Angel Did You Know

8/9/2019 Angel Did You Know

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/angel-did-you-know 1/40

Chapter 1

It all started in Hawaii. Angel had just turned eighteen. She and her boyfriend, Christopher Heavens, were on a date at a romantic restaurant.

"Hi. Can I get you something to drink?" the waitress asked the couple."I'll take a coffee, please," answered Christopher."Cream?""Yes."The waitress turned to Angel. "And, you?""Iced tea, please.""Sweetened or unsweetened?""Sweetened.""Alright, I'll be right back.""Oh, Chris, this place is beautiful. How can you afford it?""Don't worry about it. I saved half of my allowance for this.""You still get an allowance at eighteen?"

"No, I meant from when I did have one.""Ohh!" Angel giggled."Angel? You know, we've been dating since you first came here from

England.""I know! I can't believe how long it's lasted!""You've really changed my life. Angel, I love you. I know this is kinda

sudden, but..." Chris pulled a diamond ring from his pocket. "Angel? Will youmarry me?"

Angel held out her hand as Chris placed the ring on her finger. "Yes!" shecried.

"Yes?!"

"Yes, I'll marry you, Baby!" Angel threw her arms around Chris and kissedhim. "And, it's just as well that you asked me to marry you, because... I havesome news."

"What?""I'm having a baby!"Chris suddenly lost his breath. "We're gonna be parents?""Yes! Oh, Chris, I've always wanted children. I've always loved children

so dearly. I know I'm only eighteen, but I'm ready for a child.""Angel, I'm ready, too. Why don't we make this wedding even more

special?""How so?"

"We can make it a Christmas wedding.""That's a wonderful idea! Why don't we have it on Christmas Day?""This is gonna be the greatest Christmas ever.""Aww, it sure is."After dinner, the couple went for a romantic walk in the park."So, how many kids do you wanna have?" Chris asked."Three. You?""Same."



"When I was little, I'd always dreamed of marrying a handsome prince.We would move into an enchanted castle and have three children. I think mydream is coming true. I'm marrying a special man with a heart of pure gold, andeven if we don't live in a real castle, wherever we live will be magic. As long aswe have our family, it'll be a dream come true."

"What kinda job do you want?""I've always wanted to do charity work at the church. I wanted to do allsorts of things to help less fortunate people."

"You're an amazing woman. No wonder, you're name is Angel, becauseyou're an angel."

"Aww, you sweet little thing, you!" Angel held Chris in her arms. "You'rean angel, too. You're my angel. You're my precious angel sent from God. Youdon't know how much you mean to me. Aww, I love you so much." She giggledand kissed him. "I'm so glad we're getting married."

The wedding was beautiful! There were Christmas lights scattered all over the church, and there was even a large Christmas tree at the alter. Angel was

wearing the most beautiful wedding gown in the history of beautiful weddinggowns. There was colourful glitter all over it. It zipped up in the front rather thanthe back, and the zipper was covered in sparkles. Even her shoes were glittery.She looked just like a Christmas angel.

The wedding was nearly over. The minister recited the vows. "And, doyou, Christopher, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife to have and tohold, to love, honour, and cherish, in sickness and in health, for as long as youboth shall live?"

Chris smiled at his bride. "I do.""Then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and

wife. Christopher, you may now kiss the bride."

As the couple exited the church, their parents ran to them with hugs,kisses, and tears of pure joy."I can't believe my little boy's married," Chris's mom sobbed. "It seems

like only yesterday when you were two years old. You were so cute. I remember when you used to run around the house in your little Mickey Mouse diapers. Youtold everyone you were Mickey Mouse."

Chris blushed. "Mom!""Aww, that's adorable!" Angel cooed.Chris's mom wiped tears from her eyes. "He was a cute baby, and now,

my baby boy's all grown up.""Awww, come here, Sweetie." Angel gave her a big hug and dried her

tears. "He may have grown up, but he'll always be your baby boy.""You're right. Now, you take care of him, okay?""I will. I promise."And so, she did. Angel was a wonderful wife and mother. She had given

birth to three beautiful girls. Her daughters' names were Mary Anne Heavens,Cheyenne Patricia Heavens, and the youngest, Abigail Jane Heavens. The threegirls took after her in many ways. They were all very kind and loving, and theyeven had beautiful singing voices, just like their mother. Most siblings fight and



bully each other, but these three girls were close friends.Mary was twenty years old, married to a wonderful man, Sean Adam

Young, and she even had a baby on the way. She was six months pregnant witha boy. Cheyenne was eighteen years old and in college, and Abigail was sixteenyears old, doing very well in high school.

Angel was fulfilling her dream of helping those in need. She worked at ahomeless shelter as a cook, a choir director, and most importantly, a friend. Shewas also in charge of several events that took place at the church, which was theshelter's neighbour. She made and served the food, gave gifts to the needy, andshe was kind to everyone there, including the other workers and the people shewas helping. She worked with her best friend, Delanie Griffin, at both the churchand the shelter. The two women enjoyed their jobs. Knowing that they weremaking a difference in other people's lives meant a lot to them. The job also paidvery well, so they were not only helping the needy. They were also making morethan enough to feed their families.

Delanie had been Angel's best friend since Angel moved to America from

England. Now, Delanie had five children of her own, including four daughtersand a son. Delanie's daughters were twenty-one-year-old Kyra Lynn Griffin,eighteen-year-old Erin Michelle Griffin, sixteen-year-old Melanie Olivia Griffin,and fourteen-year-old Jennifer Elizabeth Griffin. Her son, Alexander MitchellGriffin, was eleven years old. Like Angel's children, these siblings got along verynicely as well.



Chapter 2

It was nearly Christmas again. Angel and Chris had been married for almost twenty-one years, and their love for one another only grew stronger as theyears passed by. However, Angel had been hiding a secret from her family sincethat summer. She was too afraid to tell them the truth, because she knew itwould break their hearts.

Cheyenne's winter break had arrived, and she had just come home fromcollege. As she walked through the front door, Angel ran to her with tears of joyin her eyes. "Oh, Baby, welcome home!" She threw her arms around Cheyenneand squeezed tightly. "I missed you so much!"

"Hey, Mom!" Cheyenne greeted happily."How's college going for you?""Awesome! I aced all my classes.""I knew you would. You're a smart girl.""I really missed you, though."

"Aww, Sweetie, I missed you, too!" Angel hugged Cheyenne again. "I'm just so happy you're home for Christmas! We are going to have the mostwonderful Christmas of all! Mary's bringing her husband, and guess what else?She just had her baby!"

"Oh, my gosh! That's awesome!""Congratulations, Aunt Cheyenne."Cheyenne laughed. "Congrats, Grandma," she teased.Angel giggled. "Thank you for reminding me of that.""I'm just kidding.""I know, you silly. Let's go see your father and sister. They're very excited

about seeing you again."

Cheyenne followed her mom into the living room. "Daddy?"Chris looked up from his book. "Cheyenne! Welcome home, Honey!""Thanks, Dad. Where's Abby?""She's in the bathroom. She'll be out in a minute. Sit down. Tell me how

it's going in college.""She's aced all of her classes," added Angel. "Isn't that wonderful?""That's great. I'm very proud of you," said Chris.Abigail had just come out of the bathroom. She saw Cheyenne and

immediately ran to her with a hug. "Cheyenne!""Hey, Abby.""I missed you so much!"

"I missed you, too!""Abby, Sweetie, sit down with Daddy and Cheyenne," said Angel. "I want

us to have a family meeting.""Am I in trouble?" Abigail asked nervously."Aww, of course not, Baby. Nobody's in trouble. This is a good meeting.

I want to discuss Christmas this year.""Okay." Abigail joined her father and her sister on the couch while Angel

sat in a chair, facing the three.



"This year, I thought we would make Christmas even more special. I'mnot talking about buying fancy decorations. I think the simple things makeChristmas special. So, this year, why don't we have a dinner with the wholefamily, including Delanie and her children? What do you all think of that?"

"I think that's an awesome idea!" Cheyenne exclaimed. "So, who all's

coming besides them?""Well, my mum and dad, Daddy's parents, and my younger sister. Ithought we'd have Christmas dinner at the beach. There's an area with somepicnic tables we can use."

"That sounds like a plan," Chris agreed. "I'll bring my grill.""Oh, no need. There's already one there.""Oh, okay.""So, what do you all say to that idea?""I like it," said Abigail."Yeah, me, too," agreed Chris."Yeah, but why do you wanna make this year more special than the

others?""Well... all my children are growing up so fast, and I want to get a chanceto have a good Christmas with them."

"I like that idea. Mom, you always make Christmas special.""That's my job. Oh, I almost forgot! On Christmas Eve, there will be a

choir concert. The choir Delanie and I have been working with down at theshelter will be performing at the church. I would love for you all to come and hear them."

"Okay, cool!" Abigail responded.There was a reason why Angel was trying to make this a special

Christmas. It was because of the secret she had been afraid to reveal to her

family. The only person who knew her secret was Delanie. Angel knew she hadto tell everyone else very soon before things got any worse, but how could shetell them?

That very evening, Angel went out to dinner with Delanie for a girl talk."I've set up a picnic at the beach for all of us if you can come," said Angel.

She was explaining to Delanie what she had planned for a Christmas dinner."Sure, I'd love that!""Wonderful!"Delanie paused. "I take it you haven't told your family yet."Angel sighed. "No.""Angel, Honey, you've been putting this off for months now. Don't you

think it's time?""I know, but I'm too scared to tell them.""Honey, I know how hard it can be to tell something like this to your family,

but you can't keep this a secret forever. They'll eventually find out. Don't youthink it would be easier for them to hear it from you rather than a completestranger?"

"I guess so, but I know it's going to break their hearts.""No matter how they find out, it's gonna break their hearts, but it's better if



they hear the truth from you. Angel, you have to tell them the truth. I'll be therefor you if that'll help you any."

"You will?""Sure, Honey, you're my best friend. Look, you were there for me during

my divorce. I'll be there for you."

"Thank you, Sweetheart.""Come here." Delanie gave her best friend a big hug."Aww, I love you, Sweetheart.""I love you, too."



Chapter 3

The very next day, Angel and Delanie were rehearsing with the homelesschoir. At the moment, they were warming up all the voices, so they would beready to practice their numbers for the concert. They were finished warming upthe choir. Now, they wanted to hear the voices individually.

"Sara, let's hear your voice, Sweetie," said Angel.Delanie played the scale on the piano while Sara sang it."Beautiful voice, Baby. I love it. Bradley, let's hear you sing."Bradley did so."Wonderful job, Honey.""Thanks."Angel smiled at him. "Amanda, Sweetheart, let's hear you."Amanda was very shy. She tried to sing, but nothing came out. Solo

singing always frightened her."Sweetie, there's no need to be afraid. Try again."

Amanda did, but once again, she choked. "I can't do it.""Sweetie, you can do anything you set your mind to. Why don't you and I

work together after rehearsal, okay?""Okay."After rehearsal, Angel and Amanda got together privately. "Sweetie, why

are you so afraid to sing?" asked Angel."I suck at it," Amanda said shyly."Why would you think that?""I used to sing, and everyone said I sucked.""I'm sure that's not true. Why don't you sing a scale for me? Are you

alright with singing around just me?"

"I guess. I'll try.""Let's hear you."Amanda opened her mouth to sing, and a pure and beautiful voice filled

the room."Oh, Sweetie, that was wonderful! See? You don't stink at all! You have

one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard!""You really think so?""Aww, of course, Baby. I'm going to record you singing that scale, and I

want you to hear yourself." Angel grabbed a small tape recorder. She pressed"record" and handed it to Amanda. "Now, I want you to sing into the littlemicrophone. Then, I want you to play it back, so you can hear what a beautiful

voice you have."Amanda did so. She listened to the recording of her voice and smiled.

"Wow.""See? Now, isn't that beautiful?""Yeah.""You should be very proud of that voice. I think the people who said you

were no good were probably just jealous of you. I want you to take this taperecorder, and I want you to sing into it as much as you want. Sing your favourite



songs, or sing something silly. I just want you to hear how wonderful your voiceis, and I want you to know that there's nothing to be afraid of. When you sing infront of people, I want you to enjoy yourself."

"I can sing if others are singing with me. I get really scared when I have tosing by myself."

"Aww, Sweetie.""How do you handle it? Like, what do you do to not be so scared?""I just enjoy myself. I don't worry so much about messing up. When I

practice, I have a good time practicing, and because of the practice, I'm ready tosing in front of people. When I sing a solo, I don't worry about messing up infront of people. I just get up there and have loads of fun. Do you love singing?"

"Yeah, it's a blast.""Then, focus on that reason. Don't focus on stress. Just have fun. You

have such an amazing voice. Let the world hear it, and have fun sharing it.Amanda, you have so much potential. I believe in you, and I know you can dothis. You just have to believe in yourself."

"Thanks, Angel. You're the best teacher anyone could ask for.""Awww, I'm always here for you, Sweetie.""I think you have the sweetest voice in the world, and I wanna sing as

pretty as you.""I think you already have. Awww, you think I have a sweet voice?""Yeah, I love it so much. You should record a CD and give out copies to

the world, so everyone can hear it.""Aww, maybe I'll do that. Thank you, Sweetheart."



Chapter 4

That night, Angel had Delanie over for dinner. This was the night shewould reveal the secret to her family. Although, she knew it would only breaktheir hearts, she knew she had to tell them.

"Angel, these potatoes are terrific," said Delanie."Thank you, Sweetheart.""I have to agree with Delanie on that one," added Chris.Angel sighed. "Everyone, I have something important to tell you. It's

something I should've told you months ago, but I was afraid.""What's wrong, Mom?" asked Abigail."Well..."Just as Angel was about to tell her secret, the doorbell rang."I'll get it," Angel said as she sauntered to the front door and opened it.

She saw Mary, holding a newborn baby boy in her arms. "Mary!""Mom!"

Angel kissed her forehead. "Is that your baby?!""Yep, it is.""Aww, he's adorable! What's his name?""Niles.""Niles?""Yep, Niles Christopher Young. I named him after Dad.""Aww, that is such a beautiful name. Where did you come up with the

name Niles?""I watch a lot of Frasier. I've always liked the name Niles. Sounded so

cool.""Well, I adore that name. Come in and join us for dinner."

Mary carried her son into the kitchen."Guess who's here!" Angel singsonged."Mary!" everyone else exclaimed excitedly."Look who I brought with me," said Mary.Everyone looked at the baby in her arms."Aww, he's so cute!" Cheyenne cooed."I just had him last week. I wuv him so much. His name is Niles

Christopher Young. Daddy, I named him after you.""Thank you, Honey," said Chris. "You're a wonderful daughter.""Where's Sean?" asked Delanie."Oh, he's working late. He wants to get some extra hours in, so he can

take Christmas off.""Poor man," said Angel. "Well, sit down with us, Honey."Mary did so, and she placed her baby in the carrier she brought with her."So, Angel, what were you trying to tell us?" asked Chris.Angel sighed, terrified of what her family would say. "Well... the truth is...

I'm dying.""What?!""Mom, what do you mean you're dying?!" Cheyenne whimpered.



"I have cancer.""What?!""I found out last summer, and by then, it was too late to do anything. The

doctors only gave me six months to live."Cheyenne broke down. "No! No, this can't be happening! Mom, no!"

"I'm sorry, Sweetheart." Angel burst into tears. "I should've told all of yousooner, but I was too afraid. I'm so sorry, and I'll understand if any of you areangry with me and never want to speak to me again. I feel terrible. I really do.This is why I wanted to make Christmas extra special this year, because I wantedto cherish my last few weeks with the ones I love so much. I'm so sorry. Ishould've told you when it happened, and I feel terrible."

Cheyenne ran to her room, crying. She slammed the door behind her.Angel followed her. She knocked on her door. "Cheyenne?""Go away!" Cheyenne sobbed from inside the bedroom."Cheyenne, please talk to me!""I said go away!"

"Cheyenne, Baby, I'm not leaving you. I need to talk to you. Please letme in."Cheyenne opened her bedroom door."Baby, I know this is hard on you.""How could you possibly know?""I'm the one who's dying.""Gee, thanks for reminding me.""I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you at all, but you had to know the truth

sooner or later. I feel terrible for putting this off for so long. I know you're angrywith me, but I never asked for this."

"I'm not angry at you, Mom. I don't wanna lose you, and it scares the hell

out of me!""Sweetie, I'm scared, too. I'm terrified, but I want you to know that youcould never lose me. I'll always be there for you. Even if I'm not there physically,I'm still there in spirit. I'll watch over you. I'll protect you, and I'll always be thereto love you. Now, why don't you come back to dinner?"

"'Kay," Cheyenne sniffled as she followed her mother back into the kitchenwith the rest of the family.

"Hey, Honey, how'd it go?" Chris asked Angel.Angel wrapped her arm around Cheyenne. "She's very sad. Poor thing,

but I promised her I would be her angel in heaven. I promise the same to all of you as well. It's the least I can do to make things up to you for keeping this asecret for so long."

"Angel, we're not angry with you.""You're not angry?""No," Mary chimed in. "We all talked it over, and we decided that being

angry wouldn't solve anything. Mom, it's not your fault for having cancer, and weunderstand how scared you were to tell us."

"None of us wanna spend all this time being mad at you, when we could just enjoy the time we have left with you," added Abigail.



"I don't think God would want us to act like that, especially after whatyou've done for us and so many other people."

Angel smiled. "Aww, thank you for understanding, my sweet angels! Oh, Ilove all of you so much."

"Mom? We're gonna do the best we can to make this Christmas totally

amazing," said Abigail."Awww!""We love you so much!" Cheyenne sobbed."Aww, my little Cheyenne." Angel kissed her daughter's forehead.



Chapter 5

During rehearsals, the next day, Angel and Delanie were listening to eachindividual voice again.

"Daniel, let's hear you sing, Hun," said Angel.Daniel sang the scale while Delanie played it on the piano."Lovely job, Sweetie. Eric, let's hear your voice."Eric sang his scale."Excellent! Alright, Amanda, let's hear you, Honey."Amanda was very nervous and scared, but this time, she was able to sing

her scale very nicely."Oh, Sweetie, that was beautiful! Wasn't that beautiful, everyone?""Yeah," the others agreed."You have a great voice," said Delanie. "Don't be afraid to sing it out, girl.

That was great!"Amanda chuckled. "Thanks!"

The whole choir applauded Amanda."I'm so proud of you, Sweetheart!" Angel exclaimed. "I knew you could do

it!"Amanda couldn't help but smile. She was very proud of herself."Alright, everyone? Before we go on, I have something very important to

tell all of you, and it's not easy. It's probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to tell anybody. I had to tell my family last night, and that wasn't easy."Angel sighed. "I'm sick. I don't mean sick as in a nasty cold or a tummy ache.I'm very sick. I've been sick since last summer, but until recently, I only had thecourage to tell my dear friend, Delanie. I have cancer. I was diagnosed too late.I'm afraid the doctors can't do anything to save me. In fact, last summer, I was

given six months to live, and it's almost been that long. I'm afraid my time herewith all of you is running short." She brushed away several tears. "I'm so sorryfor keeping this a secret for so long. I was so afraid of breaking your hearts, butI've learnt that it only gets harder with time. I can't put it off any longer. I wantedto make this Christmas special for all of you, because it's the very last ChristmasI'll be able to give you. I want all of you to know how precious you are to me andhow much you mean to me. I love each of you with all my heart, and even after Itake my journey to heaven, I'll still love you very much. I'll be your angel. I'llwatch over every single one of you, and I'll protect you from harm. I'll be there tolove you. I'll never leave you, even when I leave this world and move on to thenext. I'll do whatever I can to help you through these tough times. You are all

my angels. You're like my own children. It's like, with every child I meet andbefriend, my family of children only grows. That means so much to me."

Every jaw in the room dropped. Every heart was in shock, and there wasnot a dry eye to be seen.

"Okay, let's start rehearsing."Nobody felt like singing. Their hearts were in too much pain."Would you all rather not sing today?"They shook their heads.



"Okay. I understand. Why don't we all just sit together, in a circle, and wecan talk instead? Come on." Angel led the group into the shelter's lounge. Allthe seats were set up in a large circle, and in the center was a coffee table with asmall Christmas tree on top. Everyone sat next to each other, in the circle.Amanda sat next to Angel. "I'm so sorry I made things harder for all of you, but I

had to tell you the truth. I never meant to hurt any of you or spoil your Christmas.""You didn't ruin anything," said Bradley. "You're the best thing that's ever

happened to us.""We were a bunch of teenagers with no homes and no families," added

Sara. "Then, you came along. You gave us a place to call home, and you madeus realise that we're all one big family. You made this our safe place."

"To others, this is a homeless shelter," Eric chimed in, "but to us, it's our home. It's where we live. I can't think of any better place to be than right here.From a stranger's point of view, we're just thirty poor kids, but you made us feelspecial."

Angel was very moved by their words. "Awww, you all really mean that?"The group left their seats and walked right up to Angel, giving her one hugafter another.



Chapter 6

Later on, Chris was wondering around the house, when he heard thepiano playing. Angel was playing and singing her favourite Christmas carol,Mary Did You Know . Chris stood outside the doorway to the music room andlistened to the angelic singing of his wife. He brushed away a few tears, thinkingof how much he loved her.

Angel had finished the song, and she came out and saw Chris, standingnear the door with tears in his eyes. She put her arms around him and kissedhim. "I love you," she whispered softly.

"I love you, too," he wept.Meanwhile, a frightened Abigail went to talk to her sisters. She found

them in Cheyenne's room, looking through some old photo albums."Hey, Abby," Mary greeted sweetly.Cheyenne saw the look on Abigail's face. "Are you okay?""I'm scared," Abigail sobbed. "I don't want Mom to die."

Mary comforted Abigail. "Aww, I know you're scared. I'm freakin' outhere. She's the best person in the world, but stop worrying so much about her dying. Just enjoy the time you have left with her. That's what she wants us todo. It's why she's making this Christmas a Christmas we'll never forget. Abs, it'sgonna be okay. She'll never be 'gone.' She's gonna be here with us forever, butyou have to believe in God. Come here. I think you could use a hug." Mary andCheyenne both gave Abigail a big group hug.

"Thanks, guys. Hey, what are you looking at?""It's an old photo album," answered Cheyenne. "It's pictures of us when

we were little. There's lots of pictures of Mom in here."Just then, Angel walked in the room. "Hi, my babies."

"Hey, Mom," Abigail replied."What are you looking at?""It's one of the photo albums of us when we were kids," answered Mary.

"We're looking at the pictures with you in them.""Aww, let's look through it together." Angel sat on the bed with the girls

and looked through the album of memories. "Awww, here I am, holding my littleAbby-Wabby when she was just a baby. Oh, Abby, you were so cute." Shekissed Abigail's nose. "And, now, look at you. You're practically a woman."

"Mom? Is that a picture of my first Christmas?" asked Mary, pointing to apicture of a baby, lying under a Christmas tree.

"Yes, it is, Precious. You were so adorable. We'd put you under the tree

as if you were our Christmas present, and I remember when I turned on the treelights. You were fascinated with all the pretty colours. You'd lie there and look atthe lights above you, cooing. Oh, you were so precious. Now, you have a babyof your very own. Where is Niles anyway?"

"He's in my room, asleep. I put him down for a nap.""Aww, you're so good with children. It brings me to tears.""Mom..." Mary sobbed, leaning on her mother's shoulder.Angel wrapped her arm around Mary. "Aww, come here, Baby. Come



here."Then, Cheyenne and Abigail started crying as well, and they leaned on

Angel's lap.Angel cuddled her daughters. "Oh, my poor babies!" She started crying,

too. "Please don't cry for me. I will never leave you, even when I do die. Aww,

everything's going to be alright, my babies."



Chapter 7

The next day, Mary and her husband, Sean, were taking a walk on thebeach. They had left their son with Cheyenne and Abigail.

"I'm scared, Sean," said Mary. "She keeps telling me everything'll beokay, but I'm still freakin' out here."

"I understand. I lost my dad to Lung Cancer.""How do you deal with it?""I talk to him every night. You know, maybe I can't reach out and touch

his hands anymore, but I can still feel him in my room. I can still hear his voice,and I talk to him. I tell him everything that's goin' on in my life. I tell him aboutyou... and Niles... and I can hear him talking to me."

"What does he say?""He says he's very proud of me.""I know why he said that, because I'm just as proud. You’re the best

husband I could ever ask for, and I think Niles would be saying you're the best

father he could ever ask for."Sean kissed Mary. "Your mom's probably just as proud of you as my dad

is of me... and as I am of you. She raised you well. There's not very manypeople as amazing as you and your sisters."

"Or, my mom.""Or, your mom.""Or, you.""Aww."Mary wept and sunk her face under Sean's arms. "Oh, God, Sean! Why

did it have to be my mom?! Why couldn't it have been me instead?""No, Mary, don't say that. Don't even think that. I need you here with me."

"I need her! Daddy needs her.""A lot of people need her.""Do you think that maybe a miracle will happen, and she won't die?""Maybe. You never know. The miracle I always look for is the ones you

love coming back from the dead.""Do you think that could happen with Mom?""I don't know. Maybe. It happened with Jesus.""You believe that story?""Yeah. I believe anything's possible. God's full of surprises.""Me, too. Yeah, God is awesome.""He is."

"Do you still hope your dad will come back?""Everyday.""Do you think it could happen?""I don't expect it to happen, but I believe in it.""Maybe I should start believing that, too.""Maybe.""Thanks, Sean.""Hey, I'm always here for you."



Chapter 8

Cheyenne was in the living room, watching television, when Angel camehome from work. "Mom?" She had made a decision, and she wanted to explainit to her mother.

"Hi, Sweetie," Angel greeted as she placed her purse on her desk and saton the couch with Cheyenne. "How's my little girl?"

"I'm not going back.""Back where?""Back to college. I'm taking this semester off.""Cheyenne, you need an education. You need to go back.""I don't want to.""You have to.""I'm not going back, Mom.""Oh, yes, you are going! You are my daughter, and I will not allow you to

throw your life away!"

"Mom, I'm eighteen! It's my choice, and I'm not throwing my life away! I'm just taking one semester off!"

"But, why are you doing this?!""I'm doing it for you! God, I just wanna be with you for the remaining few

weeks you have left in your life! I can't go back, knowing that my mom's dying,and I'm not there!" She burst into sudden tears. "Damn it, I wanna be there tohold your hand! I wanna be there to say goodbye to you! Jeez, is that sowrong?!"

"That's why you're doing this?""Yes, Mom, it is! I'm not throwing my life away, so before you go,

accusing me of being stupid, why don't you just listen to me?! God!" Cheyenne

ran off to her room in anger and once again, slammed the door. She crawledinto her bed, crying and bawling her eyes out. She hid her head under her pillowand the rest of her body under her blankets. She cuddled up with an old teddybear Angel had given her as a child.

Angel sat still for a moment with tears pouring out of her eyes. After somethinking, she got up, went to Cheyenne's room, and she knocked on the bedroomdoor. "Baby?"

"Go away, Mom!" Cheyenne screamed angrily. "I don't wanna talk toyou!"

"Cheyenne, I need to talk to you.""Why, so you can tell me how stupid I am for wanting to get the chance to

say goodbye to you?! Well, excuse me for caring!""No, that's not what I wanted to tell you, Baby.""Just go away! You don't even want me anymore, do you?"Angel opened Cheyenne's door and climbed into bed with her. She

removed the pillow from Cheyenne's head and held her. "Cheyenne, I waswrong. I should've listened to you before jumping in and criticising you. Baby, doyou really want to do this?"

"Yes!"



"Sweetie, you're eighteen. You're right. It is your choice. I can't make itfor you. I think it's so sweet that you want to stay home with me and hold myhand when I take my journey. I am so proud to call you my daughter. If youreally want to take a semester off of college and stay home with me, that's alrightwith me. It's your decision, and I will support you no matter what."

"Going back to college and leaving my sick mom at home is too hard for me. I love you so much. I won't be able to concentrate on my work when I'm toobusy worrying and wishing I was still home with the best mom in the world."

"Aww, I understand, Sweet-Cheeks. I think I would feel that way if I was incollege, and my mother was sick. I would probably do the same thing for her.Oh, Sweetie, I'm so sorry I hurt your feelings. I really should've listened to you."Angel kissed Cheyenne's cheek. "Will you ever forgive me, my sweet angel?"

"I forgive you.""Awww!" Angel held her daughter tighter."Mom?""Hmm?"

"Will you sing to me?""Sure, Precious." Angel kept holding Cheyenne as she sang Mary Did You Know . Her voice never sounded sweeter. Her singing brought tears toCheyenne's eyes, and she gently wiped them away.



Chapter 9

It was finally Christmas Eve, and the choir from the shelter was finallyprepared for their Christmas concert at the church. Delanie was accompanyingthem on the piano, and Angel was directing them. They all sang beautifully, withbreath-taking harmonies and truly amazing voices. There was not a soul in thatchoir that could not sing, and it was all thanks to Angel. Altogether, they sangtwelve wonderful Christmas songs and carols. Half of the songs had soloswritten into them, and every other singer agreed that Amanda's solo was theloveliest. Yes, she had been chosen for a solo in Silent Night . When it cametime for her to sing, she was no longer overtaken by fear. She had overcomethat fear, and she sang beautifully. She enjoyed it very much, just like she wastold to do.

Although there were twelve songs for just the choir, there was a thirteenthsong in the program. Angel had chosen to sing her favourite Christmas carol byherself. The choir hummed in harmony to create lovely background vocals, and

Delanie played the accompaniment on the piano. Angel's solo was breath-taking, and her voice was as sweet and as pure as the heart and soul of an angelsent from heaven above. There was not a single soul in the church with a dryeye. The one with the most tears in his eyes was Chris.

The concert was a huge success! The whole choir received major applause and cheering. However, it was Angel who had received a standingovation. Just by singing, she had touched many hearts, because they could allsee the kindness in her eyes.

After the concert, the choir gathered in the fellowship hall for a dinner prepared by Angel herself.

"So, Angel, what are you planning to do for Christmas?" asked Sara.

"I'm going to spend it with my friends and family. Tomorrow afternoon,we'll all be going to the beach, and we'll cook our dinner on the grill. We'll behaving a Christmas picnic on the beach, and I hope it'll be a Christmas mywonderful family will never forget."

"That sounds awesome!" said Daniel."It's gonna be amazing," Chris said as he sat at the table with his dinner."Oh, this is my husband, Chris," Angel said to the choir. "Chris, Honey,

these are the sweet angels I've been telling you about. Weren't they wonderfultonight?"

"You guys did a fantastic job," Chris agreed."We couldn't have done it without Angel," said Eric.

"I know I couldn't," said Amanda. "I never thought I would be doing a solo.Then, Angel helped me not be so afraid anymore."

"You got yourself a good wife, buddy," said Daniel. "Don't ever let her go.""I wouldn't dream of it," Chris responded.



Chapter 10

In the middle of the night, the kids from the shelter quietly snuck into thekitchen. However, Fran, the night cook was still working. She turned around andsaw the kids behind her. "Hi!" she greeted in a nasally voice. Yes, that was her natural voice. "What are you kids doing up so late? Is everything alright? Areyou hungry?"

"Actually, we came down here to make a surprise for Angel," answeredChanel.

"Oh, that's very sweet of you.""See, she's having a Christmas picnic on the beach for Christmas dinner,

and we wanted to make some really good food for her.""Well, can I help you with that? I love Angel. She's the nicest person I

know.""Sure!" Sara answered excitedly."Wait, so is she gonna be using that picnic area with the grill?"

"Yup.""Well, we don't need to make the food here then. Why don't we do it

tomorrow afternoon? Right now, we can just bake a cake for her.""That sounds like a plan," said Chanel.So, all night, Fran and the kids mixed, stirred, baked, and decorated a

delicious cake for Angel and her family. After the cake was finished, they hid it inthe refrigerator. Then, Fran made them a bedtime snack. Then, they all went tobed for a good night's sleep, so they would be well-rested for Christmas.

They weren't the only ones preparing a surprise this late at night. Angelwas up as well. She had driven down to the shelter with a stack of gifts. Thatnight, she snuck a present under the pillow of each child's bed while they were

fast asleep. Then, she went home again.



Chapter 11

In the morning, the kids from the shelter woke up and found their giftsunder their pillows. They met in the lounge to open them. To their surprise, theyeach received the same gift. It was a CD that Angel had recorded for them. Shehad sung some of her favourite songs, and she even added some of her ownwork.

Sara played her copy of the CD, using the CD player on the table near thetelevision. The kids were speechless when they listened to Angel's beautifulmusic.

"Just like her name, she's an angel," said Eric."And, she sings like one," added Chanel."Yeah, she does," agreed Patrick.All afternoon, Fran and the kids worked at the beach, cooking the food on

the grill, setting up handmade decorations, and setting the tables. By the timethey finished, the picnic area looked wonderful. They even had a portable CD

player with Angel's CD inside of it.Meanwhile, Angel and her whole family, including Delanie's family, were

preparing to head off to the beach for the celebration. She was not expectingany surprises. She had no idea what the kids from the shelter had done for her.She had packed enough food for the family she had invited. However, when theyall arrived, they were surprised to see the picnic area all set up for them. Angelgasped.

Fran and the kids jumped out from under the tables. "Surprise!" they allscreamed. "Merry Christmas, Angel!"

"Is this all for me?!" Angel asked in astonishment."Yeah, we worked really hard," said Chanel.

"We made the decorations ourselves," said Amanda."And, we cooked the food together," added Fran."Oh, I can't believe this!" Angel cried. "This is so sweet of you all! Thank

you so much!""You deserve it after what you did for us," said Daniel."Yeah, I mean, you turned a bunch of homeless kids into happy kids," said

Fran, "and you turned their homeless shelter into a home.""No one could ask for anyone better than you, Angel," said Sara."We love you," said Amanda.Angel's eyes filled with tears of joy. "Awww, I love all of you, too, and I

really appreciate what you've done for me. I guess I'm not the only one who

wanted to make this a special Christmas. You all did an excellent job, and I cantell from all the hard work and the effort you put into everything that it all camefrom your hearts. Thank you all so much."

"You're welcome, Angel," said Bradley."Oh, I love you all!" Angel dried her tears. "Now, before we eat, I have a

special gift for all of you. I have given it to you kids from the shelter, but I havenot yet given it to the rest of my family." She passed out more copies of her CDto her family and friends. "This is something I made for all of you, so you can



always listen to my voice. Even when I'm gone, I'll still be singing to you. Justplay your CDs, and curl up with a picture of me. It'll be like I'm there, holding youand singing sweetly to you. When I'm gone, I will never be gone for good. I'll stillbe here for all of you. I'll be up in heaven, watching over every one of you. I'll beyour guardian angel. I'll watch over you. I made this promise many times, and I

intend to keep it. I'll protect you from harm. I'll comfort you when you cry. I'llchase away your fears. I'll put a smile on your face when you frown. I'll nurseyou when you're sick, and most importantly, I'll love you for all of eternity. Mylove for you will never die. I don't care what you do. Even if you commit ahorrible crime, I won't love you any less. No, my love for you is unconditional,and it is undying. An angel always keeps their promises. I will keep mine,because I love you. I love each of you equally. Every person here with me is myfamily, and nothing can change that. Nothing will ever make me stop loving you,and every word I'm saying comes from my heart." She started to cry again. "Iwill love you, even after forever ends. My body may be deceased, but my heartand my soul will never let go of the love I have for you. Merry Christmas, my

angels."Everyone cheered and applauded for Angel, and then, it was time to eat."Your mom is so cool," Erin said to Cheyenne."I know.""So, are we riding back to college together, or do you wanna go alone?""Erin, I'm not going back.""What do you mean? You're not going back?""At least, not this semester, because... I wanna spend time with my mom.""Come on. You'll be able to spend plenty of time with her this summer.""No, I won't, Erin. Didn't you hear her? She's dying.""She meant when she dies, like later on in life, when she's old."

"Haven't you been listening to everyone? She has cancer! She wasdiagnosed last summer, and the doctors gave her a few months to live. She onlyhas, like, a few weeks, or even days left to live. There's no way I canconcentrate on my studies when my mom is at home, sick, and I'm a zillion milesaway. I'm sorry, Erin. I can't do it."

Erin's face scrunched up in shock and sadness. "I'm sorry, Cheyenne. Ididn't realise."

"I'm sorry I lost my temper.""No, you're a redhead. They say that redheads are sassy."Cheyenne laughed at Erin's joke through her sadness. "Yeah, we are

sassy.""Just please promise me you'll call me.""I promise.""And, I'm gonna call you, too, and see how your mom's doing, 'kay?"Just then, Chris tapped his spoon against a glass to get everyone's

attention. "Uh, excuse me!" he announced. "May I have everyone's attention,please? I have a toast to make."

Everyone stopped talking and listened."Thank you. I don't believe I'm lying when I say... that this has been the



most amazing Christmas yet. When I found out my wife was dying of cancer, itbroke my heart, but hearing her talk about cherishing the time we have left withher, well, it opened me up. Every night, when we're in bed, I hold her close, andeveryday, I look forward to her coming home from work. It means I get to spendthe rest of the night with the woman I love. God forbid, I know I'm not the only

one that loves Angel. She's done a lot for this town. She's given food to thehungry. She's given shelter to the cold, and she gave thirty lucky kids a home.I'm starting to see that shelter as a place for them to call their own. The peoplethat work there are very kind. The food is amazing. The beds and the furnitureare very comfortable. The place is full of fun things to do, and there are thirtypeople living there and calling it their home. If I lost my house, that's the firstplace I would turn to for a home, because you get nothing but love when you livethere. Angel has made it into the most wonderful place on Earth. She has madeso many people happy, and we will all miss her very much. So, here's a toast inhonour of the sweetest angel on Earth, Angel Marie Love Heavens. To Angel!"

"To Angel!" everyone repeated as they joined in the toast.

At the end of the dinner, all the kids from the shelter gave Angel big hugs,because they wanted a chance to let her know how much they loved her. Shecould be gone the next day.



Chapter 12

That night, Angel and her family were cuddled up in the bed, in her room,watching some old home videos while in their night clothes.

"This was the best Christmas ever," said Cheyenne."Aww, it was, wasn't it?" Angel agreed. "Ohh, look at that!" she cooed,

pointing to the television screen. It was Mary when she was only five years old.This took place at the very same park that Chris and Angel always loved to walkin. Mary was playing on the swing, and Angel was pushing her.

"Mommy, push me higher," said Mary."Higher?""Yeah, I wanna touch the sky with my feet.""Aww, I think you're almost there. One more push, and you'll have

reached your limit.""Yay!"Angel giggled while watching the video of Mary swinging. "Aww, Mary,

you were adorable!"Then, the scenery changed to Cheyenne jumping on a trampoline at age

three. She was wearing a pink dress with white bunny ears attached to her head. She was holding a basket filled with candy. The basket had a lidattached, so none of the candy fell out while Cheyenne was bouncing. "Mommy,look at me! I'm the Easter Bunny!"

"I see you! You look adorable, Baby! What are you going to do with allthat candy?"

"I'm gonna dewiver it to the childwen.""Aww, you're a very sweet little bunny, Honey.""I get it fwom you, Mommy."

"Awww! You think Mommy's sweet?""Uh-huh."Then, the scenery changed again. It was Abigail when she was only a

year old. She was lying in her mother's arms."Aww, hi, Abby-Wabby. It's Mommy. Aww, aren't you adorable?""Ma-ma!""Awww, I wuv it when you speak to me.""Ma-ma!"Angel held Little Abigail and sang her a sweet lullaby.Angel cried while watching the video. "I can't believe how much you all

have grown."

Cheyenne cried as well. "God, Mom, I love you so much.""Aww, Baby, I love you, too. I love all of you. My life has been very short.

I've only lived for thirty-nine years, but you all have made this short life soprecious and wonderful. I hope I've left enough pieces of me with you, so you'llfeel like I'm still here. I don't want you to feel I've left you."

"Mom, no, we wouldn't think that about you," Mary said sweetly. "Youcan't help being sick. Mom, I'm gonna talk to you every night. I'm gonna tell youwhat's going on in my life."



"And, I'll answer you. I'll listen to everything you say, and I will answer you, Sweetheart."

"And, I'm gonna tell Nilesy how awesome you are. I think he should get achance to know his grandmother."

"I'll be there for Nilesy, too, Sweetie." Angel kissed Niles's forehead.

"Yes, I will. Granny's gonna be here for you, Baby. Yes, she is, Baby."Niles cooed."Aww, isn't that a sweet little coo?"Mary giggled. "Yes, it is. Did my Nilesy just coo at Gwanny? Isn't

Gwanny sweet? Yes, she is." She tickled Niles and saw him smile at her."Aww, wook at your wittle smiley." She made kissing sounds at him.

"You're such a good mother, Sweetie, and I'll be watching you mother your children. I know you'll raise them well."

"Mom?" Abigail chimed in."Yes, Baby?""Can we stay in bed with you tonight?"

"If it's alright with Daddy, of course."Chris nodded. "It's fine with me, kids.""I'm gonna put Niles down for bed," said Mary. "I'll be right back." She

carried her son into her room, gently placed him in his bassinet, and left the roomwith the door open, so she could hear him if he cried. Then, she crawled intobed with her parents and sisters.

"Come here, all of you," Angel said gently as she cuddled up with her family. "These past few years with all of you have been amazing. First, Chrisand I get married, and we have a Christmas wedding. Then, we have threebeautiful children. I can't tell you just how truly blessed I am to have daughtersand wonderful and as kind as you three, or a husband as strong and as sweet as

Chris. I couldn't have asked for a better blessing. You all have made my lifesomething special. I've only been alive for such a short time, but you all made itworth everything I went through. God bless you all, my precious angels. I loveeach of you. I know I keep saying it, but I want to make sure you know it. I trulydo love you with all my heart." She kissed each forehead. "Good night, myangels. Merry Christmas." Then, she held them all in her arms as she sang tothem for the last time. She sang to them again, but this time, it was a lullaby.She kissed them once again. Then, she closed her eyes, but this time, it wasforever.



Chapter 13

In the morning, everyone else had already gotten out of bed, butCheyenne slept in. After about an hour, she woke up, still in her mother's arms."Mom?" She tried to wake her up. "Mom, it's time to get up." She gently tappedher. "Mom? Mom." She suddenly felt very frightened. "Mom, wake up! Mom,are you okay?!" She paused, realising what had happened. "Oh, my God.Dad?!" she screamed as she ran out of the bedroom, down the hall, and into thekitchen, panicking. "Dad!"

Chris jumped. "Cheyenne, what's wrong?! Is everything okay?""No! It's Mom! I can't wake her up!""Oh, no. Guys, come on," Chris said to Mary and Abigail.They all hurried back to the bedroom to see if Angel was alright."Mom!" Mary called. She bent over her mother and listened for breathing.

"She's not breathing.""No..." Abigail whimpered.

"Guys, I'm sorry," Mary said as she started to cry. "She's gone."Everyone else burst into tears, and even Niles cried. They all huddled up

into a group hug, crying and sobbing.Right then, Delanie, her children, and Sean entered the house."Angel!" Delanie called."Mary?!" Sean called.They found everyone in the master bedroom, still holding each other and

crying."Hey, what's wrong?" asked Kyra."She's gone," Cheyenne bawled."Oh, my God!" Delanie cried.

The entire group was in tears. They all held each other as they cried their broken hearts out.

Three days later was the funeral. The entire town was there, and everymember of Angel's family was there. Angel was loved by many people, becauseof her kindness and love.

Everyone gathered around Angel's coffin, shedding millions of tears. Eventhe minister was crying as he spoke. "We are gathered here today to honour thelife of Angel Marie Love Heavens. Angel was a rare soul. She was a saint in thistown, and she will be missed deeply. If anyone has a few words to say, now isthe time to say them."

The crowd was silent, until Mary spoke. "Um, I have something to say."

She stood tall while giving her speech. "Angel was my mother. She was thebest mother in the world. My whole life, she was there for me, and she gave menothing but unconditional love. I remember when I was only seven years old,and I broke my arm in gym class. She was there for me. I don't think my armwould've healed as fast as it did if she wasn't there for me. When I had my firstcrush in seventh grade, she helped me to not be so scared of telling that boy howI felt. If it wasn't for her advice back then, I wouldn't be married to the besthusband in the world." Mary began to cry. "Every time I cried, she made me



smile again. She dried my tears, and she gave me a hug. I miss her hugs. It'sso hard to believe she's gone, because she was always there. I would turnaround, and she'd be standing right there. I never thought I'd see the day whenthat would all end. I never expected it to happen so soon, but it did. And, nowthat she's gone, nothing's ever gonna be the same again. Now, I have to listen

to people telling me to be strong, and I am not looking forward to it. How am Isupposed to just act like everything's alright? I mean, isn't that like lying? Momtaught me not to lie, so I won't. She taught me a lot of things. I miss her somuch! Goodbye, Mom."

Then, the shelter's choir sang a melancholy song of a lost loved one.Many people know this moving ballad as Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton. Thevoices were as pure as a choir of angels, and the harmonies were stunning.



Chapter 14

It was very hard for the family to adjust to Angel's departure. It was NewYear's Eve, but no one felt like celebrating. It just wouldn't be the same withoutAngel there. They went out to a dance for New Year's Eve, and they tried tohave fun. They danced, but they couldn't help but feel empty inside with Angelnot there. When it was time to celebrate the arrival of a new year, they couldn'tcheer. All they could do was feel brokenhearted.

Mary was in bed with her husband, but before she could sleep, she had totalk to Angel, just like she promised. She grasped Angel's picture as she spoketo her. "Mom? Hi, it's Mary. I'm sorry it took so long for me to start talking toyou, but here I am. Well, we went out for New Year's Eve, but we didn't haveany fun. Trust me. We tried. We tried to act like we were okay, but like I said atthe funeral, we can't lie, not even to ourselves. It's gonna take a while beforethings get back to... well... not normal, but better. You always told us to let timeheal our wounds. It's like when you fall down. You can't pretend the bruises

aren't there. You have to let them heal with time. When you feel the pain, it'sokay to cry it out. That's what you always told us. I'm never gonna forget thethings you taught me. If it wasn't for you, I really don't think I would be thewoman I am today. Mom, thanks. Thank you for making me a good person.Thank you for not letting me fight with my sisters. I see a lot of stupid siblingrivalries, and I hate them. You always made me think of how much I love mysisters. They're awesome people, and every time I look at them, I can see you. Ilook at Nilesy, and I see you in him. You'll always leave a part of you with everynew member of the family. Someday, Niles will get married, and he'll see you inhis child. I miss you, Mom. I love you. Good night, Mom."

Mary and Sean cuddled up in each other's arms. Sean stroked Mary's

hair. "Are you gonna be okay?""I don't know. Not for a while, I guess.""It's okay. I know how you're feeling.""Did you feel that way when your dad died?""Yes, and I still do at times.""This is really hard.""I know, and it's not gonna get easier. It's just gonna get shorter. That's

what I learned in psychology.""You wanna be a psychologist?""I'm thinking of it.""I think you'd be a good one."

"Either that, or I might start working at the same shelter your mom workedat."

"I might do that, too. I might even take her place as the choir director.""I think you should, because you have a beautiful voice.""Thanks. I think it was really cool how she came up with the idea to start a

choir at the shelter.""Yeah. Now, you can do what she did.""I always wanted to follow in her footsteps. What did your dad do for a



living?""He was a psychologist.""Did you always wanna be like him?""Yes.""Do you still wanna follow in his footsteps?"

"I think so.""Then, go for it. My mom always encouraged me to follow my dreams.""So did my dad.""Well, if it's your dream to be a psychologist, you should go for it. I think

you'd make a great doctor.""I think you'd make a great choir director.""Do you, now?""Well, duh," Sean flirted. "You got the genes."Mary chuckled. "Sean? Do you mind if I play Angel's CD?""No, go right ahead. You can even put the CD on repeat.""Thanks." Mary inserted the CD into the drive on the CD player on the

dresser. She set it, so it would repeat the entire CD. Then, she crawled backinto bed with Sean. "I love listening to her sing.""Yeah, she had a beautiful voice, didn't she?""Mm-hmm.""Just like you.""Oh, hush up," Mary flirted.Sean laughed."You know, I listen to that CD all the time, and it's like she's still here.""Yeah, it's like she's in this room, but she really is. Her spirit's in here.""I know. I can feel it.""Me, too."

"If you close your eyes, you can see her standing over you."Sean closed his eyes. "Yeah, I can.""What does it look like she's doing?""Well... it looks like she's bending over us to say good night. She's kissing

us good night. Now, she's singing to us, but her lullaby never ends. It lasts allnight and all day, and it gets more and more amazing with time. What do yousee her doing when you close your eyes?"

"I see the same as you.""Now, you know everything's gonna be okay.""I do now. Well... I'm going to sleep. Good night, Sean. Good night,

Mom.""Good night, Mary. Good night, Angel." Sean pulled the covers over his

and Mary's heads, kissed his wife good night, and the two fell asleep in eachother's arms with the presence of Angel lingering over them.

The next day, Mary and Sean went for a stroll in the park. "This wasMom's favourite park," said Mary. "She and Daddy used to come here all thetime. Actually, this is where she's buried."

"Really?""The mayor said this park is now a historic park, because it was Angel's



favourite. So... we got permission to bury her here.""Where's her grave?""I'll show you." Mary led him to a spot near the creek. There was a

stump, and a few feet in front of the stump was Angel's grave and her gravestone. "She loved to sit on this stump and look out at the creek. She loved

looking at nature.""I can see why. It's beautiful here.""Look what her gravestone says.""'In Memory of Angel Marie Love Heavens'...""No, not that part. This part." Mary pointed to a small passage written on

the stone."'Angel, did you know... that you're God's angel? Did you know that he

delivered you from heaven? Did you know that you'd, one day, change theworld, from a place of weapons, bombs, and hatred, to a world of love, laughter,and sunshine? Angel, did you know that you would be remembered, thousandsof years from now? Angel, your memory will forever be treasured, and you will

forever be loved by many people who read and learn about you in the historybook.'""Cheyenne wrote that.""Wow. She's quite the poet.""She sure is. Remember last night, when I said that I see my mother in

my sisters?"Sean nodded."It's true. I really do see her in them.""I know what you mean. I can see her in you.""I think I can see her in you, too. She must've rubbed off on you.""Maybe she's in everyone. She's a part of everyone who knew her."

"I think you're right."The water in the creek chuckled softly as Mary and Sean kissed.



Chapter 15

It was a year later, and once again, the Heavens Family was preparing for Christmas. However, they knew in their hearts that it wouldn't be the samewithout Angel. Throughout the year, they started feeling a little better, but theynever could get over the emptiness they felt inside.

Mary's baby was now a year old, and so far, she and Sean were enjoyingparenthood. Nineteen-year-old Cheyenne had met a boy in college. It turns outthat he was one of the kids from the shelter. He had gotten a job and wasaccepted into college. His name was Michael. As for Abigail, she wasseventeen years old and a senior in high school. She was applying to the samecollege that Cheyenne was attending.

On Christmas Eve, Mary and Sean stayed up for a little while, talking tothe parents they had lost.

"Hi, Mom.""Hi, Dad."

"Well, it's Christmas again, but you're not here this year. You're not herephysically, but you're here in spirit. Still, it's not the same. Mom, I wish you couldbe here."

"I miss you, Dad. I've been praying and hoping that you'd come back. Istill believe you might someday, or I'll come to you."

"Niles is a year old now. He's finally walking, and he's trying to talk. It'sthe cutest thing. I'm sure if you were here, you'd go, 'Aww, Nilesy talked! Aww,that's so precious!' Mom, I miss hearing you say things like that. I loved talkingto you. You always made me feel loved."

"I wish you could see our son. He's growing up so fast, and my wife...she's the best."

"You know, Mom, I may get a lot of stuff for Christmas, but I would trade itall away just to have you back."

"I miss you, Dad.""I miss you, Mom.""Merry Christmas.""Happy New Year."Then, the couple fell asleep.



Chapter 16

In the morning, Mary, Niles, and Sean were with the rest of Mary's familyat the breakfast table. They were all having pancakes in the shape of aChristmas tree. It was a Heavens family tradition. After breakfast, everyonegathered around the tree in the living room to open presents.

"Oh, my gosh!" Abigail exclaimed, opening her present. "Thanks, Dad!"She had received a blank diary.

"You're welcome, Honey," Chris replied with a smile.Cheyenne opened her gift as well. "Aww, this is so beautiful!" She had

gotten a locket with an angel in the center."It was your mother's," said Chris. "She told me to give it to you.""Thanks, Dad!""You're welcome, Honey. Mary, I didn't forget you. You have a Christmas

present, too." Chris picked up a fairly large gift and handed it to Mary. "I thinkyou'll like it."

Mary opened it and almost cried when she flipped through the pages of the book she was given. "These are pictures of Mom."

"Yes, they are. Last Christmas, your mom put all of her pictures into aphoto album for you."

"Thanks, Daddy.""You're welcome.""You know, I think Mom should be thanked, too.""I agree.""What about my diary?" Abigail inquired."That was also your mother's," said Chris. "Well, she bought it, but she

never used it. She was keeping it to give to you someday. I figured now was the

perfect time." Chris grabbed another present from under the tree. "Oh, Sean,this one's for you. It's also from Angel."

Sean opened his gift and found another photo album. This was an albumof pictures of Mary, growing up. "Mary, is that you?" he asked, looking throughthe album.

"Yup.""You were a cute kid."Mary blushed. "Thanks, Sean.""Angel wanted you to see how cute your wife was when she was a kid,"

said Chris."She was very cute," agreed Sean.

"Hush up," Mary flirted.Sean laughed."Oh, and Angel left something for Niles, too." Chris picked up the last gift

from under the tree, and he handed it to Mary. "He might be too young for it rightnow, but he'll love it when he gets older."

Sean opened the gift and saw that it was a diary with the pages filled withwriting. He skimmed through a few pages and tried not to cry. It was a diary thatAngel wrote and kept her whole life, since she was thirteen years old. "This is so



touching," he said. "I think Mary and I can read this to Niles at night. It can behis bedtime storybook."

"That's a great idea, Sweetie," Mary agreed. "Niles should learn from hisgrandmother's life, and I really want him to get a chance to know who she was."

"We'll start reading to him tonight."

"Niles will love that," Chris agreed."Dad, what did Mom leave for you?" asked Abigail."I already opened it," Chris replied, grabbing a beautiful, white, crochet

blanket from the couch. "She knitted this for me.""Aww, that's so pretty," said Cheyenne."So, what are we gonna do for Christmas today?" asked Abigail.Chris sighed. "I don't know.""We could go to the movies," Cheyenne suggested."Maybe we could.""I have another idea," Mary chimed in. "We could go to Mom's favourite

park and let Niles play. I think it's time to start taking him to the park. Plus, this

particular park is our family park now.""That's a great idea, Honey," Chris responded.Abigail laughed."What's so funny?" Cheyenne asked."Just how many times Mary said 'park.'"Cheyenne and Mary laughed."So, Nilesy, are you ready to go to the parky?" Mary asked.Niles jumped up and down. "Parky!""Okay, Sweetie. Mommy's gonna go get ready, and we'll go in a little

while, okay?" Mary kissed Niles's nose and rushed to the bathroom to put a fewtouch-ups with her makeup.

When Mary came out of the bathroom, she heardMary Did You Know

,playing on the piano in the music room. The strange thing is that everyone wasin the kitchen. "Dad? Did you hear the piano?" she asked.

"Yeah, I did.""No one was even in the music room. How can the piano play by itself?"



Chapter 17

They continued the discussion while walking to the park."That was really weird," Cheyenne commented. "Do you think it could've

been Mom?""I don't know," said Chris. "Maybe we were hearing things.""We all heard it," Abigail pointed out. "There's no way we were just

hearing things.""Maybe it was your mom," Sean agreed.The family arrived at the park within minutes."Come on, Nilesy," said Mary. "Let's go play in the sandbox. Come on,

Sean."Sean followed his wife and son to the sandbox."Hey, kids," Mary said to the children in the sandbox."Hi!" the kids greeted."This is my son, Niles."

"Hi, Niles," said a little girl. "I'm Lily.""Wiwy," Niles said to Lily."He's just learning to talk," said Mary. "Is it okay if he plays with you

guys?""Yeah!" the children cheered."Who are you?" asked a little boy."I'm Mary.""Are you Angel's daughter?""You know my mother?""Ah-hah. She gave me this shirt." The boy was wearing a T-shirt that said

"Peace" on the front.

"Oh, I like it!""Thanks.""How did you know I'm her daughter?""You look like her."Mary blushed. "Aww, I'm flattered.""I'm sorry she died.""Thanks. Me, too.""Do you miss her?""Like crazy.""I miss my mom and dad, too.""What? You lost both your parents?"

"Yeah. They died in a fire.""Aww, I'm so sorry!""I'm a foster kid.""Aww, I'm sure that's really hard on you.""My foster parents hate me.""What?! Why would they hate you? You're so nice!""They won't stop yelling at me. Everything I do is wrong. I get timeouts all

the time, and they hit me."



"Oh, my gosh.""I wish you were my mom.""Maybe I can talk to those jerks and have you adopted.""You mean you'd be my mom?""Sure! I can't replace your real mother, but I can treat you a lot better than

your foster parents do. Oh, and by the way, I forgot to ask you. What's your name?""I'm Joshua.""Joshua? That's a nice name.""I like your name, too.""Thanks. How old are you?""Eight.""So, where are your foster parents? I'm gonna go talk to them right now.""They're over there." Joshua pointed to a bench with two people sitting on

it, scowling. "I'm warning you right now, Mary. Be careful. They're really, reallyevil."

Meanwhile, Cheyenne, Abigail, and Chris were sitting by the creek, havinga nice, cool cup of lemonade while looking at the atmosphere around them."Wasn't this Mom's favourite spot?" asked Abigail."Yes," answered Chris. "Yes, it was. We came here all the time. We'd sit

here and talk.""What did you guys talk about?" asked Cheyenne."Us, our marriage, our family, and how much we loved each other. We

always promised each other we'd be together forever.""That's really sweet," said Abigail."I can't believe it's been a whole year now," added Cheyenne. "It doesn't

really seem that long ago... when she was here. If that was her, playing the

piano, that would've been so awesome. Probably the best Christmas presentever." She paused and thought for a moment. "What if that really was her?""Yeah, what if it was?" added Abigail."Dad, do you think it could've been her?""Hmm. It could've been," Chris agreed. "I agree with you, Cheyenne. If it

was her on the piano, that would've been the Christmas present of my life. Theone thing I prayed for was to have her back."

"That was our prayer, too. Mary always kept telling us to believe in thedead coming back to life. She told us not to expect it to happen, but just believein it."

"Yeah, that's what she told me, too.""I agree with her. I mean, who says there isn't magic in this world? I know

we have to face reality, but it doesn't mean magic doesn't exist.""No, it doesn't. I mean... I met a woman as wonderful as your mother.

Meeting people like her is just like magic.""And, didn't she always teach us to believe in the impossible?""Yes, she did.""Eww, there's a bug in my drink!" interrupted Abigail.The two girls laughed.



"Dad, can I have another one, please?!" Abigail laughed."Yes. Cheyenne, we'll be right back." Chris and Abigail left to get a fresh

drink.Cheyenne remained on the stump. She stared at the gravestone. Then,

she looked at where her mother was buried. Feeling a few tears rolling down her

face, she started to sing Mary Did You Know . When she finished the first verse,she heard a familiar voice singing the second. Soon, she and the voice weresinging together, but she didn't realise who it was, until the song ended, and shelooked up. She lost her breath when she saw who was standing right in front of her. She could barely speak. She stood up and looked deep into the person'seyes, and she knew who it was. "Mom? Is it you?"

"Yes, Baby. It's me.""You're alive?""God said that I belonged here on Earth with you all, so he gave my life

back to me.""Oh, Mom!" Cheyenne sobbed happily, throwing her arms around her

mother. "I missed you so much!"Angel squeezed Cheyenne and kissed her cheek. "Aww, Sweetie, Imissed you, too, but all this time, I was watching over you."

"I know you were.""I saw all of you trying to overcome your sadness, and I couldn't bear to

see you suffering. You were very strong, though.""Thanks.""So, where are Abby and Daddy?""They went to get another lemonade. Abby found a bug in hers."Angel giggled. "Oh, poor thing.""They'll be back in a second."

"Where's Mary?""She and Sean took Niles to the sandbox.""Aww, that sweet little boy's growing up so fast. He's already a year old,

and he's learning to talk. Mary and Sean are wonderful parents.""Yeah, they're awesome. Damn, wait until everyone sees you here! It's

gonna be the best thing that ever happened to them... just like it was for me!Mom, you're the best Christmas present ever. Are you here to stay?"

"Awww, Baby, come here." Angel wrapped her arms around Cheyenne,sat down on the stump with her, and held her close. "I'm not sick anymore. Godmade me a healthy person again, and he told me to come back to Earth to takecare of the ones I love. This time, I'm not leaving. I'm here to stay for a very longtime. I promise."

Soon, Chris and Abigail had come back with more lemonade."Cheyenne, we're back," said Abigail.Then, they both noticed who was sitting next to Cheyenne.Chris walked right up to Angel and looked her in the eye. "Angel?"Angel jumped up from the stump and threw herself around Chris. "Chris,

it's me, Baby! It's me!" She kissed him. "I'm here to stay."Chris was confused. "But... how did this happen?"



"God gave me back my life. I'll explain it all later. Right now, I just want tobe with the ones I love."

"Mom!" Abigail exclaimed.Angel turned to Abigail. "Oh, Abby-Wabby, I didn't forget you, Sweetie!

Come here, my precious!" She gave her youngest daughter a big hug and a

sweet kiss on the cheek. "I missed you, my sweet.""You came back!""Yes, I did, and I'm not leaving anymore. Did you get the little buggy out

of your drink?"Abigail snickered. "Yeah.""That's good. Why don't we go see how Mary's doing?""Okay."Mary was trying to reason with Joshua's foster parents. "He's just a kid!

Why do you treat him like some common criminal?!""Listen, little girl, I don't have time for this!" the father shouted."Okay, number one, I am not a little girl, you idiot. I'm twenty-one years

old! Number two, I don't care how much time you have. You have no right toabuse him! Gosh, all he wants is a mom and dad that love him! He's alreadylost his real parents! Do you really wanna make things harder for him? Don'tyou ever think of anyone other than yourselves?!"

"We hate kids!" the mother growled."Then, why are you foster parents? You know, you shouldn't even be

allowed near children, and I'm gonna make sure no child has to deal with your crap anymore. I'm adopting Joshua, and I'm gonna give him something youcould never give him."

"And, what's that?" the father sneered."Love. I have a son of my own, and I would never treat him the way you

treated Joshua, and you know why that is? It's because I love him, and I'm not astupid asshole like you two."Angel was watching and listening to the whole argument, and she was

knocked for six at her daughter's courage. She brushed away a few tears. "Oh,she's so brave. I'm so proud of her."

"Fine!" the mother snapped. "Take the little brat.""Good," Mary replied. "I'll be by tomorrow morning with some papers to

sign. Now, I'm taking Joshua home with me. He's gonna spend Christmas withmy family."

"Thanks, Mary," said Joshua.Mary picked him up in her arms. "Hey, I'm not letting those idiots hurt you

anymore. Tomorrow, I'm gonna call the cops and have them arrested for childabuse." She gave them a very dirty look. "Oh, and by the way," she shoutedback at them, "Joshua is not a little brat! He's an angel!"

"Can I start calling you Mom?" Joshua asked Mary."Sure." Mary carried Joshua to her family. She was surprised to see her

mother standing next to her father. "Mom?""Your mom's alive?" asked Joshua.Angel rushed over to give Mary a hug. "Oh, Baby, I'm here! I'm here.



Who's this little boy?""I'm Joshua. Mary's gonna be my mom.""Aww, you're so lucky to have her as your mother.""I thought you were dead.""Not anymore. I'll explain it later."

"Sean!" Mary called. "Nilesy! Over here!"Sean and Niles ran to Mary, and they, too, were surprised to see Angel."Angel? You're alive?""I am," answered Angel. "Come on. Let's all go home now."



Chapter 18

At home, the entire family was sitting on the couch, all cuddled up in eachother's arms, listening to Angel's story.

"God said that I was needed here on Earth, and I belonged with all of you.I loved being in heaven with him. He was wonderful. Heaven was a beautifulplace, but I belong here for now. I'm happy to say that I'm no longer sick. As amatter of fact, I'm very healthy. God says I'll be here on Earth for a very longtime. I have planned to do many good deeds while I'm still here. The one thing Iwant to do the most is love you all and hold you in my arms. I'm not leaving anyof you now. I promise. Anywhere I go, I'll take you with me."

"Are you gonna be my grandma?" asked Joshua."Yes, I am, Sweetie.""Cool!"Angel giggled."Wamma," said Niles.

"Aww, did you hear that?" Angel cooed. "Nilesy's trying to say 'Grandma.'"Everyone laughed. Hearing Niles's first words were happy moments.Just then, the front door opened. "Hello?!" Delanie called. "Anybody

home?!""We're in here!" Chris answered.Delanie and her children came into the living room. She saw Angel on the

couch. "Oh, my God! Angel, you're alive!""She came back to life," said Cheyenne."God said I belong here on Earth, so here I am," said Angel.Delanie and her children rushed over to hug Angel, overjoyed to see her

again!

"Angel, we missed you, Honey!" Delanie cried. "Oh, thank God!""I'm just so happy to be here with all of you again," Angel said with a

giggle. "I missed you so much.""We missed you, too, Honey," said Chris."And, Mary, I heard everything you said to me at night."Mary smiled. "I knew you would. You always listen.""Sean, I met your father while I was in heaven.""What did he say?" asked Sean."He said he's very proud of the man you've become. He said you're a

great father to Niles, and he also said that you and Mary are perfect for eachother. I agree with everything he said. You are a wonderful father, and you and

Mary are a loving and beautiful couple.""Thanks, Angel.""Sweetie, you can call me Mom if you'd like.""Thanks, Mom.""You know? I see all of you as my family, even if you're not related to me.

Delanie, you've always been like an older sister to me, and your children are likemy nieces and nephews. With every new friend I make, my family grows larger and larger, and it's such a beautiful thing. I am so proud to have you all in my



life. You've made me a happy woman. I knew I would find someone wonderfulto marry, and I knew I would have amazing children. Still, I never dreamt it wouldbe this amazing, but it is. I'm very grateful to have you in my life. I know I say itso many times, but it's true. The only reason I say it so many times is becausethis feeling of love I have for you is so strong. Saying it one million times

wouldn't be enough, not to me. I don't think there are enough words in thehuman language to describe the joy and happiness you have each brought tome. You've given me more than I could ever ask for in an entire lifetime. I havemore than I could ever want, and that means the world to me. Last Christmaswas very precious to me, but this Christmas is even better. This year, I was sentback to Earth from God, because I belong here. I belong with my family andfriends, and God said that I have more good deeds ahead of me. I am honestlylooking forward to them, because I love to help people and make them happy.For now, the thing I must do is reunite myself with my family. That was the firstthing on God's list, and it was the first on mine as well."

"Angel, you are one of the best friends I've ever had in my entire life," said

Delanie. "When you came to America, I was this senior in high school with asnobby attitude. I thought I was all that, and I thought the freshmen andsophomores were losers. Well, then, I met you. You were a freshman, and youcertainly were no loser. You taught me how to love. You showed me how to bea better person. You knew I could do better than I was doing, and you wereright."

"Mom, you've changed a lot of people's lives," added Mary. "That's whyGod sent you back to Earth, so you could change more lives. You have enoughlove in your heart for the whole universe."

"It's true," Chris agreed. "You do.""You have a big heart, Honey," said Delanie, "and it's full of love."

Angel smiled. "Aww, that's because I love every living soul in this world.""I wuv Wamma," said Niles."Awww!" Mary cooed."Aww, Wamma wuvs you, too, Nilesy," Angel said sweetly as she kissed

Niles. "I love all of you, and I think this is the best Christmas I have ever celebrated with you. So many loved ones here in my arms, I couldn't ask for abetter present. Love is the best gift you can give, and you've given me that. I'mgiving it to you in return. Merry Christmas, my sweet angels." Angel held her loved ones as she sang to them once again.

Documents

Angel Did You Know