Chapter Twenty Six

Tess stood on the porch, looking around her at the overgrown front yard and peeling paintwork on the house as she rang the doorbell a second time. Beside her, Andrew also looked around sadly, noting how much work this house needed to make it seem welcoming.

Finally the door opened and a stressed woman in her late thirties looked at them warily. “Can I help you?”

Smiling warmly, Tess spoke. “Are you Mrs Peterson?”

The woman nodded. “I’m Linda Peterson, yes. Who are you?”

“My name is Tess, I’m from Family Services. I believe you were expecting me?”

“Oh... oh, yes, of course.” Linda turned to Andrew. “And you are?”

“Oh, I’m Andrew. I’m a friend of Tess’, she asked me to come along. I’m kind of a handyman- I can fix broken fences, spruce up paintwork, whatever needs doing.” He smiled warmly. “I see a few things here I could make a start on, if you’d like?”

Linda looked unsure for a moment. “I could use some help, but I don’t have any money to pay you with...”

Andrew shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I don’t expect any money, I do the job because I like to help people.”

“Well... okay, then.”

Tess smiled, glancing at Andrew. “Good, that’s settled then. May I come in, and we can talk about your son.”

Linda nodded and allowed Tess to enter, leaving Andrew to make a start on clearing the front yard.

Once inside, Tess and Linda sat in the living room, and Linda looked at Tess apologetically. “I know this is a rather unusual request, but I didn’t know where else to turn.” The angel leaned forward, grasping Linda’s hand. “You turned to the right place, baby. We help with whatever needs doing to bring a family together, no matter how strange the request might be.”

“It’s just... ever since Marty died, I’ve had so much to cope with- the funeral, paying the bills, and then Billy’s illness...” Linda shook her head. “He was such a fighter, determined not to let the cancer beat him. He used to tell me that he wouldn’t leave me like his Daddy did.” There were tears in the woman’s eyes.

“He sounds like a very special boy, Linda.”

She nodded. “Oh, yes, he is. And... the day they told me his cancer was in remission, I was so happy... he’d beaten the illness, and everything was going to be alright. But the one thing that kept him going throughout his chemotherapy, was Tyler. I don’t know that Billy would have reached remission so quickly if it weren’t for him.”

“But now Tyler’s gone?”

Linda nodded. “For over a week now... and I just don’t know what to do. I’ve tried everything, called everywhere- and Billy’s done nothing but stay in his room since this started- I haven’t been able to get him to school and now he’s got a cold and I’m so worried that the stress is going to bring his cancer back...” She broke down in tears and Tess moved to sit beside her, putting an arm around her shoulders. “It’s okay, baby... I’m here to help, and it’s gonna be fine.”

Drying her eyes, Linda looked up at Tess, thankful for this kind woman who genuinely wanted to help. “You know, so many people have looked at me so strangely when I asked them to help me with this- and believe me, I’ve tried everything I can think of... I even started praying a couple nights back.” She laughed slightly. “You’re gonna think I’m crazy.”

Tess shook her head. “On the contrary- praying is about the best thing you could have done. God always hears your prayers, and He’s heard this one, trust me.”

“So... you don’t mind helping me?”

“No, of course not. I know how important this is to you, and to little Billy. My friend Andrew and I will do everything we can to help you find your dog.”

***

Tess stepped out of the house and smiled at Andrew, who had almost finished mowing the front yard of Linda’s house. “Nice work, Angel Boy. It’s looking much better already.”

Andrew nodded, pausing a moment to wipe his brow. “Thanks, Tess. How’d it go in there?”

“Well, baby, Linda is one worried mother- she’s got so much to cope with, and it’s not easy. And little Billy- well, I saw him, but he didn’t talk to me. That boy’s so full of grief that I don’t think anyone can reach him now- except for Tyler.”

“Tyler?”

“That’s the dog’s name. Kinda cute, huh?”

“Yeah... real cute.” Andrew sighed. “You know, Tess, I’m all for helping this little boy and his mom, but- finding a lost dog? That’s not something I believe I’ve ever done before.”

Tess nodded. “Well, Angel Boy, there’s a first time for everything. And, it’s a very important assignment... many people don’t understand just how big a part of the family a pet can be- and losing them can be just as painful as losing a human family member. That little boy in there should be enjoying his childhood, now that he’s in remission, but he’s already running a temperature and if we don’t find his dog soon, there’s a possibility that his cancer will come back.”

Nodding, Andrew quickly finished what he was doing. “So... where do we start looking?”

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Chapter Twenty Seven

It was early afternoon when Monica finally awoke from her deep sleep, but still felt as exhausted as she had done when she’d ran out of the train yard earlier. Her head felt so sore she could barely lift it without wincing in pain, and her entire body ached, especially her lungs that hurt every time she coughed, which was growing more and more frequent. Sneezing, she looked around her, disoriented and confused, then glanced down to see Rascal a few feet away, eating some scraps of food he’d found.

Although having only eaten one small meal since her journey started two days ago, and not much more in the days leading up to that, Monica was now too weak to really feel hungry, but she was glad that the dog had managed to find something to eat as she knew he must be hungry. “Oh, Rascal... I wish I knew where we were. And I wish I knew what was wrong with me...” She paused as she began coughing again. “I feel terrible...”

Getting to her feet, Monica stumbled as a wave of dizziness overcame her and she took a moment to steady herself. Adjusting her woolen hat so it covered her ears properly, she wrapped her arms around her body, trying to stay warm. Although it wasn’t snowing here, it was cold. Feeling lost and alone, confused from having absolutely no idea where she was, Monica turned to her canine friend, trusting him to lead her in the right direction.

“So, Rascal... where do we go from here?” She watched as the dog wagged its tail at her, obviously happy to have eaten, and then trotted off to her right. Sighing, Monica willed her legs not to collapse under her as she followed Rascal across the wasteland and hopefully to shelter.

***

“This is gonna be harder than we thought, Angel Boy. I didn’t realize how hard it was to look for a dog in a town this size.” Tess shook her head as she continued to look around her as she and Andrew walked down a street not unlike the numerous other streets they’d searched over the past few hours. They’d checked sheds and outbuildings, alleyways, everywhere they could think of that a lost dog might hide in.

Andrew frowned. “Are you sure he’s even still in Albany, Tess? I mean, he’s been lost for a week- he could be anywhere by now.”

“Angel Boy, the Father assures me that we must keep looking here. And if He says we must look in Albany, then that’s where the dog will be. It’s just unfortunate that Albany has so many streets and places to hide.”

Glancing up at the sky, Andrew frowned. “It’s gonna be dark soon, Tess. And that’s going to make it much harder to find the dog.”

“I know, I know.” Tess peered behind a dumpster, sighing when there was no sign of the dog they were so desperately looking for. “But we gotta keep searching while we have any light left. Something tells me we have to find this dog soon.”

The two angels continued looking, both concentrating hard on the assignment and knowing how important it was to find the little boy’s lost pet. But Andrew also had something else on his mind- Monica. For the past few hours he hadn’t felt anything from her, and although he told himself that it was nothing to worry about, after all he had only been sensing her emotions on and off- he couldn’t help but begin to worry even more about her, fearing that something was badly wrong.

***

As darkness fell, Monica grew more and more weary, having walked for what seemed like miles through the streets of this strange town. She’d of course had to pass humans as she’d walked but given her dirty, disheveled appearance, not to mention her cough which had grown steadily worse during the day, most people had given her a wide berth anyway so she didn’t really have to worry about human contact.

Rascal seemed to know where he was going, as he had done since the start of this incredible journey a couple of days before, and so Monica had simply followed him, trusting whatever he was up to, until finally she stumbled, her legs no longer able to carry her weight, and she leaned against a wall for support, stopping herself from falling to the ground. “I can’t... go any further...”

A few paces ahead, Rascal stopped and turned, whining when he saw her. He trotted back to her side, nuzzling her leg as if trying to encourage her to keep going, but the little Irish angel shook her head. “No, I can’t...”

The dog then grabbed hold of the edge of Monica’s coat in his teeth, trying to pull her away from the wall she was leaning on, and confused at his urgency she forced herself to stand upright and follow him, her lungs hurting badly as she began coughing again. Feeling dizzy, she could barely see where she was going for a moment, but as she slowly followed Rascal she concentrated on him as if her very existence depended on it.

She sneezed again, and felt as if her head would burst. Her body wracked with pain and now totally unable to get warm, she shivered violently as she walked, thankful that Rascal seemed to understand the condition she was in, as he walked much more slowly now, allowing her to keep up. The young Irish angel was terrified, not knowing what was making her feel so ill and not understanding why she felt compelled to follow Rascal when all she felt like doing was curling up on the ground. So, with tear-filled eyes, Monica sent up a desperate prayer to the Father for help.

***

Once it had gotten dark, Andrew and Tess had taken Tess’ car to try and search a wider area, with the headlights to help them, hoping to find Billy’s lost dog that meant so much to him. After finishing their search of his neighborhood they’d extended the search to the downtown area, but although they’d covered almost every street, there was still no sign of him.

“Angel Boy, it looks like we’re gonna have to resume this search in the morning. There’s too many dark corners and empty buildings around here- we can’t seem them in the dark.” She continued to drive the car slowly along the road, praying for help in finding the lost dog.

Andrew sighed, trying to concentrate on what Tess was saying. For a few minutes now, he’d been sensing Monica- feeling that she was frightened, cold and lost and it scared him- more so because the feelings seemed more intense than before. ...Please, Father... I don’t know where Monica is or what is happening to her, but... I need to help her....

Tess turned to look at him, momentarily taking her eyes off the road when she realized he hadn’t answered her. “Angel Boy?”

Sighing, Andrew shook his head. “I’m sorry, Tess. I...” Suddenly a movement up ahead caught Andrew’s eye and he saw the small shape of a dog run across the road just in front of them, followed by a person who seemed to not notice the car approaching.

“Tess! Look out!”

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Chapter Twenty Eight

Tess turned back to the road and slammed on the brakes as she saw the small figure of a person standing in the middle of the road, apparently frozen by fear as the car approached. Sending up a desperate prayer, the oldest angel managed to bring the car to a stop just feet from where the person stood. Andrew wasted no time in getting out of the car, desperate to see if this person was okay, but as he approached, and could see the person clearly without the glare of the car headlights, a shock ran through him. “Monica?”

By now Tess had also gotten out of the car and as she approached she heard what Andrew said and looked carefully at the person who she could now clearly see. “Angel Girl? Is that you?”

Andrew reached a hand to Monica’s shoulder, feeling her shivering beneath his touch and he looked closely into her face, noting even in the darkness how pale she looked, and how terribly frightened. For a moment she didn’t speak and he wondered if perhaps she didn’t recognize him, but then the shock apparently wore off because she spoke quietly, tentatively, as if somehow afraid of what was going to happen. “A-Andrew? What are you...” Her voice broke off as a heavy cough wracked her body and the older angel was quick to soothe her, rubbing her back gently as he shot Tess a concerned look. When the coughing finally subsided, he leaned down, looking deeply into her eyes. “Are you okay?”

Monica managed a somewhat shaky nod before her legs buckled under her and Andrew caught her just in time before she collapsed to the ground. Tess eyed her worriedly. “Angel Boy, get her in the car... there’ll be time for questions later but for right now, that baby girl needs help.”

Nodding, Andrew scooped Monica up into his arms, surprised at how light she felt- even lighter than usual, and he knew she hadn’t been eating properly for days. “Come on, let’s get you somewhere warm, okay?” Carefully he laid her in the back seat of the car and stroked her cheek gently, watching her with eyes full of love and worry.

“A-Andrew... don’t forget... Rascal...” She sounded weak and in pain, and Andrew’s brow furrowed as he listened. “Rascal? Who..?” He looked over at Tess, who was stroking a medium-sized brown shaggy dog, the one that had run in front of the car but which Andrew had forgotten about the moment he’d laid eyes on Monica.

“Angel Boy, I think we found Tyler.” Hearing its true name, the dog wagged his tail vigorously. Andrew looked from the dog and back to Monica, who now had her eyes closed, and he realized that ‘Rascal’ was indeed the dog they had been looking for. Shaking his head, unable to think about all that was happening, he climbed into the back of the car, sitting next to Monica and resting her head on his lap as Tess opened the passenger side door and the dog jumped in, immediately turning to look at the back seat, leaning over and licking Monica’s lifeless hand.

As Tess got in behind the wheel, she turned to look at her two ‘Angel Babies’ and thought her heart would break at the tenderness with which Andrew was looking at Monica, stroking her hair away from her face as she lay there, now unaware of what was going on around her. Glancing at the dog, Tess patted its head and briefly looked heavenward. “Thank You, Father.” Then she started the engine and drove off.

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