by Mary May
Taking a step backward, Zareck shook his head. “I guess we can’t all be good little angels like you, Gideon.” Then he leaped into the air and within a few seconds he was once more out of sight…
Charlie and Lakyn lay sprawled out in the backyard enjoying the last few days of summer. Lakyn rolled over and smoothed more sunscreen on her arms and down her legs. With her red hair and porcelain skin she would burn like crazy if she wasn’t careful. She envied Charlie with her sun-kissed glow and beautiful strawberry blonde curls that now had white blonde streaks from the summer sun.
“I can’t believe summer is over! Where did it go, Charlie? We didn’t get through even half of our list.”
Charlie rolled over onto her back. Keeping her eyes closed, she felt around for her bottle of water and after taking a long drink, she answered. “Well, it was a pretty long list and we got a lot of our plans done, so I’m pretty happy and would call the summer a success.”
Lakyn sighed then agreed. They discussed other things they had thought of to add to next summer’s list when a couple of twin shadows fell over them, blocking the sun.
“Go away, twin terrors. You’re blocking our sun,” Charlie ordered.
“Daddy said that we should come out here and cool you off, that you looked hot.” With that brief warning the twins produced water cannons and started shooting the girls, soaking them with the powerful super-soakers that Devon had bought them that morning. Both girls jumped to their feet, squealing in protest as the boys chased them with the water cannons all the way up to the house where Sabrina stopped them all at the front door.
“Whoa…whoa …whoa! Boys, stop squirting the girls! Girls, stop all that screaming! Devon, stop laughing and get me some towels!” Devon disappeared in the house and came back with a couple of towels that he handed to each of the girls. Charlie took the towel while she evil-eyed him; Lakyn, of course, just blushed to the roots of her red hair.
“Not cool, dad, really not cool,” Charlie fussed.
“Oh, I don’t know, you look a lot cooler to me. Boys, don’t you think the girls look cooler now?”
“Yeah!” they both chimed in.
“Well, why don’t you go find some hot bugs to cool off or something?” Sabrina suggested as she opened the door so the girls could come in and get changed. Devon and the boys went back outside to see what else they could terrorize.
The girls ran up the stairs to Charlie’s room and changed into dry clothes. While Charlie was brushing her hair, Lakyn picked up a picture of Sabrina with Luke on their wedding day.
“Who is this with your mom? Is this your real dad?” Charlie put down the brush and walked over to where her friend held the picture of her parents.
“Yeah, his name was Luke. He died in a car accident before I was born. My mom has talked to me about him so much I feel like I know him a little bit.”
“He looks really nice. He isn’t smoking hot like Devon, but he has nice eyes and he looks like he would have been a great dad. He just has that look about him, you know?”
Charlie smiled. “How can you tell that from his picture? He may have been mean as a snake for all you know.”
Lakyn shook her head. “No, he wasn’t. He has kind eyes, and you kind of look like him a little bit. I bet that’s where you get your hair color from.”
“My mom says I do. I got my curls and my eyes from her and my hair color and double joints from my dad. For the record, you’re right. He was really nice, and Mom says he would have made a terrific dad, that he was so excited to find out about me.”
“It’s sad that you won’t ever really get to know your real dad. I mean, Devon is great, but he isn’t your real dad.” Charlie sat down on her bed and started flipping through a magazine.
“Sure, I will; I’ll get to know him when I get to heaven. Devon is just filling in for him until I get there.”
“Do you actually believe that, Charlie? Do you really believe heaven is a real place?”
Charlie stopped looking at the magazine and looked up at her friend. “Of course, I do. It is a real place, Lakyn, as real as the earth or the moon or any of the planets. Just because it’s somewhere that we can’t see doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”
“But how do you know for sure, Charlie?” Lakyn looked at her with such doubt in her eyes that Charlie knew she needed to be very careful with her answer.
“I know that heaven is real because I know that God is real, and I know that God is real because I can feel him in here.” She placed her hand over her heart.
“Do you remember our math teacher in the third grade, Mr. Renfroe? When he was teaching us our multiplication tables, what did he say? He said to find out what you don’t know, start with what you do know. Well, I like I said, I know that God is real because I can feel him in my heart. The Bible tells us that He lives in heaven. So I know that God is real. The Bible says He lives in heaven and I know he has to live somewhere; then heaven must be real, too.” The sound of a car horn announced that Lakyn’s dad had arrived to take her home. Later that night Charlie spoke with her mom about her conversation with her friend about God.
“Oh, sweetheart! I’m so proud of you! You said exactly the right thing.”
“She sounded so surprised that I believed in heaven, but I was just as surprised that she really didn’t. I guess I didn’t think about the fact that everyone may not believe the way we do.”
Sabrina shook her head. “No, honey, I’m sure it does seem strange to you, being that you have been raised since birth hearing about God and heaven and seeing your family pray and make God a part of our daily lives. A lot of people either don’t know about the Lord and what he did for us or maybe they had a bad experience with the church that turned them away.”
“The church can be bad? Really?” Charlie looked surprised.
“Unfortunately, sometimes it can be. When man takes over the church and doesn’t leave any room for God to work, that’s when people can have a bad experience and walk away from anything to do with God or the church.”
“That’s so sad, Mama.”
Sabrina hugged Charlie as they walked up the stairs. “Yes, sweetie, it really is.”
Chapter 11
Charlie spun around in her new birthday dress. It was a sea foam green halter-top that swirled down to just above her knees. She couldn’t believe she was officially a teenager! Sabrina had French braided her hair and had given her a tube of palest pink lip-gloss and clear mascara. After slipping in a pair of small silver hoops that her grandpa Carl had given her and spritzing on some Spring Magic perfume, she was almost ready to go downstairs. She just had one thing she needed to do first. The shoebox that held her silver sandals was on the bed. Charlie approached it carefully like she would a spooky horse. This was her first set of heels, if you could even call them that. They weren’t very high at all, but for someone who had never even so much as played in her mother’s heels this was terrifying! Sitting on the bed, she reached for the box and opened it. The shoes really were very pretty with delicate silver straps crisscrossed over the top of her foot and a thin strap that circled her ankle. Charlie picked up the first shoe and slipped it on then the other.
“Well, that was the easy part,” she muttered to herself. Standing carefully she stood by her bed, testing her balance as she leaned this way and that way, lifting her foot and admiring the way it suddenly looked so pretty and feminine in the fancy little sandal. The thin straps around her ankles made her legs look long and shapely. For some reason it reminded her of when Stormy was about a year old and he had finally started to grow into his long legs.
“Ok, walk to the door and back…baby steps!” She carefully took one step then another until she made it to the door. After pausing for only a minute or so, she walked back to her bed, grinning to herself.
“That wasn’t so bad. Let’s do it again a little faster.” This trip she wobbled only a little. Once she slowed down, she did fine. She took one last look in the mirror then opened the door t
o walk downstairs to greet her birthday guests with her guardian right on her heels ready to catch her if she tripped going down the stairs!
Devon was talking to Carl when he saw Charlie step up to the staircase and start walking down. When Devon stopped talking and stared over his shoulder, Carl turned to see what had captured his attention and he, too, was star-struck.
Charlie looked so beautiful! Devon couldn’t believe his eyes as he watched her walk down the stairs in her birthday dress and silver shoes. When she had gone upstairs to get ready, she looked like Charlie, a half-grown kid, but now she looked like a little princess! He could already see the promise of what a stunner she was going to be. He wanted to order her back upstairs and back into her jeans and t-shirt. He was not ready for this at all!
“Oh, sweetheart! Look at you!” Sabrina rushed over and hugged her, held her at arms’ length, then hugged her again. Catherine took over next and then Carl and Keelie and Evan and Kinsley, who whispered she looked like a princess.
“Thank you, Kinsley, but I bet a real princess wouldn’t be wishing she was wearing her sneakers right now instead of these sandals!” Charlie waited for the only member of her family who hadn’t said anything. Devon walked over slowly and stood in front of her. She looked up and waited for his approval. He reached out and touched her silver hoops then he took her hand and spun her around under his arm until she faced him again.
“You are truly beautiful, Charlie girl, and I can see that I will need to get my game face on real soon for all the young guys that are going to start to notice, too. Carl, do you have my back for any that I might need to take care of?”
Carl’s reply was swift and without hesitation. “You got it, Devon. No problem.” As a former police officer, Carl also had connections. Charlie rolled her eyes at all the wild threats that her family made. She knew they were only kidding; at least she hoped so!
“Seriously, Charlie, you do look beautiful and I have something that I had made for you.” He held a long black velvet box. When she opened it, she gasped! Inside was a beautiful silver heart pendant on a silver chain.
“Oh! It’s so pretty! Thank you!”
“I had something engraved on the back if you will turn it over.”
Charlie turned the heart over. She saw her initials were engraved in curling script on the back, but when she looked closer,she saw an added letter CMBL.
“I added my last name as well; it’s only symbolic, but I love you as I would my own daughter. As far as I’m concerned, you are my daughter. Mine to love and to protect and to take care of. I hope you don’t mind.”
Charlie shook her head as tears spiked on her lashes. “No, I don’t mind…it’s perfect! Can I wear it now?”
Devon took the necklace and slipped it around her neck, fastening the catch in the back. Charlie reached and felt where it hung a few inches below her collarbone.
Soon her other guests started arriving and her party was in full swing. After an hour or so the pretty silver sandals were tossed in the corner and Charlie was barefooted as she enjoyed her party. Sabrina stood with Devon by the punch bowl as Lakyn and Charlie danced with some other girls.
“You didn’t tell me you were adding your name to her necklace; that was incredibly sweet.”
He shrugged and winked at her. “I have my moments.”
“Yes, you do, Devon Lane…yes, you do.” Reaching up she pulled him down for a tender kiss.
Charlie sat down to drink some punch and cool off after dancing with her friends. Kinsley came over and immediately reached for her new necklace. Leaning over so the younger girl could see it better, Charlie smiled at her.
“Isn’t it pretty, Kinsley? Devon gave it to me because today is my birthday.”
Kinsley was Carl and Keelie’s only child. She was born with Downs Syndrome. It seemed strange that her aunt would actually be four years younger than she was, but it just goes to show that you never know what surprises life could bring your way. She adored Kinsley. The little girl was doing remarkably well, considering all the obstacles her birth defect challenged her with. A lot of that success could be attributed to the dedication of her mother. Keelie wouldn’t let anyone treat her daughter any differently from any other child. She would push and encourage her to go further and do better than what the doctors and the textbooks told her to expect.
“They don’t know what my child is capable of,” she reasoned, and so far she had proved them wrong in a lot of cases. So now the nine-year-old Kinsley sat with Charlie dressed in a pretty yellow dress with her dark hair tied up in a bouncy ponytail looking intently at the shiny silver heart. She turned it over carefully then called out the letters that were engraved on the back.
“CMBL!” Kinsley smiled at Charlie when she called out the letters then frowned in confusion.
“Why is there an L? Your last name is Blakely; that’s a B,” she questioned.
“That’s right, but Devon’s last name is Lane, and he wanted to add it to my necklace because he is my stepdad. It was his way of saying that I am his daughter.”
Kinsley smiled. “Oh! It’s pretty and shiny.” Then she hugged Charlie and gave her a wet kiss on her cheek before going over to see Catherine. Charlie’s grandmother smiled and welcomed the little girl into her lap, cuddling her close. The party continued on with everyone having a wonderful time celebrating the coming of age of one very special girl.
Everyone except her guardian. Gideon sat glumly on the top stair step and watched as the family celebrated Charlie’s 13th birthday. He didn’t feel like celebrating. He knew he was being foolish, that he couldn’t stop her growing up, but he would like to. Watching her put on lip-gloss and practice walking in her little heels for the first time had the area over his heart feeling achy. He sat alone with his chin propped in his hand for most of the party until Baylor came and joined him.
“Hey, Gideon, this is a party! Why such a long face?” He squeezed in next to Gideon and smiled, watching the activity below.
“Sure, Baylor, have a seat. I would love some company. Thanks for asking,” Gideon grumbled, scooting over on the step.
“Whoa… someone is in a bad mood! Who stepped on your wings this morning? I know it wasn’t Zareck, because he has disappeared again.”
“I’m not in a bad mood and of course Zareck has disappeared; that’s his new favorite past time these days.”
“I hate to point this out, but, yeah, you most definitely are in a bad mood. You want to talk about it? I hear it helps.”
“No! I do not want to talk about it. I’m not in a bad mood, and isn’t there someone else you can offer all this great but unsolicited advice to?” He had no more gotten the words out of his mouth when Leia and Evie walked up behind them.
“Who is in a bad mood?” Evie asked.
“Gideon,” Baylor mouthed behind his hand, pointing at him behind his back.
“Do you want to tell us what’s bothering you?” Leia offered.
Gideon got to his feet and walked back toward Charlie’s bedroom, nearly running over Charlotte, who was coming down the hallway.
“Hey, Gideon, what’s wrong?” she called out after seeing the dark expression on his face.
“Nothing,” he said without stopping.
“Do you want…”
“No!” He shouted it loud enough to make her jump then look to the other angels for an explanation after he had disappeared into Charlie’s room. They all just shrugged and shook their heads.
Gideon sat on Charlie’s bed and picked up a stuffed bear that she had slept with since she was two. He remembered the day that Sabrina had picked up the bear. It was just a garage sale item, but for some reason the toddler had latched onto it and refused to let it go; it had been in her bed every night since. Holding it to his chest, he wished he could go back to that day and watch her find the bear and then lug it around to show Sabrina. He wanted to see the look of joy on her little face when Sabrina paid for it then handed it to her. What was it about this bear that cap
tured Charlie’s heart? It was nearly worn out back then; the fur wasn’t fluffy or pretty any more. The black button eyes were scuffed and dull. It had been sewed up and repaired in a dozen different places, but she had taken one look at it and knew it for the treasure that it was. In her eyes it was the most beautiful bear in the world; she treasured it. He held the bear to his face. It smelled of Charlie. It wasn’t exactly the same scent he remembered of the three-year-old child that had hugged him right before God closed her spirit eye. This didn’t smell of baby powder and vanilla wafers and Charlie. It smelled of fabric softener, Spring Magic perfume and Charlie.
He knew that the easy part of keeping her safe was most likely behind him. Soon she would be allowed more freedom and would learn to drive and date, and that opened up a whole world of dangers. He didn’t know how long he sat there holding the bear in his hands when he felt Sherrilyn come into the room. She didn’t say anything. She just sat on the bed beside him and waited until he was ready to talk.
“She is thirteen.”
“I know, big guy.”
“I don’t like it.”
She laughed softly. “I can see that.”
He sighed deeply, turning the bear over and over in his hands before he looked at her.
“I can fight legions of demons, I can take on the hardest, most unlikely to win battles and come out on top. I am virtually indestructible and immortal. I can face the most gruesome, hellish nightmares you can imagine and not falter, but this…” He held up the bear and gestured around the young girl’s room, sighing once more and shaking his head. “This defeats me.”