The Reason For Grace (Sequel to A Reason To Stay)

Chapter 32

"Know what?" she asked trying to control her anger and barley keeping it from going through the roof. The last thing she wanted to do was upset Tommy.

Tommy was close to tears. "That Grace is an angel God sent us from heaven." his lip started to quiver and his voice started to shake. "I'm sorry ma. I wasn't s'pose to say a'cause you might not know she was from heaven!" A tiny tear slipped from his left eye and then his right.

Payton quickly pulled him into her arms and hugged him. "Oh, Tommy, you didn't do anything wrong by telling me."

"Pa, he said he was gonna tell you but he must of forgot!"

Payton smiled at him, "He must have. So what else did they tell you?" she asked smiling at him and encouraging him to share. "Please!" she begged.

Tommy wiped his tears with the back of his hand. "God gave her to us so's we can protect her! She's a real angel to ma! you know how I know?" he paused and Payton shook her head ready and eager to listen. "Cause she looks so funny.." he ducked his head and peeked up to the heaven's, "Sorry God, I didn't mean it. I didn't mean your angels look funny..." his gaze shifted back to his mother. "You think I made him mad?"

"No. I'm sure he understands."

"Well, its why she looks not like us. Angels are diff'erent you know."

Payton nodded and continued to listen.

Tommy dropped his voice to almost a whisper, a smile spread across his young face, "and you know what?"

"What?" Payton whispered back.

"I think I know why God gave her to us and not someone else..."

"Why is that?" Payton asked fighting the urge to cry. He was so excited over the idea that his little sister was an angel.

"I think he gave us one of his very special angels," he paused, " cause she is very special, Ma." he said it as if she didn't really understand how unique their circumstances were, "I think God sent us one of his angels from heaven a'cause he took our other Pa and Pa's baby and it's ma to heaven. I think he sawed that we was missin' something and he knew how happy it would make us if we got to have one of his angels!"

Payton quickly dashed her tears away, "You came up with that or Pa and Doris told you that?"

"NO!" he said as proud as could be, "I figured it out! Me! Pa didn't know it either till I telled him!" He got very serious suddenly, "Pa said we get to keep her till God wants her back up in heaven.... I know that is her real home and all but it kinda makes me sad to think of Grace going all the way back to heaven..."

Payton couldn't hold back the tears that fell now. She hugged her young son. "I love you Tommy." she said as she kissed the top of his head.

"Ma?" he asked in a small voice.

"Yes Tommy?" she asked trying to control her emotions but failing miserably.

"Do you think Grace knows she an angel? A'Cause Pa said she's gonna un'erstan things different than us. She's gonna knowed how it is in heaven and not here and so she's gonna do it all heaven's way.... Do you think that? Do you think she's gonna do it all heaven's way? 'Cause if she does I think she might just know she's an angel..."

Payton wiped her tears. How could a child so young simply accept that God had made his sister so different and simply be happy about it? "I don't know." she told him.

"ma?" Tommy asked now scooting away from her. "I don't think God likes it that you don't go to church."

Payton burst into laughter.