" his voice trailed.

"He doesn't know that I'm an angel?"

Daniel shook his head. "No, and I suppose we should have told him the truth, but we didn't see you or your friends for so long after his birth, that we just opted to not say anything to him. He thinks you're a traveling businessman of sorts. I mean; the last time he saw you was when he was three, and I don't think he really remembers everything."

Andrew nodded. "It's OK, it may be something that I need to tell him, but it will have to be when I get to know him a little bit better."

At that moment, a crashing sound was heard, and Daniel turned towards the door leading out onto the patio. He could see the remnants of a flowerpot and he stood up, but could feel Andrew's hand reaching up to touch his arm. "Let me, Daniel, it may make things worse if you go out there."

Nodding, Daniel sat back down on the sofa as Laura came over to them. "What is he doing? Mom's going to have a fit when she sees what has happened to her violets."

"I'll take care of it," Andrew said gently, "you stay here."

"Andrew, be careful," Laura said. She knew that the angel couldn't get hurt, but she loved him so much that she didn't want to think about him being hurt by the boy she had come to know as her cousin.

Daniel patted her hand as Andrew went outside. "Don't worry sweetheart, I think he knows what he's doing."

Laura shook her head as Sebastian came over, his hazel eyes filled with concern when he saw his fiancé's concerned face. Without saying anything, he wound his arm around her and held her as Andrew opened the sliding glass doors and stepped outside.

*****

At the same time, Christina was standing in the kitchen putting melon balls on some plates to take out into the dining room when Monica came in to retrieve a cup of coffee for herself and Donna. The angels went unobserved as Christina continued to work diligently with the food.

"What's going on out there, it sounds like someone's playing baseball with a bunch of porcelain?" Christina looked at Monica and then Gloria, all the while shaking her head.

"I'm going to check and see what's happening." she said softly and put the spoon down on the counter, and before Monica could respond to her words, she had stepped out into the living room, and looked outside only to see her pot plants outside being smashed to pieces by a young boy who appeared to be on the edge. Without thinking, she slid open the door with the intention of going outside.

"Christina, don't go out there," a voice emerged and she turned for a brief second to see Andrew coming towards her from the other direction. She stopped for a few moments and turned to see him coming over to her.

"Andrew, what are you doing here?" She smiled when she saw him, but as they both stood in the doorway, neither of them expected or saw a large piece of wood coming towards their heads until it was too late and upon feeling the brunt of the impact, Christina slid to the ground and Andrew immediately responded by reaching up and resting his hand against his head.

As he looked up, his eyes locked with those of Brendan who was holding the piece of wood, but had, by this time, dropped the offending object and was staring at both of them with profound shock registering on his face. Seconds later, he glanced down to see that Christina had crumpled to the ground in a heap and he got down on the ground next to her. He reached over and took her hand in his, his head all the while hurting from the small amount of impact his head sustained somehow not viewed as important when compared to that which his longtime friend had received. "Call an ambulance," he managed to shout into the house, as he picked up his friend's body in his arms and pulled her gently onto his lap.

Brendan continued to stand there staring at them and watching, his eyes wide as Daniel came outside and could see that his adopted son was staring at Christina and Andrew, the shock registering on his face as the realization hit him as to what he had done.

"Get in the house right now," Daniel growled at him and he looked down at Andrew and his daughter once the boy had disappeared inside. "Is she…" his voice trailed and he looked at Andrew, with tears in his eyes.

"No, but I think she's got a concussion," Andrew said softly. "I don't know how severe, though."

Daniel nodded as he looked at Andrew. "I don't know what's happened with Brendan, he used to be such a nice boy."

"Maybe he's just got something going on that we don't understand yet," Andrew said softly as Tess came out of the house and put her arms around Daniel's slumped shoulders.

"Where's Jeremy, he should be here with her?" Daniel said softly.

"He went upstairs to take a nap. He said that he was needing some rest," Tess said gently. "I'll tell Gloria to stay with him, and we'll get Christina to the hospital. I don't think there's anything to worry about, though, she's going to pull through, of that I'm almost certain."

Andrew nodded, all the while not certain where these words were coming from, simply that he felt the need to say them. "She will, it's probably nothing more than just a little bump on the head."

Daniel looked at the two angels. "What compelled her to come out here when he was doing all of that?"

"The violets are her favorite flowers, and these were from Patrick's funeral," Tess said softly. "She wanted to plant them in the garden, when the weather got warmer."

The older man nodded as the sounds of the ambulance could be heard in the distance. Once the paramedics came through the house and began to tend to Christina, Andrew stood up. If the angel had not yet recognized that he was trapped in human form, then now was the time when the realization would dawn on him. He looked over at Daniel once the paramedics had left with Christina.

As all these events were happening and the ten minutes passed and Andrew had not moved from where he was standing, Daniel looked at him, confusion shadowing his face "Shouldn't you go with them?"

Andrew shook his head as though shadowed with a sensation of disillusionment. He could suddenly not remember anything. A wave of dizziness as well as overwhelming fright suddenly encased the angel's consciousness. He could remember only vaguely who he was, but the memories suddenly became a mixture of ideas, emotions and sensations. Eventually, he reached up and rested his hand up against his forehead. "I can't," he finally managed to speak, and Daniel could suddenly see that Andrew had changed somehow. It seemed almost eerie to the human what had happened to the angel, and he wondered why it was that this would come about so soon after Christina had been injured. Somehow, Daniel was somewhat taken aback by the angel's now strange, almost bizarre behavior.

"I thought you were her friend," Daniel said finally, all the while trying to piece this together.

"I-I am her friend, at least I think so, but I can't explain it. For some reason, I'm human, I can't do anything," he said weakly.

"Excuse me?"

"The Father made me human," Andrew could literally feel his memories fading, and suddenly, his cognitive sense of who he was and where he came from was completely gone, worse still, he could not even remember the name of the man who was standing next to him. "I don't remember anything." Andrew took a deep breath and released it slowly his eyes filled with a new sense of fright, something that Daniel had never seem before when he would look at the angel. Something was dreadfully wrong.

He put his arm around Andrew's now slumped shoulders. "I know this may sound superficial, but God probably has a reason, come on, we need to get to the hospital."

Andrew nodded and when they came into the house, he immediately felt encased with loneliness and Daniel guessed that it was because he could not even sense Monica, Gloria, or Tess' presence anywhere. It was as if all his angelic friends had all disappeared leaving Andrew in this state, a man without a past, a man stuck in the middle of an uncertain future. "W-what's happening to me?" He managed to ask, his voice weak.

"I don't know, let's get to the hospital, though and see if we can find out how Christina is doing. Christina is my daughter, you're Andrew, and one of her best friends," Daniel's voice was filled with his assurances as they walked slowly through the house.

Within seconds, Laura and Sebastian joined them once they had come inside the house. In one corner, they could see Brendan seated and staring down at his lap, Donna was nearby, her hand sternly on his shoulder. Laura's gaze left Brendan and now came to rest on her father and Andrew.

"Andrew, are you OK?" Laura asked immediately noticing his pale face and the despondent look in his eyes.

"I'm scared," the human angel managed to speak, but he didn't ask about her name, and Daniel looked at his granddaughter with empathy in his eyes.

The young woman glanced towards Sebastian as her father led Andrew to the door. Once they were out of earshot, she looked at her fiancé. "Sebastian, I don't understand any of this, Andrew's never been scared and he looked at me as though he didn't even know me," she looked up at him with a question looming. "You don't suppose…"

The young German man nodded numbly. "Go with them. I know how much Andrew means to you, but I also know how close you are to your mom. Don't worry, Liebling, I'll take care of the guests, and you take care of yourself," Sebastian gave her a gentle kiss and continued. "Call me the minute you find out anything, whether it be about Andrew or Christina."

Laura nodded and she glanced towards the front door and watched as it closed, indicating the departure of her dearest friend, as well as her grandfather.

*****

Once she stepped outside into the bright sunlight, Laura ran to her mother's car. With trembling hands she managed to unlock the door and slide behind the wheel. "Father, please let me get there safely," she spoke softly, her prayer showing the extent of her concern. "Please, let my mom and Andrew be OK."

"They will be fine, Laura. The Father has heard your prayers," She turned around and could see that Adam was now visible and was seated in the backseat.

"Oh God, this does not help," she muttered under her breath as she stared at the Angel of Death. Without starting the motor, she reached for the key, this time pulling it completely out of the ignition. "OK, I'm calm, but you're driving." Without another word, she threw the keys at the angel and slid over to the passenger side and buckled her seatbelt.

"I can't," Adam said once he held the keys in his hand.

"Look, you know that if I drive, I'll probably get us both into an accident, and that's the last thing my family really needs right now. So are you going to help me out, or are you going to just sit there and shoot off your mouth?" Laura snapped, her words succeeding in not only shocking him, but also herself.

Adam looked at her with a trace of sadness shadowing his handsome face. Taking a deep breath and saying nothing, he nodded as he got out of the car, and went to get in behind the wheel. Once he was comfortable, he finally spoke, his voice filled with worry, but also his own brand of sternness. "We'll talk about what you just said a little bit later." He said, and she could immediately tell that her words had hurt his feelings.

"Adam," she finally managed to find her voice and he looked at her as a silent indication that she ought to continue. "I-I'm sorry, I'm just scared, I mean, you didn't see Andrew in there, he looked positively spooked, and worse than that, he didn't seem to even know who I was," Laura said trying to defend the words she had used when she spoke to him.

"He doesn't, at least not right now," Adam said softly.

"I don't understand."

"Andrew's memories have been temporarily taken away, for a reason…a reason I don't yet know, but the Father knows," Adam said softly.

"All I know that I'm not fit to drive, and if you don't, then I would probably have no choice but to go back inside and stay at home while my mom is dealing with this stuff alone. Am I forgiven, though?" She asked weakly.

He nodded. "It's OK, Laura, but there are a few things I need to tell you, and I understand that you really aren't in the state to be driving." He started the car and pulled it out of the driveway and followed behind where Daniel and Andrew had gone in. As he drove, he would periodically take his eyes off the road and look at her. "Laura, I'm not angry with you, and I know that you have a lot going on right now."

"Why do you think I was praying before I even stuck the key in the ignition?" She whispered softly, her voice instead of emerging defensive as it had done before; it emerged filled with sadness and worry. "You know, Sebastian told me that he would take care of the guests, but I didn't manage to catch up with my grandpa or Andrew before they left, and you know my dad needs his rest, he's still recovering from the gunshot and he's going to be laid up for at least three more weeks." She took a deep breath before she was able to look at him, the tears now streaming from beneath her eyes. "I'm really sorry that I hurt your feelings, Adam, it's just that I'm so afraid right now."

"It's OK, Laura," Adam said gently. "I know that this was supposed to be a happy day for you, and I'm only sorry that it turned out like this."

"Yeah," Laura sniffed as her one word answer emerged. After a few moments, she took another staggering breath and continued. "You know, I don't think anyone wants us to have anymore happy days."

"You don't mean that," Adam looked at her.

"I didn't want to believe it, Adam, but anymore I really have no choice but to believe it," Laura said weakly. "I know that God isn't at fault for it, andand I don't blame Him, but why all this? Patrick, then Simon, and then my dad, and now…" Her voice trailed off and she looked down at her lap all the while shaking her head.

"Your mother's going to be just fine, sweetheart, you know, she doesn't even have an Angel of Death with her," Adam said smiling reassuringly at his young friend. "You know, when she was fifteen, she made Andrew promise her something very important, and later Andrew told me about it."

Flashback

As Andrew came inside and noticed that the room was empty, he got down on his knees, closed his eyes, and began to pray. “Father, I know I may have changed what happens here by bringing her here, but she asked that of me, and she sees me as her friend. If I had not brought her, then I would have betrayed the trust she has honored me with. Please forgive me, Father, if I did something that is not a part of your plan, but I was the only one who could help her.”

His prayer spoken, he was now invisible to human eyes, he left the chapel and appeared directly beside Christina seconds later.

She was lying on a large hospital bed in the emergency room, an IV had been beside her and she was being given antibiotics to fight the infection. Andrew, are you there?

Yes, of course I am. You’re not alone, Christina.

I’m afraid, her thoughts were a rush, but in her mind’s eye, she could see him. He was dressed in a beige suit and tie, and looked more handsome than she had ever seen him when she would look at him.

I know you are.

Am I going to die? She asked weakly.

I can’t tell you that, but I can tell you that if you want to survive all that has happened to you, then you have to fight Christina, and put your struggles in God’s hands. He will never leave you alone. Ask Him for the strength you lack, sweetheart, and He will give it willingly to you, he paused and took a deep breath. I am also here for you no matter what happens today. It is just as I promised you when we were in the chapel five years ago. Do you remember this time when we talked about all of this?

You said that if I were to become very sick or in a coma, that you would be there to help me to not be afraid. You’re here, just as you promised, her words emerged slowly. I love you, Andrew.

He took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. I love you too, Christina, you’re a brave young woman, and you make God proud.

I do?

Of course you do, he smiled down at her as two nurses entered the room. Andrew could see them beginning to move her to a gurney and neither of them could see him seated by the bed.

“So we get this little lady upstairs to her own room, and then what?” one of the nurses was speaking to the other.

“My guess is she’ll sleep through the night,” the second one said. “Her parents have been asking about her so it will be good to inform them that she’s at least been stabilized.”

“True, but did you even hear what happened to her? I mean how she got so sick.”

“I don’t know, but that guy that brought her in told the doctor that last night she may have been raped by her date, and they wanted us to run all the necessary checks on her to make sure she’s not been infected with something.” The first nurse ran her hand gently across Christina’s cheek. “Poor kid, it’s really a pity that someone like her would have to endure this.”

The second nodded in concurrence. “What about that guy that brought her in, have you seen him around here?”

“Not at all. Maybe he went back to the chapel or went to grab a bite to eat in the cafeteria,” the nurse said.

“Here’s hoping that he stays away from the chili. I had a bowl of that glop and it gave me heartburn,” the other woman said.

“Well at any rate, with such friends as him, she’s very lucky. If I wouldn’t have known better, I’d say he’s an angel, because he saved her life.”

The second nurse nodded as she wheeled the gurney with Christina out of the small emergency room and through the hall. The other nurse wheeled the IV right beside the gurney. Andrew got up and followed them down the hall.

Are you still there? Christina’s thoughts called out to him.

I told you that I would be here with you for as long as it takes.

I know, but did you hear what they said?

Yes, I heard them, his words emerged slowly and it was obvious that he was somewhat embarrassed by the words of the two nurses.

Andrew, please talk to me, her words indicative of her fear as they wheeled her into an elevator.

What would you like to talk about, Christina? He asked. Even if we don’t speak, I’m still here with you.

I know, but please tell me something. Tell me about Heaven. What’s it like?

It’s wonderful, Christina, he began. Not easy to describe, but the most beautiful place you can imagine.

And my grandma, she’s there?

Yes.

She’s not ready to see me yet, is she? She asked weakly as the elevator reached the fourth floor, and the nurses wheeled her out into the hallway.

No, I don’t think she is, came his simple answer.

Would God be offended if I said I wasn’t ready to meet Him yet? She asked.

He smiled down at her and followed the two nurses into a second room. No, in fact, I am certain that He understands.

Once they had moved her to the bed, they wheeled the gurney out of the room and she was left alone and asleep in the room.

I’m glad, her thoughts stopped for a few moments, and after the time appeared to lapse, her thoughts began once again. Andrew, would you promise me something? It’s very important.

He could sense the urgency in her words, and his voice emerged gentle as he addressed her. If I am able, you know I would.

Can you promise me that when I one day die that you will be with me? When my time one day comes, I hope that you would take me home. Would you be able to promise me that?

Her question caught him off guard, but he looked down at her and attempted to offer her an answer. Any Angel of Death that comes to you would do his or her best to make sure you will have a wonderful journey Home to the Father, Christina.

I know that, but Andrew, you are so special to me, like a part of my family. Please, can you not promise me this? If I know that it would be you who would take me Home, I would try not to be afraid of it.

He squeezed her hand gently. He smiled when he realized the words she was saying meant that she was affirming that she would live, and that it was not yet her time. His eyes were bright when he spoke once more to her. Christina, when your time one day comes, I will be the angel who will take you home to the Father.

Promise? She asked

I promise, my little angel, he said smiling.

Flashback End

"So, anyway, God isn't going to call her Home without letting Andrew fulfill that promise that he made to her when she was fifteen," Adam concluded.

Laura nodded. "So that means that she's going to be OK?"

Adam nodded as they pulled into the parking lot of the hospital. He cut the motor, but neither of them got out of the car and he turned and looked at her, his gray eyes earnest.

"Adam, how can Andrew lose his memory?" Laura finally asked when no words emerged from him.

"He's been made human, completely, that is, he has human emotion, and can be hurt physically, and he can even die," Adam said softly. "But, there's something else that is going to make this experience very, very difficult for him."

"What?" Laura looked at him, her eyes pleading with him to tell her.

"Andrew has forgotten what he is, and the more time goes by in this state, it will be harder for him to come back to being what he is," Adam said softly.

"You mean he's forgotten that he's an Angel of Death and that he's friends with me, and my mom?" Laura said softly.

Adam nodded. "Yes, and the only way he will remember what he is, will be through his own will and desire to remember."

"You mean; he'll have to remember his faith?" Laura asked.

The Angel of Death nodded. "Yes."

"Why is God taking all of this away from him?" Laura asked looking at her friend. "He was so lost back at the house, I thought he was going to have a nervous breakdown."

"I don't know why, and from what I understand, the other angels don't know why either. The hardest thing is, Andrew will not be able to remember us. Sure, he's going to know us from somewhere, but he won't know specifically from where."

"Like a sort of familiarity, kind of like déjà vu," Laura said and once he nodded, she continued. "What can I do, Adam?"

"Just be his friend, Laura, be there for both your mother and Andrew, because they're going to need you," Adam said softly.

"Are you going to stay?" She asked.

Adam shook his head.

"I don't know if I can do this alone, though. Please, can't you ask?" she pleaded softly with him all the while feeling the tears beginning to stream from beneath her eyes.

Adam took her hand in his, uncurled her fingers, and there he dropped the car keys. Once his hand was free, he reached over and wiped the tears from her cheek. "You will be OK, just remember, you're not alone, Laura, you're never alone."

She nodded, and once he disappeared, she opened the car door, got out, closed and locked it before walking towards the glass doors that would lead her into the hospital.

*****

When she came into the waiting room, her grandfather was nowhere to be seen and she guessed that he had gotten up to inquire about Christina. Taking a deep breath, she walked slowly over to Andrew, who was still slumped in a chair, his expression literally empty, and she down next to him. "Andrew, my name is Laura, I'm Christina's daughter."

The human angel looked up when he heard his name as well as the explanation and he smiled briefly, but then looked back down at his lap.

As she sat down next to him, she reached for his now trembling hand. "Are you OK?" She finally asked him, her voice soft.

"Laura," he shook his head. "I…"

"It's OK, I know you don't remember me, but you're not alone, if that helps," she said and reached over to touch his cheek.

The human angel nodded, but she could see that he was not convinced of this.

Laura wrapped her arms around him at this moment, her head coming to rest against his shoulder. Deep inside, she knew that she could not tell Andrew what Adam had said, all she could actually do was just be there for her friend. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with her own brand of love. "Andrew, what do you remember about me?"

"Remember?" He looked at her.

"You know now who I am, but do you remember when we first met?"

Andrew shook his head all the while trying with everything in him to remember who she is and where he had first met her. "You were a little girl, I think, you were so sweet, but scared."

"Yes, and you used to tell me stories, you were the one who told me about God," Laura smiled weakly at him. "You always told me, 'Laura, you're not alone, you're never alone'."

Laura's Flashback

"Laura, can I tell you a secret?" Andrew asked the little girl.

The little girl numbly nodded, her eyes wide.

"Do you know who God is?" he asked gently.

"You?"

Andrew smiled, but shook his head. "No, I'm not God, God is our creator, he made everything and is all of our Heavenly Father, and He loves you very much."

"Nobody loves me," Laura sniffed and looked down at her lap.

Andrew took her face in his hands and made her look into his eyes. "God loves you very much, Laura, and I love you, and Christina and Tess love you as well. We all know that this is hard for you, but we're not going to let anyone else hurt you. But, that means you're going to have to be a very brave little girl. Laura, do you know what an angel is?" Andrew asked her softly.

The little girl shook her head, and she looked down at her lap as though she had said something wrong. Andrew brushed his hand gently through her matted hair. As she felt the gentle hand of the angel on her hair, she reached a trembling hand out and touched Andrew's soft hair. "I wish you were my daddy," she whispered.

Andrew smiled gently at her, but when the doctor came into the room some seconds later, she tensed up and all that the angel could do was hold her hand tightly.

"My name is Doctor Harold Simms," he introduced himself to Christina and Andrew. "What seems to be the trouble?"

"Laura has been physically abused by her parents, Dr. Simms," Andrew said softly. "My friends and I found her today in the park and we thought we should bring her here."

"You probably should have brought her to the hospital, but let me take a look at her and see what I can do to help," he came closer and Laura closed her eyes and buried her face against Andrew's shoulder.

The doctor reached over to take the sweatshirt off the child and she released another scream. He moved his hands away and looked at Christina and shook his head. "It's too painful for her," Christina said sadly, her heart going out to the child.

Andrew ran his fingertips against the side of Laura's face, his action causing the child to once again fall asleep against his chest. He laid her back down on the bed.

Laura's Flashback End

"I told you all that? But, how could you have remembered, it was just a story?"

"I don't know, I just do. It's like how people remember their first kiss, or the first time they fell in love," Laura smiled weakly. "It's just something that remains even after a person grows up."

"Kiss, I never experienced that," Andrew said softly, his voice filled with a sort of melancholy sense and Laura could not determine what this meant and she pondered whether she might have made a mistake in saying this particular thing to him.

Laura leaned over and kissed his cheek. When she drew back away from him, she continued. "That was a kiss."

Andrew smiled when he felt her lips against his cheek. "Laura, when we were at your house, I told you I was afraid."

"I remember," she said softly as the doctor came into the room, followed by Daniel and whatever response he may have offered went ignored when she and Andrew stood up and went over to greet the doctor.

"My name is Dr. Steven Lane," the man with salt and pepper hair and friendly brown eyes said.

"I'm Laura Lowery, Christina's daughter," Laura began, her eyes seeking those of the doctor. "My mom's OK, isn't she?"

"Well, not entirely," the doctor said.

"Laura, your mother's got amnesia, she didn't even recognize me when I saw her just now," Daniel said softly. "That blow to the head somehow jarred her cognitive memories, and now she doesn't even know her own name."

"You're telling me that she doesn't remember anything?" Laura said softly and she looked at Andrew, the depiction of utter hopelessness on her face.

The doctor shook his head. "She can go home, but the best thing to do for her, is show her pictures and try to coerce the memories back." He shrugged his shoulders. "Some Amnesia cases last for weeks, while others last over the course of months, and sometimes, rarely, the patient simply has to start over."

Daniel nodded and looked at her. "We'll do whatever we can to help your mother regain her memory, Laura."

"I know, Grandpa," she whispered. "But, what about the wedding? We wanted to have it in about two months." She looked at Andrew, the tears now streaming from beneath her eyes and his plight momentarily forgotten. "Andrew, what do I do?"

"I don't know," he said softly and when he looked at her, the realization dawned on the young woman that he was just as lost as she felt.

*****

Christina was awake when Daniel returned to the room with Laura and Andrew. Laura walked over to the bed where her mother was sitting. "Mom?"

The woman in the bed looked at Laura with bewilderment in her eyes, but instead of speaking, she shook her head, leaving the obvious response to the rest of them; Christina had amnesia and she could not even remember her own daughter.

Laura waited until her mother had crawled out of bed until she was able to speak again. "We're going to help you remember. Andrew's here, and he is going to help, too." She turned and faced the now trapped human angel. "Aren't you?"

Andrew nodded. "If I can," he whispered softly.

Christina looked up at him when she heard his voice, but instead of seeing one of her dearest friends in the world, she looked into the eyes of a stranger.

"Come on Chrissie, let's get you home," Daniel said using the shortened form of her name, which he hadn't used in well over thirty years when he would address his daughter. Sighing deeply, he realized just how fitting this particular nickname was for her at that precise moment.

Christina nodded numbly and allowed her father to help her off the bed. Once she stepped out into the hallway, she looked back over at Andrew, her eyes filled with curious innocence and she spoke. "Are you my husband?"

Andrew looked at her, but shook his head. As ironic as this entire scenario was, the human angel could only remember that although this woman was not his wife, she was someone he cared very deeply for, but where he had known her from remained a mystery; he simply could not recall.

Laura hung back with Daniel and she looked at him. "Oh, Grandpa, this is terrible; they've both lost their memories."

"Is that what happened? Andrew is like this too?" Daniel asked.

"I talked to Adam earlier in the car, he was the one who drove me here, and he said that Andrew has forgotten that he's an angel, and…" she watched as Andrew and Christina walked towards the elevator and after a few moments, she looked at her grandfather all the while shaking her head dejectedly.

"Look, God knows what He's doing, it's time for both of us to take a step back and trust Him. The doctor prepared us the best way he knew how about your mother, but with Andrew, it's going to be hard, simply because as himself, he could have helped Christina remember, but now, he's in the same boat." He took a deep breath and looked at her. "Just remember, whatever happens, don't get angry with your mother about it, she doesn't know anything about who she is, if she's married, much less that there are angels in and out of her life since her childhood. So, just keep in mind that she may be responding in ways that the Christina we know, wouldn't." He took a deep staggering breath. "Laura, she's going to need our unconditional love and support if she is going to get through this, and Jeremy will have to know what specifically is happening."

Laura nodded as she and Daniel picked up their pace to catch up with Christina and Andrew. "Grandpa, are you mad at Brendan?"

"Yes, I am," Daniel said softly. "I don't want to be, but I am."

Laura said nothing, she was angry with him too, but instead of speak out about this, she took a deep breath and once they reached the elevator and got on with Andrew and Christina, no more words were spoken.

*****

"Amnesia?" Jeremy asked when he woke up some two hours later. He sat up in bed and looked at Daniel as his father-in-law explained to him what had happened. "Are you sure?"

Daniel nodded numbly. "Jeremy, Christina took a massive blow to the head when Brendan flew off the handle. I don't think he meant to hurt anyone, but she went outside to see what was happening there and he hit her with a two-by-four. She suffered a concussion and now doesn't remember anything."

"Oh God, what next?" Jeremy asked weakly.

"Jeremy?" Denise came into the room at that moment and Dawn was right behind her.

"What is it, sweetie?" Jeremy patted the blanket on the bed and the two girls climbed up onto the bed and he reached over to brush the strawberry blonde locks out from in front of her face.

"Andrew just asked us who we were," Dawn said softly.

"We wanted to give him a hug and he pushed us away," Denise practically finished the words her sister had said.

"How can both Christina and Andrew have amnesia at the same time?" Jeremy asked.

Daniel shook his head. "I wish I had the answers to that one, because I've been asking myself the same question since Chrissie was taken to the hospital." He paused and looked at Jeremy, his expression earnest. "Laura is going to try and help her remember who she is, but the doctor said it's like starting over. Jeremy, Christina doesn't even remember that Andrew's an angel, and now Andrew himself has forgotten that he is. Laura said that Adam told her that Andrew is trapped in human form, and that the longer he is there, the more difficult it will be for him to return to his angelic state. I don't know why it is that this has happened, but that's the situation as we see it right now."

Dawn and Denise looked at Daniel. "Are they ever going to remember us, Jeremy?" Dawn asked.

"I think they eventually will, but I don't know for certain when," Jeremy said softly. "The best thing you can do is to remind them of times that are special to you. Things that they did, and maybe that will jar a memory or two."

The twins crawled off the bed and left the room. Once they were alone, Jeremy looked at Daniel and shrugged his shoulders. Seconds later, someone tapped on the door, and Daniel went to open it.

Standing outside, Sebastian smiled weakly. "Most of the guests left about an hour ago when Laura called and said that Christina was OK."

Jeremy nodded as his future son-in-law came over with a bowl of soup and placed it on the nightstand. "Thanks, Sebastian, I was getting kind of hungry," he said softly.

"No problem," Sebastian said as he came over to the bed. "I suppose we should move the wedding day a little, considering."

"Maybe by that time, they will both have their memories back," Daniel said smiling at the young man. "Just keep the faith, OK?"

Sebastian nodded and smiled weakly. "I don't know so much about this kind of thing, but I do remember how Christina was always so strong."

Sebastian's Flashback

Christina and Tess hesitantly approached and Christina watched as one of the boys grabbed her daughter's arms and started to push her up against the wall. "Tess, what do we do?" Christina muttered, but before the angel could answer, they had both looked up and could see that Adam was now standing next to Laura and when she looked at him, her eyes widened.

"No," Laura whispered under her breath as she struggled against the boys who had her cornered against the wall.

Within seconds, she could hear some commotion and she looked up to see that Sebastian had approached them and he began to shout at the three boys.

"Leave her alone," he called out as he came closer and pushed one of the boys away from his friend. "I mean it, you guys, let her go, she's done nothing to you!" The boys turned around and could see him standing there about three feet from them, his hands on his hips and the expression in his eyes was filled with contempt.

In response to this, the boys backed away, and Laura sank to the ground, her body trembling, and her eyes filling with tears as soon as she was safe. Sebastian came over to where she was now on the ground and crouched down so he would be eye level with her. He rested his hands on her shoulders, thus causing her to look up.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked softly as he took her hands gently pulled her to her feet. Once she was on her feet, he could feel that she had thrown her arms around him, and he concluded that if he did not hold tightly to her, that she would once again sink to the ground. He put his arms around her and held her as she cried in his arms.

"I-I was l-looking for you," she stammered, once she had managed to raise her head for a moment, but as soon as the words were out, she buried her face against his shoulder and allowed the tears to fall, her body trembling slightly from beneath his touch.

"You ladies really shouldn't be out here after dark, it can be dangerous, there are street gangs, and drug pushers all over the place," Sebastian said and looked at Christina and then at Tess. He continued to hold Laura in his arms, as he brushed his dirty hands through her soft hair.

"Sebastian, Laura wanted to find you, honey," Tess began. "Now that she has, we can all get out of here. They have already discussed it, you have found a family that wants to help you."

"I have nothing," Sebastian began.

Tess looked around where they were standing. "Now, you listen to me, honey, we aren't going to get anything accomplished here standing around flapping our jaws, so let's go back, I think you and Laura need to have a little chat, and Christina and I would really like to have a piece of cake and a cup of coffee."

Christina nodded. "My daughter cares about you, Sebastian, and please, believe me, we wouldn't judge you, but you probably realize that it would be best that we get out of this area before those guys do come back. From my experience, gangs see power in numbers."

Sebastian nodded as Laura looked up at him. "Please don't go."

He looked at her and nodded as Adam's words reentered his conscience. "I won't," he finally managed to say.

Sebastian's Flashback End

"I guess it reminded me that I had met a family where people looked beyond appearances, but when Christina said that she wouldn't judge me, I knew that there was something really special about her, and her family. When I got here, I wondered if people here would accept me, or see me as those boys did." He shook his head. "But, she didn't. I haven't been here very long, and I haven't known you as long as some may have, but I do know that Christina is really a remarkable person and she will get through this, just as she overcame everything else."

Jeremy smiled. "I know, and she will surprise us all."

*****

Downstairs, Christina was walking through the house as though she had come inside for the first time. She walked into the living room and hesitantly sat down on the sofa. Donna was still at the house and she came over and sat down next to her daughter and rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Christina?"

She looked up and into the eyes of her mother; in the other corner Brendan was watching them with fear in his dark eyes. Rather than approach them, he remained where he had been seated and watched as Donna hesitantly tried to regain the trust of her daughter, who was now regarding everyone with a mixture of puzzlement and uncanny strangeness.

"I'm your mother, honey," Donna said softly hoping all the while to see her daughter recognize her. When she didn't, the older woman nearly burst into tears. She looked over and could see that Andrew had come out of the kitchen and the angel carried the same bewildered look on his face that Christina had.

"My mother?" The words emerged and Christina shook her head as though she was trying to remember and as she tried, the tears escaped from beneath her eyes. "I don't remember anything."

"It's OK, in time you will, honey," Donna said gently.

Andrew sat on the chair opposite the sofa and watched as Donna tried to console her daughter. When he saw the pain that was enveloping his friend, he swallowed the unconscious lump that had formed in his throat. It was natural for Christina's family to be concerned with her, but the odd sense of closeness that he shared with her family was probably the only thing he could consciously remember.

The human angel felt lost; maybe this was the one thing he now shared with Christina. He knew more about himself than she did about herself, but aside from being a good friend to her, and his name being Andrew, it was as if his memories were somehow blocked. As he watched Donna and Christina seated on the sofa, he could feel a wave of loneliness envelope him. He could see that Brendan was seated in the corner of the room and instead of speaking to the two women; he stood up and went over to the boy.

"Hello," he said softly, his voice filled with despondency, thus causing the boy to look up.

"You're not mad at me?" The boy asked all the while remembering what he had overheard the twins saying, Andrew had lost his memory too, and the strange thing was, the boy was not about to ask why, simply because perhaps in all of this, maybe this man actually was the only person in this house who would relate to him.

"No, why would I be?" Andrew asked.

"No reason," Brendan said. "Did you know that I'm named after you?"

Andrew shook his head, his memory blocked. "I don't remember, I'm sorry."

"My middle name is Andrew," the boy said softly as he shook his head despondently.

"I have the feeling that you don't know me very well," Andrew said softly as he sat down next to the boy.

"No, I don't know anyone, that's the trouble, I don't know where I fit in," Brendan said softly. "I was rude to you earlier, I figured you remembered that with the ice cream and that stupid movie."

"I don't remember much of anything about anyone, maybe that's why I can relate to you a little," Andrew said.

"Why would you say that?" Brendan looked at him.

"I don't know why, but it seems like the right thing to say. I mean; as odd as it may sound to you, I think I do understand you," he said.

"You understand me? How, especially if you can't even remember your own name, much less where you came from or who you are?" As he spoke, the boy somehow started to understand, Andrew didn't know who he was anymore than he, himself could remember his birth mother or father. After a few moments, he looked at Andrew hoping that he would say something that might help him understand what was happening.

"I can't really explain it, it's just a feeling. I have no memory of my past, and I don't know where I belong or if I have a family, or what I do for a living. I mean; there are things about me that people like Christina may remember, but I can't."

"A lot of help she's going to be to help you, she can't even remember how to write her own name," the boy said sarcastically.

"And whose fault is that?" Donna looked up from where she was seated on the sofa, and the boy's face flushed with shame when her stern eyes met his own.

"I-I'm sorry," Brendan said meekly, but instead of remaining on the floor, he got up and ran outside. Andrew was left in the room and he looked at Donna all the while wishing that he could understand what was happening.

"I guess I shouldn't have yelled at him," Donna mused softly to herself, "but this whole thing makes me so upset."

Andrew took a deep breath. "Maybe I should go outside and try and talk to him again."

"With your Swiss cheese memory?" She asked gently. "I think you need to stay right here and take it easy," Donna went over to the human angel, she could see so much fear and isolation hidden in his emotional green eyes and she could completely empathize with him. "It's OK, Andrew, we haven't forgotten you. Daniel told me about what happened, and I'm going to do everything I can to help you remember who you are. OK?"

He nodded and she took his hand and helped him to get back on his feet. Once she led him over to the sofa, he sat down next to Christina and Donna went outside to talk with her adopted son.

Once she was gone, Andrew looked over at Christina. She looks so small and frightened, he thought to himself, and without thinking he put his arm around her shoulder and drew her into his arms. Something about helping this woman just felt right, and Andrew had every intention of being there for her. He could not explain why it was important, but he knew that he if she were to find out the truth about herself, then maybe she would be able to help him remember.

Enfolded in his arms, Christina looked up at him. "You don't remember me any more than I remember you," she whispered sadly.

Andrew nodded. "I wish I could remember, Christina."

She closed her eyes for a moment; her memories hazy and she reached up and touched the bandage that was covering the side of her head. "It hurts."

"I was going to ask you about it," Andrew said softly as he took her hand away from the bandage. "Maybe you shouldn't touch it, that needs some time to heal."

"You're very kind, but you have the same problem as I do," she offered weakly.

Andrew could do nothing; he merely shrugged his shoulders.

*****

Christina and Andrew's conditions didn't change and after three days of trying, Laura was ready to give up. She had tried everything to make her mother and best friend remember who they were, and with Denise and Dawn to help her, she didn't seem willing to stop trying.

The fourth afternoon, Laura took Andrew with her to work, she figured that maybe he would remember some of the kids from a few years ago when the friends of the twins were hanging around the community center. "Andrew, do you remember you were sitting over there with Jo, Claudia, and Tiffany? It was about three years ago. Today the girls are getting ready to start high school." As she spoke, someone called her name and she looked up to see Jo Peterson waving like an overburdened windmill for them to come over and join her.

Andrew and Laura came over to where Jo was sitting, she had not changed much, she was still in a wheelchair, but this one was covered with stickers and other things. "Hey, long time no see, Andrew. You're still as cute as ever."

"She knows me?" Andrew looked at Laura for some sort of recognition and when Laura saw the bewildered expression on the face of the other girl, she quickly explained, in the hopes that Jo wouldn't be offended by Andrew's overwhelming confusion.

"Andrew has amnesia," Laura offered. "I thought I'd bring him here and he could talk to some of the folks here who know him, maybe you as well as some of the others here who know him, might be able to jar his memory."

Jo nodded, but when her mother called her, she turned and saw a brunette woman coming over to them. "Jo, do you want to stay here and look after Katie while I do some shopping?"

"You already know the answer to that Mom," the teenager laughed, but looked at Laura. "Hey, when your shift is over, could you give Katie and me a ride back home?"

"It's no trouble," Laura smiled at the teenager's mother. "Mrs. Peterson, I get done at eight and can get the girls home if that's not a problem."

"Great, I'll see you tonight, sweetie," Jennifer Peterson said smiling. "Oh and, maybe you can get her to knock it off with those crazy angel stories."

Laura's eyes widened when she heard the words of Jo's mother, but she looked almost shocked when she turned around and could see that Tess was standing in the room and she seemed to be the only person who could see the eldest of the angels.

Once Jo's mother walked away, Laura looked at the girl in the wheelchair. "Listen Jo, could you take Andrew into the hobby room and maybe see if you can help jog his memory, I have some things I need to take care of?"

"Sure, come on handsome, you can give me a little bit of a break," Jo said slyly.

"Excuse me?" Andrew looked bewildered.

"Well, it's like this, you take one of nicely manicured hands of yours and affix it around the handle of this chair, the other hand you put on the other handle, and you push me slowly through that door into the hobby room, or have you also forgotten that you're a man of brute strength?" Jo's smile was crooked as she looked at Laura and the young woman laughed out loud.

"Cute Jo, I'll be coming back through in a few minutes," Laura said as Andrew hesitantly wheeled the teenager off.

Once they were gone, Laura walked with determined steps over to the angel still in the room and motioned for her to follow her into a conference room. Once they had come into the room, Laura closed the door and turned around to face Tess. "I had this feeling that you were not visible to Andrew, or to anyone else but me. Right?"

Tess nodded. "Yes."

"Adam told me why it was that Andrew has amnesia, but I still don't understand," Laura began.

"Well, baby, the truth is, we're not here for Andrew. Do you know Katie Peterson?"

"Yes, she's the little girl who can see angels," Laura said. "You know as funny as it sounds, I believe her."

"You should, because she's telling the truth."

Laura nodded. "Tess, why does Andrew have amnesia?"

The wise angel shook her head. "I really have no idea, Laura."

"Isn't there anything else I can do for him?"

"Nothing more than what you're already doing," Tess said softly.

"What about my mom?" Laura sighed sadly as she looked over in the direction Andrew and Jo had gone in. "Sebastian and I are supposed to have our wedding in three weeks, and now with them this way, I don't know if I could go through with it." She shook her head, but when she looked back over at Tess, all she got was a look of uncertainty.

*****

Jo and Andrew were seated in the hobby room at that moment. "Do you even remember me, Andrew?"

The human angel shook his head. "I'm sorry, Jo, but I don't. Tell me about when we met, maybe that will help."

The girl nodded. "OK."

Jo's Flashback

"Hey guys, this is my friend, Andrew," Laura said as they reached the table and sat down.

"Your boyfriend?" Jo asked and the other two girls began to snicker.

"No, he's just a friend. Don't you girls have any friends who are guys?" Laura asked, but almost started giggling herself when Andrew's face flushed.

"Eeeew, that's really gross," Tiffany said as she opened the container with the blue paint inside. "Everyone knows that boys have cooties."

"Let me see," Monica began. "Boys have cooties, and boys can't be angels. What else can boys not do?"

Tiffany shot a fleeting glance towards Andrew, and instead of speaking, the girl looked down at her painting, her gaze never leaving her work.

"Should I go?" Andrew asked softly, seeing the embarrassment evident in the little girl as well as in her actions.

"No," Tiffany said softly.

Jo looked at her friend after some time had passed. "You going to tell us why you don't like boys, Tiff or do we just have to guess?"

"Yeah," Claudia said.

Monica looked at her, "you know, Tiffany, it's perfectly normal for a girl your age to not like boys. In fact, when Laura was your age, she thought boys were gross too, didn't you?"

Laura smiled and nodded. "Yes that's true, then I met Billy, and he became a good friend of mine. But, my best friend in the whole world is Andrew. I mean boys are just as capable of being a good friend, or being an angel, as girls."

"That's where I know you," Jo practically squealed looking at Andrew.

"You know me?" Andrew asked still not sure where this was going.

"Yeah, it was about five years ago, I was six, and was staying with my grandma upstate. That was before my parents and I moved here. See, my grandma was really sick at the time, and we thought she was going to die. I mean, for some reason, she didn't, but we were really scared for a while there and even had to call a priest to come in and perform last rites. But, I remember coming into the room one afternoon after school, I was six, and there was someone seated by my grandma's bed, it was Andrew."

"Are you kidding, Jo?" Claudia asked.

"No, I'm not," Jo said softly. "Do I look like I'm kidding? I mean, as I came into the room, I could hear him, he had leaned over towards my grandma and was whispering to her." She paused taking a deep breath and she looked at Andrew. "It was you, wasn't it?"

Andrew nodded, "yes, Jo, it was."

"What happened next?" Denise asked.

"Well, he looked up at me, and smiled."

"Green eyes and dimples," Laura nodded making the connection to what the little girl had said a few days ago.

"Yeah, and I looked at you and do you remember what I said?" Jo looked at Andrew.

"Yes, you said 'my grandma doesn't need an Angel of Death, she's going to be just fine'," Andrew said softly and smiled at the little girl who nodded adamantly.

"Angel of Death?" Claudia whispered. "You're an Angel of Death?"

"Yes, I am," Andrew said.

Tiffany looked at Laura. "Your best friend is an Angel of Death?"

"Yes," Laura said softly.

"OK, so I want to know why it is that an Angel of Death has to show up here and nobody dies," Claudia said softly.

"Just because an Angel of Death shows up somewhere doesn’t mean someone is going to die," Monica said softly. "The possibility does exist, like with Jo's grandma, but Andrew also helps people deal with life, and that's why he's here now."

"Like with us," Denise said softly and she looked at him. "I guess I really did hurt you when I got scared of you."

"It's OK, Denise, I truly do understand," Andrew said gently.

Jo looked at Andrew and then at her friends. "My grandma is healthy today, they say she'll probably live to be at least 80, she didn't die when Andrew was there, but she and I talk about what happened that day sometimes and she always tells me that she had the most handsome of angels watching over her."

"That's why you're so boy-crazy," Claudia said nodding, but she began to giggle when she saw Andrew blush.

"Did it help?" Tiffany asked, her voice small.

"Help?" Jo looked up.

"Yeah, did it help your grandma to know that he was there?" Tiffany asked.

Jo smiled. "Yeah, and it helped me too, because she said that Andrew told her about Heaven, so she knows what she has to look forward to."

Jo's Flashback End

"I told you that I was an angel?" Andrew asked all the while shaking his head.

"Well, you are," she whispered more to herself than to him, but when she saw the blank look on Andrew's handsome face, she flushed crimson and stared down at her lap. Maybe he just wasn't ready to know what he is yet, she thought sadly to herself and when she looked at him, she realized that the angel who had given her and her grandmother so much hope had all but vanished. When a small voice emerged some moments later, Jo had to accept that maybe it was true, maybe the angel she had known had only been a figment of her overactive imagination.

"No he's not an angel Jo, he's just a guy," Katie's voice brought her older sister out of her reverie and Jo glanced over to see that she was now standing in the doorway and looking at the two of them with a shy smile on her innocent face.

Jo took a deep breath, and when she looked at Andrew, she nodded as though she understood something that neither of them could comprehend. "Maybe she's right and it's all just a bunch of baloney," she whispered, but when Andrew reached over and rested his hand on her shoulder, she shrugged it off. "I'm OK, maybe I shouldn't have told you any of that, some things are just too precious to share and I guess that is one of those cases."

Instead of remaining in the hobby room, she wheeled herself out and once she had disappeared through the doorway, Katie looked at Andrew. "I heard all of it," the little girl said softly. "Jo doesn't know that I know, but she's really sick, and I guess she wants to believe that angels are here, but they really are."

Andrew shook his head. "I hurt her, and I really didn't mean to."

Katie nodded. "Laura will help her, she always has been there for people."

Andrew looked at Katie, "What do you know about Laura?"

"She's really nice, and her boyfriend is really cute, but he talks weird," Katie said.

"He's from Germany, isn't he?" Andrew asked.

"Yeah," Katie said. "Laura was working with us with art classes, she even brought in her daddy to help."

Andrew nodded as the little girl continue to rattle off information to him, but he could remember any of it, and he was becoming more and more depressed as the afternoon wore on.

*****

Across town, Christina was faring even worse with her memory loss than Andrew was. After Jeremy had gone to work, she had found herself sitting in the living room literally staring at four walls. She had been trying with all her might to remember who she was; yet every time she turned around, she was left with a horrible feeling that Jeremy was angry with her, instead of the condition that robbed her of knowing who her husband and children were.

For his part, Jeremy had felt absolutely horrible for leaving her alone in this state, but he knew that they needed to have some money in the house with the upcoming wedding of his eldest child as well as all of the expenses that entailed.

Sighing deeply, she realized that the twins had gone swimming with a couple of their friends and the house was completely empty. Instead of getting depressed about being alone, she decided that she would look through some of the photos and souvenirs she had collected over the years.

As she reached for the photo album that was on the top of the shelf, she could see that the year was marked and Europe was drawn below it in bubble like letters. Silently, she began to go through the pictures and keepsakes, all the while hoping that something there would remind her of the times passed. She knew that many of them had her in them, but who all these other people were, remained a mystery.

Her hand brushed across the face of her son, and she sighed deeply all the while not even recognizing his face, but all the while seeing a handsome young boy smiling back at her. As she continued looking at the photos, she realized that she didn't know who the people were. Tess, Monica and Andrew were in some of the pictures, but Christina, in this state could not even recognize the angels for what they were. She ran her hand over the texture of the plastic pages covering the photos, as she felt tears in her eyes. Who were these people, she would ask herself almost constantly, and when she felt the tears streaming down over her face, she could not block the pain at simply not knowing. She took a deep breath, her gaze still on the picture of Patrick, whom she thought a year ago that she would never ever get over his death, now she could not even remember him.

As she turned the page, she could see that she and Andrew were in a picture together and they were holding each other in a warm embrace at the portals leading into Disneyland. She ran her hand over the picture and she realized that she really liked Andrew, even though she didn't know why. It was just the thought of him that somehow made the color rush to her cheeks, and she discovered that she felt giddy when she thought about him.

Although she could not remember who he was specifically, she knew that he must have been a wonderful friend to her, simply because he had come over and tried to help her the day they had both lost their memories. Andrew, she thought as she shook her head, there was something about him that she liked, but yet the thoughts about Halloween costumes and a little girl running through the park seemed to be playing out over and over in her mind, even though she was not sure as to why.

Something about Andrew made her feel the most comforted feeling in the world, his green eyes that sparkled when he looked at her and how that particular feeling seemed to overwhelm her whenever she thought about him.

As she stared down at the photographs, she did not see that Adam was in the room and he carried a look on his face that was shadowed with sadness. Christina, of all the people he had known, was one of the strongest, and yet, right now, she was completely vulnerable. He took a deep breath as he continued to watch her movements, all the knowing that Tess and Monica wanted to make sure that they were all going to be OK since they were not supposed to come into contact with Christina just yet. Shaking his head, he continued to watch her until the doorbell rang and as she got up to answer it.

As she made her way towards it, he disappeared.

When she saw a man on the opposite side, she looked at him expecting to know him, but her eyes were sad when she did not recognize him at all.

"Chrissie, is everything OK?" The man asked and he looked at her with confusion shadowing his expression.

"I'm sorry, but should I know you?" She asked weakly.

"Mom and Dad told me that Brendan hit you on the head, but I must admit, I thought they were kidding," he began, the confusion turning into concern when he looked down at her. "Chrissie, my name is Bryan, I'm your brother."

"I'm sorry," she whispered as the fresh tears stung her eyes and she backed away from the door allowing him to come into the house.

Once inside, she looked up at him. "I feel so lost," she began. "I have been looking at pictures all afternoon and I don't remember anything."

"It's OK, in time you will," Bryan said gently.

"All I think about is Halloween and a little girl in some sort of costume," Christina said softly.

"That was when you first met Andrew," Bryan said softly.

"How old was I?"

"You were seven," Bryan said.

"How old was he?"

Bryan shook his head, "you know, I really don't know. I just remember when we went out trick or treating, you ran off and I didn't see you until later when you had come home. You said that you had met an angel that night, nobody really thought much of it until three years later."

"Who am I?" She looked despondently at her brother. "I don't know who I am anymore. I'm so scared that I'll never be able to remember again."

"You will remember, Christina," he said gently as he wrapped her in his arms. "Come on, let's get some old pictures out, and I'll tell you something about them."

Christina did as he said and within moments, the two of them were sitting on the floor with pictures scattered around them. Christina picked up a photo that had been taken in Paris of the young boy. "Who's this, Bryan?"

"That's Patrick, he was your son," Bryan said softly.

"Was?"

"He died, Chrissie, about a year and half ago. He was a wonderful young man," Bryan said softly. "The twins are his sisters, Denise and Dawn, I guess you could tell, they all have reddish hair."

"How did he die?" Christina asked.

"He had AIDS, Chrissie, he got the virus when he was ten or eleven after getting a blood transfusion," Bryan said softly. "My son, A.J., is about the same age as Patrick, and the two of them were pretty close, not real close, but they got along."

Bryan reached over and picked up another picture, this one of Olivia. "This is our adopted sister, she died about twelve years ago while giving birth to Brendan."

"All this loss," Christina said softly. "Is my family happy, I mean; with all these young people who have died?"

Bryan smiled weakly, "yes, we're happy, but like all families, we have our ups and downs." He picked up another photograph, this one of Laura and Sebastian. "You know these two, right?"

Christina nodded. "They're supposed to get married, aren't they?"

"Yes, they will be in about three weeks." Bryan said softly. "Maybe we should look at some pictures from your wedding, maybe that will help jog your memory. Do you know where they are?"

Christina shook her head. "Bryan, what is going to happen if I can't remember who I am by the time the wedding happens?"

He shook his head. "I don't know, but I will tell you this, we've always stuck together through thick and thin, I'll will do whatever I can to help, I think you know that."

She shook her head as they spent the remainder of the afternoon going through the pictures, but instead of making this easier for her to recall things, she grew all the more confused.

*****

By the time Bryan left to go home, Christina was sitting on the sofa once again, trying to figure out which pictures belonged in which books.

Shaking her head slowly, she stared down at the coffee table as the front door opened and Andrew came in, the expression on his face a depiction of hopelessness which seemed to match her own. "Andrew, but what are you doing here? I thought you were with Laura." She whispered as he closed the door and came over to the sofa.

"Laura brought me back here during her break," he began and motioned towards the pictures. "I guess she thought looking at some pictures could help me remember. She told me that she would be back here after she made sure the other girls from her class had been picked up to go home."

Christina nodded. "Bryan was here."

"Who?"

"I'm sorry, he's my brother, and at least that's what he told me. He tried to help me figure out who all these people were on the pictures, but I can't remember anything. Oh God, what if I don't ever get my memory back? I wouldn't even know how to start over again." Christina's face was a depiction of agony and Andrew immediately came over and sat down on the sofa next to her, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder. "I just want my life back, I want to know what all these things in this house are, why they are important to me, and what their significance is." She looked at him and shook her head sadly.

"You're going to remember, I just know it," he said softly.

"How do you know? How can you be so certain that I'm going to remember my husband, or even my children? Oh God, why did this have to happen to me?"

Andrew wrapped her in his arms and held her tightly. "Shhh, it's OK, in time Christina you and I will both remember."

"When you were at the community center with Laura, did you remember anything about yourself?" She asked, all the while realizing that he too had to deal with memory loss and that this was probably not easy for him either.

"I don't remember anything," he began to speak, "but I do know that for some reason, I can't help but think about Halloween. There was something about it that seemed to stand out in my mind. I don't know why, but this day somehow holds significance."

"You too?"

"I suppose if we stopped and thought about it extensively, maybe we have a fond memory of this time," Andrew said softly as he brushed a lock of her hair out of her face, his eyes earnest as he looked at her.

"Bryan said we met on Halloween one year, he said I was seven, but he didn't know how old you were," Christina said softly. "I guess that sounds stupid, just because most people know how old they are."

"No, not really," Andrew said softly. "I don't even know how old I am, so I guess it doesn't sound silly at all. Somehow it would make sense that we did meet the first time on Halloween. I suppose that's why I sense that we're close, maybe we grew up together."

Christina looked at him. "Maybe we did."

"And maybe we went to dances together, and walked along the beach and watched sunsets together," Andrew said softly.

"Andrew, do you think that maybe we loved each other?" She asked.

"I think we did, in fact, sometimes, like right at this moment, I think we still do," he said honestly, his voice gentle and soft.

"But, everyone keeps telling me that I'm married to Jeremy, but I haven't seen him very much lately. He felt badly about having to go to work today, but why is it the only things I can remember are about you…" her voice trailed and she shook her head.

Andrew looked at her, as he reached over and brushed her hair out from in front of her face. "I think whoever your husband is, you obviously love him very much, Christina."

She nodded and looked down at the pictures that were still scattered across the coffee table. "Andrew, what are we going to do if we don't get our memories back?"

"We'll have to start over," he said gently.

"I don't know if I can or if I even want to," she whispered.

"I know, but that's what we're going to have to do," he said softly as he brushed the tears from beneath her eyes.

"How does one start over?" She whispered as she rested her head against his shoulder and glanced outside through the sliding glass doors that separated the living room from the terrace.

"I wish I knew, I've been trying to find out," Andrew said softly. "Did you notice that you have family, that there are people that care for you, but I don't and that scares me? If I were gone, would there be someone who would miss me?"

"I would," she looked up at him. "I really would."

Andrew brushed his hand gently through her hair. "Thank you."

Christina nodded, but after a few moments she looked up at him. "Andrew, have you ever been so scared that you don't know what to do, yet at the same time, you're afraid to do anything at all?" She asked softly as she glanced back down the pictures on the table. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do, but I can't look at any more pictures, my mind is a jumble of thoughts and feelings. Do you even understand what I mean?"

"Yes, and right now, I have no job, no life, no family and I feel cut off and isolated from the rest of the world. It's like a part of me is gone, and I don't know where to go looking to find it," Andrew looked at her and then cast a brief look down at the pictures. "I have been told some really strange things about myself, things that I don't even know if I could tell you without you thinking I am insane."

"I wouldn't think that of you, I guess, because you're the only one who understands how I feel," she whispered softly as she reached up with her fingertips and brushed it across the gentle contours of his face.

Andrew smiled gently down at the woman he was holding in his arms. As he did, he glanced over at the small coffee table and could see that a photo of him and her adorned it, and he glanced down at her tearstained face. Do you think that maybe we loved each other, her question flashed across his consciousness as he stroked her cheek tenderly.

"Andrew?"

"Yes?"

"What are you thinking about?" She asked weakly, her voice filled with an unfamiliar sense of insecurity that sounded almost alien to her.

"Something you said," he whispered. "I just wish I knew if it was true, or if I was just imagining things."

Christina looked at him, her head was still resting against his chest, as she did she realized that she could not see his eyes until he had shifted his gaze and was looking right at her. Eventually, her gaze shyly met his.

As he stared down at her, she finally found the courage to speak, her voice soft as she took a deep breath. "What did I say?" She eventually asked.

"You asked me if it was possible that we once loved each other," Andrew whispered.

"I was just thinking aloud, no big deal," she shrugged her shoulders.

"Why do you think about that?" He asked, his voice soft.

"I don't know," she said softly, but as he looked down at her, she could feel her heartbeat quickening.

Andrew smiled gently at her, but instead of speaking, he leaned down and kissed her forehead, his lips soft and gentle, but instead of drawing away, she raised her head so that instead of kissing her above her eyes, his lips were now pressed firmly, but gently against her mouth.

When he felt her lips moving beneath his, he broke the embrace with her, his voice cracking. "Christina, I…" his voice trailed and he looked at her, a mixture of bewilderment and shyness etched in his green eyes. From her place on the sofa, she could see that he was blushing.

"Andrew, I don't know the answer to my question any better than you would, but I do know that for some strange reason, I feel safe when you're here, and that you're not trying to make me remember something that I cannot. Please, stay with me, I'm so afraid, but when you're here, I don't feel as though I am lost and drifting. I mean; what is it about you that makes me feel this way?"

The human angel shook his head, but instead of hearing his words, she could feel his hand holding her face gently, his hand drawing her mouth closer to his own until she felt his lips pressing gently against her own. Instead of drawing away from one another as both of their internal voices seemed to be trying to persuade them to do, they ignored this overwhelming logic and held tightly to each outer.

Without thinking anything out of the ordinary was happening to her, Christina wrapped her arms around him, her eyes closing as she allowed the sweetness of his kiss to intensify.

*****

On the other side of the room, Adam had once more appeared in the room, and he stood watching them, his eyes wide with amazement, but neither of them even knew that there was an angel present.

As he watched them, his thoughts were literally racing. Andrew, buddy, this is not right, he thought, all the while trying to find a way to distract the couple on the sofa. He wanted more than anything, to intervene, but before he could, the gentle voice of the Father told him not to get involved and that this would have to be part of the way Christina and Andrew would remember.

But, Father, you've whispered into both of their spirits that this isn't right, why don't they listen? How come they are ignoring you? Adam asked as he tried to block the images from before his eyes.

They are not ignoring Me; right now the two of them are leaning on each other for support. In time, they will remember what their consciences have been trying to tell them, but right now, you are here to help them, so do so by trying not to judge them. Remember, My angel, if Andrew knew and understood who he was, he wouldn’t be kissing Christina, and if Christina knew and understood who she was and that she loves Jeremy, she wouldn't be kissing Andrew.

Nodding numbly, Adam realized that the words the Father said to him were the truth, but at the same time, he could not comprehend what was happening or even why it was. Shaking his head he continued. This is all so weird, Father, I can't accustom myself to seeing Andrew in this state. When will he remember who he is?

When no answer came, Adam closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, he glanced over to see that Sam was now standing next to him and he, too, was watching Christina and Andrew. "This is bad, huh?" He asked the wise angel once Sam had observed what was happening.

"As the Father has said, neither of them know who they are and although, this is strange for us to see this happening, it is also strange for the two of them. They know deep in their souls that it is not natural, but under these circumstances, this is completely normal," Sam said softly. "In time, they will remember who they are and when that time does come, both of them will need to rectify this moment with themselves."

"But, Andrew's an angel, Sam," Adam objected. "I just keep thinking that this could really harm or destroy the friendship that they both have shared over the years."

Sam responded by shaking his head. "I know that in many cases something like this might, but keep in mind that it's going to take some time for Andrew to actually remember who and what he is. When that time comes, then we will need to be there for both of them."

Once Sam was gone, Adam continued to watch as Andrew and Christina held tightly to each other on the sofa. No matter what Sam had said about this, he still didn't like this situation a single bit.

A few moments later, he disappeared leaving them alone. He had now been sent to find Tess and he realized that slowly the other assignment was now becoming his assignment.

*****

Across town, Laura had returned to the community center and as her break came to an end she went over to where some of the children were busying themselves with finger painting and making mobiles. As she started to walk in the direction of where the children were actively working, she did not notice that her fiancé had spotted her and was walking towards her. "Laura, is everything OK?" He asked, his voice breaking her out of her reverie and she stopped next to the door leading into the hobby room and waited for him to come over to where she was.

She shook her head. "Sebastian, I'm so scared. Andrew and my mom still look at me as though I am a stranger."

The young German man smiled gently at her. "You're afraid that this won't be over until after we get married, huh?"

Laura nodded. "I love you so much, but I don't know if I can go through with a formal wedding without my mom. I mean; she and my dad saved my life, and Andrew…" Shaking her head, she looked at him. "There were so many times that Andrew had been around to help me, he had given me so much courage and strength, and I can't imagine not being there for him, like he had often been for me, even during a time when he had lost his faith."

Laura's Flashback

Laura found a secluded bench and sat down. She could see that some of the other neighborhood children were playing around the fountain that was situated in the middle of the park. Eventually, they looked over, spotted her, and were now coming closer.

"Look guys, it's the cripple," one of them said loudly, and the others began to laugh as well. "I heard she has her birthday today, I wonder how many people are coming for it. Marcie said that all the kids who got invitations trashed them."

Laura remained seated for some agonizing seconds, but when one of the boys started throwing mud in her face, she stood up with the intention of running away. As soon as she managed to get to her feet, it seemed as though her feet had picked this moment to refuse to cooperate with her and she fell back onto the bench.

She struggled once again in order to get to her feet, but as she tried to push herself off the bench, she could feel her body lurching forward and falling hard onto the ground. Instead of helping her by preventing her fall, the boys backed away and laughed when she landed on the sidewalk, the concrete cutting her knees and causing them to bleed. The children continued to laugh and one of them even began to kick dirt into her face.

She tried without success to keep the mud from splattering in her eyes, all the while trying to get up, but she couldn't. "Go away," she cried, the tears falling freely.

The boys responded by speaking of the most painful thing they could find to hurt her. "Hey Laura, why don't you go back to your real mommy and daddy and let them really teach you a thing or two. I'm sure they can tell you that you're as big of a looser as we think."

"Stop doing this!" A voice interrupted the boy's words and Laura looked up to see that Andrew was now standing some three feet away from her, and he was regarding the boys not only with the utmost sadness, but also a trace of frustration. When he looked at her, she could see the guilt that seemed to embody him, but after a few seconds, she covered her face with her hands and allowed the tears to continue streaming down her face.

"Who's gonna make us? You?" One of the boys said as he tried to buff himself up so that he would look tougher and more intimidating than he actually was. "She really is a looser to have to have a grown up defend her."

"It is only through cowardice in a group of children, which gives them the strength to hurt someone who isn't like they are. Do you kids not have something better to do than to go and pick on this child?" Andrew asked, keeping his voice level, but he carried a look of absolute horror in his eyes as he regarded the lack of caring that seemed to exist on the faces of the boys.

"She's a nothing," one of the boys said.

"Yeah," chimed another. "Let's get out of here guys, she's not worth our time."

As the boys left her on the ground, Andrew got down on his knees in front of her and rested his hands on her shoulders. "Laura, are you OK honey?"

She shook her head and looked up at him. "They're right," she whispered softly, the pain emerging in her words, "I'm a nothing."

"No, they aren't and you are not a nothing, Laura," Andrew could feel the tears now streaming down his cheeks as he looked at her. He could see that she was now looking at him with unsuppressed surprise.

"Why do you cry, they didn't hurt you?" She asked weakly, her voice unusually soft, but filled with the existing pain she carried deep in her heart. "You're just like them, anyway. You don't want to be with me either, you probably hate me and think I'm a cripple, too." Her words emerged filled with so much pain. She struggled to get to her feet but when she did, her feet gave out and she ended up on the ground again, the blood smearing across the concrete.

Laura's sorrow tugged at Andrew's already wounded heart and he could feel the guilt encompass him as the tears continued to stream down his cheeks. "I don't, Laura, you know I care for you. I care so much, that when I saw what I did some days ago, you were all I could think about."

"What happened to you?" She asked weakly. She was still on the ground, her hands all the while rubbing in the dirt, her face a depiction of the utmost pain, her knees still bleeding.

Andrew leaned down and picked her up gently in his arms. As he held her, he could feel the emotions getting the better of him and with her still in his arms, he sat down on the bench and she remained on his lap. With a handkerchief, he wiped it gently over her knees and removed the pebbles from the ground that were now caked on her injured knees. "Laura, I can't talk about this right now, it's too hard for me, but this morning, I got upset with your mom, and I said some things that hurt her, things I didn't mean to say. That's why I didn't want to come, but then Paula told me that today is your birthday." He reached over and brushed her hair from her eyes and offered her a gentle smile.

Laura nodded numbly, her face filled with sadness, and she found herself looking away. "Nobody wanted to come to my party, anyway. All the kids threw my invitations away and said that nobody in their right mind would come." As she spoke, she looked down at her legs with scorn in her eyes, and as she continued to speak, she told Andrew something that completely caught him by surprise. "The doctor said that my legs will never be normal again, that I will walk weird for the rest of my life." She looked at him sadly. "You know that ever since I was really little, I wanted to be a dancer when I grew up, and now I'll never dance, I'll never even walk right."

She began to cry in earnest as soon as she finished speaking. She pulled a small photograph from her pocket and showed it to him. On it was a photograph of a ballerina, and she ran her hand over the glossy picture. "Every time the kids call me a 'cripple', I remember how much I used to love dancing, and I think about something that I will never ever be able to do. My parents don't know about this, I never told them," Laura said indicating the picture, "but it was the one thing that I wanted to live for when I was being hurt by the Cantus." She ripped the photo down the middle and tossed the two pieces to the ground. "Now, I have nothing left."

"Why didn't you tell Christina and Jeremy about this?" Andrew asked gently.

"'Cause Dad felt bad about the accident, and Mom felt guilty about it," Laura said softly. "I didn't want them to think that I was mad at them for me being messed up this way." The tears streamed down her cheeks. "That's why I wanted to be with Olivia, because she knew how I felt, and she knew how much I dreamt of dancing. She even told me that she admired me for having a dream and holding onto it. She just didn't know that that was the only thing keeping me alive."

Andrew nodded and for the first time since his experience at the school, he could see the pain in this little girl's eyes. He glanced skyward, but his heart stopped him from reaching out to God, and instead, all he was capable of doing was to wrap her in his arms and hold her tightly.

Laura's Flashback End

"He really helped you with this?" Sebastian asked.

"Yeah, my dad and I were in a car accident when I was 11 and during this time, I was in a coma, and when I came out of it, I couldn't walk right, and the doctor even said that I would never walk again. That was when I met Renate and she helped me get into dance classes."

"I think I understand why Andrew means so much to you, probably now more than ever before," he said gently, but when he saw the tears streaming from beneath Laura's eyes, he wrapped her in his arms. "Whatever happens, we will get through this." After he spoke, he leaned over and touched her shoulder.

Moments seemed to pass and Laura looked up at him. "Have I told you lately how special you are to me?"

Sebastian smiled and cocked his head to one side, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Thousands of times, but thankfully, you are one for reminders." He hugged her, but over her shoulder he could see that Adam had come into the center, and he leaned over and began to whisper in her ear. "Laura, I don't want to add to your worries, but Adam's here, and he's got that 'someone died' look on his face. I think something is seriously wrong."

When Laura looked up, she could see that the Angel of Death was, in fact, present, and she concurred with Sebastian, he definitely looked troubled. "I guess we should go and see what's up."

Sebastian nodded and holding each other's hands for stability, the two young people walked over to Adam, both immediately noticing that he was in human form and was standing in the middle of the large open room with an unhappy look on his face.

"Adam?" Laura called out, thus causing him to look up.

The angel glanced over as they approached. "Laura, Sebastian, hi. What are you doing here?"

"Well, Adam, we work here," Laura said trying to offer him a small smile, but when he didn't return the gesture, she knew that something was not right. "And you? What brings you by?"

"I was told that I needed to come see Tess," Adam said softly but something in his voice was unconvincing and both of them knew that even without him having said anything, something was wrong.

"OK, Adam, out with it," Sebastian finally looked at him. "You've got to tell us what's going on, and if you'll pardon the expression, but you look like death warmed over."

Adam looked at him. "You've been around Laura too long, you're starting to sound like her," he said dryly, but the words did not emerge as though the angel was in the mood to kid around, in fact, they could tell that they had struck a nerve with him and Laura reached over and rested her hand on his shoulder, but when he brushed it off, her eyes widened and she frowned.

"Adam, please, we wouldn't give you a hard time if we didn't care about you, and you are our friend, so why won't you tell us? Maybe we can help somehow," she whispered, her eyes filled with tears as she looked up at him. It was strange, Adam had never brushed her aside before, in fact, he had always been there for her, and yet, this time, he was acting strangely, and this not only concerned her, but it also upset her.

Adam, seeing the pain cross his young friend's face, smiled gently at her. "I know that you two are my friends, Laura, but I can't tell you what happened, the Father doesn't want me to get involved in this, but it's hard not to," he said.

"Then why are you here, why don't you just go Home and try to resolve whatever it is there, not hang around here and get meshed into the problems of youth?" Sebastian asked softly. "I mean, do you remember what happened the last time someone tried to keep secrets from their friends?"

Adam squirmed, Sebastian had a good point, but when the Father's words resonated in his conscience, he shook his head.

"We're always here for you, you know?" Laura said softly, but instead of seeing Tess on the other side of the room, she glanced over and could see that Katie Peterson was standing in a doorway with another girl, and she was pointing at Adam. Maybe Katie could see angels, the young woman thought to herself and looked at Sebastian for a second before looking back over at where the angel had been standing. When she realized that he had walked away, leaving them alone, she could feel the tears streaming from beneath her eyes.

"He's holding something back," Sebastian said softly as he rested a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"One doesn't have to be an angel to recognize it," Laura whispered. "Do you think it might have something to do with my mom?"

"It might, maybe that's why he didn't want to talk about it," Sebastian said. "Whatever it is, I'm going to find out. When I get done with the art class, I'll drive by your parents' house, see if anything has happened and check on how Christina and Andrew are doing. Just give me the keys to the car."

Laura nodded and handed the requested keys to her fiancé. Once he had them, he kissed her and walked towards the door leading outside. Laura turned and could see that Katie and Jo were still at the arts and crafts table. As she sat down at the neighboring table, she regarded the two girls with a friendly smile, but the look of despondency returned and she had to look down in order to hide her concerns from the rest of the world.

Something was just not right, and after seeing the troubled look on Adam's face, she could only concentrate on this to such a degree that she didn't notice that Monica had come over to her, and when she felt the hand of the angel coming to rest on her shoulder, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Laura, what is it?" The angel managed to ask, but when she saw the scowl that crossed Laura's face, she knew that something was seriously wrong.

Laura sighed deeply, but she shook her head, her eyes still on the two girls at the table but her eyes filling with tears as she returned her gaze to the angel and regarded the young caseworker. "I don't know how much more of this I can take," she began, "There's one angel in my life with amnesia and another acting like a macho stud, and now you're sneaking around practically scaring the crud out of me."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Monica said softly as she reached over and touched the young woman's shoulder. "You want to tell me what happened?"

Laura sighed as she slumped down into one of the plush chairs near the lobby of the center. "Well, you know about Andrew getting his head hit, right?"

"Yes," Monica said softly and Laura could tell that she obviously missed Andrew.

"I guess you miss him, huh?" Laura asked.

Monica nodded. "What else happened, Laura?"

"Adam is acting so strangely," Laura said softly. "I'm worried about him, Monica."

"Don't," the auburn headed angel smiled gently at the young woman. "I know you love Adam deeply, and that you Sebastian have a close connection to him that many may not understand, but Adam is God's angel, and the Father taking care of him as well as of Andrew and you."

"I try to remember, but sometimes it's hard," Laura said softly.

"Yes, and during those times, it's the most beneficial lesson to know and understand," Monica said gently. "Put it in God's hands, Laura, that's all you can do."

Laura nodded, "I guess you're right, but for the last few hours, I kept feeling as though something was wrong."

Monica said nothing, she responded by resting a gentle hand on Laura's shoulder and when the young woman looked at the angel, she received an encouraging smile.

*****

Christina and Andrew were still seated on the sofa holding each other. Another kiss had ended and Andrew looked down at the woman, who sat cradled in his arms. The side of her face was resting against his chest; her eyes closed as though part of a wonderful dream.

As they loosened their embrace, Christina managed to sit up, her gaze returning to the coffee table where the photos were still stacked.

"What are you thinking about?" Andrew finally asked as his gaze followed hers and he could see a picture of her that was taken at Disneyland.

She shook her head. "Nothing really," she finally managed to speak, her words emerging nervously.

Andrew brushed his hand gently through her hair. "You're not afraid of me, are you?"

"No, should I be?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No, that much I do remember, I would never hurt you Christina," he said softly as he began to trace her lips with his fingertips. "I never really noticed it before, but you are really beautiful."

She shook her head, "No, I guess not, but you are, too." Without thinking too much about it, she eventually managed to draw her attention away from the pictures on the table, but all the while, her voice was cracking somewhat as she attempted to block out the feeling of dizziness she had experienced when she felt the touch of his lips caressing her own.

Seconds later, his hand gently cupped both sides of her face and he leaned over towards her until his lips captured hers once again, the kiss gentle.

As she once more could feel his lips were against her own, she still could not get over that strange, almost surreal, feeling that literally engulfed her, and after a few moments, she broke the kiss, all the while shaking her head. When he didn't realize that she was trying to get out of the embrace, she began to struggle against the gentle hold he had on her. As the embrace ended, she looked back over at him and could see a look of confusion cross his handsome face. As she once again made eye contact with him, it was obvious that the human angel was waiting for her to speak.

"Andrew, I know you're probably going to think I'm crazy, and maybe I am, but I just can't do this, it's like something doesn't feel right," she whispered softly, her voice filled with uncertainty, but she looked up at him not sure what to say next, but the feeling of guilt overwhelmed her. She reached over and touched his face, all the while hoping that her words would not hurt him. "I know that that sounds so mean."

He shook his head. "No, it doesn't, but you know that I didn't mean to hurt you," he said softly as he reached over and took her hand gently in his. "I think I may have done so, but it wasn't my intention."

"No, it was my fault, I mean; it's really no state secret, I honestly loved the feel of you kissing me, but something just didn't feel right, and I wish to God that I could explain why," she said softly, the words emerging as though she was a shy, almost timid teenager and not a grown woman.

"As did I, but something tells me that you felt strangely about what just happened," he said softly.

She nodded. "Yes, I did, even though it was beautiful, for some weird reason, it felt so wrong like we shouldn’t have been doing it. It's so strange, I know, but I can't for the life of me figure out why that is."

He shook his head. "I don't know why either, but I had the exact same feeling you had. I mean, don't get me wrong, kissing you is nice, but when I did this, something inside of me kept saying 'no, don't do this, it's not right'."

Christina looked at him as tears brimmed from beneath her eyes and the realization hit her that no matter how attracted to him she was, there was something that, deep inside of her, did not feel right. The truth was, it felt awkward, as though their friendship was something that existed on another level. "Maybe we never really loved each other at all, maybe that was just wishful thinking on both of our parts. Maybe we're both just trying to grasp onto something that never really existed."

"You know, if I were able to remember having loved someone romantically, I would hope that if it isn't you, that it would be someone like you," Andrew said softly.

"Really?" She looked up at him, her hand reaching towards his face.

"Yes," he smiled gently at her.

"That's really sweet, Andrew, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm more confused than I was before. I just can't help but wonder what is going to happen now?"

He touched the side of her face with a gentle hand. "I don't know, but Christina, I would not start to doubt whether or not we love each other, because I think we do, but there are so many different kinds of love. You were told that Jeremy is your husband, so that means you must love him romantically. Maybe the emotion of love we may share is not only the kind that shares passionate kisses, or romantic dinners; maybe our love is like a brother and sister, or best friends. Maybe it's just not meant to be a romantic sort of thing. I think knowing this will help us find out exactly what kind of friendship we do share because I personally cannot imagine continuing to exist without your friendship in my life."

"But, what does it all mean, and why is this so important?" She asked.

"Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't knowing that romantic love is not in the cards for us, is kind of like remembering something about each other?" Andrew asked as he looked at her and arched an eyebrow.

"I didn't think about that, but do you suppose maybe that's why it happened to us both?" Christina asked. "Maybe so we could see what kind of love we share, and maybe we took it for granted before."

Andrew smiled. "Listen, why don't we get out for awhile? We can always continue looking at pictures later, maybe when Laura and Jeremy get back and they can help us, but I think if we sit around here any longer, we'll both go nuts."

Christina nodded, "OK, but Andrew, I have to admit something that may be a little embarrassing; those kisses were wonderful."

He leaned over and brushed his lips across her cheek. Instead of speaking, he nodded, but the language that emerged in his expressive green eyes was proof enough that he completely concurred.

As they came outside, Christina locked the door and went to get into the driver's side of her car. Once Andrew had climbed into the passenger side, she started the motor, but before driving out of the driveway, she glanced over in his direction. "You think I forgot how to drive a car?"

"I hope not," Andrew said smiling wryly at her, and when she pulled out on the street, he was grateful to know that she had not forgotten this aspect of life.

*****

At the same time Andrew and Christina were leaving the house, Donna came into the community center with Brendan. It was still early afternoon there, and after the incident with Christina and Andrew, she made the decision that the angry young man needed some help, he desperately needed.

"Donna, baby, what brings you by?" Tess' voice emerged and when the woman glanced up and made eye contact with the angel, she could see that Adam was standing next to her.

"Monica suggested that I come by and turn in an application," she said as the wise angel's eyes came to rest on Brendan.

"Well, I'm sure they could use your help around here," Tess said smiling and motioned for Adam to come over to where they were standing. "Why don't you go with Adam, Brendan, and we'll see you after I get Donna's paperwork processed?"

Brendan sulked, but went over to join the man with salt and pepper hair. Once they were gone, Tess looked at Donna. "Laura told me that no process has been made with Christina," Tess began, but Donna could see the look of concern on her face.

"No, Tess, and I have to admit, this is very hard, my daughter doesn't recognize me anymore."

Tess nodded. "I know, and I haven't seen my angel boy since we were at Christina and Jeremy's on Sunday." She shook her head sadly. "I never thought I would miss Andrew this much, he's in the same town, but I can't even go and see him."

"I'm sure he's doing fine, Tess," Donna said gently.

"How's Brendan?" Tess asked completely changing the subject.

"I don't know, Daniel doesn't know what to do with him, I guess he's going through a phase, and all we can do is just deal with it. He used to be a sweet little boy, but now he's so angry."

"I think he may have reached the age where he's trying to find out who he is. Do you or Daniel ever talk about Olivia?" Tess asked.

"Daniel can't, you know he's so heartbroken whenever her name is even mentioned. It's not easy for him to deal with her death, even now. Every time he looks at Brendan, he gets this look on his face that says 'oh God, I don't want to have to talk about her'."

"Maybe Brendan can sense that," Tess offered and after a few moments, she smiled weakly. "You know, I think I know why it was that Andrew got amnesia, Donna. I have this strange feeling that the Father wants Andrew to continue working with him, even just a little. Maybe make Andrew his counselor of sorts."

"That's crazy, Andrew can't even remember his own name," Donna objected.

"No, look at how kind Andrew is, amnesia is not going to make a difference, but it might help Brendan learn to open up and maybe through talking to him, Andrew might start to remember who he is."

"Do you think it will work?" Donna asked.

"Well, when we were sent, Andrew was supposed to help Brendan, and Monica, Gloria, and I are here to help Katie Peterson."

"Katie Peterson?"

"Her sister Jo, is friends with Denise," Tess explained.

Donna smiled slightly and nodded. "Jo's the little girl in the wheelchair, right?"

"Yes, but Katie claims that she can see angels," Tess said. "Her mother is a single parent, and she is convinced that Katie is making up stories, but the truth is, Katie does possess the ability to see things that most little girls cannot."

Donna nodded, but at that moment, she had more pressing things on her mind, and she was not certain talking to a little girl like Katie was the best thing for her to center her thoughts on. After a few moments she looked back across the desk at Tess.

"Do you have any idea what is going to happen, Tess?"

The wise angel shook her head. "I don't know what is going to happen, but I do know that you and Christina and Andrew, and probably Daniel and Laura all need rest. You all need to find some sort of peace in all of this. Without it, all of these things will not find a happy end, they will only prolong the pain as well as the memory loss."

Donna nodded and glanced once more outside through the clear glass window.

*****

Outside in the community center's foyer, Brendan sat on a bench near the exit, Adam was standing next to the bench, but at that moment, neither of them spoke. The boy was staring down at his shoes not wishing to say anything.

When he heard some commotion, he glanced up to see that Katie Peterson had come out of the large open room and was walking through the foyer in the direction of the bathroom. She stopped some moments later and looked up at Adam, her eyes brightening considerably as she regarded him, but then looked over at Brendan. "Hey, did you know that your friend is an angel?" She asked just before disappearing into the bathroom.

Brendan glanced up and his eyes met those of Adam. "Did I hear her right?"

Adam shifted his weight uncomfortably but he eventually nodded. "She said that I was an angel."

"Girls are sometimes so stupid," Brendan grumbled.

"Why do you say that?" Adam asked. "Sometimes you may pass an angel on the street and not even know it."

"You? An angel?" Brendan snorted as he shook his head. "Let's just say if there were any such thing as angels, then I would be in a lot of trouble."

"Why is that?"

"Well, think about it, I caused Christina and her friend to get amnesia, it was all my fault, but no one really cared about why it happened, they just see me as being the deviant that did it," Brendan said shaking his head as he looked at Adam. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone, but I just got mad."

"Tell me why?" Adam offered, "Maybe I can help."

"Not likely unless you knew my real mother or father," Brendan said softly.

"I didn't know them, but Christina's friend, Andrew did, and maybe if you help him regain his memory, you might find out some hidden things about your family that you never knew."

"You mean that guy who I'm named after knew my parents?" The boy asked.

Adam nodded. "Right now he has amnesia, but yes I can assure you that he did know both of your parents."

"Why won't Donna or Daniel tell me about them?"

Adam shrugged his shoulders. "I think because it's really hard for them to talk about this without feeling some sort of emotion about it. It's like you have an experience, and whether it's good or bad is purely up to you, but say it's something bad, like you failed English for the twelfth time."

Brendan looked at the angel skeptically. "You think I'm that stupid?"

"It's an example Brendan, so stick with me here," Adam said, his exasperation showing, but he took a deep breath and continued. "Then say there's a girl in your class, and you think she's adorable, and you want to go out with her. Do you think that you would want to talk about your English grades in her presence?"

"No, I guess not," Brendan mused.

"Well, in a way, it's the same thing with Donna and Daniel, to talk about Olivia is very difficult for them. They loved her very much, and they did more for her than a lot of parents do for their own children," Adam said gently.

"Why did they?"

"Because Donna and Daniel are extremely caring people, Brendan, they raised two children, Christina and Bryan to be kind and gentle with others. You're seeing this same gentility being passed on through Christina and Jeremy's children, as well as AJ," Adam smiled as he thought of his namesake.

"AJ, he's got it all," Brendan mused. "I don't even think he likes me all that much."

"Well, how much do you like yourself, Brendan?" Adam asked.

"Not very much," the boy responded.

"Well, people are often a reflection of your feelings about yourself. AJ is a great kid, he's smart, athletic, but he has the same fears and ambitions as any teenager," Adam said. "Sometimes, God gives people a family that they are born into, and sometimes, He blesses you with a family that chooses you. It makes you no less a part of that family, in fact, it enhances that family tenfold."

Brendan looked at the angel. "You really believe that?"

"Yes, I do, and more than that, maybe you should start seeing it as the truth. It's perfectly OK for you to try and find your roots, no one has the right to deny you of that, but try to embrace that which you do have."

"They're all mad at me," Brendan whispered.

"Then seek forgiveness," Adam said gently as he reached over and rested his hand on Brendan's shoulder. "I'll tell you a secret, having an attitude might help you keep yourself protected from the pain, but how far will that really take you? How far will you get in life, if you push everyone away?"

Brendan thought about what Adam had said, and after he looked back through the center, he could see that Donna was standing in the room still talking to Tess. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, but looked back at Adam for a moment before diverting his attention back to his adopted mother and Tess.

Moments later, Katie came out of the bathroom and she stopped and looked up at Adam for a few seconds, the expression on her face was that of innocent wonder, and after a few moments, another woman approached and took the hand of the little girl. "I have been looking all over the place for you, Katie," the woman spoke.

"She was in the bathroom," Brendan spoke up.

Jennifer looked at the boy and then at her daughter, and after a few minutes passed, she shrugged her shoulders and took the hand of her daughter and started to walk back in the direction of the main room. As they walked, Katie looked up at her mother. "Did you see the angel, Mom?"

Jennifer stopped and looked down at her daughter. "Please stop talking nonsense, Katie."

Brendan watched as the mother literally dragged her young daughter away, but after a few moments, he looked at Adam. "She really thinks you're an angel."

Adam nodded. "Yes, she does."

"I wish I could believe in angels," Brendan shook his head as he got up and started to walk away.

"Something tells me that Katie's mom wishes the same thing, Brendan," Adam said as the two of them continued to watch the mother and daughter.

*****

Sebastian pulled up in front of Christina and Jeremy's house by this time, his eyes widened in surprise when he noticed that neither of the cars were parked in front of the house, thus leaving him to conclude that they had left. He crawled out of Laura's car and walked slowly up the walk until he reached the front door. Instead of going inside, he rang the doorbell, but when no one answered, he unlocked the door with the key that Laura had given him and went inside.

Once in the house, he went into the living room, and found the photo albums scattered across the table. It looked as though Andrew and Christina had been looking at some pictures, and they had probably gotten discouraged when they could not remember anything and left.

Taking a deep breath, he crawled off the sofa as the front door opened and he turned around to see that Jeremy had come in.

"Sebastian, what's going on?" Jeremy asked when he recognized his future son-in-law standing in the living room looking down at the pictures on the small table.

"Laura was worried about Christina and Andrew," the young man offered. "She asked me to drive over and see how things were going, but Christina and Andrew aren't here."

"I wonder where they went," Jeremy mused. "You'd think they'd leave a note or something."

"Jeremy, they have amnesia, you can't really expect them to leave a note when they can't even remember who they are."

These words must have hit Jeremy harder than intended, and he looked at Sebastian. "Do you think they think...?" His voice trailed and he regarded his future son-in-law with overwhelming worry showing his face.

"You think that Christina and Andrew?" Sebastian shook his head.

"Well, they are close, and if they don't remember…"

"I may be out of line, but let's face it, Christina knows in the deepest recesses of her heart that you and her love each other. It may take a little bit of time for her to realize this, but I'm certain that she will," Sebastian said.

Jeremy nodded as he looked at the younger man. "I guess you've always known that I have weird feelings about an angel with amnesia and Christina."

"Andrew wouldn't hurt anyone, least of all, Christina," Sebastian said, but all the while he hoped that he was right, because he could not even begin to contemplate the idea of Andrew coming between two people who loved each other as deeply as Christina and Jeremy.

Jeremy nodded, but there was something in him that wasn't convinced. "Alright, why don't we put some steaks out on the grill and maybe some good old fashioned barbeque would do us both some good."

Sebastian nodded. "Sounds great," he smiled.

With that, the two of them went into the kitchen. "Should I call Laura and tell her that Christina and Andrew aren't here?"

Jeremy shook his head. "She gets off at eight, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, it's six thirty now, why don't we go ahead and get some of the meat done, and then you can go pick her up and we can have dinner here together. The twins have been with Daniel for most of the day, so I can call him, and maybe we can arrange this into a family feast. Sound good?"

Sebastian nodded all the while realizing that this was probably just what they all needed. He only hoped that Christina and Andrew would be back before he went to pick Laura up.

*****

At the same time, Christina and Andrew were seated on a Ferris wheel and as the ride ascended into the air, she could see the entire town of Southside below her. "Everyone looks like ants, Andrew," she said and he looked down over the fairground.

"Do you remember anything?" He asked gently as she stared out across the midway.

"I don't know, I remember a girl and a bunch of cotton candy," she whispered. "There was a woman and she painting pictures on people's faces."

Andrew shook his head as Christina tried to remember what it was about that place the made her speak of all these strange images. "Do you remember anything else?"

"There was a boy, and he had gone there with his parents. He was young, maybe fourteen," Christina said softly as she shook her head. "I think I'm starting to remember."

"Tell me," Andrew said, his voice encouraging. "Maybe if you remember, then I might start too."

"It was a day like this, the sun was out, and I was here, in this place, but this was years ago, you were with me, and there was a girl, some years younger than me. We had walked all over the place, we had bought cotton candy, and then the boy came over to me, and there were two people with him, and he invited me to his house." Christina shook her head. "Andrew, I remember, it was Simon Davies, Jeremy's nephew."

Andrew shook his head, he still drew a blank on what she was saying, but as the Ferris wheel stopped they both stood up and disembarked. "Do you remember anything else?"

Christina nodded as the memories of another day, another time suddenly flooded into her consciousness.

Christina's Flashback

Andrew, Christina's best friend, Lindsey, and she were walking across the midway of the small town fair. Lindsey had insisted on buying cotton candy, and she walked along, her face was meshed into the fluffy, pink, sugar candy.

The air smelled of candied apples and corndogs. "This is just the most perfect day," Lindsey said smiling brightly. "This beats school any day!"

Christina smiled at her and looked at Andrew, who had started taking in his surroundings. She glanced over and saw a haunted house and then saw Andrew's frustrated face. "That's odd, I thought all that junk would be gone since Halloween is over." She rested her hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, I don't like those places either."

He smiled weakly as they made their way through the crowds. When they reached a clearing, Lindsey could see the carousel. "Oh look at that, isn't it beautiful? Just look at the horses, it's like something straight out of 'Mary Poppins'."

Christina smiled as she could see the children climbing onto the backs of the beautifully painted horses. Neither noticed that Andrew had disappeared in the crowd. "I remember we used to ride this when I was a little girl. My parents would bring us to the fair and we would sit for hours on the carousel, the air was filled with popcorn and peanuts. It was like something straight out of a dream."

"Then maybe that dream should be relived," Andrew said, he had returned and in his hand he held two tokens. He handed one to Christina and the second he handed to Lindsey.

"You got us tickets to ride it?" Lindsey asked her eyes shining brightly. She practically shoved the rest of her cotton candy in his hands and raced off towards the carousel.

"I'll wait for you here," he called out as Christina left him and approached the carousel. "Have fun."

Christina smiled and nodded as the carousel stopped and the people began dismounting the horses. As she looked at the beautiful figures, she found a beautiful lilac and light green colored horse. She could see that Lindsey had selected one painted a marble white with gold highlights.

As Christina mounted her horse and glanced around, she could see parents and other adults laughing and pointing at her and Lindsey, but she didn't care. Andrew's words about finding her inner child filtered through her mind, and she grinned at the people who were pointing. How many of those people actually had a friend who would help them relive their childhood dreams?

From her place on the back of the horse, she waved at Andrew and as he waved back, the music began to fill her ears, and the carousel started. Her horse was now moving round and round, and up and down. It was wonderful and she smiled happily as she watched the masses of people, as well as smelling the familiar scents that she remembered from her childhood. Each time she came around, she could see Andrew standing and watching, and she would wave.

When the carousel stopped she and Lindsey climbed down and rejoined Andrew who seemed more than happy to return Lindsey's cotton candy to her. Both of them gave him hug and he could see that Christina had happy tears in her eyes. "Thank you!"

Andrew hugged her back and smiled without saying anything. They left the carousel and continued to walk through the midway.

"Hey, you know what we should do?" Lindsey said, her eyes shining brightly.

"What?" Andrew asked.

"I just saw a face painting booth and they had some really neat patterns too," she said.

"But that's for kids," Christina objected.

"Yeah, so what's your point?" Lindsey grabbed her hand, and she grabbed Andrew's and they dodged their way through the crowd until they reached the booth. "I'm going to have them paint an alien from outer space on my cheek."

Andrew smiled at Lindsey's child like demeanor but he could see that Christina was starting to relax and she seemed to allow herself to be happy. "Don't push her," the voice of the Father resonated in his mind, and he nodded.

Lindsey had, by this time, pulled some money from her pocket and dropped it on the counter top. "I want you to paint an alien from space on my cheek," she said as the woman eyed her in disbelief.

"We usually only do this for children," the woman said.

"But there's no age limit for face painting," Christina said when she saw Lindsey disappointment. "All that it says is 'face painting $1.50'. If she has the money, then you can give her the service."

Andrew approached them and nodded.

The woman reluctantly had Lindsey sit down and she began to decorate her face. As soon as she finished, Lindsey was given a mirror and she could see the small alien on her right cheek. "This is really great," she said enthusiastically. "You know, I think my friends should get one too, here's $3.00."

The woman smiled warmly when Lindsey gave her the money. "OK, who's first?" she asked. By then a small crowd of children had come over and had started to watch as the three adults discussed face painting with the woman.

Lindsey grabbed Andrew's hand and practically dragged him to the small stool. "Him!"

The woman looked with disbelief at the handsome man standing before her and she stifled a grin. "What should I paint?"

Lindsey smiled and leaned over and whispered in the woman's ear.

The woman nodded and began to apply the cold paint to Andrew's face. Christina broke into a grin when she saw what the woman was painting. She leaned over to Lindsey and spoke. "That's perfect."

The children cheered when the woman had finished and handed Andrew a mirror. He smiled when he saw what the woman had painted on his face. It was a small carousel horse, and the woman had even applied the glitter so it would stand out a little. He whispered something to the woman, she nodded and he stood up.

"OK, you're next," the woman said smiling as Christina sat down. She pulled her hair back from her face and as the woman began to paint, the children started to talk amongst themselves about what they wanted to have painted on their faces once the woman had finished with Christina.

When the woman had finished painting, she handed Christina the mirror and she looked at her cheek. She smiled brightly when she recognized that the woman had painted an angel with flowing silver wings and a golden halo on her face. She could feel the tears in her eyes, but wiped them away making sure she wouldn't smear the artwork. "Thank you," she said to the woman as she stood up.

Christina's Flashback End

"It was an angel," Christina looked at Andrew as they stopped walking and she turned to face him.

"Christina, what are you talking about?" Andrew asked.

"Andrew, I remember everything now. Oh, God, now I know why I had that strange feeling back at the house, we really made a big mistake."

Andrew still could not understand what she was saying, but he could see the whiteness in her face, and this only succeeded in mounting his own confusion.

When she finally found the courage to look at him, she could tell that his memory was still a haze, but she knew that he was trying with everything that was in him to remember what the significance of her words had been.

Eventually, he found his voice and spoke. "Christina, I still don't remember anything, but maybe we should get back to the house and let the others know that you have your memories back."

She nodded but when she looked at him she could see the utmost sadness in his eyes. "Andrew, please don't worry, now that I remember, maybe I can help you do the same." He nodded but reached for her hand and squeezed it as she continued speaking. "You're not going to face this all alone, you know, you have a family here, and we all love you very much," she said softly and smiled gently at him.

He nodded, and although he could not understand what specifically she had meant, he knew that he was in capable hands.

As they walked, Christina reached over and took one of his free hands. "I just want to thank you for helping me remember who I am, Andrew."

The angel trapped in human form nodded, but he felt completely hopeless that he was not able to remember who he was, and now that Christina had found her own memories, he felt all the more isolated from the rest of the world.

Sighing deeply, he walked with her across the midway in the direction of the car that they had parked in the vacant lot nearby. Once they had reached it, Christina unlocked the door and once Andrew and she had climbed into the front seat, she started the motor. "Andrew, I think you know that I'm not going to leave you alone with amnesia and we are going to figure this out, OK? I promise, I won't let you face this alone, I will be here with you. You trust me, don't you?"

The human angel nodded, but she could still see the helplessness that seemed to be the dominating emotion on his handsome face.

They drove back to the house in silence, but Christina, instead of feeling relieved that she had remembered who she was, she now felt overwhelmed with guilt. She had kissed Andrew, and enjoyed it, but now she was unhappy because she knew deep inside that her heart would always belong to Jeremy and nothing, not even amnesia, was going to change this. She only hoped that Jeremy would be able to forgive her for what she now perceived as a transgression against the vows they had made when they had gotten married many years ago.

Now, she felt torn, she needed to resolve things with Jeremy, but she could not leave Andrew to fend for himself in this, she had to help her angelic friend find his memories, but something deep inside of her told her that she would not immediately be able to tell him of his angelic status, and if she did, she seriously doubted that he would believe her. Shaking her head, she pulled the car onto the interstate and drove in the direction of where she lived.

*****

Laura was still teaching art classes that evening, and she seemed to have gotten her mind off the situation with her mother as well as Andrew. As luck would have it, after Donna and Brendan had left to go home, she met Adam who was still concerned about the situation with Brendan. As the angel and his young friend went into the empty snack bar, she could see that Monica was sitting at a table with Gloria and the two angels seemed almost preoccupied with something.

"I guess they're having the same kind of day I am," she mused looking at Adam, but the two of them went over to the table where Monica and Gloria were talking. Once they had reached the table, Laura looked down at the two angels. "Hey, guys."

"Hello Laura," Gloria spoke, her voice filled with kindness.

Monica smiled, but she brought the steaming mug of coffee to her lips, drank some and replaced the cup. "Adam, what are you doing here?"

The Angel of Death shifted his weight uncomfortably, but eventually, he sat down. "I was asked to come here and try to get Brendan in the direction of talking to Andrew."

"How is Andrew?" Monica asked.

"I don't know, the last time I checked, his memory was still the consistency of Swiss cheese," Laura said as her cell phone rang and she reached inside her purse to retrieve it. "Hello?" She looked up and quickly offered an explanation to the three angels. "It's Sebastian, he's at my parents' house." After a pause, she continued to speak. "Yeah, Monica and Gloria are here," she grew silent and after a few minutes had passed, she nodded, as the color faded from her already pale cheeks. "OK, I'll tell them," she said softly as the person at the other end of the line had grown silent. "Yeah, I'm sure it's no trouble, I'll ask them, and if they can't, then I'll call you back," a pause. "I love you, too."

Once she hung up, she looked at the three angels. "Andrew and my mom took off somewhere this afternoon, and my dad and Sebastian don't know where they went." She looked at Monica, the fear and concern evident in her face as she continued. "Can you guys give me a ride home?"

"Sure we can," Monica smiled as she reached over and squeezed Laura's hand when she could sense the concern in Laura's deep-set eyes. "I'm sure they're both fine, Laura."

Laura looked at Adam. "Tell me if you know something, Adam, please."

"I don't know anything," he began, but his voice emerged hollow and everyone at the table knew that he was not telling everything he knew. "Laura, I won't lie to you, but I can't tell you." His face looked agonized as he finished speaking. "I can only tell you that you should try to keep the faith that everything will be OK. If I know Andrew, and I do, he may have amnesia, but he's still the same angel, compassion and all, that he always was. If your mom is somewhere with him, then she's in good hands," Adam smiled and looked down at the watch he had just fished from his pocket. "I hate to say it, but now I really have to go, got an assignment out in California, surfing accident and it could go either way."

"Please don't leave, Adam," Laura whispered, the hopelessness shadowing her face.

The Angel of Death shook his head as he reached over and took Laura's hand in his and his eyes were earnest as he regarded her. "I have to go, but I know that your mom and Andrew are in the best of hands. Let God take care of them Laura, and you'll see that everything will be alright."

Laura nodded numbly and once he was gone she looked at Monica. "What now?"

Monica smiled. "We'll drive you home, and then Gloria and I need to get back over here."

"You're still working with Katie?"

"Mm-hum," Monica smiled as Tess came into the snack bar.

"Something told me you two angel babies would be in here," Tess said smiling gently, but her eyes came to rest on Laura. "Jo's has been looking for you."

"Jo, what is it?" Laura asked.

"She said she wanted to talk to you," Tess said. "Why don't you go and talk to her, and then when you get done, Monica and Gloria can drive you home."

Laura nodded and got up from the table and walked slowly towards the exit and out into the main foyer.

"What's happening, Tess?" Monica asked.

"Jo's dying, baby, she and her little sister both know it, but Jennifer is trying to keep everything in and that includes keeping her daughters from knowing the truth about the severity of Jo's illness. The situation is this, the stories about angels are starting to tear things apart for Jennifer."

Monica nodded. "So who are we supposed to help; Jo, Katie, or Jennifer?"

"Who said anything about helping only one of them? We are here to help all three of them."

Gloria nodded but something confused her. "Tess, why would a mother tell her daughters that angels don't exist?"

The eldest of the angels shook her head. "Maybe in all of this, believing in something is the hardest part of the entire equation."

Monica nodded as she looked at Gloria. "Sometimes, finding out that a person is not alone is the hardest part of letting go. It is hard to explain, but Jennifer obviously relates the presence of angels with death, rather than life. If she acknowledges that Katie has seen or heard angels, then it would somehow relate her to the idea that Jo is dying."

"But she is," Gloria objected.

"We know that, baby, but death is, in reality, not what humans associate it with," Tess said. "Jo has a number of years left, in fact, her illness is in a sort of remission, but this is a turning point for all three of them. If Jo can learn to look at this as something not to fear, then she would probably overcome the aspects of it that are dragging her down"

Monica nodded, she understood what Tess was trying to say, but Gloria seemed to still be somewhat puzzled by all of this.

*****

At the same time, Christina and Andrew pulled into the driveway, and she smiled gently at the despondent angel. "You know, I thought that if I remembered myself that you would too."

Andrew shook his head. "I thought I would too, but nothing seems familiar to me."

Christina got out of the car, and waited until he had gotten out before she walked towards the door. As she reached it, she turned the knob and opened it, all the while waiting for Andrew to reach where she was now standing "Jeremy," she called out once inside, and in the room she could see that Donna, Daniel, Brendan, the twins, Sebastian and Jeremy were all inside.

Upon seeing his wife, Jeremy came over to her. "Christina, is everything OK?" He asked, his voice literally dripping with concern.

She nodded. "Jeremy, I remember everything." As she spoke, she could feel the tears brimming from beneath her eyes and she collapsed into the arms of her husband.

"Where did you guys go?" Jeremy asked as he held her gently in his arms. He looked down at his sobbing wife and shook his head, unmistakable confusion in his eyes. "Andrew, what happened to her?"

The human angel shook his head, and Christina tried to regain control of her emotions in order to speak. "We were at the fairgrounds in Southside, and I started remembering when Lindsey was here, and she had skipped school to go with Andrew and me to the fair. I guess being there jarred my memory."

"OK, that's one question answered, but honey, why are you crying, you should be happy that you were able to remember. You know the doctor said it could be weeks or months, and for you it's only been three days."

Christina took a deep breath, "I know, but…" her voice trailed and when she found her voice again, she looked into the eyes of her husband. "Jeremy, I love you."

"I know, and I love you, too. Now, why don't you go and sit down and relax a little?" He suggested and she walked with weighted steps into the living room.

"What about you, Andrew?" Jeremy asked, his eyes now on the angel.

"I don't remember anything," came the soft answer.

"Maybe Christina remembering will help you to remember," Jeremy said and looked at the angel before shrugging his shoulders. "Andrew, we're here for you too, OK?"

When he received a reciprocating nod, Jeremy went over to where Christina was seated on the sofa. He grabbed her hands and pulled her into his embrace, his lips brushing her own. "I missed you," he whispered in her ear as he swung her around the room. "She remembers, everyone, Christina got her memory back."

"Thanks to Andrew," Christina said as she regarded her parents. "Hey Mom, Dad, I do remember you, and it's really wonderful."

Daniel and Donna got up from where they were sitting, and even the twins got up and ran over to Christina, both girls dying for the attention of their adopted mother. As Christina brushed her hands through the hair of her two daughters, she smiled brightly.

Andrew seemed to no longer be paying attention to the events taking place, now he could see that Brendan was staring at Christina. When, he could see that the human angel had glanced over in his direction, he crawled off the sofa and fled from the room, no one missing him except Andrew, who slowly followed.

Outside, Brendan sank down on the moist grass, his eyes filling with tears as he stared down at his hands. Everyone has forgotten me, he thought sadly as he glanced skyward and shook his head.

A few moments later, Andrew approached Brendan and lowered himself on the grass. "I know how you feel," he said softly. "If that's any consolation to you."

Brendan looked up. "What do you mean?"

"Well, think about it, you feel alone, that no one understands how you feel, because they have each other, and you feel as though you have no one," Andrew reached for a blade of grass and ran it through his fingers.

"Yeah," Brendan said softly. "I want to remember my mom. This guy at the community center said you knew her."

"I don't remember anyone, Brendan, it's as though all my memories are gone," he said.

"Maybe it's better that way, then one doesn't remember the hurt," the boy said spitefully.

"I would give everything to remember who and what I am," Andrew said softly. He looked at the boy. "Sometimes a memory is hard, but sometimes it makes one grateful for what they do have. Maybe, you should take what you remember of your mom and treasure it."

"But, that's just it, I don't remember anything, I don't even know if she loved me," Brendan said softly.

"She did, Brendan," Christina's voice emerged and she came over and sat down on the grass next to where they were seated. "Your mother's name was Olivia Thomas, she was born Olivia Caracas, and I met her when she was sixteen and she was babysitting Adam Joshua, that's your cousin, sort of," she smiled weakly, but when Brendan didn't return the gesture, she continued. "Andrew, this was back when Jeremy and I were about to get married, I was twenty-eight at the time."

Andrew nodded as she continued. "Olivia's dream was to be a doctor, but she thought that because she had dropped out of school that she would never succeed."

"Why don't your parents tell me this?" Brendan asked.

"Because, my parents were completely devastated after she died, you know, I tried for years to get my dad to go talk to someone about this. His heart was completely shattered after she died, and there was nothing that Bryan, or me, or even Mom could have done to cope with this pain."

Brendan looked at her. "I'm sorry about hurting you." He sniffed, as he looked at her.

"It's OK, all is forgiven, but Brendan, instead of getting angry, you should have just asked me about her, I would have told you everything I knew. We're family and I know that it's hard growing up not knowing about your birth parents, but I'm going to tell you that the next time you want to know something, you should just ask, and if you don't feel comfortable talking to my dad, then come and talk to Jeremy or to me, we'll help if we can."

The boy could feel the tears streaming from beneath his eyes. "I just feel as though…as though everyone is keeping things from me. I'm named after Andrew but I don't know why."

Christina looked at the boy, and took a deep breath. Father, forgive me if I'm not supposed to tell Andrew the truth, but now I have to. "Brendan, you were named after two people, and this was the request of your mother." She paused before she was able to continue. "The name Brendan was chosen because she wanted you to be named after your birth father. I never met him, but she told me later about him, and she said that he was a very selfless and loving person. The name Andrew was selected because Andrew saved your mother's life after she had been verbally and physically assaulted by an old boyfriend."

Brendan looked at Andrew. "You did?"

Andrew shrugged his shoulders, but Christina spoke. "Brendan, I have to tell you about how close Andrew is to our family. He is a part of our family, but he's not a brother, or uncle. Andrew is an angel, and when I met him, I was seven-years-old. Ever since then, he's been a part of our family; he's been here with us through the most difficult of times. I think the most recent event that comes to mind for me was how he was here for Patrick when he really needed someone."

"An angel, are you crazy?" Brendan looked at Christina and she could see the anger there. When he started to run away from them, she reached out and grabbed his arm.

"I want you to listen, the last time you flew off the handle, I got amnesia, and so did Andrew, and now he sits here with a blank expression on his face while you do the same exact thing. You're the one who needs to take responsibility for the things you do. Now, I'm telling you the truth, and it may seem far-fetched to you, but it is the truth."

Brendan looked at Andrew, but when he got another blank stare, goose bumps cursed up his spine and he backed slowly away.

Christina closed her eyes for a moment, and then she looked at Andrew. "I know that this sounds really strange for you to hear this, Andrew, but it's the truth, you're an angel, from God, and you helped my family find our way to Him."

She got up off the ground and glanced skyward. After a few moments, she looked down at Brendan, who looked not only afraid, but also was more than just a little confused.

Once she went back inside the house, Andrew looked at Brendan. "You know, I always knew that Christina would not lie to me, but that's just a little bit strange."

"Do you believe her?" Brendan asked.

"I don't know," he said softly.

"Maybe you should go inside and look at some of those pictures," Brendan mused. "If you see them, maybe it will jar something, but Andrew…"

"Yes?"

"Whatever you find out, will you promise to tell me about my parents if you remember them?" Brendan asked.

"I will tell you if I remember then," he smiled at the boy and got up and followed Christina back into the house.

*****

Laura stepped out into the lobby and she could see that Jo was sitting on one side of the room, her body hunched over the artwork. She looks so lost, Laura thought sadly to herself, but as she tried to shove her worries about her mother and Andrew to one side, she slowly went over to where the teenager was now sitting.

"Jo?" Laura spoke, thus causing the girl to look up.

"Hey," she said.

"Your mom going to pick you up?" Laura asked as she consulted her watch and noticed that it was getting late.

"Yeah, she took Katie home earlier and said that she would come back at seven and pick me up after I had finished my swimming therapy over at the gym," Jo said, but Laura could see that this girl obviously had more on her mind than just the therapy sessions.

"Is something wrong?" Laura said softly. "I know that you were kinda upset earlier because Andrew didn't remember you. Denise and Dawn were really upset about it too, and worse still, my mom got it too."

"It's stupid, I'm just a kid. I'm not that important to him, I mean; he's…" Her voice trailed off and she looked at Laura, the depiction of unhappiness evidently showing

"No it's not stupid, Jo, what's stupid is feeling as though one has to hold all these fears and stuff inside," Laura smiled gently. "You want to talk about it?"

Jo shook her head. "I thought…"

"…You thought that he would remember you, that he would take you in his arms and tell you not to be afraid, that he's there, and that he would make sure everything would be alright, just like he did with your grandma," Laura said gently all the while nodding her head.

"But, he didn't," Jo could feel the tears in her eyes. "Laura, I know it sounds stupid, but I'm scared."

"No, it's not," Laura wrapped her arms around Jo's slumped shoulders. "And if he had all his wits about him, Andrew would tell you the exact same thing."

The girl looked down at her lap. "He really is an angel, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is, but he doesn't remember who he is. Can you imagine being what he is and not being able to remember that part of himself?" Laura asked gently.

Jo shook her head. "It's that hard for him?"

"Yeah, it is, he's got to start from scratch, and that's not easy, especially for someone like Andrew," Laura said softly. "You know, he's always looked out for me, from the time that I was six up till now. He's like that overprotective big brother, but at least he's a big brother I can stand," she giggled despite herself. "But, seriously, Andrew needs our help, Jo, if he doesn't start to remember soon who he is, he may lose more than either of us can imagine."

"What do you mean?" Jo sniffed and tried to wipe her arm across her face, thus wiping the tears away.

"Well, Andrew seems to think that he's on his own here, it's like all of his friends had to take off…starting with my friend Adam."

"He's an angel too, isn't he?" Jo asked all the while remembering the man with blue gray eyes and a beard who had been hanging around the center with Laura.

"Yeah, he is an angel, but he had to go, and now, well, I feel like I'm kinda on my own with this," Laura said, but after a few moments, she looked at the girl. "Hey, why don't you come with me over to the house, it's Friday night, maybe you can stay for awhile, and it will give you a chance to get away from all the pressures at home?"

Jo shook her head. "I don't know."

"You can call your mom and ask, that won't hurt." When Jo nodded, Laura pulled her cell phone from her jacket pocket and called her parents' number. When an answer came, she could hear a bunch of noise in the background and her father's voice over the commotion. "Dad, what on earth is going on? It sounds like the natives are restless."

"Your mother and Andrew got back a few minutes ago, and your mother has her memory back," Jeremy's voice emerged.

"What about Andrew?" Laura asked.

"Not yet, but Christina is in the living room showing him pictures, and trying to remind him of who he is," Jeremy began. "Your grandparents and Brendan got here a little bit ago, and I've got to get back outside and help Sebastian with the barbeque."

"Dad, is it OK if Jo Peterson comes back with me, she's here at the center, and I wanted to ask you before her mom comes to pick her up," Laura said.

"That's not a problem, honey, did you manage to get a ride home?"

"Yeah, Monica said that she and Gloria could drop me off, and I'm sure they will make room for Jo," Laura said and flashed Jo a thumbs up sign.

The teenager looked somewhat relieved when Laura did this and she relaxed considerably.

Once she hung up the phone, she looked at Jo as she handed the cell phone to her. "Why don't you call your mother and tell her that you've been invited to a cook out?"

Jo took the phone and once she had called her mother, she handed the phone to Laura. "She said she'd pick me up at nine at your parents' house."

Laura nodded, but she could see that there was something noticeably wrong with Jo, and she looked into the eyes of the teenager. "Jo, what is it?"

"I'm just thinking about…dying," Jo said softly.

"Did the doctor tell you this?" Laura asked.

"No, it's just that I have had this really weird feeling about it for a long time now," Jo said softly.

Laura nodded. "I understand, I mean, you know that I had an experience when I was little, so I know that people sometimes do think about death and dying, without even realizing that they are doing so."

"Do you ever think about angels?" Jo asked.

"Yes, I do a lot, actually," Laura said softly as she rested a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I do all the time," she said softly as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "See, ever since that day when we did the finger painting, I kept this with me." She produced the painting she did of the angel and handed it to Laura. "I wanted to see him again, Laura, I wanted him to tell me that he remembered me and that I didn't have any reason to be afraid."

"I know, listen, Andrew's at the house, maybe you can help him remember by showing this to him," Laura said encouragingly as she looked at the young girl. "Deep in his soul, he remembers you, Jo, he knows that you're scared, and that you have to deal with all the painful stuff that goes along with it. Amnesia is just a human condition, but for an angel, it's nothing."

Jo covered her face with her hands and tried to rub the pain out from them. When she failed, she could feel that Laura had rested her hands on the forlorn girl's shoulder. "Come on, let's see if Monica and Gloria are ready and we can take off."

Once she stood up, she took the handles to Jo's wheelchair and rolled the girl in the direction of the snack bar. Before they reached the entrance, Monica and Gloria came out and met them. Moments later, the four of them went out to the parking lot, got in the car, and Monica drove them back in the direction of Christina and Jeremy's house.

When they reached the house, Laura helped Jo get settled in her wheelchair and as Monica and Gloria drove off, she rolled the girl up to the front door. Once she opened the door, she wheeled Jo into the house and in the foyer. There, Sebastian met them both there with a gentle smile on his face. "Laura, Christina's OK now."

The young woman smiled broadly and hugged her fiancé. "Where is she?"

"She was outside talking to Brendan, but I think she's in the kitchen now," he said smiling, the relief evident on his handsome face. "Why don't you go greet her, and I'll take Jo out on the terrace," he looked down at the girl. "Would you like something to eat?"

"Yeah, all that swimming makes me hungry," she said softly, and smiled at Sebastian. "Thanks."

Sebastian wheeled her to the terrace while Laura went into the kitchen to greet her mother.

*****

Outside, Jo sat looking around the fenced in backyard. She had only been to Christina and Jeremy's a few times, her visits usually with their adopted daughter, Denise, but now the entire family seemed to be caught up with Christina recovering from the amnesia that none of them noticed that she was even present. In the back of her mind, she had started to believe that coming to this place had been a huge mistake. Now she sat on the terrace and was all alone. Sighing deeply, she reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out the paper she had shown Laura at the center, and started to wad it up.

"What's that?" A boy's voice emerged and she looked up to see that Brendan was standing next to her wheelchair, a plate of food now in the boy's hand, and this extended towards her. "Sebastian asked me to bring this out to you."

"Thanks," Jo replied, and looked down at the drawing that she still held in her hands.

"So you never told me what that is?" Brendan said.

"It's crazy, you'll think I'm totally mad," Jo responded with a wave of her hand as she allowed the paper to drift to the floor and watched as Brendan retrieved it.

"Oh come on, in this family, I seriously doubt it. I have been told so many outlandish stories lately, that I could write a book, get committed and live the rest of my life in a white room with only those guys in white lab coats to talk to."

Jo giggled despite her glum mood.

"I'm being serious," Brendan said looking at her, but instead of elaborating, he sat down next to her.

"Sorry," she whispered as she began to stab the food that was on the plate, but Brendan could see that she was having a hard time with it.

"Maybe I should wheel you over to the table, at least then you will have some sort of hard surface and can cut that better," Brendan offered and without waiting for an answer he took the plate of food, put it on the nearby table and watched as she wheeled herself over to it.

"Thanks, I'm sorry, but I don't think we've met, well, not formally anyway, I'm Josephine, yeah, it's a stupid name, but everyone usually calls me Jo," she offered freely.

"I'm Brendan," he said as he pulled a chair from the table and sat down. Before he did, he reached over and took the scrap of paper that she had allowed to fall to the ground. "OK, now tell me what this is, are you an artist?"

"Me, an artist, come on, get real, it's nothing but a glob of yellow finger paint, I'm about as artistic as a elephant in a porcelain shop. I was taking this class some years ago at the community center and I thought I would try and paint a picture of an angel. It's totally stupid," Jo said softly as she tried to cut the meat that was on the plate in front of her.

"How old were you?"

"I was nine," she said. "I would hang out there sometimes and talk to the other kids, and that's where I met Laura. She was fifteen when we met and she would tell me stories like her mom wrote."

"Stories…oh yeah those angel things," Brendan said, but shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

"Yeah, she used to would tell us stories about angels, and about God. Sometimes I thought I was in church or something," Jo said softly, "but I guess since I got sick again, I started to think that maybe God has completely forgotten about me."

"Why?"

"Look at me, I sit in this stupid wheelchair, everyone either pities me or treats me like I'm a piece of chinaware," she said, her voice emerging filled with bitterness. "Can you imagine living like that?"

"You sound like Patrick," Brendan mused.

"I do?"

"Oh yeah, when he was sick everyone made a big deal about him, too and he got mad and told them to stop it, eventually, they did. He was really cool," Brendan said. "He never let the disease get his goat."

"Do you think there's a heaven, Brendan?" Jo asked suddenly changing the subject somewhat, but she looked at the boy, completely curious as to what his answer was going to be.

"I don't know," he said shrugging his shoulders. "What do you think?"

"I hope there is, because…" her voice trailed and she looked up at him, her next words emerging. "I…I think I'm dying."

"But you're just a kid," Brendan objected.

"Yeah, but I have this weird feeling, you know it's like when I go to bed at night, I start thinking about it, and it's not just because I can hear my mom on the phone talking to doctors and stuff. I just have this weird feeling," Jo shook her head. "I know that I have this sort of muscle condition, but my mother always tells me that I'm going to be OK, but then my kid sister starts talking about angels, and then my mom freaks out." Jo looked at him as the tears got caught in her eyes.

"That must be really weird for you. With my family it's just the opposite, any time angels are even mentioned, and people act as though there's been a UFO sighting in our back yard or something." Brendan looked down at the drawing that Jo had made. "Do you believe in angels?"

"I did, once," she whispered, but her voice cracked with emotion because deep inside, she wanted to still believe, but whenever she started to think about what had happened at the community center, she felt lost and confused. "You know, sometimes I feel like I'm on some kind of trip, but I don't have a map or compass and I wonder how to find my way without getting turned around. That's how I feel whenever I think about dying. I'm scared, but I'm more afraid of being alone than I am of the actual trip. Does that make any sense?"

Brendan shook his head. "I'm sorry," he began. "I can't even relate to that one."

Jo nodded as she tried to smile bravely at him, "it's OK, thankfully, there aren't too many kids who can."

Trying to ignore his discomfort, Brendan stood up. "Listen, do you want anything else?" He offered. "I was thinking about going to getting something for dessert."

"No, I'll just finish this and sit here for a few more minutes. Could you maybe come get me when my mom gets here?" She asked.

"Sure," he said and within seconds, he disappeared inside.

Jo took a deep breath as she reached for the fork and started stabbing at the food that was still in front of her. She stared blankly down at the piece of paper that she had carried with her. There was a sense of sadness that enveloped her whenever she looked at it, but she could not bring herself look at it. As she stared down at it, she became lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear that someone else had come outside until they spoke.

"Did you want anything else, little lady?" Daniel's voice emerged and he smiled at her with a grandfatherly look in his eyes.

"No, I'm fine," she whispered as Donna, too came outside.

"That sounds really convincing," Donna said smiling warmly at her as she sat down. "Did you get enough to eat?"

"Yeah," she said softly.

Daniel smiled as he sat down on the other side of her. "You know, we overheard some of what you told Brendan."

Jo nodded. "He thinks you're all crazy, but I wish I had some of what you have."

"What do you mean, sweetheart?" Donna asked.

"Faith," Jo said softly as she shook her head. "I feel like I've lost all mine."

Donna reached over and squeezed the hand of the teenager. "Faith is not something that you can lose in a heartbeat, nor is it something that comes back at an instant. Faith has to be nurtured over time."

"I may not have that much time," Jo said softly.

"What do you mean?" Daniel asked.

Jo shook her head, but she didn't speak, instead she stared down at the piece of paper that she had drawn as a little girl.

"What is that?" Donna asked gently, when Daniel's question went unanswered.

"I drew it when…" her voice trailed off and she could feel the tears burning from beneath her eyes. "…When I was little, I had …" As her voice trailed off, she shook her head.

Donna took the piece of paper and once she had managed to focus on it, she recognized that at the bottom of the page, the name 'Andrew' was written and she reached over and took the hand of the girl. "Daniel would you go get Andrew for me?"

He nodded and stood up.

"I don't want to talk to him, he doesn't remember me," Jo's voice was trembling as she spoke, all the while the tears streamed from beneath her frightened eyes.

"Sweetie, I know that this may be hard for you, but think about this, what you may have could help him remember, and you know that deep inside, you really need to talk to him, maybe something in your words will strike a chord with him and he'll suddenly remember what he is," Donna said softly. "It will do you as much good as it will him, and you'll be able to find the strength you need to face whatever it is you are facing." Donna reached over and stroked the hair of the young girl.

"I'm afraid," she whispered to her friends' grandmother.

"We know, honey," Donna said smiling. "I've been around the lives of Christina, Olivia, Laura, Denise, Dawn, and I have a pretty good idea of how it is when it comes to being a young lady."

Jo looked at her, but instead of saying anything, she could feel Donna taking her hand and squeezing it gently. "You have a lot of friends here, Jo, and sometimes a friend is the greatest blessing that God can give us."

The girl nodded as Andrew and Daniel appeared in the doorway and came outside. "You wanted to see me?" Andrew asked softly.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Donna looked at the human angel. "You have a young friend here, Andrew, and she needs you."

The angel shifted his weight uncomfortably. "I don't remember, Donna."

"Andrew," the woman stood up and went over to him, her hand coming to rest on his arm, and he looked down at her before she continued, this time her words considerably softer and she knew that Jo could not hear her. "She needs you, and you may not remember who you are, but you're still Andrew, and something in here…" she pressed her hand against his chest just above his heart. "…Is something that that little girl needs."

Andrew looked over and could see that Jo's head was now staring down at the food in front of her, and somewhere deep inside of him, knew that Donna was right. Finally he went over to where Jo was sitting.

"You just try to talk to him," Daniel said encouragingly as he squeezed her shoulder and left the two of them alone.

Jo nodded obediently, but all the while, she stared down at the paper that was now in front of her. When she finally did manage to look up again, Andrew was now seated next to her, and both Donna and Daniel had disappeared inside the house.

Jo continued to pick at the food, but after a few moments, she looked up and into the familiar green eyes of the angel. "I guess you think I'm totally nuts now, huh?"

"No," Andrew said softly shaking his head. "I don't know if there's anything that I could say that might help. I'm only sorry that I hurt you. I know that you want me to remember who I am or what I am, and I really am trying, Jo."

The teenager nodded as she looked down at her drawing. "Have you ever been afraid?"

"Yes, I have," he said softly.

"What did you do?" She asked, her voice trembling. "I mean; how did you handle it?"

"I don't know," came his honest answer. "I suppose you could say that I'm afraid right now."

"You are? But, why?"

"Because, I don't know who I am, and that scares me," he said honestly as he reached over and took the piece of paper from off the table. He looked down at the drawing and then back at her. "Tell me about this painting. It has my name on it."

"I made it after we met the first time," Jo said softly.

"How old were you?" He asked.

"Nine, I was there with Denise, and…" she took a deep breath and looked at him. "My other friends, I…" her voice trailed and she began to cry, her hands once again covering her face.

"Why are you crying?"

"Because it hurts, you're like a stranger to me, not a friend," Jo whispered as the tears began to tumble down over her cheeks. "Why?"

"I don't know," he whispered, but somewhere in him made him reach over and take her hand in his and squeeze it gently.

"Andrew?" Jo whimpered as she looked at him.

"What is it, Jo, just tell me, maybe I can help somehow," he said softly.

"I'm scared, I'm so scared," she began to weep in earnest, and instead of speaking further, she rested her head in her lap and allowed the tears to fall.

"Don't be afraid, Jo, you have no reason," Andrew's next words emerged, but instead of saying anything else, he watched as she sat back up, her tearstained gaze meeting his.

As she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes, she found her voice and spoke. "I know you don't know me from the next stranger on the street, but I'm scared, I'm all alone and I'm so afraid." As she spoke, she could feel her voice cracking with emotion as the tears streamed down over her face.

Andrew inched over to the girl and wrapped her gently in his arms, his arms pulling her gently into his embrace. "Shhh, it's OK. You're not alone, Jo."

The girl continued to weep in his arms, but after a few moments, she managed to get her emotions back in check. As she looked up at him, she spoke, her voice soft. "W-what did you just say?"

"I don't know, did I say something?" Andrew shook his head, but Jo knew that maybe she had just said something that could have triggered something in him. She reached a hand up and touched his face with her fingertips.

"Andrew, do you remember the day I painted this?" She asked.

He shook his head and she realized that he had left before she had done so, this was the first time he had actually seen it. "Andrew, do you remember what you told Tiffany, Claudia, and me that day at the center?"

The angel shook his head.

"Do you remember a lady named Beatrice Peterson?" Jo continued with her questions hoping that one would somehow start to trigger something in him.

"Beatrice…" Andrew's voice trailed, but after a few moments, he looked at her. "That was your grandmother, right?"

Jo could feel the tears streaming from beneath her eyes as the angel suddenly remembered the grandmother she had lost when she was six. "You remember her?"

"Yes," he whispered. "She was about five feet tall, had blue eyes, and curly gray hair."

Jo nodded. "You do remember her, but you don't remember me…" Her voice trailed off and Andrew could see the overcoming agony on the face of the young girl. She smiled sadly, but continued to cry, her head in her lap as the words 'I'm scared,' emerged from her every few moments.

Andrew, upon hearing this, suddenly knew who he was, why he was there, and when he saw Jo's overwhelming emotions, he quickly got to his feet, and went over to her, his hand coming to rest on her head, his fingers stroking her hair gently. "Jo, look up sweetheart."

She shook her head, her face now streaked with tears, but she couldn't bring herself to even look at him. She could not see that he had changed, that with his memory came all the other abilities that he had.

"Jo," Andrew said her name once again, his voice soothing, thus encouraging her to shyly look up and see that he had, in fact, changed, now he was glowing and was dressed in a beige suit, his eyes once more filled with life, and he was smiling down at her.

"I-I don't get it…" her voice trembled, but her eyes were wide with unsuppressed wonder.

"Jo, I remember everything now, you helped me to recall all those times," he smiled as he kneeled down in front of her, reached over, and brushed the tears from her cheeks. Yet, as he looked at her, he could tell that it did not take an angel to know that she was afraid. "Don't be afraid."

"I-I'm not," she whispered, but he could tell that she was, her voice was shaking and she looked as though she was about to pass out.

"It's OK, Jo," he began as he smiled gently at her. "Being afraid is a normal emotion. You mustn't feel shame because of it, sweetheart."

"T-then, y-you do know me?" She asked weakly.

"Yes, I do," he reached over and touched her cheek; he could still feel the tears that were still streaming from beneath her eyes. He could see that her emotions were about to get the better of her, and he reached over and tried to brush the persistent tears away. "It's OK to cry, Jo."

She nodded numbly, but try as she might, she could not stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks, but all the while, she realized just how difficult all of this was for her. "Maybe, w-we should go inside and tell the others," she eventually offered as she tried to divert the focus away from herself.

"No, not yet, you and I need to talk," He looked intently at her. "I know that I hurt you at the center earlier, but I hope that you know it wasn't intended."

"You didn't remember me," she whispered. "I'm so scared, and you didn't…" her voice trailed off, but after a few moments, she found the words and was able to continue speaking. "I was afraid that you were going to think I was crazy."

"No, Josephine, I don't think you're crazy at all, I just didn't know," Andrew said gently. "Come on, just look at me." When she finally did, he could see that tears streaming from beneath her eyes. He reached over and touched the side of her face, thus trying to, once again, brush them away.

"Y-you know my real name?"

"Yes, I do, and contrary to what you believe about it, it's a beautiful name," Andrew smiled gently at her.

"I'm dying and I'm so scared," she whispered.

"Jo, I want you to listen to me for a few minutes, OK?" Once she nodded, he continued. "You know that everyone will one day die, but it's nothing to be afraid of, and you have a lot of time left, you just don't believe it right now because you got some news from a doctor," he reached for her hand and squeezed it gently once he was holding it in his.

"You mean it?" Jo looked at him, disbelief shadowing her frightened face. "I have time, h-how much?"

Upon hearing these words, he could tell that there was an unbelievable sense of fear in her eyes, but he spoke, his voice gentle. "I don't know how much time you have, but God knows and from what He has told me, you have a lot more time than you think," he paused as he looked down at the girl, her tear-stained face touching his gentle heart and he continued speaking, his words soothing. "I know you're frightened, and I know that being told you're terminally ill is very scary, but I want to make a promise to you. Jo, when the day comes when you go Home, you won't be alone, and you won't have anything to be afraid of. I'll be with you, if that is what you wish."

She nodded numbly as her voice emerged. "T-that's what I wanted to ask you at the center," she whispered as the tears continued to stream from beneath her eyes. "I was just afraid to because I didn't know what you were going to say."

"You were afraid that I would reject you, as your father did?" He asked, and once she nodded numbly, he continued. "I wouldn't, and when that day does come, I will be with you, sweetheart," he began to stroke her cheek with his hand, and he smiled down at her. "God doesn't want you to be afraid anymore, Josephine. He's been with you through all of this, and He's going to remain with your mom and Katie, forever."

"H-He is?" She asked softly.

"Yes, He is with you right now," Andrew said softly as he brushed her hair from in front of her eyes. "The Father would never, ever leave you or your family alone, and now, just know that you have nothing to be afraid of."

The teenager looked at him, but she nodded as his words touched her. After a few moments, she found her voice and spoke. "Andrew, can I ask you a favor?"

"What's that?" He smiled gently at her.

"I was just wondering if you would, if you could just…hold me," she whispered.

The compassionate Angel of Death stood up, reached down, picked Jo up in his arms, and sat back down on the nearby chair with her in his lap. As she felt him cradling her in his arms, the tears once again started to fall and she pressed her face against his chest, the tears of relief and release finally falling as he enfolded her in his embrace and allowed her to weep in his arms.

*****

Inside the house, Daniel and Donna were smiling as though they were the two cats that had polished off a 140-pound canary. "We did it," Donna said smiling as Monica appeared next to them.

"A new beginning for both of them." She said smiling, as she looked through the window and could see that Jo was now wrapped in the arms of Andrew. Seeing this brought a large smile to her face.

"That may be so, Miss Wings, but our work isn't finished yet, we've got a little girl to help, a mom that needs to see the light, and a wedding to attend."

"Things happen in threes huh, Tess?" Daniel asked wryly, but when she looked at him, his smirk disappeared and he could see an earnest look in her wise eyes.

"In this case, honey, it's a good thing that the Father has sent as many angels here as He did," she said earnestly.

"I'm just so relieved that Andrew finally remembers," Donna said smiling. "I think Laura would have been really unhappy about postponing the wedding until he got on his feet. You know that she and Sebastian were going to do that, didn't you?"

Monica nodded. "Yes, but now they don't have to go through with that plan."

Donna smiled as the door opened and Andrew wheeled Jo into the house a few minutes later. "Is everything OK?" She asked when she saw that Jo still had stray tears streaming from beneath her eyes.

"Andrew got his memory back," Jo said softly, but everyone could see that Andrew was still dressed in his beige clothing, but when she felt his hand on her shoulder, she looked up and smiled at him.

He responded by gently brushing his hand against her cheek, thus brushing the remaining tears away. "Jo helped, it was a good idea for me talk to her, Donna, thank you."

"Oh, Andrew, like you really have to thank me, you're like my second son, OK, maybe a tad bit older than Bryan, but you'll do," she smiled wickedly at him as he began to chuckle.

Monica smiled; she could see that the words of Donna really had touched her friend. She looked at Tess as Donna took Andrew's hand, and led him back into the kitchen, where Christina and Laura were putting together a salad.

Once they were gone, Jo looked at Monica and Tess. "Where's Brendan?" She asked the two of them, but when no answer emerged, she rolled herself through the house and outside through the now opened front door. In the front yard, Sebastian and Brendan were playing football, or better yet, the younger of the two was trying to teach Sebastian the ins and outs of the game. "Brendan," she called out his name and when Sebastian came over, he smiled. "Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt."

"Oh please, if I didn't stop soon, I might get a visit from Andrew," laughing, he didn't see the expression on the face of the girl.

Instead of speaking, Jo simply laughed it off as Brendan came over, and Sebastian went back into the house. Once he reached her, he sat down on the tire swing that was in the front yard. "What's up?"

"I have to tell you something," she smiled brightly. "Andrew got his memory back."

Brendan's face paled. "He did?"

"Yes, he did," she smiled as her mother pulled the car up along the curb. "I have to go, my mom's here." She took a deep breath. "Brendan, will you go get Andrew?"

"Why?"

"Because I have to go, but I wanted to say good-bye to him," Jo said softly as her mother got out of the car and came up the walk.

"Are you dawdling again?" Jennifer asked; her voice filled with impatience. "Katie is at home alone, and I'm expecting a call from Dr. Simms, so let's get a move on."

Jo nodded, but she turned around to see Andrew standing in the doorway, his eyes meeting her own. "I'll see you later, Sweetheart, this isn't good-bye."

The teenager nodded numbly and slowly began to follow her mother. The angels were standing in angelic form; the only one Brendan could see was Andrew, who was standing in the doorway.

"Now what?" Monica said softly and looked at Andrew. "It's nice to have you back, Andrew."

The Angel of Death smiled and nodded, "it's really great to be back," he offered weakly, but when he turned around, he could see that Christina was standing behind them, her eyes filled with sadness and regret.

As the angel's eyes locked with those of his friend, an uncomfortable tremor jolted him back to the reality. He knew that this was now to time to start rectifying what had transpired between the two of them earlier that day. Looking back at Tess, he could see the severity of this situation, and he took a deep breath as he looked at the supervisor. "Tess, there's still something I have to do here, isn't there?"

"No kidding," Tess said all the while copping her usual attitude. "This isn't just about you helping this family, but now your actions could very well leave a drastic affect on your friendship with Christina, something that neither of you are aware of."

"But, Tess, if they both had had amnesia, it's not like they could have helped it," Monica objected.

"They both could have if they had listened," she grumped.

Andrew looked at his supervisor, he knew this look, in fact every angel in the celestial realm knew that when Tess carried that look on her face, that there was trouble. What neither he nor Monica responded, he glanced over to see that Christina came slowly over to where they were standing.

Once she had reached the three angels, she spoke, her voice marking the extent of her nervousness. "Tess, this was all my fault." Her voice cracked as she cast a fleeting glance over at Andrew.

"No, it wasn't," Andrew said assuredly as he rested his hand on his long time friend's shoulder. "It just happened, Christina, and neither of us can change it."

Christina looked down at the ground. "I made such a mess of everything, just because I love you, and…" her voice trailed off and she swallowed before she was able to continue speaking. "I never wanted to hurt anyone."

Monica looked at Tess, she could see the human woman about to collapse, and she reached over and touched Christina's now trembling shoulders. "We know, Christina."

She looked at Andrew, "my friendship with you may destroy my marriage, and I just ask you to not leave me to face all of this alone."

Andrew looked into the eyes of his friend. "I won't leave, and don't care what anyone says, I'm not going to leave." He squeezed Christina's shoulder. "We'll talk to Jeremy, and I'm sure that nothing will change for either of you."

"But, it has," she whispered and he touched the side of her face with his hand.

Andrew looked at his friend. "Christina, neither of us knew, you can't blame yourself for this."

"Why did God let it happen?"

"Christina Marie Lowery, God did not let it happen, two individuals let it happen," Tess snapped, her eyes bearing down in those of the woman.

Christina turned with the intention of running away, but instead, she turned back and looked at Tess. "Then maybe He should have kept my memory, because right now, I can't think of anything worse than remembering." With that, she fled back into the house leaving the three angels standing outside the door.

Moments passed in silence, and Gloria approached. "What's going on?" She asked cheerfully, but when she saw Tess' face, her cheerful mood dissipated and she looked at Monica. "What happened?"

"They got their memories back, Gloria, and now…" Monica said softly, but her voice faded and Andrew took a deep breath.

"I'm going back inside," he said, but when Tess said nothing, he silently went back inside, thus leaving the three other angels on the front step.

"Tess, why did you get angry with her, she was so upset," Monica said softly. "I thought as angels, we're supposed to love people, not get angry with them when they make a mistake."

"Christina and Andrew did more than make a mistake, Miss Wings," Tess said but before she could say anything further, Phil appeared and was looking at them with confusion shadowing his gentle face.

"Tess, Monica," Phil began, his soft voice acknowledging the two angels he already knew, but when his eyes landed on Gloria, he smiled as Monica made the introductions

"Gloria, this is Phil, he's from Reconcilliations," Monica said.

"Phil, what are you doing here?" Tess asked.

"Two things, one, Sam sent me to help Christina, and you know she needs a little help, and not a lecture. Secondly, Tess, Sam said, and these are his words here, 'you need to lighten up'. They did just recover from amnesia." Phil's eyes were earnest, but what none of them expected was for Laura to come outside and see an entire group of angels standing on her parents' doorstep, and one of them was one she hadn't seen in years.

Laura's Flashback

As she sat down in one of the seats, Laura looked up and could see someone else seated in the room, but instead of speaking to him, she folded her hands and closed her eyes. Within moments, the man came over and sat down next to her.

"Hello," he spoke, his dark, wise eyes meeting hers.

"Hi," she said softly.

"My name's Phil, what's yours?" He asked.

"Laura," she said and bowed her head. "Please don't think I'm being rude, but I don't really feel like talking right now, I just came in here to think about some things. Try to make heads or tails of everything that's happened."

"Rectifying your past is never an easy task, is it Laura?" Phil asked.

"No, it's not," Laura said softly, but she could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks, and this time she did not bother to brush them away. "Have you ever felt guilty for being angry with someone, but not knowing truly why they did what they did in the first place?"

Phil nodded. "I can see where that would be very difficult."

Laura closed her eyes and the tears continued to pour down over her face. She tried without much success to wipe them away, but she discovered that she couldn't. After some moments, Phil handed her a cloth handkerchief. "Thank you," she whispered as she accepted the cloth and wiped it over her eyes.

"Let me ask you a question, does discovering the truth hurt?"

Laura nodded. "It scares me. I wonder if I'm crazy, or I would hurt anyone the way I've been hurt."

"You know that fear is one of the emotions that people don't always understand, but that fear also guides you away from the purest form of love that exists," Phil rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Don't allow it to do that to you, allow your heart to be comforted by the knowledge of God's love and truth."

Laura looked at him and nodded. "You know, it's funny, my friend Andrew once told me something like that."

"I know Andrew," Phil said smiling, and as he spoke he began to glow, and Laura smiled weakly.

"God sent you, didn't He?"

Phil smiled broadly and nodded. "Did your friend Andrew ever tell you about Reconciliations?"

"No, w-what is that?" Laura asked.

"It's one of the divine departments up there," Phil smiled gently at her. "You made yours, Laura. Now, let me help you help your mother find forgiveness, too."

"How? She won't even listen to me," Laura said softly.

"Time, Laura, God's timing is perfect, don't forget that. In order for a person to forgive, they must be in the right time and place to do so, and you have been in both when you chose to forgive Lolita Cantu," Phil said. "Now, allow all of this to rest in God's hands, and your mother will find the strength to forgive not only Kevin Miller, but also to forgive herself for the hurtful things she has said and done. Remember, the words she speaks are not said out of hatred, but rather, out of fear. If she tries to forgive Kevin, then she will have to face the past, which she has for the past fifteen plus years managed to bury away."

"I'll do my best, Phil," Laura said and stood up to leave, but not before he reached out and touched her arm.

"Laura, God is proud of you, and don't forget, He does loves you so much," Phil said and once Laura left the chapel she could see her mother and Tess were standing in the same place waiting for her.

Laura's Flashback End

"Phil?" Laura shook her head as she recognized him.

"Laura, I remember you," he smiled.

"I still have your handkerchief," she said softly. "But, what are you doing here?"

Phil smiled, "I'm here for your mother, actually, she needs to reconcile with herself." He offered his hand to her and she took it. "You know that what I told you when you were fifteen is similar to what I have been sent to tell her."

"She came back into the house just now, but she didn't say anything, but I could tell that something was wrong. Phil, what's wrong, what's happened?" Laura looked at Tess, then to Monica, then Gloria and finally back to him.

Tess looked at Laura, the guilt shadowing her face. "Baby, things will be OK, Andrew is here, and now Phil is."

Laura nodded and looked at the angels. "And you guys?"

"No, baby, Monica, Gloria and I still have an assignment and when that gets done, we'll be back for your wedding," Tess said smiling somewhat guiltily at her.

Once the three angels disappeared, she looked at Phil. "I guess we should get back inside, huh?"

Phil nodded as he followed her to the door. "Laura, when you talk to your mother…"

"I won't tell her that you're an angel," Laura said shrugging her shoulders. "I never told her about that conversation we had back at the hospital."

Phil nodded. "I'll be starting at the community center tomorrow."

"That's good to know, because it looks as though on all fronts, we need all the help we can get," she said softly as they went inside and the door closed behind them.

*****

In the house, Christina had shut herself inside her bedroom. She could simply not bring herself to talk to anyone, least of all Jeremy. She wondered if he would be able to forgive her for what she had done, and although logic said that she wasn't herself, the guilt she carried was overwhelming and seemed to grow the more she remembered.

She brushed her hand across her lips as the tears began to stream from beneath her eyes. "Oh God, what's happening to me?"

As she spoke someone tapped on her door and she went over and opened it. When she saw Andrew standing on the other side, she smiled weakly, but her eyes were suddenly on the floor.

"Christina, we need to talk," he said gently.

"I think Tess was right," she whispered.

"No, she was not, and whether you believe it or not, that's just her way of showing concern, and she is concerned, for both of us," Andrew said softly as he came into the room. He offered her his hand, and when she accepted it, he continued speaking; his voice filled with gentility "Christina, we've been friends ever since you were a little girl, we've been through a lot together, but we've always gotten through everything. Now, we face one of the greatest challenges of them all, and oddly enough, this challenge is one neither of us have any control over."

"I made a mistake," Christina said softly.

"We both did, but we didn't know. How many times in your life have you felt guilt for that which you can change or fix? The trouble is you don't because you're afraid…" He stopped speaking when she interrupted.

"…I'm not one of your assignments, Andrew."

"No, you're not, but I know what you are doing, you're trying to justify feeling guilt over all of this," he said softly as he shook his head. "Christina, you and I both know that we did what we did because we were trying like anything to remember something about who we are, where we came from or what we're doing here. You can't judge yourself because you were in an amniotic state."

"I said I liked it," she whispered as she looked down at her lap.

"I know, I said the same thing," Andrew rested his hand on her shoulder. "Now, we need to reconcile for ourselves what those words really meant."

"How?" She whispered as she covered her face with her hands. "Andrew, I…"

He smiled weakly at her, but shook his head. "I don't really know how, but God knows, and maybe we should try and put our trust in Him."

Christina nodded. "Jeremy's going to hate me."

Andrew shook his head. "No, the worst he could do is hate me, but you know I don't think he will hate you. He's known since you were hit on the head that you wouldn't remember anything, so just trust that God is in control here."

"So that's it, I'm going to have to choose between my husband and my angel." Christina shook her head as the tears streamed from beneath her eyes.

"No, you won't," Andrew said gently.

"How do you know?"

Andrew looked at his friend. "Christina, sometimes an angel knows, not because he or she wants to know, but because they have to. Don't forget that I am an angel. OK?"

She nodded. "Why are you still here? I figured that after you and I both remembered that you would take off."

"Laura is getting married, and she asked me to stay for the wedding," he said softly.

"Then you're going to stay?"

"Yes, but Christina, you do need to talk to Jeremy," he said.

She nodded, but as she felt the tears streaming down her cheeks, she could feel that Andrew had pulled her into his arms and was holding her tightly. With her face buried against his chest, she began to weep. "I'm sorry about what I did to you, it wasn't fair; it wasn't fair at all."

"Shhh," Andrew cajoled her gently, his arms wrapped around her and he held her tightly.

*****

At the same time, Jennifer was pulling the car in front of the house; she looked at her daughter as she cut the motor. "Josephine, I want to know what is going on with you."

"There's nothing, Mom," Jo said, "and you know I hate that name. Why do you always call me by it?"

"Your grandmother was named Josephine and you know perfectly well that I do not like to shorten her name like that," Jennifer said sternly.

"I'm fourteen and I'm not your mother, I'm me," she said angrily as she looked at her mother.

"I know that," Jennifer said, "now we need to get inside, Dr. Simms is supposed to call tonight and let us know how your treatment will continue."

"You mean, let you know," Jo said softly. "All I know about it I pick up when I overhear you talking to him on the phone. If you're not talking about me to him, then you're telling him that Katie needs a psychiatrist."

"What else have you been listening to?" Jennifer asked; her voice filled with hostility. "You know better than that."

"How can I not?" Jo asked weakly as she looked at her mother. "And why don't you believe that Katie can sense things that we can't?"

"She's telling you that she can see angels," Jennifer said.

"Maybe she can, maybe there are things that happen that none of us can even comprehend. Mom, what would you say if I were to tell you that I did meet an angel at the community center? What would you say if I told you that Mrs. Lowery and her family somehow have a connection to angels, and that they have friends who show up when things get terrible or hard for them?"

"I don't believe in angels, Josephine, and I taught you and your sister to look at things logically," Jennifer said. "That means, no angels, no God, and no religion in my house."

"It's not about religion, Mom, it's about me," Jo said sadly. "It's about knowing that medical science can't help me, if the condition doesn't stay in remission, I will die. What do I have to look forward to if I can't believe in angels, or in God? You can't dictate how I feel, no one can." As she spoke, she could feel the tears starting to stream down her cheeks.

"What has gotten you so riled up? I thought we had enough trouble with this nonsense with Katie, but now we have you talking about this stuff too. What am I going to do with you?"

Jo watched as her mother angrily got out of the car. As she retrieved the wheelchair from the trunk of the car, the teenager could feel the tears streaming from beneath her eyes. As her mother put the wheelchair beside the car, Jo watched as Jennifer ran towards the house when she heard the phone ringing from inside.

When she looked up, she could see that Monica was standing not too far from the car. "Monica?" She called out, hoping the auburn headed angel was there to help her.

"Hello Jo," Monica offered once her mother was inside.

"Hi, could you give me a hand? My mom was waiting for that call," Jo said, but her voice emerged unconvinced.

"Sure, that's what I'm here for," Monica said smiling gently at the young girl.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You know you can, sweetheart," Monica's response was instantaneous.

"Are you an angel too, like Andrew?" Jo asked softly.

"Not exactly like Andrew, but I was sent here to help you and your family," Monica said softly.

"The doctor tells my mother that I'm dying, he won't tell me anything, but Andrew said that it wouldn’t happen, at least not for a long time," Jo said softly. "But, you know, I really don't know who to believe anymore. My mom says that there is no God, but if there isn't then what's going to happen to me when I die?"

Monica smiled gently at the young girl. "Jo, the Father sometimes emerges in a loud thunderstorm, but His voice emerges in a whisper, a still small voice that is manifest in your heart, and through it God tells you 'fear not, I Am with you always'. Jo, God is with you, and He loves you very, very much," Monica said as she got down on the ground so that she would be eye level with the young girl. "You know, finding God during the hardest and most challenging parts of your life is not ever easy, and sweetheart, He is so proud of you for finding the courage to look for Him, to seek Him out."

"What about my mom and Katie?"

"They are both in God's hands, and I'll tell you a secret, God has sent angels to them as well, Tess, and Gloria and your little sister will discover a hidden secret through her angel. God loves you all and He wants you to find healing through this, not find pain and heartache."

Jo wiped her face with her hand. "I'm scared to try, Monica."

"I know, but you're not alone, Jo, not ever, and eventually, your mother will have to find the same courage that you are looking for," Monica said smiling.

"How will she, ever since my dad left, she's been hard and uncompromising, then when I was diagnosed, everything suddenly became about her, and I was ignored." Jo could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks as she spoke, and Monica wrapped her arms around the young girl.

"Keep the faith, Jo, you will find the answers you need. As Tess sometimes says, 'this is not over until someone says 'the end'.' Believe me, no one has said those words yet and nothing is ever really over in God's world. God knows when the line in the sand has to be drawn, but that does not mean that He will draw it today, or tomorrow. And it may be drawn here, but there is so much for you to experience after all is said and done."

The teenager nodded. "Monica, I'm so afraid."

"I know, you told Andrew the same thing, and he said 'fear not', and he was right, sweetheart, you have no reason whatsoever to be afraid," Monica said and reached over and touched the side of Jo's tearstained face.

"Will I get to see him again?" Jo asked.

Monica nodded, "you will, he has promised you that much when you and your mother left Christina and Jeremy's house. Andrew and you will speak again, Jo, but it will be in God's timing, not yours."

"Then it will happen when I …" Her voice trailed off.

"Oh, yes, you will see him when that day comes, but he said that he would not go without saying good-bye, and an angel always keeps his or her promises. OK?"

The girl nodded as she closed her eyes, but when she opened them again, she realized that Monica was gone. She wheeled herself up the walk and into the house.

*****

A little over a week later, Christina returned to work. She was happy to be back in the swing of things, but in the back of her mind she wondered if this was just a way to hide from what had happened when she had had Amnesia. As she came into the lobby she could see that her boss, Peter Harris was standing in the room taking to Jennifer Peterson.

"Good morning, Dr. Harris," she said with a small smile as the man turned and looked at her.

"Great to see you back, Christina," he said smiling at her, but his attention diverted back to Jennifer. "I would love to take Katie in as a case, but I really don't have the time. I've been working on an anti-violence case and that has taken all my time." He turned and looked over at Christina. "Christina, do you have an appointment freed up for this morning?"

She nodded. "I would have to check my calendar, but I think I might." She reached into her bag and pulled out a small pocket calendar, flipped through it and nodded. "I don't have anything scheduled until two."

Peter looked at Jennifer, "then this office can assist you, Mrs. Peterson."

Christina's eyes widened as the realization dawned on her that this was Jo Peterson's mother and little sister. She remembered that Tess had mentioned this family before she had been through her amnesia. Instead of speaking, she glanced over to see that Katie was sitting in a chair waiting for someone to say something to her, when no one did; she shrugged her shoulders without saying anything to neither her boss nor the woman standing in the waiting room.

"You're Laura's mother, aren't you?" Jennifer asked pointedly.

"Yes, I am," Christina responded.

"And she's also one of the most reputable child psychologists in this town," Peter said confidently. "She has the highest success ratio of all of them."

"I don't know," Jennifer hedged before she continued to speak, her voice filled with doubt. "I have heard some rather strange stories about you."

Christina released a pent up sigh. "Strange, as in?"

"Your daughter has been telling my children stories about angels," Jennifer said. "She said that you wrote them."

"Oh the angel stories," Peter laughed and looked at his colleague. "Did you ever think that after twenty years someone would still be reading them? I told you years ago, Christina, your stories would offer people a piece of faith that they had lost."

"My daughters and I don't believe in angels, Dr. Harris," Jennifer snapped, but when Christina looked at Katie, the little girl had looked up and was shaking her head. After a few seconds, Katie pointed to the opposite wall, and Christina glanced over briefly and could see that Gloria had appeared and was standing next to the wall; a finger over her lips and a playful smile was on the face of the angel. Christina offered an almost unnoticeable nod and turned back to face the woman.

"Mrs. Peterson," Christina began. "I can assure you that my stories are completely separate from the work I do at this office. Many children who come here are interested in the stories, and it is actually a good way to break the ice with them. However, please keep in mind that a child will often have separate beliefs than that of their parents. It shows that a child is an individual and that they must find for themselves what they believe in." She paused, but before she could continue, Jennifer interrupted.

"I don't like your tone," she said. "I think I should find another psychologist's office."

"Good luck," Peter began. "The entire town's psychological community has been overburdened since the Southside school shooting happened some years ago."

"Mrs. Peterson, I can assure you that Katie is in good hands. We're not here to try and indoctrinate children to think like we do, we are here to help children talk about that, which may be stressful or painful for them. A psychologist does not try to impose anything on their patient, but to help that patient stand on rock-solid ground."

Jennifer looked at Peter Harris. "Fine, but if I hear one word about those stories or angels, I will jerk my child out of this clinic's care so fast, you won't know what happened."

Christina sighed deeply, but nodded as Jennifer turned to face her daughter. "I have to go and get the shopping done before your sister gets out of her training. Behave yourself and I'll see you later."

Katie nodded mutely as her mother turned back to face Christina and Peter. "When do I need to be back here?"

"An hour and a half," Christina said softly and watched as the woman left. Once she was gone, Christina looked at Peter. "I don't know what to do, Dr. Harris. For the first time since I started here, I'm at a loss."

Peter looked at the small child and then back at her. "Christina, handle this case as you would all of the others. She's just blowing off steam; I wouldn't let her get to you. Besides, the one that will dictate how these sessions will go is not Jennifer Peterson, but rather Katie."

Christina nodded and went over to where Katie was sitting. "Katie, my name is Christina."

The little girl nodded but she pointed over to the wall where Gloria stood. "There's an angel in here."

Christina nodded as Peter went back into his office. "Why don't we go into my office and we can talk a little? Maybe get acquainted."

"You believe me? My mom doesn't."

Christina smiled. "You know, sometimes a small child can see things that grown-ups can't, now that may be because grown ups think too logically, but I'm not here to disprove or prove anything about what you see. OK?"

Katie nodded and when Christina offered her hand, the little girl took it and they stood up. As they walked towards the door leading into the back recesses of the practice, Katie turned and looked at Gloria. "Are you coming?"

Gloria smiled and followed them into the office.

*****

The community center was a bustle of activity when Jo wheeled herself in through the glass doors. As she looked around, she could see that Brendan Thomas was there and she went over to him. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"Well, last week Christina told Laura about me trying to find out about my roots, so I thought I would come here and do some research on the Caracas family."

"You find anything?"

"No, dead end all the way, but it's fun hanging around here," Brendan said. "Better than the alternative."

"What alternative?" Jo asked as Brendan wheeled her towards the snack bar.

"Hanging around the house and watching Daniel give me dirty looks," Brendan said softly.

"But, he's nice," Jo said.

"I guess, but he really got mad at me because I was the one who caused Andrew and Christina to get amnesia," he said.

"Have you seen Andrew since he got his memory back?" Jo asked.

"No, I've been avoiding him," Brendan said.

"Why? I mean; you can't avoid Andrew, he's going to show up whether you like it or not," Jo said.

"He gives me the creeps," Brendan said. "Before you and Laura arrived at Christina and Jeremy's a week ago, Christina said that he's an angel. I don't believe in angels."

"You sound like my mom, only instead of saying 'I don't believe in angels' she says 'my children don't believe in angels'. I'm nearly 15 and my mom is still dictating to me what I believe and what I don't. But, the thing is, I do believe in angels."

"A week ago you said you didn't know."

"Yeah, but a week ago, I really didn't know. But, don't you think that believing is something is a lot better than believing in nothing?" Jo looked at him. "I think I know what it is. You're scared of Andrew because you know that if he is an angel, then you think that you're in a lot of trouble. Maybe my mom thinks the same way."

"What do you know?" Brendan snapped. "I thought you were cool, then you started sounding as long winded as Christina and the others." With that he turned on his heel and walked away leaving her alone.

Jo watched his retreating back but when she felt a hand on her shoulder, she turned and could see that Monica was standing next to her; the angel was smiling gently at her. "Hi, Monica," she said softly.

"He's angry, Jo," the angel said softly.

"No d-uh," Jo said smiling impishly at her. "Takes real celestial powers to see that, but the truth is; he's too much like my mom. He sometimes talks like her, and I guess it's weird because I don't even feel like I'm related to her."

"No, you don't," she smiled gently. "Believing in God or in the existence of angels is not just an area of what you see, sometimes that area expands to the idea of what you feel, or faith, and right now, Brendan's faith is wavering. Your mother's faith has wavered dramatically as a result of what has happened to her."

"Monica, how can I help my mom or Brendan, if they won't listen? The night you helped me back into this stupid chair, my mom had gotten mad at me and I noticed that she did because she couldn't control what I thought."

"Yes, that's true," Monica said as she rested a gentle hand on Jo's shoulder, but God will be heard by both of them, He has His ways of making people realize how they are behaving."

Jo nodded. "I just hope that He does something before my mom succeeds in turning Katie into a miniature version of herself." As she spoke, Laura came over and smiled excitedly at the two of them.

"We set a date, finally, Sebastian and I are really getting married," the young woman's face was filled with excitement. "Monica, have you seen Andrew around, Sebastian is looking all over the place for him, and I guess he probably needs to talk to Adam as well."

Monica shook her head, "I don't know where they are, in fact I haven't seen Andrew in awhile, and Adam's been on assignment since Phil came, but he should be due back here pretty soon."

"Has Phil talked to my mom?" Laura asked.

"No, not that I know of," Monica said and looked at Jo. "Phil is an angel too, you're literally surrounded by angels, Jo."

The teenager nodded. "I guess we need all the help we can get."

As the girl rolled away, Laura turned and looked at Monica. "She still doesn't sound like herself."

"Maybe she does," Monica began, "maybe this is herself and maybe the way she sounded before was just an act, or a way to protect herself from the pain."

"Her mom is really a tough nut, huh?" Laura asked.

"A tough nut doesn't even start to describe it," a grumpy sounding voice emerged and Laura looked up to see Tess coming over to them.

"What happened, Tess?" Laura asked.

"Well, see for yourself," Tess said and motioned with her hand, as Jennifer came storming into the center. When she saw Laura, she made a beeline in her direction and when she stopped, Laura took a deep breath as she heard the mother of her friend laying into her.

"How dare you?" Jennifer seethed.

"What did I do?"

"You went and filled Josephine's head with fantasy stories," Jennifer's voice was practically a shout and Laura backed up unconsciously as the woman continued. "You are not to have any contact with my daughter again. Your influence over them is completely irresponsible, and I have every intention of speaking to whomever it is who is in charge here and make sure your employment here is terminated."

"Mrs. Peterson, I have no idea what you're talking about," Laura stood her ground. "And if I did, I would fight you tooth and nail because what you are saying about me is wrong. I'm not a bad influence or irresponsible, but I would say that you are, playing the role of a dictator and telling your children what they believe in." Before she could stop herself, she spoke, her final question emerging. "What kind of mother are you, anyway."

Jennifer responded by slapping Laura squarely across the face. "Maybe that will teach you some manners," she said, and as she turned to go, she continued. "I can only hope that your mother will not fill my other daughter with this insanity."

Once she was gone, Laura was left standing holding her throbbing cheek in her hand, the tears brimming from beneath her eyes, but she willed herself not to cry. She shook her head and looked up at Tess, who was neither smiling nor frowning. "I-I'm sorry, Tess," she whispered as she walked towards the restroom.

Monica started to follow, but Tess rested her hand on the younger angel's shoulder. "Jo needs you, baby, and I want you to stay with her until this is over."

"But, if Jennifer said…" her objections were instantly cut off.

"Miss Wings, that little girl needs you, and whether you are there in human or angelic form, she will know it, OK?"

"What are you going to do, Tess?" Monica asked. "Are you going to talk to Laura?"

"No, Laura's going to be OK, but right now, baby, we have our hands full with this one and Jennifer Peterson is going to discover that she's not the only one around here with an attitude."

Monica watched as Tess followed Jennifer outside, and she went over to where Jo was seated and waiting.

*****

Outside, Brendan was walking through the neighboring park. He was angry, but did not know why. Jo's words had really annoyed him because she was talking the same nonsense that the rest of his family seemed to discuss.

He plopped down on a bench, his eyes staring angrily at the ground. What he wouldn't give to have a mother like Jo had, one who looked at things through realism and logic and not through all this silliness. After a few moments, he could feel that someone had approached where he was sitting and a gentle voice emerged and he looked up to see that Andrew was now standing before him, his green eyes filled with compassion. "You've been avoiding me for a week now, but I think now is the time for you and I to have a little talk, Brendan."

The young boy looked up, rubbed his eyes but when he realized that Andrew wasn't about to leave, that the angel was, in fact standing there, his eyes never faltering and his stern, but loving expression unchanging.

"What do you want?" Brendan asked as Andrew sat down on the bench next to him. "Go away, can't you see that I want to be alone?"

Instead of leaving, Andrew took a deep breath before answering the inquiry. "I made a promise to you before I got my memory back and I think now is the time for me to tell you what you have been trying to find out. You will not find out anything about your mother by burying your feelings about her beneath anger and hostility," Andrew began. "I know that you want to know the truth about your mother and father, but books and computer printouts aren't going to tell you that your mother loved you."

Brendan snapped his head up and looked at the angel. "What do you know?"

"I know that you have been dodging me for almost a week because you're afraid of what I remember, or what I know. Only now, you have started to ask yourself if you should stay and talk to me, or get angry and run away."

Brendan shook his head. "I don't care about that anymore."

"You don't, or are you trying to convince yourself you don't?" Andrew asked gently. "You know what I think?" Without waiting for the boy to answer, he continued speaking. "I think that you want to believe that your mother really loved you, and that she was a good person; but Brendan, to believe that would probably be an indication to you that the rest of what Christina said to you last week about me being an angel would also have to be the truth. You know Christina wouldn't lie to you, but it contradicts what you have persuaded yourself to believe for the last twelve years."

"There's no such thing as angels," Brendan shook his head as though denying everything that Andrew had just said.

The angel shook his head, but he looked intently at the young boy. "Angels do exist, Brendan and they have been in contact with your family since before you were born."

"What do you know about my family?" Brendan asked, and Andrew could see that the boy was literally grasping at straws. "And what do you know about angels? You're just some guy who lost his memory because I hit you with a two-by-four."

"I know that you have said that you didn't believe in angels, but I have never heard you say that you didn't want to believe in them," Andrew rested a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder, this if anything to prevent him from once again running away. "I cannot explain to you why your adopted parents didn't tell you about me. But, I can tell you this, I am an angel, sent by God, and I do want to help you."

"I don't believe it," Brendan sputtered as he tried to pull his arm out of Andrew's grasp.

"It's true, Brendan, and deep in your soul, you know that it is the truth as well," Andrew said softly as he started to glow.

Brendan, upon seeing the light encompassing Andrew, backed away from the angel, but within seconds, he realized that he could not move because Andrew still rested his hand on the boy's shoulder. "No…"

"You have nothing to be afraid of, Brendan," Andrew said as the hold he exerted on the boy's shoulder loosened somewhat.

Feeling this, Brendan jumped up and tried to run away, but what he did not expect was for Adam to appear thus preventing the boy from leaving Andrew's presence. He looked down at Brendan, his hand resting on his head, all the while trying to calm him down somewhat. "You should stay and listen," Adam said softly, but instead of ceasing his struggles, the boy looked up to see that the elder of the two angels was directly in front of him and remained unmoving.

Brendan simply looked up at Adam his expression filled with fear as recognition dawned on him. "It's you," he stammered and he backed away from Adam, thus breaking contact with the angel. "S-stay away from me." He continued to back further away, but by this time, he was now trapped between them.

Adam looked at Andrew and nodded as the park where they had been standing suddenly disappeared and Brendan could see that he was completely surrounded by a large valley filled with wildflowers.

"W-where am I?" Brendan's voice faltered, but he continued to speak softly. "What have you done to me?" He licked his dry lips as he looked at Andrew. "Is this my punishment because I hit you with that piece of wood? Are you just here to beat me senseless for what I did to you? I mean; it was me that caused you to get hurt and..."

"Shhh," Andrew whispered thus cutting off Brendan's flow of words. For his part, the angel could still see the fear and shock in the boy's eyes. As Brendan tried to back away from him, it became obvious that he only wanted to run.

After a few moments of silence had passed he looked from Adam to Andrew and shook his head with disbelief as he spoke to Adam. "Y-you were the guy from the center?"

"Yes," Adam said. "I was sent to help you get started in talking with Andrew about your family, and so I suggest that while you're here, you just make yourself comfortable and talk to him." He looked at Andrew and winked. "I see you later." With that, Adam vanished and the boy was left staring at Andrew with unhidden surprise in his frightened eyes.

"What are you going to do to me?" Brendan eventually asked as he sat down on the ground and was surprised when Andrew came over and sat down next to him.

"I'm not going to do anything to you," Andrew said gently. "I wanted to fulfill the promise I made to you at Christina and Jeremy's, that's why you're here, it's not because I'm mad at you. The truth is, Brendan, I'm not angry with you at all, but you are angry, very angry. Please, just tell me why, maybe I can help."

Brendan shook his head. "Nobody can help."

"There is someone, you just don't believe you're worth His help," Andrew said softly. "You are and whether you choose to believe it or not, God wants to help you."

"How can He after what I did to you? Brendan asked, his voice cracking as he tried unsuccessfully to make eye contact with Andrew.

"It's OK; all is forgiven," the angel said softly. "I can understand why you were angry, and maybe I had to experience amnesia to really understand where it was you were coming from."

"Are you joking?" The boy asked as he tried to wipe the tears from his eyes. He looked at Andrew in obvious disbelief.

Andrew shook his head. "No, I'm not joking, think about it, you're trying to find out about a family you don't even know. You feel as though you have no real past and you'd be surprised at the number of adopted children who feel the very same way. They want to find out their roots, they want to understand what it is about them that is different, they want to feel as complete and special as anyone else. But, they are, because they are looked upon in the purest love of their Creator."

"That doesn't explain why you got amnesia," Brendan said as he sniffed.

"Perhaps not yet, but let me finish." When the young boy nodded, Andrew continued. "When I had amnesia, I could not remember anything about myself, and I felt as cut off from the family, from friends, and from God as you feel right now, thus I could understand why you felt sad, because I did too."

"So you think that God made you get amnesia so that you could talk to me about all this stupid stuff?" Brendan asked all the while trying to stay strong, but this proved futile because his emotions were starting to show.

"God had a reason, and I'm still trying to figure out what that reason is, but I want to tell you something very important. What it is you feel is not stupid, Brendan, feelings are real, because they are a part of you, and for what it's worth, your feelings are not only leaving an impact on you, but also with Daniel and Donna, Christina, Laura, Jeremy, and me."

"You? But what do you care about what happens to me?" Brendan asked, his voice filled with uncertainty, but Andrew could also detect a sense of grief in his words. "You never talked to me before."

"I didn't before, no, but I'm here now, and whether you believe it or not, I care deeply," Andrew said softly. "You are not just special to me because of Olivia, and the impact that she had on the lives of the people who knew her, but you are special because God made you His child. I'm not going to cast you aside because you're the son of someone very special. I'm going to say that you are beautiful and special in your own way, completely separate but also connected to your mother."

"I didn't want to believe it, my mom is gone, and…" Brendan whispered.

"Your mother died when you were born, Brendan," Andrew said softly. "She was so brave, but she could not grasp onto life because the love she had for you was so intense that she willingly gave her own so that you could live. She loved you very much, and even though someone who was very unkind and jealous of her had told her that you were a mistake, she discovered how precious you truly are to her. Today, she revels in the truth that you were, and still are, a precious child of the Father."

"Andrew, why was I named after you?" Brendan asked. "I mean, you're an angel and all, but I'm nothing, I'm just a kid."

Andrew shook his head. "Your mother chose to name you Brendan Andrew Thomas because she wanted you to carry the name of your earthy father with you all the days of your life. Then when you were born, I was deeply touched when I learned that she had chosen to give you my name. It was an honor for me."

"But why? There must have been a reason," Brendan spoke, his words muffled by his emotions as he regarded the angel.

"It was a little over half a year before you were born, your mother had faced the truth and had told her ex-boyfriend, Greg, that their relationship was over. He responded very violently towards her. I had been sent that night to New York, and there I found her, in an alley…"

Andrew's Flashback

Andrew took her outstretched hand in his and squeezed it gently. "You're going to be OK, Olivia. God heard your prayers, and He sent me to help you."

The young woman licked her dry lips, and tried desperately to remember what was actually happening. "I"

"Shhh," he whispered softly and put one of his arms around her shoulders, the other, he put under her knees and lifted her gently off the ground. She wound her free arm around his neck. "I'm taking you some place safe, Olivia, don't be afraid," he spoke as he carried her out of the alley and to his nearby apartment.

As he walked, he would glance over his shoulder every so often to make sure he was not being followed or that anything could happen that would put his friend in mortal danger. Andrew concluded that based on where they were, she could very well get hurt again and since the Father had told him it was alright to help her, he intended on doing just that.

She closed her eyes and allowed her face to rest against his upper arm near his shoulder. There she felt for a moment that he had rested his hand against her face, and feeling her energy give out, she eventually allowed herself to slip out of consciousness.

Reaching the apartment, he managed to fish his key out of his jacket pocket and open the door all the while holding the injured girl in his arms. Once inside the small apartment, he immediately brought her to the sofa and laid her amongst the cushions before returning and closing the door.

His green eyes were full of compassion as he watched over her for some time. As soon as she began to stir, he crouched down next to her as her eyes slowly opened. "Olivia?"

She moaned, but as she became more conscious of her surroundings, he could see the tears streaming down her cheeks and it was obvious that she was in a state somewhere between being fully conscious and sleep.

"It hurts, oh please God help me; it hurts so much…" She reached up to touch her face, but when she felt someone's hand taking her own and preventing her from doing so, she tried to focus on the gentle person seated next to her. When she couldn't, she became all the more frightened. "W-who's there? I-I'm so afraid."

Andrew could see that she had been beaten pretty badly, but rather than speak of that which might frighten her all the more, he brushed her hair out from in front of her soft brown eyes and spoke gently to her. "It's OK, I know you're hurting, but you're safe here, Olivia, don't be afraid, no one's going hurt you." He reached for a comforter, which covered the nearby chair, and he covered her with it all the while offering her a gentle and loving smile.

"Andrew?" She managed to whisper as she licked her bruised lips and tried to focus on him. Her vision was still blurry, but she managed to speak, her voice filled with fear. "Is that you?" She finally managed to whisper. It had been almost four years since she had seen him, and that was when she had seen him at her friend, Christina's, wedding.

"Yes, Olivia, it's me, and you're safe here," he affirmed taking her hand gently. "Everything's going to be OK."

"I'm so scared," she moaned again.

"I know," he said gently.

"Are you here to take me home?" She asked her soft voice weak and filled with indescribable pain.

"No, sweetheart, it's not yet your time," he said gently, and once again brushed her hair out from in front of her eyes.

"Please, take me to heaven, it hurts so much, I can't bear anymore," she pleaded with him.

"I can't," he said gently. "I'm here as your friend, Olivia, not as your Angel of Death."

"My friend?"

"Yes, only as your friend," he said comfortingly.

"Please Andrew," her voice was still weak. "Can't you take my pain away?" She whispered; her voice filled with pain and hopelessness. She looked up at him, her eyes imploring him as they filled with tears once she tried to shift her weight. As she did, she could feel the pain enveloping her and she began to weep bitterly, some words emerging, but they were incomprehensible.

"Just lie still now," he said softly. "I'll be with you through everything, I promise," he brushed his hand slowly and gently across her cheek and watched as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. "That's it, my friend, just try and get some rest. I'm here, and God's with you, too and neither of us are going to leave you to fight this alone."

He remained with her through the night, keeping silent vigil by her side, constantly muttering words in prayer for his young friend. "She's lost hope, Father," he prayed sadly. "How can I help her find it again?"

Andrew's Flashback End

Brendan looked at him, his voice cracking as he spoke, thus interrupting the angel's words. "W-what did she mean by going home?"

Andrew sighed deeply, but looked at the boy, all the while trying to get his thoughts straight. "She was asking me to take her to heaven because I am an Angel of Death."

"I'm named after an Angel of Death?" Brendan could feel himself getting hysterical, and this time he backed completely away from Andrew. "Oh God, s-stay away from me, I don't want to die."

"You won't die, Brendan, but please, you need to know this, and I'm the only one who can tell you because besides your mother, I was the only one there," he said as he looked imploringly at the young boy.

"Y-you didn't hurt her?" Brendan asked softly.

"No, I didn't, and I wouldn't hurt you either," Andrew said gently his words somehow cajoling the boy to come back over and sit down next to him. "I stayed the night right next to your mother and when she woke the following morning, she was afraid, I suppose she thought the entire events from the night before had been a dream…"

Andrew's Flashback

When the morning sunshine eventually filtered through the window, he could see that she had woken up and as she tried to sit up, he could tell that she was nervous, simply because she was now looking around her new surroundings with traces of fear in her eyes.

"Good morning," he said gently to her once she had made eye contact with him.

She smiled weakly, but spoke, her voice soft. "Hi."

"How did you sleep?"

"OK, I guess, I thought last night was just a dream," she looked shamefully down at her lap.

"I'm sorry to say it wasn't a dream, Olivia," he said gently, his eyes filled with sadness.

"I wish…" she spoke, her voice trailed off and she looked away.

"What?" Andrew asked gently. "What do you wish?"

"Nothing," she muttered, but he could tell that she was hiding something very important from him.

"Olivia, look at me," he cajoled gently sitting down near where she was. When the girl finally glanced up slightly and was looking at him, he continued to speak. "What is it? I can tell something's wrong." When she remained silent, he reached over and rested his hand on her shoulder. She trembled beneath his touch and he looked at her somewhat confused. "You know we're friends, don't you Olivia?"

"Yes, but I don't deserve it," she whispered, and he could barely hear her words.

"Tell me why you feel this way. You know you can tell me anything you want and I'll do whatever I can to help you."

"Andrew, I'm not worth your love or understanding," she said weakly.

"Yes, you are," he said softly. "Why would you believe you're not?"

"Just because, I'm not," she spoke, but had started to cry, and he could see that her nose was beginning to bleed and she sniffed trying to keep it at bay. When she failed, she could feel the blood streaming from beneath her nose and she wiped her hand over her face smearing it not only under her nose, but also leaving the streaks of moisture on her hand.

Andrew pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it gently against her nose, the pressure light, but causing the young woman to cringe. "Is the pressure too hard?"

"N-no," she murmured and once she held the small piece of cloth in her hands, she spoke, her voice muffled beneath it. "You've been so kind to me."

"Olivia, tell me what happened to you. Tell me why you believe that you're not worthy of love?" Andrew gently pressed.

She responded by simply shaking her head.

Andrew's Flashback End

"She told me a few minutes later that she was pregnant with you, and she had been so hurt by her ex-boyfriend that it took me a long time to express to her that you, the child she carried, was a precious gift," Andrew said as he looked at the boy.

"You convinced her of that?"

"I only told her the truth, and it was that, which she needed to hear. She knew deep in her spirit that you were the greatest blessing of her life, but she didn't really know how to express that because she had been hurt so much by a person who claimed to have loved her."

"Did she tell you about my dad?"

Andrew nodded. "Your father was a very courageous person, Brendan, he gave his life trying to help a group of people at a convenience store. He had gone into this place to get a pack of gum and he walked into a robbery that was taking place."

"…And he died?" Brendan interrupted.

"Yes, he was shot and died on the way to the hospital. Your mother told me about him, and as she did, I remembered him because I had taken him to heaven. I remembered how devastated Olivia was that morning when she told me about him, and she kept begging me to take her to him. Your parents loved each other dearly, and today their love is still with you, maybe not physically, but your mother did leave you a gift, Brendan, she left you in the care of two extraordinary people, and whether you believe it or not, it wasn't me that saved her life, it was Daniel and Donna. I just happened to have been in the right place at the right time. But, they remained in that place, and they gave your mother the courage and strength that got her through all the pain and sadness that was in her life. The last time we spoke, was a few days before you were born. I had gone to your house to see how she was doing…"

Andrew's Flashback

"You look good," Andrew said as he looked at Olivia.

"I feel great, I mean, my baby's almost here," she smiled broadly and rubbed her stomach. "I'm excited, but I wonder if I will be a good mother."

"I think you will," Andrew said confidently.

"Oh, he kicks sometimes, and really hard, too. Uh-oh, he's starting again. Quick, give me your hand and you can feel it."

Andrew reached over to her and she took his hand and rested it against her stomach, and he could feel the motion of the child against her abdomen. "Do you know if it's going to be a boy or a girl?" He asked as he felt the kicking continue.

"Nope, I decided before I had the ultrasound done that they ought not tell me. I just hope the baby's healthy, and that's it, besides, I love surprises. If it's a boy I already have a name, though. Brendan Andrew Thomas."

Andrew blushed slightly when he realized that she wanted to give the child his name. "And if it's a girl?" He asked smiling at her.

"I don't know, probably Maria after my grandmother, but a middle name is hard. I was thinking maybe Christina. Maria Christina, it's really very pretty and I think it would make the family happy."

"Did you know that Christina's middle name is Marie?" Andrew asked.

"No, I didn't, but I guess it's a pretty common name," she said.

"It is, and speaking of names, I heard you changed yours."

"I changed it from Caracas to Thomas about two months ago. It had started out to be a hard decision, but then Daniel and Donna sat down with me one evening and told me that if I do it, then it would have to be because I want to, not because of obligations. Anyway, after talking with them about it, I realized that the decision was really quite easy for me to make."

"You're doing better then?" He asked.

She nodded. "Thanks to you. You changed my life, and for the better. If you hadn't have talked to me when you did, then I would have continued to believe that Greg's abuse was for my own good."

"What ever happened to him?" Andrew asked.

"Oh, you're not going to believe this," Olivia's face grew earnest, but she smiled weakly. "After I went to the cops and filed a report, they told me that his current girlfriend was already there because of domestic violence disputes. He was seeing her during the time that he was with me and then I heard that he was keeping both relationships a secret. Then I heard that he had abused her as well, nearly put her into the Intensive Station at New York Central. Anyway, after they told me this, I went to meet her and now we're sort of pen pals. We've been writing each other for about three months now, and she's encouraged me to no end. It's really weird, but true, I found a friend in the strangest of places. Anyway, after everything happened, she and I found the courage to file charges against Greg, and now he's serving time in county jail."

"What about his family?"

"I don't know, I don't much care, I mean, whatever happens now, will be between them and God. Besides, I have more pressing matters to attend to," she said rubbing her stomach. "Speaking of pressing, I can't help but wonder if I'm going to have baby withdraw after I have him or her. You know I prayed that you would come for this, that you would be here with me. I almost can't believe that you're actually here."

"I'm really glad that you actually wanted me here. Not too many people would want an Angel of Death to be present for the birth of their child," he smiled weakly.

Olivia smiled. "I know the baby will be OK. Besides, if he kicks like that, then chances are; I have nothing worry about, because he'll probably be a soccer player or something when he grows up. Then I can retire and sit by a pool, eating guacamole salad and drinking margaritas in Cancun."

Andrew laughed. "You think it will be a boy?"

"Yeah, for some weird reason, I do," she smiled weakly. "Then he'll carry the name of the two kindest people I've ever known in my life."

"That's an honor to me," Andrew said softly.

"As your friendship has honored me," she smiled as he stood up; she slowly managed to get to her feet as well.

Andrew's Flashback End

"Then she died?" Brendan whispered as he stared down at his lap, "because of me."

"No, because the Father called her home," Andrew said softly.

"Why did God take both of my parents away from me?"

Andrew reached over and touched the shoulder of the boy. "God didn't take your parents away from you, free will took your father, and…"

"…Me being born took my mother," Brendan interrupted, his words emerging barely above a whisper. "If it weren't for me, she would still be alive."

Andrew shook his head as he looked at the young boy, his eyes filled with sadness. "No, Brendan, that's where you're wrong. Olivia's paternal grandmother passed on the susceptibility to a certain form of cancer. If you had not been born, Olivia would have died within a matter of only a few years."

"What's going to happen to me, now?" The boy asked.

Andrew smiled gently, but began to speak. "You're going to grow up, keep living, and let your mother and father's memories live on in you. Life is not easy, you have challenges, struggles, and pain, but you also have joy, which is an indescribable feeling of harmony, and that doesn't solely emanate through birth families. Sometimes, it shines through adopted families as well. You remember Patrick, don't you?"

"Yeah," Brendan whispered. "He was my friend."

"Yes, I know, and he was taken in by Christina and Jeremy when he needed someone to be there for him. They did what they could for him to make his last days on Earth special. Christina and Jeremy have continued this bond of love with Denise and Dawn, but also with you. Christina's parents are the gift that you need to guide and help you. I know that it's hard, but you will not ever be alone, Brendan, God isn't going to take everyone you love away, He will be there to pick you up if you let Him."

"I don't know how."

"Yes, you do, you are just doubting your own uniqueness because of all the damaging thoughts you have had about yourself during the last few years," Andrew said, but he looked into the eyes of the boy, his hand coming to rest on his shoulder. "I know how hard it is for you to convince yourself that you belong here, but you don't have to, just believe that you do belong. You will always belong, Brendan, and you will always have friends and family who love you."

The boy sat for a few moments and contemplated the kind words of the angel. Eventually, he looked down at the ground as he reached for a small flower and pulled it from the earth. "My mom thought I was going to be something really special, didn't she?"

"Yes, she did, and she still does," Andrew said gently.

"I don't feel all that special, I feel like I'm a disappointment," Brendan said softly as the tears welled up from beneath his eyes and began to stream down over his cheeks.

"You are special, Brendan," Andrew said gently as he wound his arm around the young boy and pulling him into his embrace.

For a few moments, Brendan tried to pull himself out of the embrace, but when he couldn't, he eventually collapsed in Andrew's arms, his face meshed against the angel's upper arm. "I don't know if I even deserve to have lived." Sniffing he could feel the hand of the angel stroking the back of his head, somehow Andrew's response was bringing the emotions of the youth to a head.

"Shhh, just let it out, you've been holding these feelings in for so many years, your pain is so evident, but you're selfless, Brendan, just like your mother was," Andrew said gently as he rocked the boy in his arms.

"I'm not," came the muffled voice, and Andrew shook his head as he took Brendan's face in his hands and made him look into his compassionate green eyes.

"How many people would suppress this pain to protect the ones they love?" Andrew asked. "You have not spoken to Daniel or Donna about your birth mother because you knew that it would hurt them. Not because they didn't want to talk about her, but because you knew that their pain is very real. You took it upon yourself to make the choice to hide the pain away, and that is selfless. However, now you need to find the courage to ask your questions, and not be afraid of what they will say or do. They love you, and God wants you to know the truth, but that means, not just talking to me about it, but also talking to those around you who knew Olivia, and who were touched by her presence in their lives."

"You mean like Christina and Jeremy?" Brendan asked.

"Yes, but Laura also knew her, as well," the answer emerged gentle. "Lindsey, Christina's best friend knew her, as well as Bryan and Rachel. There are a number of people here who knew Olivia, and now you have a chance to learn more from those who knew her. You've been angry for a long time because you have questions, but Brendan, reacting in anger is not going to change you, but asking your questions might."

He nodded as he felt the tears still streaming down his cheeks. "I'm scared."

"I know, but now that you know the truth, and you have no reason to be afraid of it," As Andrew spoke, Brendan suddenly realized that the two of them were once more in the park and he started to wonder how long they had even been there.

"We're back?"

"Mm-hum, do you feel any better?" Andrew asked.

"I'm confused."

"It's a lot of truth for you to take all at once, but I'm here now, and if you still want to talk to me, I'll do what I can to help, just don't be afraid of me, Brendan," Andrew said softly. "I do want to be your friend, if you will let me."

"An angel actually wants to be friends with me?" Brendan asked.

Andrew nodded. "Mm-hum, angels need friends too."

Brendan nodded as their hug loosened and he smiled up at his new friend.

*****

Christina was not happy even after thirty minutes talking with Katie, the little girl had gotten so scared of telling her anything that she had literally clammed up. "What do you want to talk about?" She asked the little girl for what felt like the fiftieth time since they had come into her office. She was close to giving up, but taking a deep breath, she looked at Katie. "Listen, I know what your mom said before she left, but Katie, we're not going to get anywhere if you keep giving me the silent treatment."

Katie shook her head, her eyes filled with fear, and Christina, instead of remaining seated on the opposite side of the room, got up and went over and sat down next to the little girl. "You want to hear a story?" She asked as soon as she had sat down on the neighboring chair.

Katie nodded numbly not knowing what to say or to expect.

"It's a bout a little girl and an angel," Christina said softly.

"I've heard it," Katie whispered.

"Do you want to hear it again?" Christina asked, her voice gentle, and she wrapped her arm around the little girl's frail shoulders.

When Katie eventually nodded, Christina smiled as she stood up and went over to a bookshelf and pulled a notebook down and came back over to where Katie sat, all the while opening it to the first page.

* * *

It was a long time ago, when I was just a little girl, I had wanted to go trick or treating for Halloween, and I had gone to meet my classmates. They saw my costume and laughed at me, and I left them, and found myself running as fast as I could through the park.

As I made my way, I stumbled and fell, the gravel from the ground penetrating my skin and causing my knees to bleed, but it wasn't so much that my knees hurt, but that my spirit was in so much pain.

It was then that a man approached me and he offered his hand to me. When I looked up and could see his eyes, I realized that not only was he tall, attractive, and that he had kind, compassionate eyes, but, like me, he was also very sad. Sad because he didn't like Halloween, he found the holiday to be gross and morbid.

He had been seated on a bench nearby when he saw me falling to the ground, my clothing getting dirty from the mud that was caked on it as a result of the autumn rain.

I was seven years old and I was unhappy because the other children had made fun of me, and they had hurt my feelings. As I sat on the ground and looked around the area, I could see the stars twinkling overhead, and I made a wish. That wish I never told anyone, but since that night, has come true.

It was a wish for a friend, someone who would catch me if I fell, who would hold me when I'm sad, and who had the power show me the sunlight on the darkest and rainiest day. He stood before me, and offered me his hand. I looked up from where I was on the ground, and could see love in his eyes; love for me, a lost child, uncertain, but at the same time, filled with so much hope.

We sat for awhile, him and I, he told me his name, and that he was an angel and that God exists, and that He loves all of his children. He loves you, and He loves me. He has a heart that so abundantly full of love that if you know Him, you will never be lost or alone, because He would always be there to guide you through, sometimes sending an angel with that message of hope.

It got later in the evening, and I discovered that through this angel, I found the answer to my greatest wish, and that was to find a friend. A seven-year-old girl, searching and eventually discovering the key to everything lostis love. God is love, and that love will remain in your life, so long as you never forget that it and He exists.

* * *

As she finished reading her story, instead of leaving an impact on the child, Christina had tears streaming from beneath her eyes. "It's true," she said softly. "Katie, angels do exist, but not the images that you see when you go to the community center, but they are everywhere." The little girl looked at her with wide eyes, but she continued to speak.

"Sometimes people tell us things that we should do, what we should think and how we should feel, but I won't do that to you, I won't tell you what is normal or what is right, I will just tell you that if you believe in something, then no one should tell you that you should stop."

Katie nodded, but still no words emerged.

"Gloria, I don't know what else to say," Christina whispered under her breath when she realized that the brunette angel was still in the office and she had listened to Christina's story in apt interest.

As the angel came over to where Katie sat, she smiled down at the little girl. "Hello Katie."

"My angel," Katie smiled broadly when she saw Gloria.

"Yes, and as your angel, you need to tell us what you feel right now, OK?" Gloria smiled at the two of them.

"You see her?" She asked, the question directed at Christina.

"Yes, I do, her name is Gloria," Christina said.

"Yeah, but nobody believes me," Katie said softly.

"We know," Gloria said softly, "but what would you say if I told you that your mother has an angel of her own, and she is not one to take 'no' for an answer?"

Katie smiled weakly and nodded as the door opened and Jennifer came in. "Katie, you should wait outside," she said and the little girl slowly got up off the sofa and left the office, Gloria followed her.

"What's all this?" Jennifer asked as Christina began to stack the papers that were scattered on the table in her office.

"Just some stuff," Christina offered as she retrieved the materials from off the table and stuffed them into the filing cabinet before turning back around to see that Jennifer was regarding her crossly.

"Stuff?" Jennifer asked, her word cross.

"What do you want, Mrs. Peterson?" Christina asked.

"Nothing much baby, she just wants to tell you how to do your job, isn't that right, Jennifer?" Tess' voice emerged and the angel walked into the office.

Christina could feel her anger starting to get the better of her, but she held back saying anything to Tess. After what had happened a week ago, the last thing she wanted or needed was to have Tess come down on her for a second time.

"Excuse me?" Jennifer snapped.

"Well, baby, while you're telling Christina how to do her job maybe you should tell her that you confronted and slapped her daughter over at the center less than an hour ago," Tess responded, her voice edgy.

"What?" Christina turned and looked at Jennifer with her hands on her hips. "Who gave you the right to slap my daughter?"

Jennifer looked at Tess, her eyes shooting fire. "Get out of here, this is between this quack and me."

"I am not a quack, Mrs. Peterson, I am a person worthy of respect," Christina said angrily. "But, I want to know what gave you the right to slap my daughter?"

"She told Josephine…"

"…Let me guess, she told her that angels exist, that God exists, and that she's tired of her mother telling her how she is supposed to think or to feel. I have sat here in this office for an hour trying like the devil to get Katie to talk to me," Christina shook her head. "I went over to my files and pulled out this story, and in the story, I told her about believing in something even when you can't see it. I told her that it was not a sign of weakness to believe that angels exist. The weakness lies in people trying to explain, that which cannot be explained. The weakness is when a little girl is too scared to speak her mind because she's afraid of what her mother is going to say or do." Christina took a deep breath as she continued speaking. "I have three daughters, Mrs. Peterson, and I couldn't be prouder of them for being the people they are. Do you know what will happen when your daughters grow up?"

"I think I have had enough of this," Jennifer snapped. "I didn't come here for a lecture."

"No, you came here with the intention of giving one," Tess mumbled under her breath.

"I said get out," Jennifer said angrily as she looked at Tess. "Who do you think you are?"

"She's a friend," Christina said softly. "She's someone who you should listen to and she's much better at this than I am. Please excuse me…" With that she started to walk towards the door.

"Wait, baby, don't go," Tess reached out and touched her shoulder, thus causing her to stop and turn around. When the angel saw the devastation on Christina's face, she went over to the woman and wrapped her in a comforting embrace held her tightly in her arms. "Baby, I'm sorry I hurt you, and we will talk about this and resolve everything a little later."

Christina nodded and tried to wipe the tears from her face as the embrace loosened and she tried to get control of her emotions before she turned around and faced the other woman. "You know, one thing I have learned is that everyone makes mistakes, but teaching your children to only see one side, and to not listen to their inner voice is a terrible mistake for a mother to make."

Jennifer opened her mouth to speak, but after a second, she abruptly closed it, but that did not matter because Christina continued to speak, her voice filled with sadness.

"About two weeks ago, I got hit in the head and suffered amnesia. I couldn't remember anything, my name, whether I was married or if I had children. The doctor told me that I would have to start over and strangely enough, my best friend got it too, and he and I spent time together trying to find out who we are, and why we are even here. Can you imagine waking up one day and not even knowing the name of your husband or that you have children who need you?" As she spoke, the tears continued to stream from beneath her eyes.

"What does that have to do with me?" Jennifer asked.

"Just listen, baby, you'll catch on," Tess said giving the other woman the look that clearly said that she should pipe down and just listen.

"Three days after I came home from the hospital, I was sitting in the living room in my home and my friend Andrew came in. We were talking for a while and trying to remember. Well, after some time had passed, we kissed. I knew that it was wrong, something inside of me said 'don't do this, Christina, it's not right', but I ignored it because I thought if I didn't remember who I was that whatever happened would not have mattered, but it did. It all mattered, because it changed everything." Christina tried without much success to wipe the persistent tears from beneath her eyes. "My husband Jeremy doesn't know yet, and I have to tell him, because I won't be able to live with myself without telling the truth."

"This kind of thing happens everyday," Jennifer said.

"Yes, people ignore that still small voice inside, and Tess, you were right, I should have listened," Christina whispered. "The point is, a lot of people say that that voice inside is our conscience, or God, or an internal whisper, but it's always right, and no matter what happens, and if I die tomorrow, I will remember that that voice inside should always be heeded."

Jennifer looked at Tess. "I think everyone here is crazy," she said as she exited the room. On the other side of the door stood Phil, and Christina looked up at him, her face still streaked with tears.

"Would you please go talk to her, Phil?" Tess asked. "There is something here that I need to tend to."

The angel of reconciliation nodded and the two angels exchanged assignments and he followed Jennifer down the hall leaving Tess and Christina alone.

"I know what you're going to say," Christina said softly.

"Oh really?" Tess looked at her an unasked question looming.

"I screwed up, and He's mad at me," Christina said softly.

"No, God is really proud of you, baby, and I am too," Tess said smiling gently at her.

"But you were right, Tess," Christina said softly. "My stupid wayward feelings ruined everything."

"No, your feelings may save a family," Tess said gently. "You know, sometimes even angels make mistakes, and I did, I shouldn't have gotten angry with you. I know that you love Andrew, and I love that Angel Boy myself, and maybe I was a little bit envious of that closeness you and he share, but Christina, you really do need to let go of the guilt. You had amnesia, honey, and that's a pretty devastating thing for someone to have. When you don't know who you are, you will grasp at every possible straw that exists as you try to remember things that you can't physically do," Tess smiled gently at her.

"No, that's not it, it's just that…that, I'm sorry, Tess," she began to cry softly, and when she felt Tess' arms once again holding her, she buried her face against the shoulder of the angel holding her.

"You have no reason to be sorry, baby, I'm the one who should apologize to you, and I am very sorry for what I put you through, and that I didn't come back to see how you were doing." Tess smiled gently at her as she continued speaking. "Now, I want you to stop blaming yourself for a moment…well now that I think about it, it would do you more good if you just stopped blaming yourself entirely."

Hearing this, Christina allowed herself to giggle softly as Tess continued. "I want you to look at people like Jennifer Peterson and realize that they may not have amnesia, but they might as well because they walk around in that state of mind because it is just as close to it as you're going to get. I don't like coming in here and tattling on Jennifer about what has happened with Laura, but what she did was not right, and she's going to have to deal with that."

"Where is Laura, Tess?" Christina asked.

"She's at the center," Tess said softly.

"Is there someone with her?"

Tess nodded but she did not elaborate, instead she continued to hold Christina in her arms. "You've got a lot of support, you know, and so does she."

"I know, thank you," Christina whispered.

*****

Back at the community center, Laura had come out of the bathroom to see that Tess was now gone and Monica was deep in conversation with Jo on the other side of the large open hall. Taking a deep breath she walked slowly through the large open room in the direction of the exit. She was completely at a loss about what had just happened. She knew that her words to Jennifer had been wrong, but she also couldn't help it, because it is always hard to not respond to angry people in anger. Right now, all that she knew was that she had to get out of there, but what she would do once she had gone outside remained a mystery to her.

She could feel the tears streaming from beneath her eyes, but nothing seemed to matter because she had truly tried to help her friend, it all had blown up in her face.

She sat down on one of the plush seats near the front entrance, the tears streaming down over her cheeks. She reached up and touched the side of her face, the skin still tingling slightly because of the slap. She bowed her head for a moment and when someone spoke her name, she looked up, her tears blurring her vision.

"Laura?" Adam had appeared and was now standing in front of her.

"Hi, Adam," she said softly, her voice filled with sadness, but instead of saying anything about what had happened, she glanced around the room, all the while trying to somehow divert the focus. "Have you seen Sebastian?"

"He went home, he had some things to take care of for the wedding," Adam replied smiling gently at her, but when he noticed that she was not looking at him, he tried to get the topic back where it belonged. "Laura, is something wrong?"

"It's nothing," she said as she looked away, but he reached over and touched her face, his hand gently forcing her to look up and into his eyes. When she felt the pressure against the skin where she had been hit, her eyes filled with tears and she tried to divert her gaze, so that she would not be looking him in the eye.

Adam rubbed a gentle hand against her face, his touch gentle. "Laura, please tell me what happened."

"Why? You wouldn't talk to me a week ago, yet something was wrong and I knew it. Adam, you ran away from me like a scared rabbit. Now you want to be my best friend again." She looked down at her lap all the while shaking her head sadly. "I wanted to talk to you days ago, but you didn't want to talk to me. Now, you do, and I'm so confused."

The Angel of Death stuffed his hands in his pocket and then after a few moments, he looked sorrowfully at her. "Laura, I couldn't tell you because I wasn't supposed to, but you are my friend, so please talk to me. Tell me what happened and who it was that hit you?"

Laura nodded and after a few moments had passed, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper, and it seemed as though she was ashamed of these events. "It was Jo's mother," Laura said softly as she looked down at her feet, the shame enveloping her. "She said that she would see to it that I would get fired only because I was trying to be Jo's friend."

"And she hit you because of that?" Adam looked into the eyes of his friend and it was obvious that he had a hard time understanding why this had transpired. He put his arm around the young woman's shoulder and drew her into his embrace. "Tell me what happened."

Laura looked into he gray eyes of her friend all the while shaking her head. "I guess I was hoping that things would get better now that Andrew had his memory back, but that was nothing but a crop of wishful thinking. Now, my job may be hanging in the balance."

"What do you mean?" Adam asked.

"Mrs. Peterson said that she wanted to talk to my boss and try to get my employment here terminated," Laura whispered.

"What for? For being a friend to a teenager who desperately needed one?" Adam shook his head. "Laura, that's totally absurd," he reached for her hand when he held it; he started pulling her gently to her feet. "Come on, let's go talk to your boss, right now, and then if Jennifer Peterson does happen to come back to file a complaint, then everyone will know your side of the story."

Laura nodded, the angel had a point, and when she saw the earnest look in his eyes, she knew that he really was her friend and that he wanted to help make things right for her. "Adam?"

"Mm-hmmm?"

"What happened last week?" Laura asked. "You weren't yourself, and I was so worried about you."

"You didn't have to be," Adam said softly.

"I know, but I was, and when you have a friendship that has lasted so many years, then you tend to want to be there for your friend. I was starting to doubt if I was even capable of being your friend," she whispered.

"You are," he said gently. "Laura, you're a very special friend of mine, but even those who share a deep friendship don't tell the other everything. Just trust me when I can't tell you everything, OK?"

"I'll try, but it's hard, you looked so…"

"…I think the words you used were 'death warmed over'," he said slyly, his gray eyes twinkling.

"No, Sebastian said that, but it was true," Laura laughed softly when she heard his words.

The angel smiled and nodded, but he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. "Laura, I want you to know that you are really a special friend to me, and I promise you this, if there ever comes a day that I am sad about something and can tell you about it, then I will."

The young woman nodded and she smiled up at him shyly. "OK, let's go get this over with."

Adam nodded as he led her towards the administrative offices.

*****

The nearby park was practically empty when Jennifer and Katie arrived some three hours after leaving Christina's office. The little girl went off to play on the swings and she sat down on a bench and watched her daughter as she played. Jennifer was angry and this anger was about to rub off on her children. She remembered the conversation she had had with Jo.

I had nothing but the best intentions in mind with the girls, she thought bitterly to herself, her mind constantly drifting as someone came over and sat down on the bench next to her. After a few moments, she looked up to see a man had come over to where she was seated and lowered himself on the bench.

"Good afternoon," he said, his cheerful voice breaking into her disturbing thoughts.

Instead of speaking, she offered him a curt nod as her attention diverted back to the activities of her daughter on the swings.

"It's really a beautiful day, don't you think?" The man asked, and Jennifer glanced over and could see him a little bit better. He had dark skin, graying hair and his dark eyes were filled with gentility.

In fact, something in this man's disposition tended to melt away the woman's resolve to distance herself from him. "I guess," she muttered.

"Well, that's a start," he said smiling.

"If you don't mind, I'd rather be alone," she began to speak, her voice unconvincing.

The man shook his head. "You don't sound like you want to be alone at all," he said as his eyes followed her gaze. "What a precious child," he smiled as he watched Katie playing, her jovial laughter literally filling the park.

"That's my daughter," Jennifer said.

"She's a beautiful child, and a gift from the Father of us all," the man said all the while smiling, after a few moments he introduced himself. "My name is Phil."

Jennifer nodded but stared down at the ground. "'Father of us all'," she mused. "You know that sounds like something my grandfather used to say."

"Sounds like a very wise man."

"He was, I thought he was the smartest man in the world, then he died about twenty years ago," Jennifer said sadly all the while shaking her head. "He was one of those religious types, you know, he could read the Bible and quote passages in the same manner a musician learns the words to a new song. Everyone thought that he was just a nutty old man, but I…"

"…You loved him," Phil finished for her.

"Yeah, I did, my grandfather would always smell of Old Spice and cigars," Jennifer smiled weakly. "It was just the air around him that made people relax, and find some kind of solace. Nobody else in the family had this relaxed and fun-loving air that he did."

"What happened after he died?" The man asked.

"I went off to college, delved myself into the logic of politics and history," Jennifer said, but shrugged her shoulders. "I quit after two years. I heard that politicians and historians never got along, and after that experience, I believed it."

"Logic is sometimes measured in a person's faith," Phil offered.

"Faith? Well, you're talking to the wrong person, because I lost my faith a long time ago," Jennifer said softly.

"Why?"

"A lot of things," she said. "What is this anyway, twenty questions?"

"No, Jennifer, I tend to call this a 'revelation'," Phil looked at her.

"Wait a minute, I didn't even tell you my name, how could you possibly know who I am?" she asked but before she could wait for him to provide her an answer, she quickly got to her feet, her eyes now widening and she scanned the park looking for Katie. When she didn't see her daughter, she looked at Phil.

The angel was now on his feet and he was looking at her, the serenity in his entire stance evident as he rubbed his hands together before he began to speak. "Jennifer Peterson, I know who you are because God has been watching over you."

"I don't believe in God…" she began, but her words trailed off.

"God believes in you, and He does send angels to people to remind them of His presence in their lives," Phil said gently as he began to glow, the light of God's love encompassing him.

Jennifer rubbed her eyes, but when she tried to refocus on him, she could not deny that he was still glowing and without thinking, she backed away from him. "W-what's happening?"

"The truth," Phil said softly. "You see, you allowed the passing of your grandfather to be the basis of your doubt and disbelief in the Father. Your grandfather was an example of what faith can do to a person; it can fill them up and give them something to sing about. You made reference to a musician learning a new song, but did you think that in all of this that the love of the Father is what gives that musician the motivation to sing? God loves you, Jennifer, and it breaks His heart to see you lose your faith."

"He took my grandfather, and now, He wants to take my daughter away from me too…" Jennifer spoke, her voice filled with the extent of her sadness.

Phil shook his head. "Your grandfather was very ill, Jennifer, and he needed to rest in the arms of his Creator. He didn't die because he wanted to hurt you, he died because it was time for him to go Home."

"Home?"

"Heaven, this is your spiritual home too, Jennifer, and maybe I'm not the right angel to explain all of this to you, but I can tell you that the human perception of death is not as it truly is. You stopped believing in God and heaven, but the truth is, when human life ceases, there is light on the other side, and that is the peace that God wants you to find. That is the peace you need to realize so that you can accept what has happened."

"But, I can't, my daughter is dying…" her voice trailed off and she felt Phil's arms wrapping around her.

"Your daughter may have a terminal illness, Jennifer, but Josephine needs the same faith your grandfather had so that she can live without fear of what tomorrow is going to bring. Think about this, if you instill faith and hope in the heart of your children, the lives they have on this Earth will be happier and more joyous than anything that they can begin to perceive. You cannot dictate your life onto them, you have to give them the freedom to find what it is they believe."

Jennifer thought about what he had said, and she remembered the endless words of her younger daughter. "Whenever Katie mentions angels, I think my world is crumbling around me, she says that she can see them and hear them, but every time she mentions them, I think about the fact that her older sister is sick."

"Mom?" A voice emerged and she looked over to see that Jo was coming across the park; Monica was standing behind her with her hands on the handles of her wheelchair and was pushing it towards them.

"Josephine," Jennifer said softly, her words getting caught in her throat.

"Hi," Jo said softly and when she looked at Phil, she could see that he was still glowing, and instead of speaking further to him, she turned around and looked at Monica. "Is this a friend of yours?"

Monica smiled and nodded. "Yes, Jo, this is Phil."

"You're an angel too?" Jennifer asked looking at Monica.

"You have been surrounded by angels, Jennifer. God could see that your family was starting to crumble, so he sent each of you an angel, and right now, Katie is also with her angel and she's safe," Monica said softly.

"I guess I made a mess of things, huh?" Jennifer said softly after a few minutes passed.

Jo shook her head. "I don't think so, Mom, you just wanted to try and make things logical because that's how you are, but it's just that Katie and I aren't like that. We need more. I need more. I don't know how much time I have left, but I do know that I would rather make the most of that time and not worry about what's going to happen to me when I die. I'm still scared, but Andrew said that he would be with me."

"Andrew?" Jennifer looked at Phil.

"He's an Angel of Death, but he's also my friend," Jo said softly.

Jennifer took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. "I don't know what is keeping me from running out into the streets like a crazy person."

Phil reached over and rested his hand on Jennifer's shoulder. "You're not crazy, Jennifer, but you did need to reconcile with God and you needed to know that no matter what happens, the Father will not leave you to face anything alone. He will always be there for you, and all you have to do is reach out to Him."

The woman nodded numbly, as Phil, Monica, and Jo left her alone to resolve everything for herself.

As soon as she was alone, she sank to her knees and glanced skyward. "God?" As she spoke, she could feel the tears catching in her eyes. "Father, are you there?" When the silence literally engulfed her, she continued. "II don't know what I'm supposed to say. I have been so scared, these past few years have been a nightmare for me." She wiped her face with her hands, now she was unable to continue, the words were simply not coming, the tears just streaming from beneath her eyes.

A few seconds after she began her prayer, she could feel that someone had returned to her side, their presence being defined by the small gust of wind that encompassed her briefly. "Father…" she whispered under her breath, but when she was unable to continue, she shook her head and glanced up and could see that a man she had never met before was now seated beside her, his eyes closed as though in prayer.

"Do I know you?" She whispered.

"I was with your grandfather when he died, Jennifer," the man said. "My name is Andrew."

"Josephine's friend, but t-that's not possible," she began to speak but the words somehow got caught in her throat.

"It's true, though," Andrew said gently. "Phil told you the truth about what happens when someone dies, and you really have nothing to be afraid of. Your children are starting to realize that, but now you need to as well."

"But, I am afraid," she whispered all the while shaking her head despondently.

"I know," he said gently as he took her hand. "The words fail you, but God knows what is in your heart, He knows that you're afraid, and that you don't know what you will do without Jo's presence in your life, but Jennifer, if Jo knows that she has time, which she does, then you, she, and Katie can use this knowledge to make the very best of that time," he smiled gently at her, but reached over and brushed the tears from beneath her eyes. When she didn't look up, he spoke, his voice soft "Look at me, Jennifer."

When her tearstained gaze met his, she could see that he carried so much love in his eyes and when he continued to speak, the wisdom seemed to emanate in the words he spoke. "God does love you, Jennifer, and He loves your children and your grandfather very, very much. As Phil told you, your pain is something the Father knows too, but He can only help to ease that pain if you let him."

"I don't know what to say to Him, it's been so long," Jennifer's voice was cracking as she spoke, her eyes closing in shame and she was unable to meet the gentle gaze of the angel.

"Tell Him what is in your heart, I'll help you, come on," Andrew kneeled down next to where she was on the ground, his hand holding tightly to her own. "Father, here we are, your child Jennifer, and your angel, Andrew. We are here today to ask you to help Jennifer find the peace that she needs in her life. Help her please to feel your love and understanding emanating her heart."

As Andrew prayed, Jennifer could feel the tears streaming from beneath her eyes.

"We know that you are helping her to find change in her life right now and we thank you for your love and mercy," Andrew finished speaking and when he squeezed her hand, she knew that it was time for her to speak.

"How do I do this?" She asked; her voice filled with uncertainty.

"Just talk to Him as you would a friend," Andrew said softly. "There is no wrong way to talk to God, Jennifer. You don't have to be a public speaker, all you have to be is you."

She nodded as she began to speak, her voice cracking. "M-my grandfather taught me as a little girl that you would always be there for me, no matter what and I know that I was the one that walked away from you, and I'm sorry. I just didn't know what I was supposed to do after he died," she took a deep breath as she tried to continue. "Less than a year after the funeral, I had gotten pregnant. I was a teenager and then I went and had an abortion, and when my family found out, they went and told everyone in town about it, they said that I was beyond your love. I guess it was easier to say that you didn't exist than it was to say that you were there and were out of reach. It's weird, but I was so scared that you would hate me as much as I hated myself."

Andrew squeezed her hand once again, thus urging her to continue.

"I met my husband after leaving town," Jennifer said softly. "When he found out about my past, he just up and left me, and I had two daughters to bring up all by myself. It was then that I realized how the only thing I could do was to face things logically and not with any emotions. I was afraid that if I started crying, that I wouldn't be able to stop, so I thought that I had to distance myself from you because I was so scared." As her words faded, she collapsed onto the ground, the tears continuing to fall, her agony showing as she tried to grasp clumps of earth and beat it against the ground.

Eventually, Andrew wrapped her comfortingly in his arms and pulled her off the ground and into a comforting embrace, his hand gently stroking her hair. "You know, that God isn't judging you, Jennifer, He loves you."

"It's so hard to believe," she whimpered.

"I know, but it's true, and all this heartache that you have lived with has been burdening you since your grandfather died, hasn't it?" Andrew whispered gently, but watched as she nodded numbly. He reached over and touched the side of her face as he continued to speak "Jennifer, God won't ever leave you, and He won't stop caring for you because human beings did. He will always forgive and love His children, because that is what the Father does best."

Jennifer nodded numbly, her words simply not coming. "I'm not beyond hope?"

Andrew smiled gently and shook his head. "No, you're worth all the hope and all the strength that there is," he brushed the tears from beneath her eyes. "Just don't be afraid, you're not alone, and you won't ever be alone."

"T-thank you," she whispered, but instead of moving away from him, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face against his chest, her tears now falling freely.

As he held her, he glanced skyward and nodded. He knew now that there was one more thing he would need to resolve before they would celebrate Laura and Sebastian's union.

*****

Three days before the wedding, Christina unlocked the front door of her and Jeremy's house. She came inside and closed the door behind her only to see that Jeremy was sitting on the sofa, a number of papers in front of him on the coffee table.

"Jeremy?" She spoke his name and he turned around to see her standing in the living room.

"You're home early, what's up?"

"Katie came by the office today to say good-bye, her mother has taken her out of therapy and Peter sent me home, something about planning a wedding and getting things ready, but there's something I have to tell you and I'm scared to," Christina said softly.

"I know about what happened when you had amnesia, Andrew came by the station a couple of days ago and we went and had cappuccinos together."

"He told you?"

"You should have been the one that told me," Jeremy said softly, but instead of getting angry, he came over and wrapped her in his arms. "He told me that you were afraid to tell me because you felt ashamed about what had happened, but he said that Jennifer Peterson had reminded him that facing the past was important."

Christina looked at her husband. "Will you forgive me?"

"What's there to forgive?" Jeremy began. "You had amnesia, Christina, you didn't have all your senses about yourself. I mean; how could I hold something like that over your head. But, tell me this, how did it feel to kiss him?"

"It was weird, and after I remembered, I realized that the only person I ever wanted to kiss was you," Christina could feel the tears in her eyes. "I mean; Andrew is one of my best friends, but I could never love him in the way I love you."

"I know that now, sweetheart," Jeremy said softly as Andrew appeared in the room and he looked at the angel with a smirk on his face. "Still not using the door, huh Andrew?"

Christina looked up and when she saw that the angel was now present, she blushed slightly. "Andrew, why did you tell him? I thought it was my responsibility."

Andrew shook his head as he extended his hands to both of them. "Let's sit, there are a few things we need to discuss."

She nodded and took one of his hands, and she watched as Jeremy took the other, and the three of them sat down.

Andrew cleared his throat and he looked at the two of them. "First of all, Jeremy, please, forgive me."

"Andrew, you know that I trust you and I know you and Christina would not have done what you did in a normal circumstance, so even though it's hard for me to say so, I really see no reason for either of you to ask me for forgiveness," Jeremy said softly.

The angel looked at his longtime friend, he could see that her face was streaked with tears, but her eyes met his. "Christina, what happened a few weeks ago, is something that you and I will have to rectify for ourselves. But, I can tell you this, I have no regrets about what had transpired, except when I think about how that has affected Jeremy."

She could feel the tears blurring her vision and she looked at him. "Me too."

Andrew looked at the two of them. "Your family is very special to me, and the fact that you did so much to help me remember who I am, showed me in a very profound way, just how blessed I am to know you."

Jeremy looked at the two of them, his eyes glinting mischievously. "I know that I can trust you both, and Andrew, you'd better behave yourself at the wedding, I'd hate to have to sick Tess on you."

Christina began to laugh out loud and she looked at Andrew. "You were right, you know."

"Was I?" Andrew smiled.

"Yes, you told me I wouldn't have to choose, I can keep you both in my life." As she spoke, Laura came into the house.

"Hey Mom, Dad, Andrew, I'd hate to bust up this little reunion, but I really do need some help with the decorations, and Adam cut out ten minutes ago, something about Hawaii and a bikini contest."

"Ohhh, sounds positively delightful," Jeremy quipped and Laura started to laugh.

"Dad, that's not funny," but when she saw both of her parents laughing, she looked at Andrew. "Will you help me, those two are about as useful as a rubber pencil?"

The angel chuckled, "let's get busy, Laura."

The two of them left the living room together as Christina and Jeremy settled themselves on the sofa.

"They're all cuddly again," Laura smiled. "Andrew, are you going to tell me what happened when you and my mom had amnesia?"

As they came outside, Andrew was blushing, but he looked at Laura. "Your mother and I, uh…" His voice trailed off and she nodded, somewhere in his lack of words, she knew what had happened.

"You kissed her…I get it now, that's why Adam was acting like death warmed over, he probably saw you," Laura grinned as Andrew cringed. "Look, we're on the level, right?"

Andrew nodded.

"You had amnesia, right? I mean this wasn't some 'Mr. Romeo act' that you were playing, I mean; you were both scared," Laura smiled impishly at him. "Besides, I envy her, I would have traded places with her in a heartbeat 'cause you're really cute when you blush like that."

The angel looked at her, his shock showing. "You're not being serious, Laura, are you?"

"Maybe just a little," she smiled weakly. "Would you kiss me?" Andrew backed away as Laura pointed to her cheek. "Don't panic, I meant right here."

He smiled as he leaned over and kissed her on the spot that she had indicated. "You're terrible," he said slyly once he drew away.

"Am I? At least I learned something from my dad, and that is how to lighten the mood up a little," Laura smiled as she looked at him. "Andrew, no matter what happens, you won't forget that you're my best friend in the world, will you?"

Andrew smiled. "I won't forget, Laura. I don't think even amnesia will take away the memories of how special your family is to me."

She smiled as they both crawled into her car. Once they drove out of the driveway, they headed in the direction of the community center. "I have to pick up some of the decorations for the reception hall as well as the church, some of the kids in Sebastian's classes have been working on them for us," she said.

"Did you ever talk to Jennifer Peterson?" Andrew asked.

"No, and if you want to know the truth, I don't want to," Laura said, her expression darkening. "I know I should forgive her, Andrew, but, she hit me…"

"I know, Adam told me that he talked to you about it," he said as she reached over to turn on the radio and instead of allowing her to do so, he reached over and took her hand in his. "Pull to the side of the road."

Laura nodded and did as he said.

Once she had parked the car, she looked at him. "I know you want me to work things out with her, but it's hard, I mean, she threatened me and then she talked down at me. I had only talked to Jo. I wasn't trying to dictate to her what she should feel."

"I know," Andrew said. "But, remember when you found the strength to forgive Lolita? She had hurt you far more than Jennifer ever did, and you were younger too. Will you trust me this time? I know that it is hard, but I talked to Jennifer a few days ago and she's trying to make a change."

Laura nodded. "Andrew, every time something has happened to me and I've been hurt, you've always come back and helped me. Why?"

"Because I'm your friend. Listen, I know that God wants you to try and forgiveness with Jennifer. If you do, then you will be able to maintain a friendship with Jo, and right now, Jo needs her friends. She's discovering what it is she believes and the acceptance of her friends is going to help with that."

Laura smiled weakly. "Then everything is going to be OK, Sebastian and I are going to get married in three days and everything is going to be OK:"

"I can't guarantee OK, but I can tell you that you won't ever be alone no matter what happens," Andrew said gently.

Laura restarted the car. "I'll keep that as your word."

Andrew smiled. "You do that."

*****

The community center was full when they arrived and Andrew got out of the car and walked with her towards the door. Laura smiled as they went inside.

What she did not expect was for Jennifer Peterson to come over to both of them. "Laura, can we talk?" The question emerged and the young woman cast a brief glance towards the angel before looking back over at the woman.

"I guess," she said softly.

"I'll leave you two alone," Andrew said gently, his eyes scanning the room and when they came to rest on Jo, he smiled reassuringly at them. "There's still something I have to do."

They both nodded and watched as he walked away.

"Is he a friend of yours?" Jennifer asked.

"Yes, he is," Laura said softly, but after a few minutes, she looked at the woman. "Mrs. Peterson, what is this about?"

Jennifer sat down, her shoulders were slumped and Laura eventually followed suit, the two of them sitting in silence until Jennifer finally spoke. "Twenty years ago, back when I was a kid, my grandfather used to teach me about God."

"What does this have to do with me?" Laura asked softly as Jennifer's voice trailed off.

"My grandfather was a good man, he would walk around with a Bible in one hand, and a notebook in the other. He would write down quotations and other sayings. He told us kids to remember things about faith and charity. After he died, I forgot what it felt like to pray or to believe in something. It was like that part of me died with him."

"That's why you told Jo and Katie that there is no God, or angels?" Laura asked and once Jennifer nodded, she continued. "You were very angry about this."

"Yes, I know, but the truth is I didn't want to believe because I thought God would be disappointed in me. You see, Laura, I'm not a very good mother, I tried to instill my ways of thinking into my daughters. You were a threat to me simply because you are someone who keeps her faith regardless of what had happened, and you tried to help Josephine do the same."

"I wasn't trying to hurt you, Mrs. Peterson, I was just trying to be a friend," Laura said softly.

"I know, but I saw you as a threat to me because somehow you were persuading them to believe in something they cannot always see. I was scared to see any possibility of a God who is loving and unconditional. I thought it was better if they had no belief than to believe in this perception I had about a God who was angry and judgmental."

"What happened that made you change your mind?" Laura asked, but she watched as Jennifer's gaze followed Andrew's movements from across the room.

"Your friends came to talk to me. There's so much I didn't know or understand, but Phil, Monica, and Andrew helped me to understand," Jennifer looked over at Laura, her eyes filling with tears. "Would you forgive me for what I did to you?"

Laura nodded. "Yes."

Jennifer smiled weakly. "I didn't complain to your boss, I guess after I talked to Andrew I couldn't. He's very special, isn't he?"

"He's my best friend, and he helped me a lot when I was little," Laura said softly. "I guess I will always care for him."

"He's an angel," Jennifer said softly.

"Yes, he is," Laura smiled. "He really is."

Jennifer continued to watch as Jo and Andrew spoke to one another. "What do you suppose he's telling her?"

Laura shook her head. "I haven't the foggiest, but I would guess that he's telling her the same things he told you."

Jennifer nodded and smiled. "What's it like having angels hanging around?"

"Comforting," Laura said smiling. "It's comforting and helpful, sort of makes a difference when I least expected it."

Jennifer closed her eyes, as a single tear streamed from beneath the lid. "It's hard to believe that God loves us so much that He would send us angels. My grandfather said that angels were all around us, and the past few days, I've started to really believe it."

*****

On the other side of the room, Andrew had approached where Jo sat in her wheelchair, his eyes shining brightly as he came over to her and sat down next to her, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder. "Jo?" He spoke her name as he rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I just wanted to see you again and see how you're doing."

"Hi Andrew," the young girl smiled up at him. "My mom told me that she talked to you. I just wanted to say thank you. She finally started talking to me." As she spoke, she could feel the tears beginning to stream from beneath her eyes. "I…" her voice trailed off and she tried to wipe the moisture from beneath her eyes.

"I'm glad, did you mother tell you about what happened to her, about her past?" Andrew asked gently.

"Yeah, and I guess it's no wonder she was so angry, I think I would be too," Jo said softly, but after a few moments she looked at Andrew. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Yes, you know you can."

"When you come back to visit Laura, will you come see me too?" Jo asked. "I mean, it sounds silly, but I don't care what kind of angel you are, Andrew, I just want to see you."

"That's really sweet, Jo," he said, "but we have this afternoon, and you're going to help with the decorations for Laura and Sebastian's wedding, right?"

She smiled and looked up at him. "OK, Andrew, that sounds really great to me."

Andrew stood up and they went towards the art room where a number of kids were hard at work on decorations. Andrew parked her in front of some construction paper and she was smiling when he sat down next to her. "So what kind of decorations do you think we should be making for Laura and Sebastian?"

"I don't know, wedding things, bells, doves, rings, and stuff. I never thought about it, between you and me the thought of getting married makes my skin crawl," her voice trailed and she looked at him. "Andrew, do you think I'll live to be old enough to get married?"

"I don't know, Jo, but I do know that love will come to you," he smiled gently at her, as he squeezed her shoulder.

"You ever pose as a lawyer? Because your argument is convincing," Jo said softly.

"I was a judge once," Andrew said smiling as the girl looked at him.

"A judge, in a black robe and a gavel?"

"Yes, angels sometimes take the role of different jobs, once I was an auctioneer, and another time I was a policeman, and then mechanic, artist," Andrew smiled.

"Have you ever been a doctor?" Jo asked.

"Yes, a few times, but I don't like taking blood," he smiled impishly at her. "I tend to cringe when I see a needle."

"Really?"

"Mm-hum," he smiled at her.

Jo looked down at the construction paper on the table. "I remember sometimes being afraid whenever I would be in for treatment. I hate it when the needles hurt." She looked at him. "Sometimes I wish that you were my doctor, instead of Simms, he doesn't talk to me, he gives me shots and stuff but doesn't tell me anything, instead he only talks to my mom about what is wrong with me."

"I have a feeling that those things are going to change now. I think your mother knows that it is important to inform you of what has been happening, and she will."

Jo nodded. "Thanks to you."

"Well, not really, thanks go to the one who sent me," Andrew said and looked at her, his eyes filled with sincerity. "Don't forget, Jo, God is who is worthy of your thanks, not me, I'm just here because He sent me to be here."

"I know that, but I'm really glad He did, Andrew," Jo said smiling.

He responded by leaning over to her and wrapping her in his arms. "You know something?" She shook her head. "I'm glad He did too."

"I guess we should cool it with the sappy stuff and get to work," Jo said as she smiled at him.

He nodded and the two of the started working on the decorations.

*****

Across town, Brendan stood nervously in the living room of his home. He had wanted to talk to his adopted parents about what he had talked with Andrew about in the park, but he was now at a point of wondering if he would be able to do so.

He realized that during the last weeks, the tension between himself and his adopted parents had built and now he knew it was time for him to tell them how he felt instead of getting angry. He just hoped that he would be able to without being scared.

"Daniel, Donna, can we talk?" He asked weakly when he saw the two of them sitting on the sofa, Daniel was reading a magazine and Donna was working a crossword puzzle. When they heard him, they both cast their things aside and looked at him.

"You know you can, Brendan," Donna said softly.

"You know that I was at the community center a few days ago, and I ran into Andrew there, or actually he found me at the park nearby," Brendan said softly.

"What is it you want to tell us, Brendan?" Daniel asked gently.

"Andrew told me that he's an angel, and…" his voice trailed and he looked at them.

"He told you, then?" Donna asked softly, her voice filled with uncertainty, but she rested a gentle hand on her adopted son's shoulder.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Brendan asked softly. "Everybody in the family knew that there were angels around, but nobody told me. I felt like an outsider."

"You're not, son," Daniel said. "We didn't see much of the angels after you were born, most of the time they have been around Christina and Jeremy, we don't really know why it worked out that way, and we never really questioned it, we just accepted it. But, Donna and I both realized over the course of the last few weeks that it was important for us to tell you the truth. We have known Andrew since Christina was ten years old."

Daniel's Flashback

“Mommy, Daddy,” Christina whispered, her voice soft.

“How did you sleep?” Daniel asked his daughter.

“Good, Andrew was here with me,” she said softly.

Donna looked into the gentle eyes of the angel. “I don’t know what to say,” she finally whispered. “I don’t understand how it is that you have latched onto our daughter.”

“But he didn’t, Mommy,” Christina looked at her mother.

“What are we supposed to think? A strange man hanging around a little girl?” Daniel asked bitterly. “Who are you, Mister and what do you want with our child?”

Andrew sighed deeply, he could sense the undertones in what Christina’s parents were accusing him of and it horrified him. Before he could even offer an answer, Christina looked at her parents and she answered the questions in her own innocent way.

“He’s an angel, and he’s my friend,” she began to cry, her voice emerging in gasping breaths. “You don’t believe in angels and you don’t believe in God, but I do. Mommy, everything I told you was the truth, about Monica helping me get home, and then when I met Andrew on Halloween. B-but you thought I was making up stories.”

Donna was struck speechless, but she looked at her daughter as she continued.

“The angels are all kind and loving and they really care for me, and they care for Bryan and you too. There’s an angel in his room right now, and he’s been sitting there talking to Bryan and making him not feel so afraid of death or dying.” When she saw the looks of horror cross the faces of her parents, she looked down at the floor. “We don’t even know if Bryan will live or die, but the angels will take care of him no matter what happens.”

“Who told you all of this?” Daniel asked, his voice rising in intensity.

Christina sighed deeply and looked at Andrew sadly. “I’m sorry, I know I promised, but you care so much for me, and I can’t let my daddy say such mean things to you.” She could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks, and rather than staying in the chapel, she got up and ran through the door and out into the waiting room.

Andrew was left standing in the chapel and he was looking at Donna and Daniel who were at this point too shocked to even speak.

“Contrary to everything she has just said, do you believe that your daughter is hurting now?” Andrew whispered softly.

Daniel nodded, “maybe I reacted a little hasty, but this night, I don’t understand any of it.”

Andrew began to glow the white light surrounding his body, the warmth of God’s love filling the room. “Your daughter spoke nothing but the truth. She met me three year ago this coming Halloween and she cheered me up. I am an angel, an Angel of Death to be exact, and your child somehow made me see something positive about Halloween. She talked to me, shared her candy with me, and told me about her grandmother who liked the song ‘Verleih uns Frieden gnädiglich’. During this time, she told me about how Monica had helped her get home and about how she believed in God and angels even though you two did not.”

“Y-you really are an angel?” Donna asked, her eyes filling with tears, once she had heard him speak of her mother and the song that had always meant so much to her as a child. Seeing the light surrounding him begin to dissipate, she shook her head numbly. “I don’t know what to believe.”

“Just believe that God loves you, that your daughter speaks the truth, and that she is my friend,” Andrew said softly, smiled, and walked slowly outside of the chapel. Daniel and Donna were left standing inside.

Daniel's Flashback End

"You thought he was some kind of sick-o?" Brendan asked as Daniel finished telling him about when Andrew had revealed to him who he was.

Daniel nodded. "As ashamed as I am to admit it, yes. We weren't very trusting people Brendan, there were a lot of things that helped us to change, but one thing that was consistent was we always loved children."

"Andrew said you loved my mom," Brendan said softly.

"Yes, we did, your mother was like a ray of sunshine to us," Donna said smiling weakly. "We never talked about her because it was so hard to do so. You see, your mother was who named you; she wanted to have the names of your father, and Andrew. She wanted you to know that you were always loved and cared for. After your birth, Daniel and I adopted you as our son, and there were a lot of troubles, but we always knew that we get through it with God's help."

Brendan could feel the tears in his eyes. "I wanted to believe I was special."

"You are special," Daniel said gently. "I know that after Christina and Andrew got amnesia, we sort of ignored you or were angry with you, but we both thought you were angry with us about things that we couldn't change because we didn't know if they could be changed."

"I apologized to them," Brendan said softly.

"We know, Christina told us," Donna said smiling gently. "But, you really need to control your temper, Brendan. At least talk to us when something doesn't feel right. You have a lot of things going on, you're learning that angels are existing in your life, but you're also finding out the person that your mother was, and that's a lot for a young man to carry around."

Brendan nodded. "I didn't want to hurt you. It just seemed like every time we even mentioned my mom, you got upset." He looked at Daniel. "I didn't want to make you mad."

Daniel nodded. "I know, but I'm doing better, and it is getting easier to talk about Olivia."

"What now?" Brendan asked softly.

"Well, after the wedding, the three of us are going to go away and we're going to talk about all of these things. OK?" Donna suggested.

Brendan nodded as he looked at his adoptive parents. "OK, but I have one more question. How many angels are there hanging around here?"

Daniel smiled, "Tess, Monica, Gloria…"

"Christina mentioned a Sam, and Laura mentioned Phil, and then there's Adam…I guess that's all," Donna said, but she smiled gently at her adopted son.

"Don't forget Henry," Daniel said. "He was with Jeremy after the accident."

"An angel called Henry?" Brendan said with a smirk. "I don't believe it."

He looked at his adopted parents, down at a movie ad for the 'Beverly Hillbillies' film, the three of them dissolved into gales of laughter.

In one corner of the room, Adam watched with a smirk on his face. It would be wise to not mention this to Henry, he thought to himself, but he smiled at the three of them and realized that Brendan and his adoptive parents would be fine.

Seconds later, Sam appeared next to him. "Everything OK with them, Adam?"

The Angel of Death nodded and smiled. "Couldn't be better, Sam," he said smiling and the two of them disappeared once again as Daniel, Donna, and Brendan hugged.

*****

The morning of the wedding arrived and Laura crawled out of bed and looked around her room. This was the day that she would exchange vows with Sebastian, and she smiled as she went over to the closet where the wedding gown was hanging.

As she stared at the dress, someone knocked on the door and she went to open it. When she saw her mother standing on the other side, she smiled. "Hey."

"You know, it seems so long ago that your father and I got married," she smiled.

"Yeah, I was six," Laura said. "Do you remember that morning, I kept coming into your room wanting to see the dress?"

Christina smiled and nodded. "I don't think I will ever forget that."

Laura smiled weakly. "Now, I'm getting married."

"Yes, you are, and your wedding is going to be just as beautiful," Christina said softly as she came over and sat down on the bed. "You know that Dawn and Denise are really happy that you let them be co-maids of honor. They didn't want to be left out, and I guess in all of the things that have been happening, they probably thought they were a little out of the loop."

Laura nodded. "I know; I had so much on my mind. After everything got settled with Mrs. Peterson, I thought it would be nice to just relax a little, but planning a wedding; let's just say that there's no such thing as relaxing."

Christina laughed. "I know, I remember a few nights before your dad and I got married. I was exhausted, and you were just a bundle of energy. Andrew had come back and you were racing through the apartment shouting that praying worked and I was standing there wondering where on earth you got so much energy."

"It's strange to remember, but also nice," Laura said. "My favorite part was when Andrew would pick me up in his arms and swing me around. I would laugh so loud whenever he would do that."

"I would get a hernia if I did that today," Andrew's voice emerged and the two women turned to see him standing in the doorway.

Christina looked at her daughter and began to giggle despite her attempts not to. "Andrew, can an angel really get a hernia?"

"Mom, he did get amnesia, so I wouldn't put it past the Big Guy to give him a hernia too," Laura laughed despite the strange look that crossed the angel's face. "Oh come on, Andrew, you have to admit, this is a really funny idea, besides, I'm just kidding."

"Have you ever had a hernia, Laura?" Andrew asked.

"No," came the almost immediate answer.

"Then I would suggest that you drop the 'funny idea' part of this," Andrew said smiling at the two of them.

Laura nodded and looked at him. "I'm glad you're here. Is Monica, Tess and Gloria also here?"

Andrew nodded. "Adam is here too, he's been helping Sebastian get ready, so I'd better go downstairs and see about whether Monica has consumed all the coffee in the house, and you two need to get ready, and don't need me underfoot."

"That's for sure," Christina said slyly. "Seeing too much of the Angel of Death on one's wedding day may be a sign of bad luck."

Laura burst out laughing, but when she saw the pain cross Andrew's face, she went over and kissed him on the cheek. "We tease you because we love you, don't forget that."

Andrew nodded and left the room.

"Mom, what time were we supposed to be at the church?" Laura asked.

"Noon," she said. "The service starts at one. Don't worry, you'll have time."

As they spoke, someone else knocked and Laura turned around to see Renate standing in the doorway. "You came!" she squealed with delight when she saw her best friend standing three feet away.

Renate smiled and came into the room. "My parents are downstairs with Monica and Andrew, and a cappuccino machine, but I wanted to see you."

"I'm so glad you're here. When I didn't hear from you, I thought that maybe you weren't going to be able to come," Laura said.

"I know what you mean," Renate said as Christina excused herself and left the room. "Your dad and grandparents were trying to get everything done while your mom and Andrew had amnesia. He called Germany so many times, he could have used the money to pay off the national debt."

"I don't believe it, I was certain that he was so worried about the amnesia. I guess I was too. I thought that instead of Sebastian and I starting a life together, that my mom and Andrew would have to start over."

"It's strange how that happens, isn't it?" Renate asked, her voice soft as she regarded her friend. "Somehow, everything worked out as God intended."

Laura nodded as she embraced her friend. "After the last few weeks, I just wondered if it was even possible for things to get any more chaotic than they were."

Renate smiled, but when she turned back towards the door, she could see that Jeremy was standing there, the man carrying a look on his face that could have been comparable to the cat that ate the canary.

*****

The church was full when Laura, Christina, Renate, and the twins arrived. Jeremy was already there, and he was helping a very nervous Sebastian get some sort of control over his emotions. Donna had decorated the entire sanctuary with flowers, and the drawings of the kids from the community center had been placed on the large bulletin board located near the front of the church.

Laura stopped to look at the their work, and she smiled when she saw that Jo was inside the sanctuary with her mother and little sister. She smiled as she disappeared inside her dressing room. She rubbed her hands together as she tried without success at getting her emotions under some kind of control.

Jeremy came in as Christina was zipping up the back of her gown. "Laura, you look beautiful," he said as tears got caught in his eyes and he tried without success at wiping them away.

"Daddy if you get me crying, I'm going to have to ask them to pull Henry off of whatever case he's on to come for you," Laura said trying to sound indignant, but when they all laughed, she smiled all the while trying to keep the makeup from smearing beneath her eyes.

Jeremy smiled, but nodded obediently. "I guess I should go and see how Sebastian is doing, he was climbing the walls in his dressing room."

At that moment, someone tapped on the door and Jeremy went to open it. Standing on the other side was a gray-headed woman, with twinkling blue eyes and a shining smile.

Christina smiled at the woman, but she had no idea who it was, not until Laura turned around and covered her mouth with her hands. "Iris!" she squealed as she ran towards the woman and threw herself into the embrace of the woman. "Oh my God, you're here, I can't believe it."

Jeremy looked at his daughter and then at Christina, who carried a puzzled look on her face. "Excuse me, but who is this?"

"Mom, this is Iris Schumann, she's Sebastian's grandmother," Laura said smiling brightly. "How did you get here, Iris? I was certain that the trip from Lübeck would have been too long."

"Your father called me after you and Sebastian set the date, dear, and he said that it would have been a shame for Sebastian to get married without any sort of family present, so we arranged my trip," Iris said smiling. "Do you honestly think I would have missed this day?"

Laura shook her head as she laughed. "I thought Renate coming was a big surprise, but you being here is an even bigger one. Oh this is absolutely wonderful!"

Iris smiled and she looked up at Jeremy, "you will show me where to sit, please, these old legs aren't what they used to be."

"You can sit with my parents," Christina offered. "I'm sure they would be delighted to meet you, as am I."

"Thank you," Iris said as she left the room and Laura looked at her mother, her eyes now swimming in tears.

"You know Sebastian is going to be thrilled that she's here," Laura said softly. "He told me a few nights ago that he was kind of sad that none of his family was here, and now he will have someone here from his family. She shook her head as she reached out and hugged her mother. "Mom, I don't know what to say."

"I do, stop crying or you're going to exchange your vows with the markings of a raccoon," Christina said softly.

Laura nodded and turned around again, this time she saw Andrew standing in the doorway and she smiled broadly up at him. "So, do I look OK?" She asked when he said nothing.

The angel chuckled and nodded. "I was just remembering when your mother was getting ready to marry Jeremy, and how fast time seems to go."

"I'm glad you're here, Andrew," Laura said softly.

"Me too," he smiled and looked at Christina. "Are you OK?"

Christina smiled and nodded, "I'm fine, but I feel like I'm loosing my baby."

"No, you're not, you're always going to be Laura's mom, and you will always be together," Andrew said smiling before he continued, thus placing his hand over his heart. "In here."

Christina smiled and looked at her daughter. "Are you ready?"

"I think so, can I have a little time before I go out there?" Laura asked.

Christina smiled and nodded, and she left the room. Andrew turned to go, and Laura reached out for his hand. "Wait, I wanted to ask you to do something."

"What's that?"

"Remember when you said that Sebastian and I were meant to be?" Laura asked.

"I remember, it was in Paris," Andrew said as he took her hand.

"Andrew, you were right, and I know it now," Laura said. "But, there's something I have to do, I want to say thanks, but I want you to be with me when I do."

He smiled and nodded, and was surprised as she bunched up the skirt of her gown and got to her knees. He kneeled down beside her, his hand still holding hers as she spoke.

"Father, please be with us today, because even though your angels are here with Sebastian and me, I want you to know that I want you here too, and that I love you very much. I remember so many things now from when I was little and would have nightmares, but also growing up and having to learn to walk again, and all this time, you sent Andrew to be with me, help me, and I don't know how to thank you for all the gifts you have given to all of us," Laura could feel the tears in her eyes and as she finished speaking, she was trying to will herself not to cry. "Please, be with us today."

"He is," Andrew said softly as he helped her to her feet. Once she was standing, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and used it to wipe the tears from beneath her eyes. "That was really beautiful."

"I think I'm ready now," she smiled as she embraced him. "Andrew, I love you."

"I love you too, Laura," he said gently as he leaned over and kissed her forehead. "You're a beautiful bride."

She smiled and they went to the door. Once Andrew opened it, she could see her father waiting, and she went over and took his outstretched hand.

*****

As the music started, Jeremy led his daughter into the sanctuary and when she saw Sebastian standing at the front of the church, she smiled when her eyes met him, a flood of memories encased her as she remembered the first day she met him, that day in Berlin.

"We are gathered here today in the sight of God to unite this man and this woman in holy matrimony…" the preacher began, and Laura smiled. "This wedding, as requested by the bride will be somewhat different than the customary weddings, but she has always wanted to do things a little bit differently." He winked at Laura as she stood up and turned around to face the congregation.

"I never imagined that a trip to Europe would introduce me to the most profound love in the world. Many of you know that Sebastian and I met while my family had spent a few weeks in Germany and France. But, you don't know how we met, where we met, just that when I came home to say good-bye to my brother, Patrick, this wonderful man was at my side."

Laura's Flashback

Laura made her way outside and looked around. The sky was so blue and inviting, the warm summer sun was beating down on her as she walked slowly in the direction of a park. As she reached a clearing, she could see a canal at one end of a large open area. All around her, she could see people coming and going, walking through the large shopping district. She took a deep breath and walked towards where an artist was doing chalk drawings on the sidewalk.

She watched him for some time, his long blonde hair tied back with a rubber band, his hands periodically brushing it away from his eyes. She approached the artist's back and watched as he continued to work on his artwork, a small basket next to where he was working and she watched as people walked by and dropped silver colored coins inside it.

As soon as she reached the side of the drawing, she sat down on the ground and watched as the young artist continued to work, the hues of blues, whites and beiges bringing out pictures of angels as they flew from cloud to cloud.

Laura could feel the tears beginning to brim from beneath her eyes, but she wiped them away before they could fall down over her face. "This is beautiful."

The artist looked up. "Thank you."

"You speak English?"

The young man nodded. "Yes, many people here in this city do."

"You're very talented," she said softly as she reached down to touch the chalk drawing, but he had reached over and taken her hand in his, thus preventing her from touching the work.

"No, please don't touch it," he implored her. "It is my way of earning money, and if it is touched, then it will be ruined."

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't know that," Laura said.

"It's OK," he smiled at her as though he liked what he saw, and when his deep-set hazel eyes met her own, she returned the gesture.

"May I watch you draw?" She asked softly.

"It is rather boring," he said. "But, I kind of like having the company."

Laura smiled slightly, but her eyes were still filled with sadness as she watched him draw on the sidewalk.

After some time had passed, she looked up and could see three rough looking boys approaching where the artist was still hard at work on his drawing.

They began to shout at him, their German voices erupting the comforting stillness of the Berlin morning. Laura looked up and could see that they were confronting the young artist, and after some time had passed, they had pushed him and had started to crush the chalk he worked with. The artist glanced over and could see that Laura was still seated on the ground nearby, and instead of speaking to her, he waved her away and she realized that he was worried that she might somehow get entangled in this scuffle.

She nodded and stood up, this time running away from them. When she turned around, she could see that the artist was now alone, his work ruined, his head down, and she could feel the tears springing to her eyes as she looked down at the unrelenting red markings smeared across the angels he had so painstakingly drawn. As she stood there for a moment looking at him, she realized that she felt the exact same emotion of sadness enveloping her that he too must be feeling.

As she made her way slowly into the shopping center, she found herself still thinking about the young artist she had seen, and how heartbreaking it was to see that his work had been callously destroyed.

Making her way, she found an arts and crafts store, and bought a package of chalk and when she came out of the store, she made her way in the direction of where he had been sitting. When she reached it, she could still see that he was sitting on the ground looking down at his work. She came closer to him and offered a warm smile.

"Hi," she said softly causing him to look up at her.

"Are you OK?" He asked weakly. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"

"No, I'm fine, but what about you?"

He looked down at the basket that was placed by his artwork. "There's enough here for me to buy something to eat. Praise God for that."

"I found this for you just awhile ago," she said softly as she sat down on the ground next to him. "I thought it might help fix your work."

"I don't want charity," he said softly.

Laura nodded. "I know what you mean, I don't want people feeling sorry for me either. Maybe you can accept this as a gift, from an admirer of your work."

"What's your name?"

"Laura Lowery," she said softly.

"My name is Sebastian Jenson," he said and offered her his hand. "I thank you for your kindness, Laura."

She smiled weakly as she stood up and dusted herself off. "Do you always draw here?"

"Yes," he smiled weakly.

"Maybe I can come see you again sometime before I go home," she said softly.

"I think I would like that," he smiled weakly at her. Once she was gone, he looked down at the package of chalk she had given him.

Laura's Flashback End

"It was a beautiful moment," she concluded her statement. Later, we met at the same park, and became friends. It wasn't until later that I realized that I was in love, and I learned from my friends that love is the greatest treasure that God could give us. I am blessed today to be standing next to Sebastian and to be holding his hand.

As she finished speaking the congregation began to applaud as Jo wheeled herself to the front of the church as Tess began to play the introduction to a song on the piano that was situated to one side of the room.

Moon River

Wider than a mile

I'm crossing you in style

Someday

Oh dream maker

You heart breaker

Wherever you're going

I'm going your way

Two drifters

Off to see the world

There's such a lot of world

To see

We're after the same

Rainbow's end

Waiting 'round the bend

My huckleberry friend

Moon River and me.

Two drifters

Off to see the world

There's a lot of world

To see

We're after the same

Rainbow's end

Waiting 'round the bend

My huckleberry friend

Moon River and me

Moon river and me…and me.

As she finished, she smiled at Laura, and could see the look on the face of the bride that said, 'you never told me you could sing.'

Seeing this, Jo smiled impishly as she took the microphone and spoke as soon as the applause died down. "Sometimes, even the closest of friends don't know the hidden things that are hiding in a person's soul, but Laura and Sebastian tried to find out."

Once she was back in her place, the preacher stood up again. "I'm not going to give a long drawn out sermon about how special it is for two young people to love and cherish each other, because Laura and Sebastian already know this. Aside from that, they have requested that we make this day into a celebration with lots of music, and few words, except for the important ones, the two simple ones, 'I do'." With a smile, he returned to his seat as Sebastian stood up and turned around.

When he saw his grandmother, his smile broadened and he spoke. "Oma," he could feel the tears streaming down his cheeks as Iris stood up and went to her grandson.

Laura spoke, "Sebastian didn't know his grandmother would be here, and neither did I, but this a wonderful surprise for us both."

The congregation watched as Sebastian held tightly to his grandmother, the tears tumbling down his cheeks as she whispered to him. As their hug loosened, Sebastian wiped the last of the tears from his face as she back down and he went over to a canvas that was covered with a red velvet covering. "When I returned to Berlin from Paris, Laura was the only person I could think of. She found her way into my heart, and stayed. I had hurt her, not because she deserved to be hurt, but because I was scared."

Sebastian's Flashback

Sebastian Jensen was working on his newest piece of work outside of the national library when Adam came walking across the area and stopped and stared at the chalk drawing. "You can't forget her, no matter what you do," Adam said slyly. "You've got Laura Lowery on the brain."

Sebastian threw the chalk down on the cement and turned around. "What do you want?"

"Nothing, just to talk to you," Adam said softly. "Laura's family returned from Paris three days ago. Now, her family is on their way home, but her brother is dying, and this will happen very, very soon, Sebastian."

"So, what does that have to do with me?"

"Do you know what you are doing?" Adam asked as he sat down on the ground. "You're allowing fear, and selfish pride to depict your reaction to the rest of the world. You're afraid to love again because you think you might lose something in sharing that part of yourself."

"Shut up, just shut up and leave me alone!" Sebastian began to cry.

"You feel the truth in my words, do you not?" Adam asked. "Listen to your heart, Sebastian. You're drawing Laura's face on the sidewalk, that beautiful girl's picture is inspiring you, it's earning you money to buy dinner tonight, yet you refuse to actually look into her eyes and the pain emanating in her because it reflects your own." The angel looked down at the basket, the sun shimmering off the coins inside. "Once upon a time, you told Laura you loved her and said that you would never leave her to face things on her own. But, you listened to the words of her father, rather than the soft whispers of your own heart. You allowed your pride to dictate to you how you react to her, and essentially you validated Jeremy's concerns for his daughter." Adam looked at him. "You were meant to meet this beautiful girl, you were meant to learn from her, just as she learned from you. Can't you see it? Can't you look beyond the mistakes, and try to find the resolution for the actions that hurt another?"

As the young man began to pack up the chalk, he looked down at the work he had devoted most of the afternoon on. "Laura…what did I do?"

Adam looked into the eyes of the young man. "You reacted in fear rather than in love, now you have another chance, Sebastian, maybe this time you will make the right choice."

The young man looked up and could see that Laura and Andrew had come out of the nearby subway station and were walking towards them. Fifteen feet away, they stopped and Andrew urged her forward. She nodded, and started to walk towards them. As she reached where Sebastian was sitting, she got down on her knees, and beheld the drawing he had done.

"I-it's me?" She looked at him as he picked up the basket, dumped the coins into his pocket without saying a word to her. "But why?"

"I don't know," he said simply. "Maybe you inspired me."

"I did?" Laura looked at the picture and then back at him.

Sebastian's Flashback End

"You did, Laura, you inspired the best in me." He said and turned back to the tapestry that covered the canvas. He pulled it down, and the congregation could see the picture of Laura. Again applause erupted throughout the room and he returned to her side as the preacher came over.

"It is time for the two of you to exchange your vows. All of your guests are your witnesses, but who stands with the bride?"

"We do," a voice erupted in the back of the room and everyone turned to see Monica and Renate standing up and coming to the front of the sanctuary.

"And who will stand with the groom?" The preacher asked.

"We will," Adam and Andrew stood up and went to the front of the church and stood next to Sebastian.

The preacher pulled a piece of paper from inside the Bible he held in his hand. He unfolded the piece of paper and began to read the words printed on it.

Love so deep is God's gift to you,

A peace that will live in your hearts

As you journey through your new life together.

Friendship will bless and enrich you.

Honor and caring will be your declaration to one another.

This is precious, more precious than a poet's written word

Because it is your gift to each other,

It is a pledge to love and support the other

A vow to cherish each other and the marriage you share

A promise to love until life ends on Earth

And you join one another with the glory of God

And you journey to your heavenly home.

"If you vow this then please answer with 'I do'," the preacher concluded.

"I do," Laura said softly.

"I do," Sebastian confirmed.

Once Andrew had given Sebastian the ring to place on Laura's finger the young man did, but this time, instead of placing it on her left hand, he placed it on her right, thus following German custom. Laura took the ring from Renate and did the same, placing the ring on Sebastian's right ring finger.

Finally the final words of the ceremony emerged from the preacher. "With the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride."

As the couple shared a very passionate kiss in front of all those assembled, Tess began to play the piano again and Lindsey came to the front of the church, and cleared her throat before she spoke. "When Christina and Jeremy got married I sang this song, and today, I have decided that I have to come here and sing this for Laura and Sebastian."

How many ways can I thank you?

A beautiful life you gave me

The sunshine warmness on my face

For the love that guides my path

The love of your saving grace.

Lord, I want to thank you

For the time you give to me

And the love that will always be

You are the reason we're alive

The love that shines divine

And we walk with you today

We thank you in every way.

How many ways can I praise you?

A wonderful life is a gift

From the heights of heavenly grace

For the love that makes me see

The beauty that is in me

Lord I want to thank you

For the time you give to me

And the love that will always be

You are the reason we're alive

The love that shines divine

And we walk with you today

We thank you in every way.

Dear Father,

As we say our prayer

We hold you in our heart

Your blessings stay with us

As we vow to have and to hold

Until we reach our heavenly home

As she finished the song, the bells in the steeple began to chime and the wedding soon came to an end, all of the guests filed out of the church.

*****

The reception hall was the same one where Christina and Jeremy had celebrated their wedding, and upon their arrival, the guests entered the hall, the entire room decorated with balloons and paper doves and angels. Laura smiled as she beheld the place; it was exactly as she had hoped for, right down to the peach colored place decorations.

Soft music was wafting through the speakers, and when the five angels came into the room, Laura and Sebastian went over to them. "It's time for us to go," Tess said softly.

"Not yet, please. I mean, can't you stay until tonight?" Laura said softly.

"We're really sorry, Laura, but we have to go," Monica said softly and the bride looked up at them, her sadness indescribable.

"You know, I figured that after today you would have to go, I guess was just hoping that you would be able to stay for the reception," Laura said softly.

"I'm going to be staying," Andrew said softly, and he reached over and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I made a promise to you."

"That's true, he did," Tess said, and reached over and touched Laura's shoulder. "Thank you for helping us with the Peterson family. You and Christina really made a difference."

"I don't know how my mom feels about this, but I do know that I'm happy about what happened and was glad that I could make a difference," Laura said softly.

"You do that, Laura, everyday," Adam said smiling, but he glanced down at his pocket watch. "I gotta go, I have a 2:56 going down and it could go either way…" With that the Angel of Death disappeared and Laura grinned.

"He's back to himself, it seems," Sebastian said smiling coyly.

"Everyone is," Laura said and once Tess, Monica and Gloria had said good-bye, they too disappeared leaving Andrew and the two of them alone. "I think it's wonderful, my mom is OK, my dad is as big of a goofball as he always was, and Andrew's himself too. I couldn’t have asked for more."

"A gift, God's gift to you both, because He loves you both very much," Andrew said as they walked over to the table where the guests were to be sitting.

As he spoke the band began to play the music as the rest of the guests came into the hall and Laura and Sebastian left Andrew's side to go and welcome the rest of their guests.

After about a half an hour had passed, the party was in full swing.

Laura had taken a break from dancing and went over to take a sip of water. As she replaced the glass onto the table, she felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned around to see Andrew standing next to her.

"Is it time for you to go?"

"No, not yet, but Laura, I was just wondering if you would like to dance with me before I go?" He asked.

She nodded and smiled up at him. "I'd love to."

He put his arm around her shoulder and led her over to the dance floor. As the music started, Laura smiled up at the angel who held her. "I think history is repeating itself," she said softly. "Remember when we danced at my parents' wedding?"

"I remember, and you know what? It's really nice to remember," Andrew smiled down at her. "But, you also know that history will sometimes do that."

"Do you remember when I was little and you used to swing me around and around? I remember that I would laugh as though it was the greatest adventure in the world, that having you hold me and comfort me was the most special gift that I could have asked for."

Andrew smiled as the band started playing the song 'Butterfly Kisses' and she looked up at him and smiled, as they started moving across the floor together.

Three minutes later, when the song was over, Andrew hugged her tightly, gave her a kiss on the cheek, but when she opened her eyes, he was gone. In her hand was a card, and she opened it and looked down at it. Embossed on the front of the card was the word 'blessing', and when she opened the card, she could see that someone had drawn a family tree, and connected Laura and Sebastian's families. The names of their friends were somehow also connected, and all around it, was a heart. Underneath this were the words: 'A gift of the Father'.

Laura smiled and nodded as she remembered a similar card hanging in her parents' home, and she nodded. History had, indeed, repeated itself.

The end…

*****

Dear Reader:

I just want to thank you for reading my work and for continuing the support of my Christina stories. With this being story number 20, I am completely blown away by the fact that I have written over 1,000 pages of text on a single group of stories. I continue to write them because people continue to read them. This series has become one of my greatest accomplishments in fan writing and I am totally grateful to every one of you who has read it, and supported the continuation of the stories.

There will be more Christina stories; that much I can assure you, however this series is going to see an eventual conclusion when Andrew fulfills the promise he made to Christina in story number 3. Whether I continue with the stories after Christina's passing remains to be seen.

Regarding the specifics in this story, the original song 'How Many Ways' belongs to me and I ask that it not be printed elsewhere, and the song 'Moon River' is the property of said composers and artists and the use of lyrics is not meant to infringe on their copyrights.

Again, I truly appreciate your support and I hope to see you back for story 21.

Blessed be,

Yvette Jessen

August 27, 2002