It is official! Jonathan has been confirmed as a candidate for the open school board position this year. There was a great deal of work involved to even begin this work—I found it quite dizzying. Jonathan had to confirm his eligibility at town hall, submit to a background check, and collect signatures from those who support his candidacy. This last was as simple as leaving a paper on the counter of the store, where his customers could sign. As word…
Today I went to talk to Danit about Shannon. First I confessed my recent failings to her—how I built up resentment against Shannon, how I judged her for her faults without seeing her loneliness and her need. Then I asked to be removed from her case. Danit was astonished. “Asa’el, why do you wish to be removed when you have come to see Shannon’s worth?” “Because I cannot see that I am the best angel to help her,” I explained. …
Brid says that Harrington is making good progress. I cannot see it, but she says that a healer must have an eye to the long-term. “Little by little wellness comes back,” she says, “until one day, without realizing it, one has come a long way. One step at a time.” As for my part, I have spent several hours with Harrington and his family, and I believe I understand them fairly well now. The change is going to be a…
What a humbling night this has been. I really do not know what to say, except to tell you what happened. I went to check in on Shannon today, intending only to stay a few moments. Somewhat to my surprise, I found her in low spirits, and not regarding anything related to Thomas, either. She was sitting on her couch, staring at her phone, and there were tears in her eyes. As I watched, she touched the screen to pull…
I have never met anyone with the same capacity for anger as Shannon. For the past several days, she has been able to draw up a towering rage at the merest thought of Thomas. It would be impressive if it were not so frightening. I have tried to help her, because this anger does nothing to improve her life—indeed it only holds her back from doing her work and living her life. But as ever, my success has been limited…
Harrington was released from the hospital today. Brid and I were there with him and his family, of course. She was watching as he was wheeled out to his car, dampening his pain, strengthening his spirit. I was less active, for this was the best opportunity I have had yet to see the dynamic between him and his family. His wife, Isabella, and his son, Arthur, have visited him before, of course, but this is different. This is their attempt…
Grace is still working, and Shannon’s bruises are healing. There is little more that I can do for them at this point, aside from be with them. I am doing this as much as I can. I do have some good news to share, though, about one of my other charges. Jordan caught up with Mary this afternoon after school and offered to walk her to her car. She was surprised by this, as they have not spoken much since…
I have been reluctant to go back to work—I have checked on all of my charges each day, but I have found myself unable to think of how to help them. Brid informs me that enough is enough. “Work is what defines us, Asa’el,” she said. “It makes us grieve our failures, but it also means that staying away from it will never make things better.” With that, she dragged me to meet our newest charge. At first, meeting Harrington…
Oh, readers. I wish that I had had Brid’s help tonight, or Inca’s, or even Lubos’s. Any one of my sisters or brothers might have helped me to avert the disaster. I saw it coming—I knew that he was wrong for her! And yet I only realized the danger when it was too late. Now two of my charges are suffering from wounds that I could have prevented. It was a fiery night with Shannon and Thomas. They were arguing…
In preparation for meeting our new charge in a few days, Brid and I met with her senior, Zaman. He was still with a patient when I arrived to find Brid waiting for me. She smiled, pleased to see me. Brid is still just an archangel, but she has told me that her seniors are considering whether they will present her with her third wing in the next few weeks. Healers measure their year’s end around the same time we…