A 'Touched by an Angel' story

By: Yvette Jessen

Not intended to infringe on any previously held copyrights. This is an amateur story.

The Harrisburg, Michigan ice rink was filled to capacity. The city's annual figure skating competition was in full swing. Local sports reporters were mingling with the crowd waiting for the competition to begin. The skaters were separated by their genders for the final competition in the Novice division. 12-year-old Stephanie Zimmerman stood next to her mother, Teresa, and waited for the final four skaters in the group of 16 to be called. She was one of the favorites to win in the 'Ladies event', but after struggling in practice for the entire week with a triple toe loop, and touching the ice on it during the short program, she was now in second place behind a 13 year old named Patty Fischer.

Now was the time for her three-minute program. She had selected music from her favorite musical, My Fair Lady, and now it was the moment of truth. Her black and white skating outfit resembled the dress Audrey Hepburn wore in the movie, and it had a thin flowing skirt. She wore her blond hair in a tight bun and the make-up she wore made her look much older than she actually was. In five minutes the four skaters in the final group would take to the ice for their final warm-up.

Once the announcers voice was heard, the 100 or so people began to cheer. It was time for Stephanie to take her six-minute warm-up. She took off her jacket and handed it to her mother who followed her doggedly towards the ice.

She glided out onto the ice, and began to warm up. The three other girls were also there, and she wondered if they were thinking the same things she was. She was nervous, but not really about the competition, but about making a mistake which would send her mother into another tirade.

Ever since she was 5 and began to skate, one of her coaches made the mistake of telling her mother that if she worked hard enough, she could one day compete at the senior's level in a national competition. Now, she skated more for the satisfaction of her mother than for her own. She simply wanted to have friends and do the things other pre-teen girls did. This other girl, Patty Fischer, was the only friend she had, and her contact with the other girl was strictly monitored and controlled by her mother because two girls were supposed to be rivals.

Stephanie began to practice her footwork during the warm-up. She usually didn't do any triple jumps then, but waited until she would present her program to the judges. She used the time to get used to the feeling of the ice beneath her feet. Once upon a time, she had enjoyed the feeling of competing, but now she despised it, and didn't really care if she won or lost. All she cared about was giving a performance that wouldn't anger her mother.

Patty whizzed by Stephanie, "Good luck, Stephy," she called out.

Stephanie nodded and smiled, "You too, Patty." Here was a girl, who remained kind towards her regardless of the rivalry between them. It didn't even matter who the better skater was. Stephanie really envied Patty for other reasons, mainly because Patty had the freedom to be herself, and not be the molded ice princess that she felt like she had to be.

When Stephanie finally turned around, she saw her mother standing along the railing of the rink. She was scowling at her daughter, and Stephanie's brief smile disappeared. She sighed deeply as the announcer informed them that there would be only one minute left in the warm-up. When she looked back over towards her mother, she executed a perfect triple toe loop, which had been shaky all week in practice. This brought a small smile to her mother's face, but after a second, it disappeared.

The crowd cheered and Stephanie skated over to where her coach, Jake McCall was standing against the railing. He smiled assuredly at her, but what she noticed was about three feet behind her coach, there were three strangers leaning against the railing, and all of them were smiling at her. She blushed self-consciously and attempted to concentrate on the words of her coach, but her eyes again fell on the movements of those three people.

They must be important because the two ladies and one man were hanging around the 'kiss and cry' area. Not that that was anything major, she thought, the local rink had simply roped off a section near the concession stand for the skaters to sit as their marks were being read.

"What's wrong Stephy?" Jake was asking, his voice breaking into her thoughts.

She shook her head, "I don't know, I guess my mom's mad at me for speaking to Patty. But, Jake, she wished me luck, and I only returned the sentiment. I don't understand why my mother doesn't like Patty, she's nice."

"Concentrate on your skating, OK." Jake said to the girl, but he could see that her thoughts were about 1,000 miles away. He could see the troubled look in her eyes, and knew that there was something wrong with her. Instead of focusing on the problems she was having, he smiled reassuringly at her. "Try to block out those other things."

"Skaters please clear the ice!" The voice of the announcer brought Stephanie back down to earth and she looked up at the kind green eyes of her coach.

"Listen, Stephy, you're first, and that's the best position to be in. If you want to win, you have to concentrate, but above winning, you should have fun skating. Of all the things I have tried to teach you, enjoying yourself is the most important." Jake squeezed the arm of the girl, and watched as she skated to the center of the ring. Her three-minute presentation was about to begin, and for better or worse, this was it.

"On the ice, Stephanie Zimmerman!" This was her indication to move into position so that she could begin her routine.

The people in the stands began to cheer, but when she looked out at the crowd, she suddenly felt like a dot on a snowy mountain, and rather than feeling important, she felt insignificant and alone. She got into her starting position and waited for the music to start.

Once it began, she closed her eyes, and tried to remember the time when she really enjoyed figure skating. When she opened her eyes a second later, she began to skate.

Teresa Zimmerman approached Jake as Stephanie executed her first jump, a triple Salchow. The people politely applauded when she landed the jump successfully.

When the applause died down, Teresa spoke to her daughter's coach. "What do you think you're doing allowing Stephanie to talk to her rivals?" Teresa's voice sounded about as cold and chilling as the ice, which Stephanie was skating on.

"I didn't see anything wrong with her wishing Patty luck," Jake said. "Stephy is a 12 year old girl, and most of the girls I've coached have been friends with each other. It's important for these girls to have friends even if they are competing against one another. Not to mention, with her heavy training schedule, there isn't time for her to meet other teenagers and if they become friends with others in the sport, then they share something in common."

"Mr. McCall, I didn't hire you to be philosophical, I hired you to train my daughter to be a good skater. I don't like it that she talks to Patty Fischer when she is supposed to be skating against her today. And as her coach, I think you should at least be concerned about it." Teresa's voice became even icier, and she ended the exchange by diverting her attention back onto the ice as her daughter executed a double Lutz.

Jake said nothing. He believed that Stephanie's only hope to become a successful skater would be for her to have a coach who wasn't an arrogant snob like her mother. He had seen too many skaters have breakdowns because the parents tried to live out their own dreams through them and he didn't want to see that happen with Stephanie.

He refrained from answering Teresa's accusations with any facts. The woman was just impossible to deal with. If it had been any other girl but Stephanie, he'd have quit his job as her coach a long time ago.

He turned away from Teresa to see Stephanie finish her routine with a flying camel spin. He smiled broadly as she stood in the center of the rink and took her bows. A number of spectators tossed flowers onto the ice and Stephanie grabbed a bouquet that had slid over next to her feet. She waved the flowers at the audience.

Once off the ice, she headed towards the 'kiss and cry' area where she would be getting the rest of the flowers, which had been collected, and receive her marks for the performance. She glanced over and saw those three mysterious people again.

Once in the designated area, she sat down in the chair between her mother and her coach and waited for her scores to come up. As everyone guessed, she received fairly high marks for the performance and was now in first place. Once the scores were out, Teresa Zimmerman ushered her daughter quickly out of the area and behind a large curtain, which separated the rink from the lobby, which extended into a hallway, which would lead outside.

Stephanie looked back in the direction where she had seen the three people, but instead of making eye contact with the two women, her gaze came to rest on the soft green eyes of the man standing next to them.

*****

Andrew, the Angel of Death, was left staring as the young skater left through the thick curtain. His attention diverted back to the ice where another skater was about to begin her program. He returned quickly to the railing where Tess and Monica were watching. The three of them began to watch as Patty Fischer began her long program.

"How long do we have to stay here?" Monica finally asked, her feet beginning to tire from standing around. "I need to find a place where I can sit down."

"Why don't you go into the hallway behind that curtain? I saw some benches there when we came in." Tess said.

Monica sighed deeply, "I don't know if this is as much fun as it initially sounded. It's not that the skaters are unfriendly, but some of these other people seem rather arrogant."

Andrew nodded sadly. "I know what you mean. I am guessing you are referring to Teresa Zimmerman, Stephanie's mother. I heard someone say that her eyes could burn holes through solid concrete."

Tess nodded, "Yes, yes, are you two ready to hear what our assignment is, or are you just going to carry on with verbal exaggerations?"

"Come on, Tess, you saw her too," Monica said. "Wouldn't you say she reminded you of Snow White's evil step-mother?"

"Snow White?" Tess shook her head sadly, her attention returning to the ice. "You two are acting very un-angelic, now listen we have a serious problem here, and your comparisons aren't helping."

Monica nodded. "Sorry, Tess, but I did see her and this situation seems rather sad to me." Her attention diverted back to Patty as she continued to skate her routine. They watched as she executed her last jump, a triple toe loop. When she came to stop and the music ended, the crowd in the stands began applauding once again. Patty smiled gracefully at them, and bowed. Once the cheers died down, Monica made a suggestion, "Hey Andrew, why don't we go and get something to eat and we can meet Tess outside when the competition is over? I could use a cup of coffee."

Andrew nodded as Patty was skating towards the railing. "You get some coffee, I think I just want to sit down for now. I'll be on one of those benches you mentioned, OK?"

"OK, you know where we'll be, Angel Boy," Tess said as Andrew left behind the same curtain that he had seen Stephanie and the other two people exit moments before. Monica went to the concession stand to get a cup of coffee.

As Andrew made his way down the hall, his mind began to drift. He had never really had time to watch figure skating up close, and he really had never really thought that a girl who was still a child could be out there executing such complicating jumps. He never could tell the difference between those jumps, but he could tell that they must be very difficult. He sat down on one of the benches and watched as steady groups of people passed by him. After a few minutes he heard a voice break into his thoughts.

"Hi."

He looked up and saw the girl who was addressing him. It was Stephanie Zimmerman and she smiled weakly at him, as he returned her greeting. "Hello, Stephanie." he paused, "I saw you skate, you were very good!"

She smiled and nodded. "Thank you. I saw you when I was talking to my coach. You're a stranger here, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm just passing through with a couple of friends. We're here to do a report for the local paper and I just needed to take a break and sit down. It's not always easy to be on one's feet an entire afternoon," he said softly.

"No I guess not. My coach said that there might be some press people here today." She shrugged her shoulders. "It's not so common for the press to come to this event. I've never seen any of them here until today."

Andrew shrugged his shoulders and smiled at her, "I don't know very much about figure skating, I must admit; I only know about what I may have seen on TV."

"The seniors, yeah, they're really good," Stephanie said softly.

"Seniors?" Andrew looked at her.

"Seniors are the ones that compete in the Olympics, then there are juniors, Novice and Pre-Novice. Patty and I are in the Novice division." Stephanie explained.

"This is like levels?" he asked.

Stephanie nodded, "Yeah, you could say that." She looked around, and when she saw no one nearby, she sighed with relief. "You know me, but what's your name?"

"Andrew." He said simply. Right as he was about to speak again the announcement could be heard as they posted Patty's scores.

"I have to see how she did, she's one of my friends," Stephanie said as both of them rushed towards the curtains at the end of the hallway where the scores were being announced. Stephanie smiled when she saw that Patty's score was about as high as her own. But, when they announced that Patty was in second place, she sighed deeply.

"What's the matter," Andrew asked when he saw the shadow cross her face. He didn't understand what was happening, until he heard an excited squeal coming from behind them.

Within seconds, the woman that he had seen in the 'kiss and cry' area rushed over to Stephanie and wrapped her arms around her. "You won, you won!" Her voice was high with excitement. Stephanie glanced over at Andrew who smiled encouragingly at her.

"But, Mom, there are still two more skaters that have to compete," Stephanie muttered hoping that the woman would release her from the embrace.

Teresa apparently didn't listen, and continued to hug her daughter excitedly.

"Congratulations, Stephy," Jake offered coming from behind them, "you skated very well, today. You should be really proud of yourself."

"You are making a blatant understatement, Mr. McCall, she was wonderful." Teresa finally released her daughter. Andrew could see the girl's expression completely change when her mother approached and he didn't like what he saw.

Seconds later, Patty came through the curtain and smiled when she saw Stephanie. "Congratulations, Stephy, you were really great." Appreciation was evident on Patty's face. But her smile vanished when Teresa hastily grabbed Stephanie's hand and pulled her away from Patty and Andrew. Stephanie sighed sadly and glanced back in their direction with an agonized look in her eyes. 'I'm sorry' were the words she mouthed at the other girl.

Patty looked at Andrew shyly. "I hope you don't think all skaters or their families are like this," she offered sadly as Stephanie was ushered away. "It's really shameful."

Andrew shook his head still trying to understand why Stephanie's mother was so mean to Patty when she had simply offered her congratulations.

Patty shrugged her shoulders, "Her mother is such a witch!" she grumbled to her coach, who had emerged from behind the curtain, followed closely by Patty's father, Brad. "What harm does it do to at least say hello or thank you?"

Andrew nodded, "I saw her before Stephanie skated. Do you have any idea why she acts this way?"

"It's no secret, Teresa Zimmerman doesn't like Stephanie to be friends with the other skaters," answered the coach, a young woman in her late 20's. "I used to be her coach as well, and she's a really good skater. Then about a year ago I got fired after Mrs. Zimmerman found out I had taken the job coaching Patty. She felt that I should devote all my time to Stephanie, and not to her rival."

Patty looked over at her father, Brad, who was standing near the curtain. "Skaters don't normally have as many opportunities to have friends as other kids do. It's part of the commitment that they make when they start skating. The thing is, Patty has always tried to swing friends and her skating." The man explained, and Patty nodded.

"I love to skate," Patty explained, "and one day I want to go to the Olympics. But, I also realize how lucky I am because my mom and dad are really great about it. I also know that if one day I would want to quit, they'd say OK." She smiled with pride, "they also know that it will take a lot of work, and I'm willing to try." She paused and after a second, she continued to speak. "Stephanie's mother isn't very nice to the other skaters, and I think that's totally stupid attitude to have." Patty put on the jacket her father offered.

"I don't understand," Andrew offered, "if a skater loves the sport, then what's wrong with being friends with other people who are active in it and love it as well?"

Patty's coach smiled, she liked what Andrew was saying. "You have a very idealistic attitude about it, but unfortunately, to some parents and also some skaters, winning is more important than anything, including having friends or sportsmanship."

Andrew shook his head adamantly, "I don't think Stephanie is like that."

"We all know that she's not," Patty answered, "but her mother's attitude, particularly, is beginning to show in her skating, and her expression on the ice."

"How so?" Andrew was curious. "I mean she looked a little tired out there, but that was about all I really noticed."

"That was stress, and that kind of pressure can be overwhelming on a young skater, particularly in the 'Ladies Event'. Over the past few years, this competition has become very intense." The woman answered. "I was a skater in the senior's division, and I remember competing in the Nationals. I placed near the end, but the pressure was unbearable. On top of the pressures of competitive skating, Stephanie has the added pressure of her mother's attitude and expectations. It's obvious that she isn't happy and she doesn't agree with her mother, but she's only 12 and no one can expect her to stand up to her mother. But, I'm afraid that one day, she's going to have a nervous breakdown."

Andrew shook his head sadly, he knew what this kind of stress could lead to, and he could feel the goose bumps going up his spine when he thought about how many suicide victims he had to take home. This was, by far, the worst part of being an Angel of Death.

"Gilda, would it be OK if he came to one of my training sessions, even if it's just for a little while?" Patty asked. "I mean, I know that normally we don't have outsiders to the practices, but it would be kind of fun and it'd give him the idea that it's not all fun and flair, but hard work."

"I never believed that it wasn't hard work. But wouldn't it be a distraction having me around during practice?" Andrew asked.

The woman smiled and nodded at Patty. Her attention diverted to Andrew, "you are welcome to come, but it's not as exciting as the competition. I think that Patty's right, it will give you the idea about how much work it takes for someone to reach certain levels as a figure skater. What's your name?"

"Andrew," he said smiling. He liked Patty and her coach, and it did sound like a lot of fun.

"OK," said Gilda. "Patty has a day off tomorrow, so we'll get together on Saturday, and then you won't miss school. Also, I usually take it easy on her on Saturdays".

Patty smiled and nodded, "yeah, it was actually my idea that I train on Saturdays as well as on Sundays."

Andrew looked at Gilda, who nodded. "Thank you," he offered, "I've always wondered about the sport, and I appreciate you going out of your way to show me."

"It's nothing, Andrew," Gilda said, "I learned long ago that young skaters sometimes need a break, and it's not often that Patty takes a break for fun."

The angel laughed.

"This is so cool." Patty said.

Brad walked over to the three of them. "Listen, I don't mean to change the subject, but after they announce the winners, why don't we go out to lunch? You're free to join us Andrew, if you'd like."

"That sounds really great, my friends and I were just talking about grabbing something to eat," Andrew said. "I'm supposed to meet them once it's over."

"I'm sorry, Brad, but I can't," Gilda said, "I have already made a commitment to meet with Sarah Bingham's family about her training. But, I will see you for practice Saturday morning, Patty. If you want to come, Andrew, be here at 10, and I'll inform the people here that you will be coming."

"You're not staying for the final announcement, Gilda?" Patty asked.

"Of course I'm staying." Gilda said, smiling. "This would be your first medal under my coaching, Patty, and I wouldn't miss it for the world. I just can't go to lunch with you guys."

Patty sighed with relief. "I'm glad that you're staying, Gilda and that Andrew can come on Saturday." She giggled, "I'll even find you a pair of skates then."

Andrew's eyes widened, "Oh boy, what have I gotten myself into?" he muttered.

Patty and her father chuckled.

"Well, if you want to come to training, you will have to put on a pair of skates and let Patty show you some simple moves." Gilda said.

Patty smiled at him, "Don't worry, Andrew, we'll go easy on you. The jumps will come later."

The four of them laughed.

*****

Back in the arena, Tess was still watching and taking notes when Andrew approached. "Hey Tess, I just got an invitation to go to lunch with one of the skaters."

Tess turned and her smile began to fade when she saw him. "You know we're supposed to stay here until the competition is over."

Andrew nodded, "Yes, I know, but Patty Fischer's father invited me to join them for lunch after they give out the awards in her division. She also told me some rather interesting information about Stephanie."

"I'm aware of that, Angel Boy," Tess said as she began to replace the small notebook she was carrying. "I also know that your assignment is Stephanie. Concentrate on her, she's going to need angels during the upcoming days. I just feel it."

Andrew nodded. "I know, and it makes me uneasy." Moments later, Patty Fischer waved at him and she approached them.

"Hello, Andrew," Patty said and when Tess turned and faced her, she smiled as she tried to introduce herself to Tess. "I'm Patty."

"My name's Tess," she said with a smile taking her hand and shaking it. "Nice to meet you, Patty. You skated very well and you made it look so easy."

"Thank you, this was my first competition here," Patty explained. "My family moved here from California last year."

Tess nodded smiling. "Did you skate competitively in California?"

"Yeah, but it was much harder there, because there are so many talented people. Not that the skaters here aren't talented, it's just that there, the competitions are more difficult and there are a lot more skaters." She smiled broadly, "When we moved here, my father found a job in his field, he's a Chemical Engineer. He wanted to have a job, which could help pay for my training. In California, there weren't too many openings and he was working as a Technician and we couldn't afford the training like I'm getting with Gilda." Patty explained fondly remembering the sacrifices her parents have made for her.

"That's really nice, that you have such a supportive family," Monica approached and spoke once she had heard the words of the teenager. "I'm Monica, a friend of theirs."

Patty nodded and smiled, "Nice to meet you," she offered, but then continued her story. "I know what you're saying, and believe me, in this sport, the more support one has, the better. I've seen a number of girls really lose it because they have overbearing parents or coaches. Gilda said that a lot parents and coaches try to live out their dreams through the kids, and that's not fair. My parents are great, they support but they don't push, they never have."

Andrew cocked his head to one side, "How is it that you became so determined to become a good skater if you didn't have that kind of pressure?"

"I don't know, Gilda said that it's probably my own stubbornness about it." Patty said, "I have a feeling that's the only logical answer, that and maybe because my coach in California wanted me to succeed so that he'd get more jobs."

Tess nodded, "Is that why you are concerned about Stephanie Zimmerman, and her mother's attitude towards you and the other skaters?"

"How'd you know about that?" Patty asked.

"I just have that impression, baby," Tess said gently. She could tell by looking at the young skater that she was worried.

Patty smiled and nodded, "Yeah, I guess it's pretty obvious, then. Anyway, I know that Stephanie's mother doesn't like me, and like I told you, Andrew, it's really stupid. I mean someone can skate and be friendly without it effecting their performance." She sighed sadly, "But I have a feeling that Stephanie doesn't like skating anymore I watched her performance, and even though it was better than mine, the energy wasn't there."

Andrew nodded; he had also noticed Stephanie's lackluster appearance after her scores had been read. He also noticed that most of the other girls tended to stay away from Stephanie whenever her mother was around. Instead of trying to determine what was going to happen, he simply smiled reassuringly at her. "I think that Stephanie is very lucky to have you for a friend."

Patty smiled, "Thanks."

Brad approached the four of them, "You're Andrew's friends?"

"Yes, I'm Tess and this is Monica," came the answer.

"Brad Fischer, nice to meet you. We were talking to your friend outside." He smiled and turned to his daughter, "Patty, you came in second, and Gilda wants to see you before you get your medal."

"I did?" Patty's eyes widened, "Wow!"

"Congratulations," Monica offered.

"That's wonderful, I'm really happy for you," Andrew said sincerely.

"I'll see you later," Patty said, her voice bubbling with excitement. She rushed away from the four of them forgetting to acknowledge any of their words.

"She's really excited," Brad offered. "Normally she says 'thank you' when she is congratulated." He laughed. "Sorry about that."

Tess smiled and nodded, "That's OK, your daughter has the same energy that my two friends here have."

Monica and Andrew looked at Tess, both with sheepish grins on their faces.

"Would you like to join us for lunch after the awards ceremony for Patty's division is over?" Brad asked.

"We'd love to," Tess replied sincerely. "Monica and I have to write a report about the next competition, and then when that's done, then we'd love to join you."

"Listen, it will probably take Patty an hour to change and everything, so by then the other competition should be over, and you can join us." Brad suggested.

"Does it really take an hour for a skater to get changed to leave?" Andrew asked.

"I can't say for sure about most skaters, but my Patty takes quite a while to get herself changed after a competition. She's a perfectionist, like her mother. She even does her own ironing, and polishes her own skates. She's a dedicated skater, and she adores the sport."

"Really?" Monica asked.

"Yeah, she has taken half of the video tapes at our house, and she tapes nothing on them but figure skating competitions. When she can't skate, she watches skating on TV."

"That is dedication," Andrew offered.

Brad nodded, "I remember last year some months after we moved here, she had the flu for about two weeks. She was so mad that her mother wouldn't allow her to go to training." He laughed remembering, "she was in her bathrobe doing footwork on the kitchen floor. I actually grabbed the Camcorder and secretly taped her. Three weeks later, I popped the tape in the VCR, and she just about killed me."

The three angels laughed. "What happened then?" Monica asked.

"I took the tape to Gilda as a joke, but after she watched it, she told Patty that if she ever overexerted herself when she is sick, she'd quit as her coach." Brad said. "I felt like a stool pigeon even though I initially did it as a joke," he paused taking a deep breath. "Anyway, Patty promised that she wouldn't do that again if she gets sick. Instead, she started taping the skating on TV and when she's sick, we set the TV and VCR up in her room and she watches it from her bed." Brad concluded.

Tess smiled, "I think that's really wonderful how you and your family remain so friendly even though the pressures of the sport can be quite stressful."

Brad nodded, "Gilda is really a good coach, very firm, and she doesn't take half-efforts. She doesn't like it when Patty's distracted with other worries when she skates, but she's also the most laid-back coach Patty ever had. Mandy and I get along well with her too, which I think is also important. Patty adores her, maybe it's because she's younger, and knows how teenage girls think. It's hard to say for sure, but the two of them are very compatible."

Andrew looked over at the rink and up at the stands where the people were sitting. After a few moments, he looked back over at Brad. "I think that your daughter is very talented."

Brad chuckled, "Me too, and even if she wasn't my daughter; I'd have to say that of all the girls I have met, she's probably the most level-headed." Brad changed the subject when he saw Patty waving him over to where she was standing, talking to Gilda. "Listen, when Patty's finished, we'll come back here, meet, and see if you're done."

Tess nodded, "OK."

Brad walked back over to where Patty and Gilda were standing deep in conversation with one of the other girls, Sarah Bingham. Sarah had come in third in the division. Stephanie stood off to the side away from the other two girls, and her mother eyed Patty disapprovingly.

Tess glanced back over at Andrew. "I like them." she offered.

Andrew nodded, "Yes, they're really nice."

"So, how did you happen to meet Patty Fischer anyway?" Monica wanted to know.

Andrew explained what had happened when he had left and added that he had been invited to attend Patty's practice session in two days. Monica laughed when she heard this and told Tess that she would love to actually see Andrew on ice skates. Tess agreed that it would be fun for them all to come even if the humans couldn't see them watching.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Andrew grumbled.

"Listen, Angel Babies, I think Patty is really nice, but we cannot forget the reason the Father sent us here. There's a little girl who is working on a nervous breakdown, and we're supposed to be here for her."

The three angels grew silent as the announcement of the winners resonated through the small rink. First Stephanie skated out and the people cheered. Second, Patty skated out and took her place next to Stephanie, as the cheers continued. Finally, Sarah Bingham came out to retrieve her third place medal. In her excitement, Sarah reached out and hugged Patty.

Stephanie looked at the other two girls, isolation evident in her face.

Andrew watched the events as they were taking place out on the ice, but when he saw Stephanie's face, he almost started crying. The poor girl, she looked as though she would have loved to be anywhere but where she was. It was at that moment that he realized that Tess was right, and that all he could do was offer her a compassionate smile. As he watched the events taking place, he sighed deeply as he reached the unhappy conclusion that Stephanie was, in fact, suicidal.

As the three angels watched the events on the ice, Teresa Zimmerman approached them, and it appeared as though she wanted to confront Andrew. None of them noticed that she had approached until her icy voice broke into his thoughts.

"You were the man talking to my daughter, weren't you?" She asked the usual iciness in her voice.

Andrew nodded, "Yes, I was."

"Why are you here? I've never seen you with any of the other skaters, so you can't be family or friends of anyone here?" The woman's voice was demanding.

"My friends are writing a report about the competition, and I came along with him," Andrew offered trying to keep the discomfort out of his voice. When he opened his mouth to speak once again, his gaze landed on Tess, who shook her head slightly. Understanding his friend's silent communication, he shrugged his shoulders and said nothing else.

"I see," Teresa nodded. "Write something nice about of Stephanie, she's the best skater out there, not Patty Fischer." She said coldly to Tess and Monica before walking away.

When Tess turned around to answer Teresa, the other woman was already making her way towards a man who was waiting by the curtain.

Andrew looked at Tess, "Even for an angel, it is sometimes hard to find something loving about Teresa."

Tess sighed deeply. "There's more to her than just someone Patty would call a witch." As she spoke, she turned away from the woman's retreating back and focused her attention to the events, which were taking place on the ice. She shook her head sadly as she watched the three girls on the ice. Once they had all come off the ice, she said a quick prayer for Stephanie.

By this time, Andrew had made his way over towards the group of people and waited for Patty and Stephanie so he could congratulate them once again.

Upon seeing him, Stephanie smiled weakly and came slowly towards him. She was smiling at him as though she could sense something about him, but seemed comfortable in his presence. He took a step towards her, but within a split second, Teresa came between them and grabbed her daughter's hand. "We're going home now, Stephanie. Go change."

Stephanie nodded sadly, and walked through the curtain without looking back.

Unaware to Teresa, Monica had seen the event take place as well and followed the young skater through the curtain. She was determined to talk to her.

"Look Mister, stay away from my daughter," was all Teresa said to him. She walked over towards the stands and waited.

Andrew was left looking after her with bewilderment in his expression.

*****

In the lobby, Monica had caught up with Stephanie. "Stephanie, wait," she called out. When the girl turned around, Monica could clearly see the tears brimming underneath her eyes. Monica rested her hand on Stephanie's shoulders and spoke again. "Are you OK?"

The girl nodded, but after looking into Monica's concerned and gentle eyes, she shook her head and sat down on the bench. The held back tears began to stream down her cheeks as she bent over to take her skates off. She couldn't bring herself to speak, and Monica could clearly see the sadness and hopelessness in her brown eyes.

"It's not easy for you, is it?" Monica asked softly.

Stephanie's lips trembled and the angel knew that the girl was trying to remain strong but also that her strength was wavering. Tears continued to stream down her cheeks, and the make-up she wore left black streaks on her cheeks and dark smudges under her eyes.

"How old are you?" Monica asked, reaching inside her pocket and pulling out a cloth handkerchief. This she handed to Stephanie.

"12," emerged from her lips as she wiped the make-up out of her eyes.

Monica kneeled down in front of her placed her hands on Stephanie's trembling shoulders to calm her. "You're just a child," she said compassionately and wrapped her arms around Stephanie's shoulders. "It's not easy to try to live up to other people's expectations, is it?"

"I have to go, my mother is waiting," Stephanie mumbled, not moving away from Monica. For some reason, this kind-hearted woman's touch to her shoulder and hug helped and she didn't want to go into the dressing room. There, she knew there that she would be alone again and she longed to remain in the company of this compassionate woman, who appeared to be the only possible person who understands the pain she felt.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Monica asked. "I'll listen, and maybe I can help."

She nodded, "but how can I...my mother?" Her voice reflected hopelessness.

"Come outside for a few minutes," Monica offered softly, "I think you need a few minutes away from all of this." She stood up, and offered Stephanie her hand.

She looked up, fear hidden in her eyes and it was clear that she didn't know what to do. Her fear was not of the kind woman who had offered her hand, but rather her mother. She knew that if Teresa found out that she was outside speaking to a stranger rather than getting dressed to go home, that she would get angry again.

"I won't hurt you," Monica offered, "My name is Monica. Andrew is a friend of mine, and he told me you spoke to him earlier today."

"I know, but you're not the person I'm afraid of," Stephanie said softly. She reached out and grasped Monica's hand. After a few seconds passed she stood up and allowed the angel to lead her outside.

Once outside, Stephanie sank to her knees, the feelings came out in a torrent of tears.

Monica came over and rested her hands gently on the young girl's shoulders. As she sat down on the ground near Stephanie, she spoke, her voice soft and gentle. "You don't like skating, do you?"

Stephanie shook her head, "no, I don't. Is it that obvious?"

"Only here," Monica said gently and pointed to the girl's sad brown eyes.

"I don't understand," she mumbled.

"You don't have the sparkle in your eyes that Patty has, and there's something else, you don't smile." Monica answered softly. "You didn't smile on the ice when you were skating."

Stephanie sighed deeply looking at her, "I used to like it, when Patty and I trained together, and were friends."

Monica nodded.

"Please, Monica, don't tell my mother any of this, she'd kill me." She looked back at the door leading inside.

"I won't, Stephanie, you can trust me. I would never do anything that would cause you pain. I want to help you in any way I can," she said gently.

Stephanie glanced back towards the doorway once again, and when she saw her mother walking through the hallway, she swallowed the lump, which formed in her throat and stood up. "I have to go. If she finds me out here, I'll get into trouble."

She stood up and once her mother's back disappeared behind the curtain, she slipped inside, and broke into a run to get to the safety of the dressing room.

Monica was left standing outside alone. She sighed deeply as Tess and Andrew appeared right next to her. "It almost looks hopeless, Tess."

"I know, baby," Tess said gently and rested her hand on Monica's shoulder.

"I feel like I failed," Monica said softly.

"No you didn't, you've just started, and it's going to take some time," Tess said and Andrew nodded.

"But, how are we going to talk to Stephanie if her mother is preventing her from doing so?" Andrew asked. "I don't want the next time I talk to Stephanie to be the time that I have to take her home. She's just a child, and she's living the life her mother wants of her, not the life God wants."

Tess nodded, and smiled comfortingly at Andrew. His gentle heart made it difficult at times for him to be an Angel of Death, but when it involved children, and suicide, it was almost too much for him.

Monica looked at Tess, "I have an idea. Maybe we can write a story about Stephanie for the paper, that way at least we can maybe talk to her one on one. It's obvious that she needs that."

"OK, Miss Wings, you go and arrange an interview," Tess said.

Monica walked back inside the ice rink and when she spotted Teresa Zimmerman sitting in the stands, she approached the woman. "Mrs. Zimmerman?"

"Yes," came her icy answer. Upon recognizing who had addressed her, her voice became even more demanding. "What do you want?"

"I want to talk to you about your daughter," Monica offered.

"What about her?" Teresa demanded with conviction. "We don't really have time for this, Stephanie has training."

"I understand, but as I said, this isn't about anything personal. It is, in fact, about a report that I would like to write about Stephanie for the paper. I simply wanted to get your permission," Monica said.

"Well, of course you can," suddenly her voice changed and she sounded as sweet as sugar. Monica backed up slightly she heard the change in Teresa's speech.

"Thank you, could you tell me when she has time?"

"Sunday morning?" Teresa offered.

Monica nodded with a warm smile, "OK, then I'll meet her here at 10."

"We'll be here," she answered assuredly.

"I don't mean to appear rude, but why can't she come here alone? We can conduct the interview while she's in training with her coach," Monica said softly. She knew that if they arranged the interview with Teresa present, there would exist no chance of her getting to talk to Stephanie about what it was that was spiritually and emotionally wearing her down.

"I am her mother, and I go where she goes." Teresa's voice was once again emerging icy and Monica could tell that his conversation was over.

*****

Andrew had reappeared in the near the railing and was looking around when a hand fell on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Patty; her eyes expressing the sympathy that her words could not.

"I saw everything," Patty said and could tell that this handsome man really did seem to care for her friend. It was the one thing they appeared to have in common. "It's so awful, that woman's got Stephy wound up like a spring," Patty grumbled noticing Andrew's worried expression. "It's embarrassing that she acts like this."

"What happened, Hon?" Brad asked softly, approaching the two of them.

"Stephanie's mother, what else? I think she's more afraid of her mother than she is of competing." Patty said wiping frustrated tears out of her eyes. "When we first moved here, Stephy was the first person to welcome me here. We both train here now, but at different times. You remember; Daddy, she and I used to have fun?"

Brad nodded as his daughter continued to speak.

"We would come here during 'free skate' and do jumps and stuff together." Patty looked at Andrew's bewildered face. "Oh, a 'free skate' is when they let the skaters practice and stuff. But, now, it's like she's skating for her mother's prestige rather than her own."

Tess approached them, "Hello."

Monica looked at her superior, her eyes unhappy. Tess could clearly see that her two angel babies were worried about both of the skaters they had met that afternoon, but rather than speak, she opted to remain silent. All three of the angels knew that there existed adequate reason to be worried, but when they looked at Patty, they decided to not verbalize their concerns.

Patty's face was still sad, "You know what really bothers me, Daddy? I'm supposed to be happy, I won second place, and I should feel really great about it."

Brad nodded, "You're a good friend, Patty. If Stephanie only knew just how good of a friend you are."

"But, her mother won't even let me within three feet of her," Patty said. "It's cruel to do this to someone, and I can't see why she tries to keep us separated."

Tess shook her head; "People sometimes mistake their love for others as blind expectations, Patty. People like Mrs. Zimmerman are essentially doing everything to enhance their own self esteem rather than the self worth of a child who desperately needs it." Her compassionate dark eyes sought those of Patty, "Your father's right, the best thing you can do is be a friend to Stephanie and right now, that's what she really needs."

"Do you think that's what Mrs. Zimmerman is doing to Stephanie, Tess?" Monica asked.

Tess nodded, "Yes I do." She didn't go into any lengthy explanations.

"I happen to know for a fact that Stephanie does want to be friends with you, Patty. When we were talking in the lobby, Stephanie interrupted me to check the scores. She said, 'she's one of my friends'. Then she walked to the curtain and listened. If I interpreted her actions correctly, I think she wanted you to win," Andrew said honestly.

"Really?" Patty's eyes became moist with tears.

Andrew nodded, "yes, it was right before you came through the curtains and congratulated her."

Patty smiled through her tears, and looked from her father, to the three angels. "Thank you, I feel at least a little better now." She was still worried, but at least she knew that she and Stephanie were friends. For now, that had to be enough.

"That's my girl," Brad said. "Are you in the mood for some lunch?"

Patty nodded, "Yeah, I need to eat something."

"Me too, I could eat a house," Brad said laughing. "Besides, we gotta toast your good finish today. You realize now that this means you're going to the regional competition, don't you?"

"Oh my gosh! I totally forgot about that, I just wanted to have a good finish. Then we have to celebrate." Patty's smile returned, as she began to pull bobby pins from her hair. "But, I think I'd rather get changed into something more appropriate and wash this guck off my face."

Andrew looked over at her hot pink skating dress and laughed. "I don't know; you would probably create a new fashion trend walking into the restaurant wearing that."

They all laughed.

"We have to get back inside for the 'Men's competition', it's about to start." Monica said refraining from mentioning anything about her conversations with Stephanie or Teresa.

Brad nodded, "I have to call my wife and arrange when we're going to meet."

"She's not here?" Tess asked.

"No, she had to stay home and take care of Patty's little sister." Brad explained. "Normally, we get a baby-sitter so we can both attend the competitions, but little Erika has been having the sniffles, and Mandy didn't want to leave her."

Andrew nodded as he watched his friends making their way back over towards the railing of the rink.

"So what about you, Andrew?" Brad asked. "I haven't seen you or your friends around town, you new here?"

"Yes, we've been on the road because our work keeps us going from place to place," Andrew said honestly.

"What kind of work makes you do all this traveling?" Brad asked.

"Well, we sort of counsel and help people," Andrew said softly.

Upon noticing that the angel was not really willing to go into specifics about his work, he stopped this line of questions. "Sorry if I appear too nosy, I was just curious."

Andrew nodded, "It's OK, Mr. Fischer."

"Call me Brad, please, we're pretty informal around here," he said. "Listen, I have to go call Mandy. I'll be back in a few minutes." He stood up and made his way towards the door leading outside.

Andrew nodded and glanced over towards the dressing room where Patty had gone. He hoped that she would be back soon, with her around, he didn't have the chance to contemplate his extreme worries for Stephanie. All he could do was pray, but the longer they were there, the more hopeless this situation became. "Dear Father," he began to pray. "Please don't make me have to take Stephanie home. Give her the strength she desperately needs to overcome this situation. Please, she's only 12-years-old. It would break my heart to see her try to end her life as the only way out of this situation."

As he finished his prayer, he opened his eyes to see that Brad was coming back over to where he was sitting.

"OK, that's all taken care of," Brad said cheerfully as he sat back down on the bench. He could see the worried look in Andrew's eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm OK," he said after a few moments of silence had passed.

"You sure you're all right? You looked as though you were really deep in thought."

"Yes, I'm all right," Andrew answered.

"Well, if you don't mind me saying so, you just look a little pale," Brad said.

Andrew nodded, this time not saying a word.

"Sorry, I sound like an overbearing parent," Brad offered with a chuckle. "Patty would have scolded me for that."

"Really?" Andrew looked at Brad. This was ironic to see two people who appeared to be as close as Patty and her father were.

"Yeah, she's the type that doesn't like people to make a fuss over her." Brad said, "She's like her mother. You know what, sometimes I wonder who you take after, your mother or your father. You know I always took after my mom."

Andrew stifled a sarcastic grin. "I like to think I take after my father."

"You know, Patty would probably strangle me because I'm not watching the competition in there. Normally I do, but today I don't feel like it. Unlike Patty, I have my limits on how much skating I can watch." He laughed.

Andrew smiled, "I must admit I have only seen skating on TV, so I don't really know much about it. I suppose I don't get to watch too many things on television because of my work."

"It's a good sport, but me, I like a good soccer match, or basketball," Brad said. "You into sports?"

"Not really, though I did help some boys in a baseball team once," Andrew said.

"I was on swim team in school. My coach said I swam like a fish. Then three years later in college, one of my buddies said I should drink like a fish, and swim like a dog." He grinned sheepishly.

Andrew smiled. He really liked Brad, he was nice, easy-going, and really seemed genuine when he would talk with people.

"I don't drink alcohol myself, probably because I'm allergic to it, not to mention I can't stand the taste of it," Brad offered continuing his story, "but in college a lot of guys do."

"You studied Chemical Engineering, right?" Andrew asked.

"How'd you know?" Brad asked.

"Patty mentioned it to my friends, I just happened to listen." Andrew said.

"What about you, did you go to college?" Brad asked.

"No," came the simple answer. "But, I like many subjects, History, English Literature, and Physics."

"Yeah?" When Andrew nodded, he continued, "that's great, I guess what people call that is universal knowledge, in that you know a lot about a lot of things and have the aptitude for various subjects. I must admit; my biggest disaster in college was trying to get through this one Physics class. The professor taught like we were all Einstein reincarnated. It was an absolute nightmare." Brad chuckled, "Getting a 'C' in that class must have been the biggest miracle of my life."

Andrew laughed opting to change the subject. "How did Patty get into figure skating?"

"Her mother was at the mall with her one day, and she couldn't have been any older than five, and they were doing a skating exhibition there, and there was a skater there who was a senior level skater. It was a young man about 20 years old." Brad began warming up to the subject. "This man did an exhibition program and according to Mandy, Patty was star-struck. But, I think what put the icing on the cake, was when he skated over to Patty and picked her up in his arms and skated around the rink with her on his shoulders. That evening when Patty and Mandy came home, Patty begged us for skating lessons. We agreed and she started skating."

"She was only five years old?" Andrew asked.

"Yeah, but keep in mind, most kids who are involved in the sport, started skating when they were five or six years old. As I told you in the hall, this is a commitment that young people make and a lot them drop out before they even get out of the Novice divisions because their interests change."

"I had no idea," Andrew offered. "I suppose it never occurred to me that a five or six year old child could make such a commitment."

"Yeah that's true, but keep in mind that a lot of times these kids are pushed rather hard into it by their parents. Like with Stephanie. I have seen her mother fly into rages when Stephanie would miss jumps in practice." Brad said sadly.

"But I thought that Patty and Stephanie practiced at separate times?" Andrew asked.

"Not always. When we first moved here, Stephanie and Patty both had their training under Gilda. Later, Gilda told me that she had been fired as Stephanie's coach. I remember the events before she had been fired; I'd come into the hall to pick up Patty after practice and would hear Teresa Zimmerman screaming at Stephanie about missing jumps or something. Then, Mrs. Zimmerman hired a new coach, Jake McCall, and they completely changed her practice times so that Stephanie and Patty couldn't even train at the same times."

"How did Patty react to it?" Andrew asked.

"At first it scared her, but later she admitted to me that it really made her angry. She told me that she couldn't understand a parent yelling at their kid over something like a double flip." Brad shrugged his shoulders, but continued speaking, "but then Patty would see Stephanie take it like a soldier. She confided in me that she wanted to scream back at Mrs. Zimmerman, but I told her that she'd better not. I had a feeling that Patty's emotions were strong, but I didn't know how solid Stephanie's were and I feared that if Patty had said anything, then it would only be worse on Stephanie."

"From watching the sport, one would think that it was all glitter and glitz," Andrew said.

Brad shook his head. "I know what you mean, but after watching Patty immerse herself into it, I learned quickly that there's a lot of blood, sweat and tears to it."

Andrew nodded, but finally spoke again. "Gilda said that the pressures Stephanie's under are going to cause her to have a nervous breakdown, what do you think?"

"I think it's much worse than what Gilda said, Andrew," Brad said. "I think the pressure that Mrs. Zimmerman is putting on her daughter, could be considered abusive, and that if someone doesn't help her soon, then Stephanie may look for a drastic way out."

Andrew shuddered, he couldn't imagine anything worse than that and the worst thing was, he knew exactly what Brad was implying. "What about your wife, what does she think?"

"Mandy hasn't heard all of what I have and I haven't told her. Like I said, Patty and Mandy are cut from the same mold," Brad said. "I know both Mandy and Patty well enough to know that if they were to yell back at Mrs. Zimmerman, the results fall on the shoulders of Stephanie. This woman has outrageous expectations for her daughter and tries to live them out through her. I couldn't do that to Patty, that's why we never pushed her to be more than what she is. She has pushed herself far more than any of us ever could have."

"I think the way you are handling this is really wonderful. Patty's very lucky," Andrew offered.

"Thanks, but listen, I may have said too much here, so please don't tell Patty any of this OK? I mean, maybe I'm trying to protect her, but I know she's concerned. I also know how she is, and I believe that if she had to, she'd give up the skating if it meant saving her friend." Brad said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want her to give up anything she loves because of the actions of others."

"You believe that she would really give it up, just like that, if it meant saving Stephanie?" Andrew asked.

Brad nodded, "I'm almost certain that she would."

Andrew nodded numbly. "I won't say anything to her, but I'd like talk to my friends about this later, I think between the three of us, maybe we can find a resolution."

Brad nodded, "I don't see why you can't."

By this time, Patty had emerged from the dressing room. "Daddy, why aren't you watching the competition?"

Brad looked up and blushed, "Sorry Princess, we're just having guy talk."

Patty giggled, "yeah, I guess living with three women, you probably need that sometimes."

Andrew looked up and when he saw her, he barely recognized her. The first thing he noticed was that her wavy hair was out of the bun and brushing against her shoulders. The make-up she had worn during the competition was gone and she wore a beige skirt and a turtleneck sweater. The girl standing before him looked like a completely different person than then skater that he had seen an hour ago.

"Daddy can you hold this for me for a minute?" She handed Brad a clothing bag, and moved the duffel bag strap up on her shoulder closer to her neck. Once the bag was comfortably hanging from her shoulder, she took the bag away from her father.

"Your mom and baby sister are going to meet us at the restaurant in a half an hour," Brad said, and then he turned to Andrew. "Why don't you go and see if your friends are ready to go, and we can head out? It's gonna take some time to get there with the traffic."

Andrew nodded and headed back through the curtain. The last of the skaters were beginning to take their skates off, and he knew that the competition must be over because the Zamboni had returned to resurface the ice. He glanced over and saw Monica and Tess were packing their things.

"You're done?" He asked as he approached them.

Tess nodded, "Yes, it was an interesting competition."

"I suppose we'd better hurry," Andrew said. "Patty and Brad are ready to go and they're waiting in the lobby."

"OK, but we need to drop our notes off at the paper," Monica said.

"Maybe we can meet them at the restaurant, then," Andrew suggested.

"Let's see what Brad has in mind," Tess said.

Monica and Andrew nodded as they made their way outside. Patty and Brad were standing on the sidewalk in front of the entrance.

"Did you enjoy the competition?" Patty wanted to know, as soon as they joined them outside.

"We sure did, right Tess?" came Monica's bubbly answer and Tess nodded.

"Who won?" Patty asked.

"Daniel Jenkins," Tess answered.

"Oh, yeah? He's really good; I've seen him during practice. He can land a triple loop in competition with no problems. After regionals, he'll probably move up to the junior level. The hardest jump I have successfully landed in competition was the triple toe loop." Patty grinned and continued, "I've tried to land the triple loop so often, but the problem is I can't seem to get all the way around on it. I told Gilda once that I did it once successfully, but I also admitted to having my eyes closed." She laughed, "but still, she's been really working me on it."

"Is that what one would call a one hit wonder?" Tess asked.

"Yeah something like that. I've been really trying to land it solid, too. Gilda said that with a solid triple loop in competition, I could compete in the junior division because my other jumps are solid, but I know it's going to take a lot of practice to perfect it, and I still have to get more experience with that particular one before I move on to juniors."

"Are you going to compete as a junior any time soon?" Andrew asked.

"Probably next season, but I would have to wait and see." Patty answered, "I want to be good enough to qualify or I'd be biting off more than I can chew."

Tess nodded, "we need to drop off our notes at the paper. Can we meet you at the restaurant?"

"How far away do you have to go?" Brad asked.

"Not far, maybe three or four blocks," Monica answered.

"Well, why don't we follow you and then after you drop it off, we can go to the restaurant? It's not far from here, but kind of hard to find." Brad explained as he dug around in his pocket and pulled out his car keys.

"OK, that's will be fine." Tess answered and the three angels walked over to Tess' prided red convertible. They could see Brad and Patty climbed in a small blue mini-van. Brad started the car and followed them out of the parking lot.

Once Tess and Monica had dropped the notes off, they followed Brad's car to the restaurant where they would be having lunch.

Upon arriving, Tess parked their car next to Brad's mini-van. Brad and Patty were already out of the car and they saw Patty waving her hands at a woman standing by the door of the restaurant, her hands rested on the curved handles of a stroller. A small girl sat inside.

As they were getting out of the car, they could hear the excited voice of Patty as she approached the woman. "Mom, I placed second!" Patty said as she reached her mother, and showed the silver medal she held in her hands.

"Wonderful!" The woman wrapped her older daughter in her arms, "I'm so proud of you, I wish I could have been there." She looked up at her husband, as he approached, "Who was first?"

"Stephanie was," Patty said.

Her mother's face darkened. "I guess Stephanie hasn't gone over the edge yet." Mandy Fischer glanced over to see two women and a man standing behind her husband.

Patty's smile disappeared, "Mom," she whined.

Mandy sighed and nodded, "I'm sorry, Honey. I just feel sorry for that girl."

Brad thought it best to change the subject, "How's Erika doing?" he asked.

"She still has the sniffles, but I think she'll be OK." Mandy said. "Won't you, honey?"

The small girl grinned as Tess greeted Patty's mother.

"Oh, Mom, this is Tess, Monica, and Andrew. We met them at the competition and Daddy invited them to come along for lunch," Patty said.

Mandy nodded and smiled warmly, "Nice to meet you all, my name's Mandy."

"Why don't we go inside and see what we can get to eat?" Brad asked. "I smell a steak with my name on it."

The angels smiled and followed the family inside the restaurant. It really was a nice opportunity for the three of them to get to know these people better.

Once inside they sat down at a large table.

"So, you never told us what brings you into town," Patty said as she reached for a menu which was in the center of the table.

"Well, there's not much say, our work brought us here," Tess answered smiling as she reached for a menu.

Patty seemed to accept this answer and didn't say anything else.

Instead Monica spoke up, "We're happy to be here though, Harrisburg is a very nice town and it has some very nice people."

Patty smiled warmly. "I'm glad you’re here, there's something very unique and special about you. I can't place it, but I know that there's a lot of love at this table."

"Are you getting into politics, honey?" Brad asked with a smirk.

They all laughed, but Tess smiled. "Those are nice sentiments, Patty."

Patty smiled, "I guess that does sound kind of cheesy, but it's true, I mean, it's odd that a practical stranger would see the pain Stephanie had been through. It's comforting somehow, because we all know that she needs help."

*****

That evening, the three angels arrived at the apartment where they were living for the duration of this assignment. The afternoon with the Fischer family had been really great.

"Tess, do you have any ideas what we can do for Stephanie?" Monica finally asked.

Andrew came over and sat down across from his friend. "All that I can sense is that she is experiencing a deep sense of pain."

Tess nodded in concurrence, "She's very unhappy, and it's effecting everything about her."

"Brad was right," Andrew said. "When we spoke earlier today, he mentioned that it could get much more desperate for Stephanie than just a nervous breakdown. I fear she will try something drastic because she sees no other way out."

Tess nodded, "I'm afraid so. The fact is; if someone doesn't find a way to break through this wall her mother has built around her, she will look for a way out. Stephanie is in a lot of pain right now, and she doesn't have too much strength left. Unfortunately, she does not yet know that God loves her, and that He wants to help her. She's so frightened, and as you know, fear is something that evil thrives on."

"A way out," Monica sighed sadly. "Oh Tess, what can we do?"

Andrew shook his head sadly. "Brad asked me to not mention anything about this to Patty. She's very worried about her friend."

Monica sighed sadly. "I tried to talk to Stephanie for about five minutes and all I could surmise was that she's petrified of her mother, and I even tried to find a way to talk to her without her mother being present, but I failed. Stephanie desperately needs to talk to someone, but because her mother is so obsessive about her, the chances of me getting another opportunity isn't too likely."

"Did you have any luck arranging anything?" Tess asked.

Monica shook her head, "Teresa expects to be everywhere her daughter is, and the only way to talk to Stephanie would be in the presence of her mother."

"That means; we can't do anything?" Andrew asked.

Tess nodded. "Yes, all we can do is pray for Stephanie, and ask the Father to give her the strength she lacks."

Monica sighed deeply. "Sometimes I wish I could go up to Teresa Zimmerman and just tell her the truth."

"You know we can't do that, Miss Wings. It might make things even worse for Stephanie." Tess said. "Besides, Teresa doesn't appear to want any of us to have contact with Stephanie."

"Why?" Andrew asked.

"Teresa saw you speaking with Patty at the rink, and she thinks that you would distract Stephanie's attention from her skating, and then Patty would win the next competition," Tess said softly, "Teresa would never admit it, but she's afraid that if her daughter has any contact with Patty, that Patty would conspire against her and win."

"That's absurd!" Andrew said sadly. "It doesn't do any harm to talk to someone, Patty's no more a conspirator than I am."

"I know, Angel Boy, and as absurd as it may sound, this is how things stand. We all know that this is a foolish idea, but that is how Teresa Zimmerman sees things." Tess said. "There are sadly, humans who are rather fanatical about things such as this. Teresa is trying to keep these barriers around her daughter so that she will have the glory if her daughter is successful."

"That's crazy," Monica said with compassion in her voice. "She should let her daughter live her life."

Andrew's eyes brimmed with unshed tears. "We have to help her, if this goes on much longer I will have to take Stephanie home. She is a prisoner of her mother's desires, and I don't think it's right."

Monica nodded sadly, "I know, when I talked to her, Stephanie was more concerned about her mother's reaction than she was about her skating."

"Can someone really be so afraid of someone else like that?" Andrew asked.

"Humans do fear it, they want acceptance by their parents, it's hard for them if they feel they fall short of that," Tess said.

"You're right, and when I talked to Stephanie I felt her fear for her mother. She wanted to come back inside and said that if she disobeyed her mother, that she would kill her," Monica said softly. "I suppose whether this is right or wrong, this fear does exist in her, and she has lost the courage to confront it."

"Yes, but she's also 12-years-old, and it's like Gilda said, we can't expect Stephanie to stand up to her mother like this," Andrew said.

"That may be true, but right now, Stephanie will have to, or else she's going to live her life imprisoned by her mother's desires," Tess said softly.

"Yes, and when I spoke to her this afternoon, I realized that she believes, she is a prisoner and feels that she has no way out," Monica said sadly.

"You're basically saying that she has a sort of emotional or mental imprisonment," Andrew said. "So how will we break through that?"

Tess shook her head, "I don't know yet. The Father is the only one who knows, and perhaps through his guidance, we will be able to help those two special girls."

Andrew nodded, stood up, and walked into the kitchen.

*****

Andrew arrived at the ice rink early Saturday morning. As nervous as he was about putting on a pair of skates, he had really looked forward to the morning with Patty and Gilda. He hoped that something wouldn't ruin his morning with her, and in the back of his mind, he could not stop thinking about Stephanie.

As he made his way towards the door, which would lead inside, he saw Brad's mini-van pull into the parking lot and watched as Patty got out.

Upon seeing him, she smiled and waved.

He waved back and approached the mini-van. "Hi, Patty. Hi Brad."

"Good morning, Andrew. I see you're ready to take the plunge," Brad offered from inside the van. He made sure that Patty grabbed all of her things before he started the engine. "I'd stick around for awhile, but I've gotta go to the hardware store and pick up some things for the upstairs bathroom. Your mom will be here at two to pick you up."

Patty nodded, "You've already told me that three or four times already, Daddy. If she isn't here, then I will call a cab and see you later at home."

"If nobody's here, I'm sure I can drive you home," Andrew offered smiling. "Tess let me borrow the car, and she and Monica are working at the paper this morning. It's not far from here, so if your mom isn't here, I can take you home."

Patty nodded, "See, Daddy, you don't have to worry."

"It's my job to worry, you should know that by now." Brad said with a good-natured grin. "Have fun, and I'll see you later."

Patty turned to Andrew as her father drove away. "My dad, he's trying to play plumber. The sink in the upstairs bathroom has a drip, and he's gonna try and fix it."

"Do you think he can?" Andrew asked.

Patty shook her head, "I don't know, Mom and I have placed wages on whether or not he can. If he can't then I win and she's gonna boy me this really pretty green skating costume for next season." Patty grinned, "Actually, I hope he can, then I will have my own bathroom, since it's the one connected to my room. Right now I have to share a bathroom with Erika, and that's no fun." She laughed good-naturedly, "Oh well, let's go inside, Gilda probably isn't here yet and we can get you a pair of skates and I need to warm up. Gilda normally arrives 10 minutes or so after I arrive."

Andrew nodded and followed her inside.

"What size are you?" She asked as she approached a counter.

"I usually wear 11 and 1/2, I think." Andrew said.

Patty nodded and once she saw an older man approach the counter, she smiled at him. "Good morning, Mr. Guthrie."

"Patty, how are you?" The man broke into a huge grin upon seeing her.

"I'm fine, this is my friend, Andrew, and he's going to train with me today, can he borrow a pair of size 11 and 1/2 skates?" Patty asked.

The man's eyes fell on Andrew, who was standing a few inches behind Patty. He chuckled to himself, turned around, pulled a pair of skates from the shelf, and handed them to Andrew. "This is your first time skating, young man?"

Andrew nodded.

"Then you might want to wear socks, sometimes beginners get bad blisters."

Andrew nodded, "OK, thank you."

Patty grinned at the man, "You always look out for everyone, Mr. Guthrie."

"Well, that's just because you're my darlin'." The man began to laugh and Patty and Andrew joined him. "Oh yeah, I nearly forgot, Gilda called. She said that she's going to be a few minutes later than usual and you should do some warm up calisthenics, before you get on the ice. Not like I should be telling you that." The man smiled good-naturedly at Patty.

"You know me too well." Patty said giggling.

The man nodded, "My wife and I have owned this rink for the last 18 years, and Patty is the only girl we've seen who has more ambition than her coach and parents combined." He smiled fondly at the girl standing before him. "Yes sir, talk about a nice family. Martha, that's the missus, she's always talking about those nice Fischers and what a great group of people they are."

Patty Blushed. "Mr. Guthrie, you are always bragging about that."

"Yeah, but it's the truth, Patty." The man answered.

"I noticed that about them too," Andrew said honestly.

Thomas Guthrie beamed, "See, even your friend is observant."

Patty giggled and Andrew decided to change the subject. "I saw the competition two days ago, and it was really good."

"Yes, the competition was one of the highlights of the season. Usually this rink is used only for training." Mr. Guthrie answered with a smile. "But, they are renovating the rink where they usually have the competitions across town, and so we got lucky."

"How many people train here?" Andrew asked.

"About 10 girls in Patty's division, but we have all together over 60 who train here. The others train at the rink across town," came the answer.

At that moment, a woman's voice was heard, and Mr. Guthrie smiled at the two of them, "Gotta go, my wife is calling me. Have fun you two."

The man turned and walked away from the counter, but not before Patty called out once again. "OK, see you later, Mr. Guthrie."

Andrew nodded towards the man and followed Patty to the stands. Once there, he sat down, watched her lay her bag on the stands, and begin stretching. "I have to warm up every time I skate. That way I can do the triple jumps and stuff," she explained.

Andrew nodded untied his tennis shoes and pulled them off. He reached for one of the skates hesitantly and as he put one on, he spoke. "I haven't ice-skated in a long time."

"Don't worry about it, once you're out there, it'll come back," she said as she continued stretching. Andrew continued watching her for a few minutes and after about 10 minutes; she sat down next to him and untied her tennis shoes. Within seconds, she had her skates on and looked over at him as she tied the laces on her skates. "Come on, we all have to start somewhere."

"How many pillows am I gonna need for my bottom, then?" Andrew grinned at her and attempted to stand up.

"Oh, come on, how can you say that? Besides, it's not that hard." She looked at him, and smiled. "I'll show you how easy it is."

Andrew stood up and hesitantly followed her to the edge of the ice. "Where's the shallow end?" He asked jokingly.

Patty laughed out loud, "You chicken, come on, it's fun." She glided out onto the ice, and Andrew followed, a little wobbly, but finally he managed to skate out onto the surface of the ice keeping his hands holding onto the railing of the rink. He glanced over and could see Monica and Tess watching him. Both were in angelic form, and Patty could not see them. He flashed them an embarrassed smile as he grasped the rail, his fingers holding so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. "Father please give me the ability," he pleaded under his breath.

"This feels really different," he offered gritting his teeth and using his hands on the rail to push him along the ice. His hands refused to let go of the railing.