Skeptically, she rose and went to the front door of the church. Stepping outside, she looked around, saw nothing unusual, then glanced toward the clear sky. When she did, she saw two bright shooting stars, one right after the other. But they weren’t falling to earth. They were going upwards toward heaven.
Smiling a little, she turned back toward the church, and her eyes lingered for a moment at the snow-covered nativity scene in the front yard that was illuminated by a floodlight. After a few seconds, Stu walked out the front door.
“Whether you realize it or not,” he said, “you showed Claude and Agnes great empathy, and God answered that. Now, they’re in paradise.”
She nodded appreciatively. “Good! Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me,” he replied, pointing upward. “Thank Him.”
She looked up, said, “Thank you” sincerely. Then she looked at Stu and changed subjects. “Eli kissed me tonight.”
He cracked a small, knowing smile. “I’m not surprised. He’s liked you for a while.”
They both fell silent for several more seconds. Goldie didn’t know what else to say, so the angel offered one more suggestion.
“Why don’t you go see Clara tomorrow?”
“Clara? Why?”
“Ask her about her life here since she decided to stay.”
“You mean, sh-she’s from another time too?”
“Go talk to Clara. Maybe she can help you decide.
He looked around. “I gotta get home. I have deliveries to make bright and early.”
They started walking back toward the hotel and his truck.
“Stu, I’m sorry to repeat what you said, but I’m still tryin’ to wrap my head around it, you’re a rancher who sells meatandan angel?”
“Yeah, but only you and Clara know about the angel thing.”
“And you’re here every day?”
“Not every day. My ranch is out of town a ways. But, like I said, this is my territory, so I’m around a lot.”
“H-how big is your territory? Did you have another life before you?—”
“Let’s stick to the immediate choice before you, eh?” he interrupted. “Where wouldyoulike to go? I’ll give you tomorrow to decide. All right?”
“Yeah… okay.”
They walked in silence until they were almost all the way back to his truck.
“Hey, Stu?” she asked.
“Yeah?”
“Just one more question: Areyouokay? I mean, are you happy doin’ what you’re doin’?”
He looked at her and smiled warmly.
“A human asking an angel if they’re okay. It’s that kind of concern for others that tells me no matter what choice you make, you’re probably going to do well—Goldie Maraschino, like the cherry.”
Thirty-One
THE REST WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF
