I have to admit, I am a bit concerned by what happened tonight. Perhaps it is nothing—the merest coincidence—but recent experience has taught me to be wary of anything that is unexpected. I was with Freya, and there was nothing to indicate that it would be a remarkable evening. She did indeed stay in touch with George over the holiday: tonight was their second date. Their first was a turbulent, short affair, as they spent most of it arguing about…
I spent this evening with Hannah, trying to move past my first impression and really begin to understand her. I have to say, while she is not an easy soul to read—almost as difficult as Jonathan was at first—I have learned something for certain, and that is that it is an exhausting process to become a doctor. Hannah was not working today, so I expected to find her busying herself with a hobby, or perhaps with friends. It is true…
This evening Harrington and Isabella went out together on a much-needed date. They had intended to go on Sunday night, but Harrington’s back was hurting, so they postponed. Harrington was adamant, however, that his wife deserved a good evening out, so the restaurant was kind enough to give them a reservation on the very next night they had an opening. Despite this, the evening didn’t get off to a very good start, at least for Harrington. At his wife’s insistence,…
Today was my last evening with Ted and Elaine, and my first with Anna—or at least, the first when she was my official charge. I had the full approval from Danit for both changes the other day. Anna is a delight to me. She is such a bright spirit, and so passionate about what she does—sometimes to exclusion of all else. I arrived at her apartment this afternoon to find her chattering away on the phone to her mother, from…
I do worry sometimes that the period of time in which I am absent from my charges for the holiday celebrations in heaven will have negative impact on them. Usually it is not the case—Danit has told me that the Readers watch carefully in the weeks before and warn any angels whose charges are at risk during that time, and those angels do not attend worship. I received no such warning, so I know that nothing happened during this time…
Danit was not wrong that I would find my new charge’s outlook a bit challenging. Her name is Hannah Valdez. She is thirty years old and is nearing the end of her medical residency in Baltimore. She is tall, dark, and utterly charming, with a charismatic manner and a wistful smile. And she looks at the world as if she is standing in a shadow at all times. I found her just as she was leaving her shift with a…
The celebrations have ended, leaving a ring of warmth in every heart. I know that some of my siblings prefer to linger in heaven, to hold that warmth close to themselves, and if that is best for them then I respect that. For me, however, it has always been necessary to go straight back to work. To say truth, though, there is hardly enough work now to hold my attention. Grace has been deferred, and I am all but certain…
A joyous celebration to you all! I have attended several such celebrations today, and so I must write quickly to get them recorded before I am needed in the choir. Grace and Con took Shep to get his pictures taken by a professional photographer yesterday afternoon. He was just slightly too small for the red-and-white suit they put him in, but that only made him more adorable. His parents rejoiced as the photographer and her assistant cooed over him, as…
I cannot help but be frustrated. I have asked Danit more than once now to assist me in finding new charges, and more specifically to allow me to follow some of my own ideas, but she has continued to resist me. “I have no objection to you taking on the young woman you spoke of,” she told me today. “Anna Winthrop is her name, yes? Though I have looked into her case and I believe it will not be enough…
There are many sayings that the humans use that I enjoy—indeed, some of my brothers and sisters have commented that I use their language far too often. But they have a way with words. One of the things I appreciate the most is the phrase “the moment of truth.” This is used to describe a time when, after much delay or avoidance, the time comes for a problem to be faced, or for a person to prove themselves. For Ted…