A ‘Touched By an Angel’ story

By: Yvette Jessen

© 2001 not intended to infringe on any previously held copyrights.

Please Note: This story is the second 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’

*****

It had been almost three years since Christina had met the compassionate Angel of Death named Andrew on Halloween. Now she was ten years old and had not changed much since then, but she thought about Andrew almost every day. Especially now, it was so soon after the car accident that her 14 year old brother had gotten into. She remembered how Andrew had told her that he would take care of people if they get hurt or were dying and for some reason she couldn’t get this statement out of her mind. She hoped with her whole heart that her brother wasn’t dying, but she also realized that for her there existed so much truth in Andrew’s words, and this made her feel better about the entire situation, even if she knew she could not really speak openly with her mother and father about it.

Now, as she sat in the hospital, her head was down and she looked at the tiled floor. Her parents sat near her, their thoughts obviously centered on her brother, Bryan. She could not find the words to say anything to either of her parents now. They sat there as still as statues and would stare blankly through the room. The colors of the decorations might as well have been gray and the windows painted black, because they refused to see the stars shining outside, or the friendly yellow sunflowers adorning the table where the magazines sat. On one side, Christina could see a small doorway that went into a chapel and she wanted to get up and go inside. There she knew she could ask God to send her Andrew, and see if he would help her make heads or tails of this situation.

“Mommy, do you think we should ask God to help us?” Christina asked, her eyes constantly on the doorway leading into the chapel. Her voice was weak as she addressed her mother. “Maybe He would send us an angel.”

Donna Thomas looked at Christina, her eyes indicating the impatience she had with her daughter’s stories. “Christina, please, for the time being, cool it with the angels. The last thing I need to hear right now is more of your fantasies.”

“But, Mommy,” she objected.

“Enough, Chrissie,” snapped her father, Daniel, but when he saw that his youngest child was about to burst into tears, his voice softened. “I’m sorry, honey, it’s just that we’re worried.”

“I know, Daddy,” she whispered, but added silently, I’m scared too, but I won’t yell at you because of it. She looked back down at the tiled floor and sighed deeply, her eyes slowly filling with tears.

“Come on Donna,” Christina’s father consoled her mother. “Why don’t we go and see if the doctor has any news for us?” He reached for the hand of his wife and looked down at Christina as they were standing up to leave. “Now, we want you to wait right here for us, and we’ll be back in a little bit.”

“Can I go into the chapel?” Christina asked weakly, trying to brush the tears from her eyes.

Her father sighed deeply, but finally, he nodded and the two of them got up and left.

Christina could feel the tears beginning to stream down her cheeks as she watched her parents disappear. After a few moments of sitting alone in the waiting room, she stood up and walked slowly towards the doorway that led into the chapel. As she pushed on the door and walked in, she noticed that the room was dark and empty. She walked towards the front of the room and sat down in the first row. She could see a small cross situated in the front of the room, and she could see the figure of Christ there.

“Dear Jesus,” she said softly. “Why must I see you always suffering?” She looked up and continued to see the statue of a man on a cross. After a few moments, she shook her head and began to speak once again, this time her soft voice filtering through the room as she began to pray. “God, it’s me, Christina. I’m so scared; I don’t know what to do. I wish Andrew was here, I know he would help me not be so afraid. Would you please tell him that I’m scared and that I don’t know what to do? My mommy and daddy don’t believe in angels, but I do, and I think they need one right now. See, my brother, Bryan was in an accident today, and now he’s asleep and won’t wake up. Mommy and Daddy are really scared, they think he will die, and God; I’m so scared too, I wish you could help me.” She took a deep breath and the tears continued to stream down her cheeks.

“He will, Christina,” a voice was heard and she realized that she was no longer seated alone in the chapel. Someone had come inside and was now seated next to her. When she looked up, she immediately recognized whom it was who had come in; and despite her sadness, she smiled weakly.

“Andrew, I didn’t know if you would come or not,” she said weakly.

“I know, but God heard your prayer, and he sent me to be with you,” he said gently and sensing her need, he wrapped her in his arms and held her tightly in his embrace. She began to cry bitterly in his arms.

“I’m so scared, I don’t know what to do,” she sniffed and looked up at him, her face streaked with tears. “Is my brother going to die?” she asked sadly from the security of his embrace.

Andrew reached over and began to brush the tears from under her eyes, “I don’t know, Christina, but believe me, there’s someone with him, and he’s not alone.”

“An angel?” she asked weakly.

“Mm-hum,” he nodded. “His name is Adam, he’s a friend of mine, and no matter what happens, he will take care of Bryan.”

“Honest?” she asked sadly.

Andrew smiled. “Honest.”

“But, I thought you were only there for people who are dying?” She asked trying to rub the tears from her eyes. “Am I dying now?”

Andrew chuckled, “no, honey, you’re not, I’m just here because you’re my friend and you asked God to send me to help you.”

“You mean, when I prayed?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said.

“So if I ever need you, I just have to ask God to send you?” she asked innocently.

“Well, it’s not that easy,” he smiled down at her. “You’re in hard situation right now, and God figured that you could probably use a little extra help, that’s why He sent me.”

“And you won’t leave me?”

“No, I won’t, I’ll be here with you for as long as it takes,” he smiled gently at her.

“I’ve missed you,” she said softly hugging him.

“I know, I’ve missed you too, Christina,” he said.

“I wish you could tell me that everything’s going to be OK, and that my mommy and daddy won’t be sad anymore,” she said. “I tried to tell them that God’s angels would be there to help them, but they got mad at me and said that I was making up stories again.”

“I know, I saw everything,” he said gently. “I wouldn’t take their words to heart, though. Your mom and dad are very worried right now, and when someone is worried, it’s not always easy for them to see the truth or to deal with others. They see only their own fear, and not that of their children.”

“Because they’re sad?”

“Yes, but what they don’t know yet, is there are angels with them as we speak. But promise me, you won’t tell them,” Andrew said smiling. “We’re going to work together to help them see the truth.”

“Really?” She said her eyes wide. “I get to be like an angel too?”

Andrew smiled at her as he ruffled her hair. “You will, but remember, not a word to your mom and dad about our assignment. Agreed?”

Christina hugged her friend. “I promise I won’t say a word.”

“Good,” Andrew smiled. “Do you feel any better now?”

“I’m still a little scared,” she said honestly.

“I know, but Bryan’s in good hands,” he said gently. “You believe me, don’t you?”

“Uh-huh,” she said softly. “But, I’d feel better if I could meet your friend, Adam, then I’d know for sure.”

“Then why don’t we see about doing that then?” Andrew said gently. “Come on, I’ll take you upstairs to see both of them.”

“But, my mommy and daddy said that I should stay in the waiting room,” she said weakly.

Andrew nodded, “then we’ll wait together until your parents come back downstairs. Once they do, then we can see about going.”

Christina nodded and they left the chapel together.

*****

“Mr. and Mrs. Thomas? My name is Tess, and I’m one of the nurses monitoring your son’s condition,” the heavyset black woman greeted Christina’s parents as they stepped out if the elevator.

“How is he?” Daniel wanted to know.

“He’s still in a coma, but the doctor thinks you should go in to him and talk to him. Sometimes, when the patient sees how much their family loves them, they find the strength to come back,” Tess said gently.

“Are you implying that our son has lost his will to live?” Donna asked, her voice indicating that she was offended by what Tess had just said.

“No, Mrs. Thomas, I am not saying that at all. I simply said this because perhaps Bryan needs to get some direction so he can come back to you,” she said smiling warmly. “It’s the same idea as when you are on the freeway and take a false turn and end up lost in an unfamiliar area of town.”

“Listen, the last thing we need is advice on how to talk to our son,“ Daniel said, his voice filled with bitterness.

The two of them stalked away and Tess was left staring after them. “They really are going to be tough,” she muttered under her breath as Monica appeared beside her. “Well, Miss Wings, it’s about time you decided to show up.”

“Sorry, Tess,” Monica said and watched down the hallway as the couple disappeared. “Andrew’s with their daughter right?”

Tess nodded smiling. “Yes, that little girl is pretty special.”

“She’s not in any sort of trouble, is she?” Monica asked.

“No, Christina met Andrew three years ago this coming Halloween,” Tess explained. “When Christina prayed, she asked for help from Andrew, and so the Father sent him to her.”

“I seem to remember her,” Monica said brightly. “She got lost on her way home from school some years ago and I helped her find her way.”

Tess nodded. “That little girl may be the key to her parents discovering the truth.”

Monica nodded. “Isn’t that kind of a tall order for a child?”

“Perhaps, but when you consider that it’s this particular child, then maybe you are underestimating the impact she leaves with people. Look at the impact she left with Andrew,” Tess said.

“Yes, he actually went Trick or Treating with her and shared his candy with us,” Monica said smiling. “But, how will she help her parents? They don’t seem willing to even listen to her.”

“The Lord works in mysterious ways,” Tess said matter of factly.

*****

Christina and Andrew were still seated in the waiting room twenty minutes later when her parents came back down the hall. She turned back to face Andrew. “Will they be able to see you?” she asked, but her eyes widened when she recognized that his clothing had changed and that now he dressed in a pressed white shirt, gray trousers and a tie. Over this, he wore a white lab coat with a photo identification card was hanging down from the lapel.

“Yes, they will,” he said smiling.

“But, now you look like a doctor,” Christina said.

“Uh-huh, to them that’s what I am,” he said smiling as Donna and Daniel approached.

“Christina, what have you been up to?” her mother demanded when she saw Andrew seated next to her daughter.

“Nothing, Mommy, this is Andrew, he’s my friend,” she said.

“What have we told you about talking to strangers?” Daniel asked.

“But, Daddy, he’s not a stranger, he’s my friend,” Christina objected.

“Mr. and Mrs. Thomas, your daughter’s been worried about everything that’s happened, and we’ve been talking about it since you left,” Andrew said gently.

“We’re terribly sorry that she’s burdened you, Doctor,” Daniel said looking at Andrew apologetically. Christina sighed deeply and looked down at the floor.

“There’s no reason to be sorry, Mr. Thomas,” Andrew said gently. “I met your daughter in the chapel. She had been praying for you and your son. She’s very frightened right now, and I thought she could use a friend, so we’ve been talking for awhile.”

“That’s awfully nice of you,” Donna said. “I hope she didn’t keep you from anything important.”

“No, of course not, but she did ask if I could take her to see her brother,” Andrew said.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Daniel interjected and Donna nodded in concurrence with her husband.

“But, Daddy, I want to see Bryan,” Christina broke her silence.

“No ‘buts’, Christina,” Daniel said. “Now, you apologize to the doctor for wasting his time.”

“Mr. Thomas, she did not waste my time, and she does not owe me any sort of apology,” Andrew said kindly. He reached for Christina’s hand and squeezed it reassuringly. He stood up. “I’ll see you later, my little angel.”

Christina nodded and as he was about to leave, she spoke. “Andrew, please tell Bryan that I love him.”

“I’ll tell him,” he promised. “I know that will make a difference.” As he left, Christina looked shyly into the eyes of her parents.

“We want an explanation, Christina,” Donna said.

“I didn’t do anything wrong, Mommy. Andrew came and talked to me, because he heard me praying and asking God to help us,” Christina said. “He told me he’d stay with me until you and Daddy came back. It’s not my fault he stayed with me, it was his decision.”

Donna sighed deeply and rather than scold her daughter further, she conceded with a soft, “OK.”

“Daddy, how’s Bryan, did you get to see him yet?” Christina asked.

“Yes, Honey, we both did,” Daniel said softly. He didn’t add that he was at the point of giving up. Bryan was not on life support, but he often wished that he was, because then it would have been easier for them to just let go.

*****

At this moment, Andrew entered the room where Christina’s brother lay in a coma. He could see Adam seated by the bed and sighing deeply, he closed the door.

“How is he?” Andrew asked.

“Weak,” Adam said simply. “He and I’ve been talking about all of this, and he feels guilty for having gotten into the car. The boy who had been driving was drunk and walked away with only a scratch.”

Andrew nodded sadly and looked down at Bryan. Yet another victim of drunk driving, typical, he thought sighing deeply. “Your sister told me to tell you that she loves you, Bryan,” he said as he looked down at the boy as he slept.

When he received no response from the figure on the bed, Andrew looked at Adam. “Christina wanted to come here and meet you, but her parents…”

“Yes, I know,” Adam said simply. “They don’t believe in angels or God or anything. How is it that they can have a child like Christina who does?”

“Because, Monica helped her some years ago when she had gotten lost, and Christina never forgot that,” Andrew said.

“Yes, but this does not make it easier for Christina,” Adam said compassionately.

“No, it doesn’t,” Andrew agreed. “Her parents are of the mindset that she’s in the way, and that when I talked to them earlier, they wanted Christina to apologize to me for ‘wasting my time’.”

“It’s sad really,” Adam said but before they could continue, Bryan called out to Adam causing both angels to turn towards where he lay.

Yes, Bryan, Adam sat down near the bed and took Bryan’s limp hand in his. I’m here.

Christina was right about angels and God, wasn’t she? There really are things we don’t understand, Bryan’s thoughts continued.

Yes, she was, Adam said simply.

And I made fun of her about it,” Bryan replied. “I guess I’m not a very good older brother.

She’s not angry with you, Bryan, Andrew said softly. She understands, but she is also worried about you and your parents. She wants everything to be OK, just like it was before all of this.

Will it?

I’m afraid that will be up to you, Adam said.

Am I going to die?

We don’t know that answer yet, Adam said, but whatever happens, I’ll be here with you through it all. You’ve got to fight though. God will give you the strength you need, all you have to do is ask him for it.

What about you? His question was directed to Andrew.

I made your sister a promise, so I will be with her, Andrew paused before he continued to speak, his voice gentle. You’re in good hands, Bryan. Put your trust in God, and He will help you through all of this. Adam is here for you, any time you need him, he will answer you.

Tell Chrissie I’m sorry I hurt her, and that I love her, Bryan said as Andrew was about to leave the room.

“I’ll tell her,” Andrew said as he stepped outside of the room. Monica was coming down the hall, she was dressed in a nurse’s uniform, and her auburn hair tied back in a ponytail. She smiled warmly when she saw her friend standing near Bryan’s door.

“Tess told me the parents are doubtful that their son will ever wake up,” Monica said sadly. “How is it looking to you?”

“I don’t really know,” Andrew said sadly. “Adam said that Bryan feels guilty about what had happened. But, I have a feeling that the only way Donna and Daniel are going to see the truth, will be through their children.”

Monica nodded. “I guess I should go and have a talk with them. Where are you going?”

“I’m going back downstairs to see Christina,” he said. “I have a message for her from her brother.”

Monica squeezed his arm, “everything’s going to work out, isn’t it, Andrew?”

Andrew shrugged his shoulders and walked slowly towards the elevator. Monica followed him.

*****

It was turning into a long night for the Thomas family. Christina sat alone much of this time while her parents were in conference with the doctors who were on the case. She had not seen Andrew since he had left to go see Bryan and she was very sad that she was not being allowed to visit her brother. Now it was almost midnight, and she wished she could go to sleep; she was tired, lonely, and wanted her teddy bear. She could see that the room was still pretty full, even though the people would drift in and out throughout the night.

The seats in the waiting room were hard and uncomfortable, so after her parents came back, she told them that she was going to go back into the chapel because it was more comfortable there and quiet. What she didn’t tell them was that she wanted to find a quiet place to sleep. She had never stayed up as late as this, and she was really tired.

The interior of the chapel was quiet, but there were a couple of other people inside, and so she sat down in the back. She leaned against the back of the chair and rubbed her eyes sleepily.

“Long night?” one of the people who were seated in the front of the chapel turned around and asked her.

“Yes Ma’am,” Christina replied to the woman’s inquiry.

“What’s your name baby?” the kind woman asked. “My name is Tess.”

“Christina Thomas,” she said and yawned.

“You look tired,” Tess said gently. “Why don’t you try and get some rest here, it’s quiet, and I’m sure no one will bother you?”

“I was kinda wondering if it would be offensive if I did,” Christina said softly.

“Of course not. I’m sure God wants you to be well rested so that you can handle all the things weighing on your heart,” Tess said gently. “Have you prayed?”

“Yes, I did, and He answered my prayer,” Christina said softly.

The second woman seated in the chapel turned around, her bright brown eyes, and auburn hair was familiar to the little girl, but she did not recognize her until she spoke.

“Maybe you should take a nap, then.”

“Monica?” Christina asked remembering the angel that showed her back home about four years ago.

“Hello Christina, it’s nice to see you again,” Monica said gently as the little girl crawled off the chair and went to sit at the front of the room with the two angels.

“But, I don’t understand, what are you doing here?” she asked. “Did somebody else get lost?”

“No, baby,” Tess answered. “We’re the angels that are here for your parents.”

“But, they don’t believe in angels,” Christina said sadly.

“Well, perhaps with your help, we can change their minds,” Monica said.

Christina nodded, but her eyelids felt heavy and she tried to get comfortable on the seat so she could sleep. As she closed her eyes, Andrew appeared in the room and he looked at Tess and Monica questionably.

“She needs some rest,” Monica offered and Tess nodded.

“It’s a bit late for her to be up, but I think her parents are intent on staying the entire night,” Andrew said. “I saw them outside in the waiting room, and neither of them look very well. I told them they should go to the cafeteria and get something to eat, but they didn’t want to.”

“Well in that case, why don’t you stay with her, Andrew? Monica and I have some business to attend. Come on, Miss Wings,” Tess said and the two of them disappeared leaving Andrew alone with Christina in the chapel.

He sat down and looked down at her as she slept. He could see that she had been crying, because the area around her eyes was red. He leaned down and picked her up in his arms. Sitting down once again, he managed to rest her head against his shoulder. There, she slept peacefully in his arms.

*****

Tess and Monica came out of the chapel some moments later to see Daniel and Donna seated in the waiting room. Both of them had circles around their eyes, and looked incredibly worried about the state of their son.

“Mr. Thomas?” Tess approached them and Monica followed.

“Yes?” he looked up expecting to hear some news from them, but when Tess sat down next to them, Donna’s eyes widened as though expecting the worst.

“No, don’t worry, Mrs. Thomas, we just came to see how you two were doing, and to see if you wanted to talk about anything,” Tess said as she reached over and squeezed Donna’s shoulder reassuringly.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Donna said softly and after a few moments, she looked around the room to see if Christina had come out of the chapel.

“Don’t worry about Christina,” Monica began, “she’s with her friend and getting some rest.”

“Where is she?” Daniel asked.

“In the chapel,” Monica said.

“She’s asleep in the chapel?” Donna asked skeptically. She was about to stand up and go inside the small room to get her daughter, when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Wait, honey,” Tess said and the sternness in the angel’s voice made the woman stop instantly. “That child needs to sleep, and out here she won’t. She’ll sit here all night long, worrying about you and her brother. Our friend, Andrew is taking care of her, and he’s a very trustworthy person.”

“Andrew again?” Daniel asked. “You mean that doctor that was with her earlier tonight? I thought he was here to take care of patients. What is he doing hanging around our daughter? I mean, Christina would hardly be considered a patient.”

“We know, but Andrew’s a sort of counselor,” Monica offered. “Christina trusts him, and that is very important for a child to have someone she can trust to help her when she needs it the most.”

“But we help her,” Daniel objected.

“Not tonight, you haven’t,” Tess said sternly.

“What do you mean by that?” Donna asked.

“She means that your daughter feels alone, and she understands why you are worried, but she is also scared,” Monica offered.

“Getting upset at her for asking a question is hardly the best way to handle one’s worries,” Tess said.

“She was talking nonsense,” Donna said defensively. “We raised our children to look at life realistically.”

“Nonsense?” Monica asked skeptically, but at the same time Tess posed a question of her own.

“How does one look at death in your family?”

“We don’t,” Daniel said.

“Even though you may face this possibility?” Monica asked.

Donna shook her head. “Please go away.”

“I remember a day about four years ago,” Monica began. “I had seen some children on the street not far from where you live. I also saw a man, he was old and did not really have all his senses about him. He was walking quickly, a stick in his hand as he watched the children playing. Suddenly, I saw another child walking towards the group of kids, it was Christina, and she was on her way home from school. I didn’t initially take notice of her until I saw this man starting to yell at her. He raised his stick in the air with the intent of harming some of those children. Christina had the look in her eyes that I will never forget. He’s going to kill me, and I’ve done nothing wrong. She stood for a moment, her feet unable to move, her eyes wide with fear. Within seconds, she had started to run away, and I followed her fearing that she would get lost. When I finally did catch up with her, I introduced myself, telling her that I would never hurt her and that I am an angel, sent by God to help her get home.”

“You told her that?” Donna asked hardly able to comprehend the words Monica had said. “How could you tell her such fantasies?”

“I did not tell her a fantasy, I told her the truth,” Monica said simply.

“So you’re the reason why our daughter’s hung up on angels and wild stories,” Daniel said curtly. “Of course, she believed you. She’s a small child, and she’ll believe anything an adult would tell her.”

“Do you honestly believe that your daughter is so gullible that she will believe anything she is told?” Tess asked. “If that’s the case, then you underestimate her a great deal.”

Donna sighed deeply and covered her face with her hands. “I can’t think about this anymore.”

Daniel nodded and squeezed his wife’s hand. “I think when this is all over, we should arrange for Christina to see a psychologist,” and then added looking at Tess. “Maybe your friend should also see one.”

Monica was struck silent, but Tess took control and looked at the couple, trying to keep the calmness in her voice. She didn’t like it when people made such statements to her angel babies, but she realized too that the Thomas’s were extremely worried and probably reacting more out of their own fears than out of logic. “Right now, I think we should all go to the cafeteria and get something to eat. It will do Bryan very little good to have his parents weakened at the time, when he needs them to be their strongest.”

Before Daniel or Donna could object, Tess took Donna’s hand and helped her stand up. “Trust me, Mrs. Thomas, Christina is in good hands,” she paused. “Come on Angel Girl.”

The couple exchanged confused glances but followed Tess and Monica out of the waiting room.

*****

Christina awoke some time later and when she opened her eyes, she could see Andrew’s compassionate eyes looking down at her. “Hello,” he said gently once she opened her eyes.

“What happened?” she asked weakly.

“You slept, for at least two hours,” he said.

“I’m still tired,” she said softly.

“I know, that’s hardly adequate time for you to get a good night’s rest,” he said gently. “Do you feel any better?”

“I think so, but I guess my mommy and daddy are mad at me again, Andrew,” she said softly.

“Why do you say that?”

“Cause, after you left earlier, I thought my mom was going to yell at me. If not for Bryan, then she probably would have,” she looked at him sadly.

“I have a message for you from Bryan, maybe that will cheer you up a little,” Andrew said gently.

“Yeah, what is it?”

“He says he’s sorry he didn’t believe you, and that he loves you.”

“He must be so scared,” Christina said softly. “I mean if I were him, I’d be afraid too.”

“Would you really, even knowing that I would be there with you?” Andrew asked gently.

Christina looked up into the gentle eyes of her friend, and she could see a trace of sadness in them. She remembered this from when she had talked to him on Halloween. “You would be there for me if I was ever sick, or if no one could wake me up?”

“Mm-hum,” he nodded. “And God would be there, and He doesn’t want you to be afraid either. You are His child, Christina, and He loves you so very much.”

“But Andrew, I’m still scared, I know you would be there for me, but I’m frightened. What would I do?” The small girl cried as she buried her face against his shoulder. “I trust you with my whole heart, but I’m still scared.”

He wrapped her gently in his arms and held her tightly in his embrace. “It’s OK to be afraid, Christina,” he said softly and after her crying died down slightly, he spoke again. “Do you remember what I told you on Halloween?”

She raised her tear-stained face to look at him. “About it being a little bit like Christmas?”

He nodded. “You told me that you were nervous, but excited and happy. Well, everyone is when that time comes, but you’re not bad because you’re afraid, I would simply be there to help you overcome or deal with that fear, as well as be your friend.”

“And Adam is doing that for Bryan?”

“Yes he is, but he’s also told your brother that he should fight and to try to live, so he can come home to you and your parents,” Andrew said gently. “Whatever happens, Christina, you must know that Adam will stay with your brother and give him the support he needs, just as I am here with you, and Monica and Tess are with your parents.”

“I love you, Andrew,” Christina hugged him. “I thank God that He sent you to see me. I couldn’t get through this without you.”

He ruffled her hair and smiled, “I love you, too and we will get through this, you just keep the faith.”

Christina snuggled up against his shoulder once again and fell asleep. Andrew smiled down at her and closed his eyes, his arms still around her and holding her gently.

*****

The hours ticked slowly on, Christina slept through the night and when the doors to the chapel opened once more, Daniel and Donna were coming inside and were looking for their daughter.

“Christina, wake up, honey, your parents are here,” Andrew whispered softly in her ear hoping that she would wake up.

“She’s been in here the whole night?” Donna asked.

Andrew nodded as the child in his arms opened her eyes and looked up into the eyes of her parents.

“Mommy, Daddy,” she 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 raising 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.

On the floor in the waiting room, Andrew found Christina sitting and crying her eyes out as though her heart would surely break. He kneeled down beside her and ran his hand gently through her hair. “Hey my little angel, why so sad?”

Christina looked up from her place on the floor and he could see the tears streaming down her cheeks. “I ruined everything.”

“No, you didn’t,” Andrew said gently and he reached down and picked her up off the floor and sat down with her in his lap. Next, he wiped his hand gently across her face and brushed the tears away.

“But, I did, you asked me not to tell my parents that you’re an angel, and then I did,” she said softly looking down at her lap.

Andrew took her face in his hands and tipped her chin up so that she would be looking him in the eyes. “I know why you did, because you’re a true friend. You wouldn’t want someone to hurt someone you care about, would you?” Andrew asked gently.

“Yeah, but what about my mommy and daddy, will they be mad at me for saying all of this?” she asked sadly.

“No, I think they will eventually understand that you’re hurting inside too,” Andrew said softly. “They understand now that you did tell them the truth and maybe in time, they will learn to accept that angels and God do exist.”

Christina smiled weakly, but she could still feel the tears in her eyes. “You’re not mad at me?”

“Of course not,” Andrew smiled. “I’m very proud of you, and so is God.”

“But I’m just a little kid?”

“What difference does that make?” he asked his eyes twinkling. “God would be proud to call you His child even when you’re 80 years old.”

“Really?”

Andrew chuckled. “Really. Come with me, I want to show you something.”

“What?”

“It’s a surprise,” he said simply. Once she crawled off his lap and was on her feet, he stood up, reached down, and took her hand in his. Together they walked back over towards the door of the chapel and Andrew opened it slightly. Once he could see inside the small room, he gently nudged Christina towards it so she could look inside.

What she saw made her eyes fill with tears, both of her parents were seated inside and they were praying. She looked at Andrew, and shook her head in disbelief.

“What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything, Christina, you did. You made your parents realize that God loves them. Not an easy task, even for an angel,” he smiled down at her. “Come on, I’m going to take you to see your brother now, he needs you.”

*****

Ten minutes later, Christina and Andrew arrived at Bryan’s room. Adam was still seated inside and his eyes brightened when he saw the small child with Andrew. When she looked up and could see Adam seated by her brother, she smiled shyly.

“Hi Adam, I’m Christina,” she said softly as Andrew led her to the chair on the opposite side of the bed.

“Hello, Christina, I’m happy to see that you have come to see Bryan, he’s been asking about you.”

“Really?”

“Mm-hum,” came the gentle answer. “Why don’t you say something to him? He can hear you.”

Christina smiled, and instead of speaking, she got out of the chair and crawled into the bed next to her brother all the while trying not to disrupt the monitoring equipment that was hooked up to him. In the doorway, Tess and Monica stood, Donna and Daniel were also watching through the crack in the door. All of them waited for Christina to begin speaking to her brother.

“Wanna know a secret?” she whispered to her brother. “There are four angels in this room right now. And all of them want you to come home to Mommy, Daddy, and me. They love you as much as me, and I know they want to see us laughing and not crying. Bryan, we all love you, and no matter what happened, Mommy and Daddy won’t be mad at you. And God’s not mad at you either. God loves all of us, but I don’t think He’s ready for you to go to Heaven just yet.” She looked up at Adam and smiled weakly. When she got a nod from the angel, she continued. “I think your friend, Adam is very nice, and he’s almost as nice as Andrew.”

She could hear the others beginning to laugh and even Andrew blushed, but when she turned towards the door and saw the faces of her parents peering inside, she turned back towards her brother. “I don’t think Mommy and Daddy can see Adam, but I can, and I know that you’re in good hands.” She hugged her brother. “Please come home to us, and be my older brother. I’m not mad at you, I love you, Bryan, you’re the best brother in the world, and I won’t ever let you forget it.”

Exhausted, she laid her head against his chest and allowed the tears to escape from beneath her eyelids. Closing her eyes, she could feel a hand on her head. Someone was ruffling her hair and when she looked up, she thought for a moment that it was Andrew; but after a few moments, she realized that it wasn’t him, for he was standing on the other side of the room.

She could feel the tears brimming under her eyes, and she looked at her brother, he had raised his hand to run it through her hair, and his eyes were opening, and he was smiling at his little sister. At that moment, a doctor and two nurses came into the room and Christina was told that she would have to leave.

Andrew helped her down and they walked out of the room and out into the hallway. The little girl’s face was radiating her joy. “We did it!” she said happily grabbing Andrew’s hands and dancing through the hallway with him in tow. She looked at her parents, her smile innocent and filled with joy. “Bryan’s coming home.”

Donna and Daniel looked at Andrew, the respect evident in their eyes. “We don’t know how you did it, but thank you,” Donna said.

“It wasn’t me, Mrs. Thomas, it was Christina,” Andrew said gently and looked down at his young friend. “You did it, you were the one that woke your brother up. You were the one who gave him the courage to come back and face whatever life gives him. All I did was be there for you. You see Christina, the Angel of Death cannot interfere with what happens here; we can only be there and offer support to those who need it. But you, you have the power that I do not possess. You can change the reality of what happens here, and that’s what you did.” He smiled as he shook his head unable to believe what had transpired in Bryan’s room. The relief was clearly evident in his eyes.

Tess and Monica smiled at the parents of the small girl. “Your prayers were answered,” Tess began. “Now do you believe that God loves you both? He gave you the gift of this little girl, and it was her wish that came true and changed what could have happened here.”

Daniel could feel the tears in his eyes, “and here I thought this was all fantasy, and that Christina was just an imaginative child,” he looked at his daughter with respect in his eyes. “I’m glad you proved me wrong, Chrissie.”

Christina smiled, but this disappeared when she looked at Andrew. “I guess this is it, huh? I guess you’re leaving now to go help another little girl.”

Andrew smiled but nodded.

“Will I see you again?” she asked weakly, the tears beginning to stream down her cheeks.

Andrew got down on his knees and embraced the child. “You will see me again, Christina, but not for a long time. I want you to take care of yourself and always know that you made a really big difference here.”

“I love you,” she said softly and hugged him.

“I love you, too,” he smiled and once their hug ended, he stood up and walked over to Monica and Tess. Everyone could see that Christina genuinely moved Andrew, as they faded, he waved to her, all the while smiling.

Christina waved back at him, and when they had completely disappeared, she looked at her parents. “Did you see Adam?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t there,” Donna said smiling.

“Mommy, did you really pray?”

Donna could feel the tears in her eyes. “When your friend uh, illuminated the truth to us, we certainly did.”

“I’m glad,” Christina said. “It helped, huh?”

Daniel smiled. “Well, sweetheart, you should know the answer to that question. You asked Him to send us some help and He did.”

“Yeah, and it was our assignment,” she smiled boldly at her parents. “Andrew said that I could be like an angel too.”

“You are an angel, honey,” Daniel said softly feeling the tears in his eyes as he ruffled his daughter’s hair. “In more ways than you realize!”

The End

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