lowered his chin and leveled a steady gaze straight into her eyes, as if to embed the truth of what he said. “Neither have I come with a warning to not speak of me, but I do think it would be wise to keep it between us for now, at least until we’ve figured it out. Curiosity from others will likely only prove to be a distraction.”
Maggie nodded. “I agree. I pretty much regretted saying anything to Sharon the second I opened up my mouth. Now, what about the garden? Why did you run away?”
“I wasn’t running away. I was leading.”
“To what?”
“Not to, from.”
“ From what?”
“The wicked forces again.”
This time the hairs on Maggie’s arms practically jumped out of their follicles. Something in the urn had been reaching for her. “Is something after me?”
“Difficult to say. There are concentrated pockets of supernatural malice here and there under normal circumstances. You may have just stumbled upon them. I’d say that’s the most likely scenario since the two episodes occurred months apart and haven’t progressed. Have you had any other sensations—instances of a strong feeling of foreboding that you can’t explain?”
Maggie shook her head. “I don’t think so. But I hadn’t felt anything like that at the coffee shop either.”
She hadn’t realized that the angel had been tensed, but she now noticed the hardened muscles at his jaw relax as his shoulders sloped downward. “That’s good,” he said. “Either it was just coincidence, or your prayers and spiritual life are strong enough to have discouraged it. It would be best for you to remove yourself from any influences that don’t feel right. But don’t be overly concerned—fear will only lead you to a dark path. There’s no need for worry as long as you have faith.” His mouth spread into a smile. “Besides, it seems I’ll come running to your rescue should it happen again.”
Maggie returned his smile and gestured toward his internally-lit form. “My angel in shining…whatever that is.” Her fear of the lurking evil subsided, but her curiosity hadn’t. “So this brings us back to our dilemma—why are you here?”
He pressed his lips together and shrugged but didn’t seem as agitated by the situation as he’d been the previous night. He touched his fingertips to the back of her hands and slid his hands around hers, folding them together. Bending his face downward, he closed his eyes and said, “Father, we ask you to grant us patience as we try to determine the path you wish us to follow. Help us trust that all will be revealed in your time. Meanwhile, may our words and actions be pleasing to you. Amen.”
“Amen,” Maggie repeated.
“It’s late. You should sleep.”
“You’ll be back?”
“It’s for him to decide, but I have a strong sense that I will.”
“Well then, I think it’s only right that I should know your name.”
“Are you going to give that to me too?”
“What?”
“As with my voice, we have no need of names in heaven. They’re a human thing.”
“But…Gabriel, Michael…do they have names because they’re archangels?”
“No. They were given their names because humans needed them. If you need me to have a name, you must give me one.”
She chuckled, thinking back to all the baby name books she’d poured over when it had been time to choose names for her children. “No pressure, right?”
“None whatsoever. You’ll come up with something.”
“Any requests?”
“No.” He pushed back from her and stood, walking toward his traditional corner of the room, but before he reached the spot, he was gone.
Over the next few weeks the angel returned many times, but not every night. Sometimes Maggie never fully woke, but was only aware of him standing there. Other nights, she couldn’t stop herself from pelting more questions at him, trying to solve the mystery. But his continued prayers to grant patience seemed to be working, and she found herself content to
Maggie nodded. “I agree. I pretty much regretted saying anything to Sharon the second I opened up my mouth. Now, what about the garden? Why did you run away?”
“I wasn’t running away. I was leading.”
“To what?”
“Not to, from.”
“ From what?”
“The wicked forces again.”
This time the hairs on Maggie’s arms practically jumped out of their follicles. Something in the urn had been reaching for her. “Is something after me?”
“Difficult to say. There are concentrated pockets of supernatural malice here and there under normal circumstances. You may have just stumbled upon them. I’d say that’s the most likely scenario since the two episodes occurred months apart and haven’t progressed. Have you had any other sensations—instances of a strong feeling of foreboding that you can’t explain?”
Maggie shook her head. “I don’t think so. But I hadn’t felt anything like that at the coffee shop either.”
She hadn’t realized that the angel had been tensed, but she now noticed the hardened muscles at his jaw relax as his shoulders sloped downward. “That’s good,” he said. “Either it was just coincidence, or your prayers and spiritual life are strong enough to have discouraged it. It would be best for you to remove yourself from any influences that don’t feel right. But don’t be overly concerned—fear will only lead you to a dark path. There’s no need for worry as long as you have faith.” His mouth spread into a smile. “Besides, it seems I’ll come running to your rescue should it happen again.”
Maggie returned his smile and gestured toward his internally-lit form. “My angel in shining…whatever that is.” Her fear of the lurking evil subsided, but her curiosity hadn’t. “So this brings us back to our dilemma—why are you here?”
He pressed his lips together and shrugged but didn’t seem as agitated by the situation as he’d been the previous night. He touched his fingertips to the back of her hands and slid his hands around hers, folding them together. Bending his face downward, he closed his eyes and said, “Father, we ask you to grant us patience as we try to determine the path you wish us to follow. Help us trust that all will be revealed in your time. Meanwhile, may our words and actions be pleasing to you. Amen.”
“Amen,” Maggie repeated.
“It’s late. You should sleep.”
“You’ll be back?”
“It’s for him to decide, but I have a strong sense that I will.”
“Well then, I think it’s only right that I should know your name.”
“Are you going to give that to me too?”
“What?”
“As with my voice, we have no need of names in heaven. They’re a human thing.”
“But…Gabriel, Michael…do they have names because they’re archangels?”
“No. They were given their names because humans needed them. If you need me to have a name, you must give me one.”
She chuckled, thinking back to all the baby name books she’d poured over when it had been time to choose names for her children. “No pressure, right?”
“None whatsoever. You’ll come up with something.”
“Any requests?”
“No.” He pushed back from her and stood, walking toward his traditional corner of the room, but before he reached the spot, he was gone.
Over the next few weeks the angel returned many times, but not every night. Sometimes Maggie never fully woke, but was only aware of him standing there. Other nights, she couldn’t stop herself from pelting more questions at him, trying to solve the mystery. But his continued prayers to grant patience seemed to be working, and she found herself content to
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