Divine

For Connie Boley-Painter, a true angel in disguise; I miss you so much. And to my inspiration for Autumn; I will miss you as well.

                                                                                  ~Tia Caffee

They Walk with Us

There are those who enter our lives when we least expect it.

Whose love and kindness resonates in our soul.

When we feel like weakened candles, whose wicks are barely lit.

They swoop into our lives and their compassion leaves a toll.

They may look like you and I, but they hide a secret.

Invisible to us are their wings and halos.

You may not know it,

But these strangers are our angels.

They walk with us and talk with us just like everyone else, And strengthen our hearts and spirit.

They let us discover the strength and love within ourselves.

And when it's our time to leave this world, There is no need to fear.

For they will guide us to His gleaming gates of gold and pearl, And dry our tears.

-Tia Caffee 

Within Tragedy...

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."-Colossians 3:12

Twenty-eight year old Autumn Greyson was quickly awakened by the sound of his radio as Norman Greenbaum's Spirit in the Sky blared through his darkened bedroom. He lazily climbed out of bed and allowed it to play.

He shuffled to the bathroom and turned the knob on his shower, waiting for it to get hot. He stripped out of his boxer shorts and stepped in. As the water sprayed on him, Autumn caught himself singing along to the song.

"I'm going to go to the place that's the best!" he sang as he washed his hair.

When he was finished, he stepped out, wrapped himself in a towel and pulled his scrubs out of his closet. He dressed and finished drying and combing his short black hair. He clipped his nametag to his shirt, grabbed his duffel bag and keys and left the apartment.

"Do you have a busy day today, Doctor?" his elderly neighbor

Florence asked as she greeted him in the hallway.

"Well, I have to declaw a cat, vaccinate a dachshund and help a golden retriever deliver her first litter of puppies," Autumn replied.

"How sweet, best of luck with the puppies," Florence said waving goodbye to him.

"Thank you, Florence!" Autumn called back as he made his way down the hall and to the steps.

After three flights of steps, Autumn exited the apartment building and headed into the small town of Hopewell, Ohio.

Hopewell wasn't a large town, but instead was a close-knit little community nestled deep within rural Ohio. It had a bank, a church, a grocery store, several small businesses, a fire station, a gas station, the school and the veterinary clinic. Everyone knew one another's name and everyone seemed to get along.

Autumn had moved to Hopewell when he was eleven to live with his grandparents after his parents were killed in a car wreck. Before Hopewell, he lived in the suburbs of Cleveland. When he finished veterinary school, he moved back to Hopewell, realizing how much he loved the town and its residents.

"Good morning, Doctor!" locals greeted as they passed

Autumn on the street.

"Good morning," he responded back, flashing his contagious smile.

Once he made it to the clinic, his assistant Sarah handed him a mug of coffee.

"Your eight AM appointment is waiting patiently," she informed him politely.

Autumn nodded and walked over to a mother and her little girl. The little girl clung tightly to a small Siamese kitten and stared at Autumn cautiously.

"Hey," he coaxed kneeling down in front of her, "is your friend ready for his surgery?"

"His name is Petey," the little girl corrected, "are you going to hurt him?"

"No," Autumn assured her, "Petey won't feel a thing; I promise."

"Okay," the little girl agreed.

Autumn nodded and gently took the kitten out of her arms and headed towards the back of the clinic. Once he did a full checkup on the kitten, he sedated it and began the surgery.

"How's Petey doing?" Sarah asked poking her head in the door.

"They won't have to worry about Petey scratching up the furniture anymore and he's fine. I used the laser to cauterize and sever the tendons holding the distal bone in place. He's not going to need a tourniquet," Autumn replied closing the incisions with skin glue. He bandaged the sleeping kitten's paws and carried him over to one of the small kennels and laid him inside on a pillow. He tossed his soiled rubber gloves into the trash and removed his mask. "He should be good to go home tomorrow morning. Is Wally the dachshund here for his vaccinations yet?"

Sarah heard the bell hanging above the front door jingle and smiled.

"Yeah."

Autumn smiled and made his way out to the front to greet the dachshund and his owner.

"Time for your vaccinations, Wally," he said giving the lazy dog a Milk bone.

After the vaccinations, his last appointment arrived with a very pregnant Golden retriever.

"She's breathing heavily, Doc," the owner stammered nervously. "This is Ginger's first litter and I'd feel better if she were here instead of at home."

"It's fine, I've already got a whelping box set up for her in the back," Autumn said calmly. He led Ginger and her owner to the back and shown them the large kennel full of blankets and pillows. As soon as he opened the door, Ginger hurried into the box and lay down.

"I'll stay with her and intervene when I have to," Autumn said to the owner.

"Thank you," the owner said patting her dog on the head and hurrying out.

Autumn put on his gloves and waited patiently while Ginger began the first stage of her whelping. Once she progressed onto stage two and the first puppy arrived, Autumn gently cleaned it and lay it down next to its mother. By the end, Ginger had four round little puppies.

"How is she?" the owner asked as Autumn exited the back room.

"She's fine and she's the proud new mommy to four puppies," he proclaimed.

"Thank you, Doctor Greyson!" the owner gushed.

Around three o'clock, Autumn grabbed his coat and turned to Sarah.

"Have a good evening," he said.

"You too, Doctor Dolittle, don't forget about your appointment with Frank Myers's horse tomorrow at eight," Sarah reminded him.

"Yay, I get to clean horse teeth first thing in the morning; don't worry I won't forget," Autumn teased waving good-bye and leaving.

He made his way back through town and stopped at the local flower shop.

"A dozen roses please," he said placing his money on the counter.

"Are these for a special lady, Doctor Greyson?" the clerk asked slyly.

"No," Autumn said, forcing a smile, "they're for my parents." "Oh," the clerk observed, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Autumn reassured her as she handed him the bouquet, "keep the change."

He left and continued on his walk to the outskirts of Hopewell and to the cemetery. He stood in front of a gleaming black marble tombstone in silence.

Inscribed on the tombstone were the names Jonathan and Irene Greyson as well as an image of their intertwined wedding rings.

"'For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord,'" Autumn whispered lying the roses down in front of the stone. "Romans, chapter eight, verses thirty-eight through thirty-nine." He stood there for a moment and felt eyes upon him. He turned and noticed a stranger standing a few feet away from him.

The stranger was an older woman of African-American

decent. She stood amongst the tombstones in silence, watching him with puzzling russet colored eyes. At last she spoke.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she said.

"Thanks," Autumn said, embarrassed at his reaction. He didn't see a car anywhere and wondered how she approached so quietly.

"Who were they?" she asked.

"My parents, I lost them in a car accident when I was eleven. They were hit by a drunk driver head-on and I was the only one who survived," Autumn explained half-heartedly.

"My condolences," the woman added, her eyes still focused on

Autumn. She looked at him with an expression of guilt, sadness and fascination.

"Who are you visiting?" Autumn inquired trying to change the subject.

"I guess you could say I visit everyone," she answered.

"I haven't seen you around town before, are you from Hopewell?" Autumn asked. Though he'd never seen this woman before in his life, he felt like he knew her. And the way she was staring at him sent chills down his spine.

"No," the woman said. She finally allowed a smile to spread across her face, "where are my manners? My name is Evelyn Wheeler."

"Nice to meet you, Evelyn, I'm Autumn Greyson," Autumn introduced himself. He felt a cold breeze blow on his back, "well, it's getting cold; I suppose I'd better head home. Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine, but thank you," Evelyn said.

Autumn nodded and turned away. Once he reached the gates of the cemetery, he glanced back to try and spot Evelyn. But to his surprise, the cemetery was empty. His eyes scanned all around but saw no trance of the stranger.

"Weird," he mumbled to himself. Then he heard them.

The sounds of the sirens echoed through the night air and sent more chills down Autumn's spine. He began speed walking towards town and then his pace progressed into a dead sprint. He raced down the sidewalks and across the streets towards his apartment building.

The apartment complex was engulfed in flames and the local fire department was valiantly trying to extinguish the blaze.

"Has everyone been evacuated?" Autumn gasped hurrying up to the fire marshal.

"The Garcia's are still in there!" Florence wept as she and the rest of the complex's residents approached.

"How many?" the fire marshal asked.

"There's only three of them; a husband and wife and their little girl!" Florence sobbed.

Without thinking, Autumn darted into the building, ignoring the cries of the firemen and Florence. He stormed up three flights of stairs towards the Garcia's apartment. The interior of the building was full of smoke that stung Autumn's eyes as he tried to navigate through the stairwells. Once he reached the third floor, the smoke and heat begun to take its toll.

"Phil! Margaret!" he coughed stumbling through the hall. "Autumn! Where are you?" Margaret Garcia shrieked.

"I'm in the hall, are you and your husband and daughter okay?" he asked.

"Our apartment is full of fire, we're following your voice," Margaret called back.

Autumn could feel the sweat pouring down his face and neck as he struggled to see them. Once he spotted the couple and their three year old daughter, he hurried over to them.

"Let's go!" he announced leading them towards the stairwell. He looked back just in time to see the flames billow out of their apartment and spread across the walls. "Hurry, hurry!" he warned. He could feel his feet burning from the heat as he ran.

The Garcia's daughter screamed and cried as they were ushered down the stairs by Autumn.

"Good, good," Autumn coaxed watching them reach the top of the last staircase. By this time the top floors had begun to crumble and collapse from the heat of the monstrous fire. Blinded by the smoke once again, Autumn stumbled down several stairs and hit his forehead. He hazily opened his eyes and stared up at the now collapsing ceiling.

Florence prayed under her breath and watched as the Garcia's ran out of the building.

"Phil! Margaret! Amanda! Thank God you're all right!" Florence praised. She glanced behind them, "where's Doctor Greyson?"

"He was leading us out and then he had us go down the stairs first," Phil said struggling to catch his breath, "he should be right behind us-" He turned and stared at the burning building, "oh no."

Autumn's body was completely numb as he lay sprawled out on the stairs. His vision was blurred as he watched the fire gather around him. He blinked several times and stared up at a silhouette looming over him. At first the silhouette looked hazy, but he soon recognized the familiar russet colored eyes.

"Evelyn," he gagged.

Evelyn stood over him with tears in her eyes. She was shrouded by a white aura and she seemed unaffected by the scorching fire. She slowly looked up just in time to watch the rest of the building collapse. Then everything went black.

The Ascending

"After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight" -Acts 1:9

The firemen finished dousing the remaining embers with water as they searched the remnants of the apartment complex. One of them approached a pile of rubble and lifted it up.

"Oh God," he sighed, "We found the poor soul."

Autumn stood amid the rubble and stared at the charred remains in utter silence.

"You may want to look away," a voice behind him cautioned, startling him.

He whirled around and stared at Evelyn Wheeler. "Is that me?" he demanded.

Evelyn stared at him and nodded sternly.

"I-I'm dead?" he faltered staring at his hands. He ran his fingers through his dark hair shakily. "How is this possible? Am I a ghost?"

"You're not a ghost, Autumn, you're a soul," Evelyn explained. "You're about to begin your journey to Heaven and become an angel."

Autumn made his way through the rubble, trembling. He approached one of the firemen and tried to tap his shoulder, but his hand phased through him.

"No, no, no," he sobbed, "Florence! Mister Garcia! Missus Garcia! Please!"

"They can't hear you, honey," Evelyn said. "The Autumn Greyson they know is gone." She turned and walked away.

"No! Wait!" Autumn called chasing after her. He followed her down the sidewalk and through the darkened town. "Please," he began following her to an alley. "I need answers; how do you know me? What are you? Why did this happen?"

"Believe it or not, Autumn Greyson, but I'm an angel. I'm an escort angel sent down to Earth to lead you to Heaven. My job is come to Earth and watch over a human until they die, then I lead them to Heaven. I just didn't reveal myself to you until earlier this evening," Evelyn explained. "Some of us can foresee the deaths of the ones we're assigned to escort, but not always. In your case, I knew this was going to happen; it's just fate."

"You couldn't have told me about the fire?" Autumn said struggling to hold back tears. "I can't go yet; I never got to fall in love, get married and have a family! Don't you understand this life wasn't finished living?"

"It's not up to me, Autumn and I understand that it's a cruel twist of fate but now you'll start a new life as an angel," Evelyn said.

"I don't believe this, I just can't!" Autumn cried sitting down. He glanced up at Evelyn with teary eyes and then he saw them.

Behind Evelyn, shrouded in golden light were two wings. They were enormous and pure white like those of a dove. They spread out and gleamed in the moonlight.

"I'm telling you the truth, Autumn," she said.

Autumn stared at the wings and slowly rose to his feet. He wiped away the tears and cleared his throat.

"Will I get to see my parents?"

"All in due time," Evelyn said holding out her hand. Autumn took it and closed his eyes.

The feeling of solid earth vanished beneath his feet and Autumn felt nothing but air. When he reopened his eyes, Autumn stood before a gleaming pearl gate.

"Oh my God," he said, feeling his hands tremble. He stared at Evelyn and she progressed forward; the gate opening as she did.

"Come on," she coaxed turning back to Autumn, this time with a smile on her face.

Autumn sheepishly followed her into the Kingdom. They walked into a gleaming city made of white marble buildings and golden streets. Everywhere, children played and chased after one another while elders sat on park benches and held hands. Everyone was dressed in white and had wings and halos. The air smelled sweet, like the scent of lilacs and jasmine and was filled with the sounds of singing and laughter. The sky was full of pink and golden hues, like a sunset.

"Beautiful," Autumn admired staring in all directions. As he followed Evelyn down the street, he noticed that many of the angels had stopped what they were doing and watched him. They smiled at him as he passed.

"Where are we going?" Autumn asked Evelyn. "To the House of Souls," Evelyn replied.

She led him to a large structure that resembled an old fashioned cathedral. Once they entered, Autumn realized that it was a massive library. He stood in the doorway and eyed the multiple levels of bookshelves. In the center of the House of Souls was a spiral staircase which led to the multiple levels. Evelyn ascended up the staircase and walked over to the bookshelf. She held out her hand and a book floated off of the shelf and landed in her grasp.

"Greyson, Autumn," she read aloud.

"That's a book about my life?" Autumn asked hurrying up the staircase.

"We have to keep a record of every soul on this world, Mister Greyson," Evelyn explained. "This book keeps record of every day of your life since your birth."

"Wow," was all Autumn could say. He held out his hand and stared at her cautiously, "may I?"

Evelyn handed him the book and he flipped through it until he reached the car accident. He read over the passage, his hands shaking as he did.

"Your parents tried to instill a good sense of faith in you," Evelyn said, "so did your grandparents."

"Can I see them?" Autumn asked closing the book.

"Let's get your wings first," she said taking the book from him and flipping to the last page. "I need you to place your hand on this."

Autumn nodded and placed his hand on the blank page. He watched as the page glowed and he lifted his hand off of the paper. There, inscribed on the page was his golden hand print.

"Perfect," Evelyn said placing the book back on the shelf, "let's go get those wings."

They left the House of Souls and made their way to a gleaming fountain in the center of the divine city.

Standing behind the fountain was a massive marble statue of Jesus Christ; his hands held out as if beckoning.

Autumn stared up at the statue then at the fountain at its feet. "What do I do?" he asked nervously.

"You will dip your hand into the water and make a cross on your forehead and say a prayer," Evelyn whispered to him. "You've already been judged, Autumn, that's why you're here."

Autumn nodded and knelt down in front of the fountain. He gingerly placed his pointer finger to the holy water and pulled it out slowly. He made a cross on his forehead with his dampened finger and recited the Lord's prayer.

"Heavenly father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done. On Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses. As we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory. Forever and ever, amen."

Autumn slowly lifted his head and watched as the eyes of the statue began to glow. He felt as if someone had lifted pounds of weight off of his back and he slowly stood up. He turned his head towards the right and saw the snow white wing sprouted from his back. He glanced to the left and saw the other.

"Congratulations, Autumn," Evelyn proclaimed approaching him.

A huge grin spread across his face as he turned back to the statue and smiled up at it.

"Thank you!" he beamed. He flapped his wings anxiously, "time to give these babies a test flight!"

"I wouldn't advise that, they're fragile when they first appear!" Evelyn warned. But her warning was ignored as Autumn raced down the street as fast as he could.

"Come on, come on!" he urged jumping up and down and flapping his wings; trying to get control of his new limbs. Finally he took flight. He soared higher and smiled down at the on looking angels. Some of them took flight and joined him, laughing and cheering him on as he flew. He did a few flips through the air and decided to land. He dove down towards the ground and landed awkwardly. He hurried over to Evelyn, his mischievous smile still plastered on his face.

"Are we done playing?" she asked. Autumn nodded, "sorry, I had to try it."

"I know, but now I have someone I want you to meet," Evelyn announced. She pointed behind him and he turned just in time to see them.

Autumn's eyes widened and his heart fluttered in his chest, "Mom, Dad."

Jonathan and Irene Greyson stood before their adult son. They looked like they hadn't aged since the car accident seventeen years ago. Jonathan was dressed in a white suit and Irene was dressed in a long white gown. They both smiled at Autumn in disbelief.

Irene immediately began to cry as she and her husband wrapped Autumn in a hug.

"He's grown into such a handsome young man!" Irene sobbed burying her face into her son's chest.

Autumn could feel the tears returning to his eyes as his parents stepped back and admired him.

"You two haven't aged since that night," Autumn observed.

"We've been reading through your book since our deaths, Autumn, we're so proud of the man you've become," Jonathan said.

"Thank you, Dad," Autumn said.

"Evelyn has told us all about you too, she's rather fond of you," Irene added shooting a smile at Evelyn.

Evelyn's cheeks flushed red, "most escort angels grow fond of the souls they watch."

"So are we all going to live together as a family again?" Autumn asked.

Irene nodded, "yes, we can."

Autumn turned back to Evelyn and held out his right hand. "Thank you, Miss Wheeler."

"Call me Evelyn and you're very welcome," Evelyn said shaking it. "You'd better go with your parents; you three have a lot of catching up to do."

The Greyson's waved goodbye to Evelyn and hurried down the golden streets together. Once they made it to a gleaming white mansion, Irene and Jonathan stood on both of Autumn's sides and placed their hands on his shoulders.

"This is our home, son," Jonathan said proudly.

Autumn followed the golden path leading to the bright blue front door. He admired the flower beds full of exotic flowers and ivy; remembering how much his mother loved to garden. This place reminded him so much of his childhood home.

The three entered the house, and Autumn was surprised to see that its interior was an exact replica of their old home's. They sat down at the table within the quaint little kitchen and spoke for hours.

Autumn told his parents all about veterinary school and the animals he helped at the clinic. He talked about life with his grandparents and how he fell in love with Hopewell and couldn't leave it.

"What am I supposed to do now?" he asked as his mother sat a mug of cocoa in front of him. He drank it and admired its divine flavor; it was unlike any cocoa he'd ever tasted.

"You'll be given a choice tomorrow, Autumn, the choice to stay here with us or to serve as an escort and guardian angel," Irene replied.

"Will I be able to come back?" he asked nervously, "I don't want to lose you two again."

"The job as an escort angel is a bit complicated; some of them stay with the dying soul for a brief moment and some stay for a long time," Irene explained.

"Well, my job was to help those in need, if I can still do that now, I'd be happy to," Autumn admitted.

"It's your choice, son, just remember that we're proud of you, no matter what," Jonathan said patting his son on the shoulder.

Angel in Disguise

"For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways." -Psalm 91:11

The next morning, Autumn awoke early and stood on the front porch of the house. He stood motionless as he watched the sun rise. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever witnessed.

The sun looked like it was only a few miles away as it ascended into the heavenly sky, lit with shades of pink, gold and orange. As the sun rose higher and higher, Autumn could feel its warming heat and the calming effect it left on him.

"It's something to behold, isn't it?" Evelyn asked walking up the sidewalk joining him on the porch.

"Will I get to see it again if I become an escort angel?" Autumn asked.

"Of course; you can go back and forth from Heaven and Earth as much as you want," Evelyn said. "Are you considering becoming an escort angel?"

"If it means helping others then yes," Autumn confirmed.

"You realize that you'll see some depressing things; after all, I watched you get burned alive," Evelyn warned. "You'll see a lot of suffering and heartbreak, but it's worth it in the end. After all, you get the privilege of bringing them to this beautiful place."

"I understand and yes, I want to help them," Autumn proclaimed.

"Then follow me," Evelyn said. She led him back into the golden city and to the House of Souls. They passed the bookshelves and approached a blank wall. As Evelyn reached out and touched the wall, a golden door appeared and she entered. "This is our prayer room," she informed him.

The room resembled a typical church, with a few rows of pews and an altar with a painting of the crucifixion behind it. It was surrounded by walls of stained glass windows, which allowed the sunbeams to shine in from all directions.

Evelyn walked up to the altar and knelt down on her knees. "Do as I do," she whispered to Autumn.

"Okay," he said kneeling beside her. "Close your eyes and listen," she said.

He did as she said and listened to the silence. Soon the sound of voices began to ring in his ears. At first they sounded like indistinct whispers but they soon grew louder. As he listened to the voices, he realized that they were prayers. He heard children's voices, elderly men and women's voices and more.

"Prayers," he affirmed aloud, "this is how I find people to escort?"

"It's one method, do you hear any names?" Evelyn asked.

"I hear a little girl; she keeps saying the name Lily Braeden," Autumn said.

"Very well," Evelyn said rising to her feet and leading

Autumn back into the library. She held out her hand, "Braeden, Lily." As she said it, a book flew from the shelf and landed in her grasp. She opened it and shown Autumn a picture of a little five year old girl with curly red hair and freckles.

"What's wrong with her?" Autumn asked cautiously.

"She has Leukemia and she's losing the battle," Evelyn warned, "do you think you can handle this?"

"I hope so, where is she?" Autumn asked.

"She's at Silver Linings Children's Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee," Evelyn said.

"What a name for a hospital," Autumn mumbled.

"I'll ask again; can you handle this?" Evelyn pried narrowing her eyes at him.

Autumn nodded, "yes."

Suddenly his surroundings changed and Evelyn disappeared. Autumn blinked several times as he stood amongst several strangers sitting in a waiting room. They were all sobbing and wiping their eyes.

"I'm going to lose my little pumpkin," a red-haired woman sniffled.

"Lily," Autumn whispered to himself. He took a step forwards and realized that Lily's relatives couldn't see him. He took a deep breath and walked past them. He made his way to the room with Lily's name on it and walked right through it. His heart sank as he laid eyes on Lily.

Her curly red hair was gone and she lay in a hospital bed with several heart monitors attached to her. She lay there watching a cartoon on the TV. Her eyes drifted from the TV screen to Autumn.

"I didn't know there were boy angels," she said weakly. "Your wings are really pretty."

"Thank you, Lily," Autumn choked, trying to hold back tears, "my name is Autumn."

"Am I going to go up to Heaven, Autumn?" Lily asked nonchalantly.

Autumn nodded slowly, "yes, Lily and don't you worry about a thing; it's beautiful there."

Tears began to form in Lily's eyes, "will I have my hair back?"

"Yes," Autumn assured her, "and you'll have wings too."

Lily took a deep breath and held out her tiny hand; her green eyes full of hope.

Autumn reached out and took her hand in his. In a flash of light, Lily stood beside him as the heart monitors began to ring out. The murmur lines falling flat. Doctors and nurses rushed in as Autumn and Lily turned and vanished.

Once they stood before the pearl gates, Lily squeezed Autumn's hand tighter.

"Heaven is real!" she said excitedly.

"Come on, Lily, let me show you around," Autumn persuaded smiling down at the little girl. As the gates opened, an elderly couple hurried over to greet them.

"Great-Grandma! Great-Grandpa!" Lily chimed hugging them.

Autumn turned and stared at Evelyn, who stood there silently. 

"You did well, Mister Greyson," she said.

"I took her away from her family," Autumn said half- heartedly.

"Yes, but you saw how much she was suffering, now look at her," Evelyn said watching as the little girl's wings and curly red hair appeared. "Being an escort angel means that you're going to see a lot of suffering, but the results are worth it. You get the privilege of bringing the sick and dying to Heaven."

"Who can I help next?" Autumn asked.

Day after day, Autumn went to Earth and escorted the suffering and dying to Heaven. He went all around the world, escorting the young and old. Though they were strangers, they all smiled at him when he appeared-his wings and halo visible only to them. When Autumn would take them to the pearl gates, they'd either squeeze his hand or hug him.

Each time Autumn would return to his parents' home, he'd feel renewed; as if he had a new sense of purpose. He read several books in the House of Souls, reading people's lives like novels. Their stories both inspired him and broke his heart.

One day, Evelyn entered the House of Souls to find Autumn fast asleep on the floor with stacks of books beside him. She walked over to him and nudged his arm with her foot.

Autumn lazily sat up and stared at her guiltily.

"Even escort angels have to rest, Mister Greyson," Evelyn said. "I should've known you'd be dedicated, though."

"I found another soul," Autumn said, "A paraplegic named Royce Jackson in Pine Creek, Maine."

"I suppose you'd better go help him then," Evelyn said with a wink.

Autumn leapt to his feet and nodded. He concentrated and closed his eyes. When he reopened them, he stood in front of the doors of the Pine Creek Hospital. As he made his way down the halls, not a soul seemed to notice the angel. He glanced in rooms as he walked by-a habit he found himself doing often.

"Miss Reid, you need to understand that this is a serious matter," a voice cautioned from inside one of the rooms up ahead.

Curious, Autumn caught himself glancing in.

Inside stood a doctor and a nurse. They stared at a woman with expressions of concern. The woman-who had her back to Autumn, sat on an examination table still as a statue. 

"How bad is it?" the woman asked.

"It's the size of a quarter," the doctor responded. Just then he glanced up and spotted Autumn in the doorway. "Can I help you, sir?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude," Autumn said hurrying by.

He proceeded down the hallway until he reached a set of double doors. Then he turned around and looked back just in time to watch the woman rush out of the room. She was sobbing as she walked by him; trying her hardest not to let him see her face.

Autumn stood at the doors and opened them for her. 

"Th-thank you," the woman sniffed looking up at him.

Autumn felt a chill run down his spine as he glanced at her. She looked to be in her mid-twenties-with a pale smooth complexion, like that of a pearl. Her eyes were round and the most beautiful color of hazel he'd ever seen. Long wavy brunette hair shrouded her round cheeks and her ruby colored lips quivered as she spoke. She immediately put her head down as she rushed through the doors and down the hall.

Autumn could barely breathe as he watched her disappear around the corner. He stood there motionless for a brief moment before walking through the doors as well.

Once he made it to Royce Jackson's room, Autumn stood at the door and waited. He listened to the heart monitors echo and he glanced to his right at Royce.

Royce stood there in utter silence as he stared at his body.

"I was praying that I would be able to walk," he finally said. 

"If you come with me, you'll get to fly too," Autumn said.

"I always wondered if angels were real; now I know," Royce said smiling. He followed Autumn down the hallway-leaving his body behind.

Once the two made it back to Heaven, Autumn helped Royce get his wings. The old man's eyes admired all of the beautiful sights.

"I can't believe this is really happening!" he beamed.

Autumn nodded, "welcome to Heaven, Royce." He looked up and spotted a couple of angels rushing towards them. "I think you have some friends who want to say 'hi'."

"Those are my siblings!" Royce chimed. He ran to them and wrapped them in a bear hug.

For the rest of the evening, Autumn walked around the city in silence. All he could picture was the woman from the hospital. Though he didn't know her name or anything about her, Autumn felt drawn to her. She was so beautiful and clearly in pain.

"I'm going back to Pine Creek," he told himself, "first thing in the morning."

Kinsley

"You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you."

–Song of Songs 4:7

The next morning, Autumn left early and returned to Pine Creek, Maine. Pine Creek was a bustling seaside little town that reminded Autumn of Hopewell. There was a chill in the air from the ocean, but it was overshadowed by the warm and joyous atmosphere.

Feeling like a stranger, Autumn proceeded down the busy sidewalk. He passed bookstores, diners, boutiques and other little craft stores along the way. He glanced at all of the people he passed, hoping to see the mystery woman amongst them. Feeling anxious, he turned and entered a nearby café. He sat down at a corner booth and tried to collect his thoughts.

"Well hello, I haven't seen you around here before," an older waitress greeted him.

"I guess you can say I'm a tourist," Autumn said nervously.

"Where are you from?" she asked pulling a notepad out of her apron pocket.

"Ohio," Autumn said, "can I get a cup of coffee?"

"You sure can, honey," she confirmed writing his order down and walking away. She walked over to another table and picked up an empty mug. "Need a refill on your caramel cappuccino, Kinsley?"

"I might as well live it up, right Hannah?" the woman chuckled.

Autumn froze as he recognized her voice. He tried to nonchalantly glance over at the table. He recognized the same wavy brunette hair-but she had her back to him.

Hannah walked out from behind the counter and placed a large red mug down in front of Kinsley.

"There you go, hon," she said. Her eyes met Autumn's and she smiled. She brought him his coffee next and sat it down in front of him. "Would you like something to eat? We have homemade soups, paninis, pies and cinnamon rolls."

"I'll take a cinnamon roll, please," Autumn said sheepishly.

"Okay, hon, and don't you worry; I won't tell her that you were staring at her," Hannah said with a wink.

Autumn felt his face flush red, "I wasn't intentionally-" 

"It's okay," Hannah assured him.

Autumn just nodded as she walked away. He tried to watch Kinsley without making it obvious. He watched her sip her cappuccino and flip through a magazine.

"What are you thinking about?" Hannah asked leaning over and eying the magazine.

"Hawaii," Kinsley replied, "if I could afford it."

"That'd be beautiful," Hannah agreed. "You could spend the whole day lying on the beach."

"I'd hike, I read about this trail that goes through the jungle and around the base of a volcano," Kinsley bragged. "That's what I want to do."

As she spoke, Kinsley could feel eyes upon her. She quickly glanced behind her to see several locals sitting at tables and booths. She spied a familiar face sipping a cup of coffee and eating a cinnamon roll-his eyes looking down.

That's the guy I saw in the hospital, she thought to herself. She turned back around and continued flipping through her magazine.

That was close, Autumn thought, Kinsley; what a beautiful and unique name.

Kinsley finished her cappuccino and paid Hannah. She stood up and made her way to the door without a saying a word.

Autumn watched her out of the corner of his eye-admiring her as she walked towards the door. She had a healthy, curvy physique, a smooth porcelain complexion and rosy cheeks.

Once she left the café, Autumn felt his heart pound in his chest. His eyes shifted back to her table and saw the magazine lying there. He slowly made his way over to it and skimmed through its pages. Each page had sticky notes and dividers taped inside. Autumn hurried back to his booth and laid some money on the table.

"Keep the change!" he called to Hannah as he ran out the door clutching the magazine. His eyes scanned the crowd of people-trying to spot Kinsley. Finally he saw her crossing the street. "Miss!" he shouted nearly running across the street. "Miss, you forgot your magazine!"

Kinsley turned to him-her hazel eyes fixated on Autumn, leaving him speechless.

"Thank you," she said gently taking it out of his grasp. "I could've sworn I put it in my purse!"

"No problem, I saw the dividers and sticky notes in it and figured it was important. Are you planning a trip?" Autumn asked nervously.

"Probably not any time soon; I was just reading up on Hawaii," she replied. Her eyes kept moving from the magazine cover to Autumn . "I really appreciate this, and I appreciated you opening the door for me yesterday too."

"You're welcome," Autumn stated.

"Well, I better get going," Kinsley sighed turning away, "thanks again!"

Autumn watched her disappear around the street corner and walked the opposite direction. He spent much of the day walking around and sightseeing. Their second meeting flashed in his head like a short film. He couldn't stop picturing her eyes. They were so full of mystery and enchantment. I want to see her again, he thought to himself, but when and how?

As the sun began to set and the air got cooler, Autumn returned to the café and sat the same table that Kinsley had.

"Back for some supper?" Hannah asked walking over to him.

"I am; can I have the potato soup and a cup of coffee?" Autumn asked.

"Sure, honey," Hannah said writing down his order. "By the way, did you catch up to her?"

Autumn paused and nodded hesitantly, "yeah, she left her magazine and I thought-"

"I'm glad you got that back to her, she was probably thrilled," Hannah said. "That was very considerate of you to do."

Autumn nodded, "thank you."

"Funny how things happen," Hannah added. She walked back to the kitchen and left Autumn deep in thought.

"Yeah," he touted, "funny how things happen the way they do."

Kinsley opened her front door and lumbered in. She kicked off her shoes in the mud room and made her way into the kitchen.

"How are you feeling?" her mother, Lucille called from the living room.

"Oh my God, Mom! I thought you left this morning!" Kinsley cried flinching.

Lucille quickly sat up from the rocking chair and scurried into the kitchen.

"Why on Earth would I leave you? I'm your mother, it's my job to watch over you," she spat.

"You don't have to do that, Mom," Kinsley said. "I'm twenty- five years old; I can take care of myself."

"So I'm supposed to sit at home and ignore the fact that my daughter may have cancer?" her mom griped. "And accept the fact that you won't do anything about it?"

"I can't afford the treatment, Mom-my insurance at work isn't going to help me pay for it," Kinsley winced. She could feel the tears forming in her eyes. "And you're not going to spend your money on me."

"I'm not going to sit back and watch my daughter die," her mom declared. She watched the first tear trickle down her daughter's cheek and changed the subject. "So anything eventful happen today?"

"Not really, I ate at the café and chatted with Hannah," Kinsley responded. She paused, "well, I guess I met someone new today."

"Really? Who?" her mom asked opening the refrigerator and pulling out a pitcher of iced tea.

"A man; I saw him in the hospital yesterday and in the café today. He brought me my magazine, I left it in the café by mistake," Kinsley explained. She felt a tinge of guilt, "I never asked him what his name was."

"That was nice of him, was he attractive?" her mom asked getting a glass out of the cupboard and pouring the tea.

Kinsley blushed, "yeah, I thought he was."

"You should've got his name and phone number," her mom teased.

"I guess I should've got his name at least," Kinsley agreed.

She quickly made her way to the living room and sat down on the sofa. She pictured Autumn in her head and recalled his features. Short black hair with longer bangs, dark eyebrows and deep set blue eyes. He was attractive and Kinsley recalled how shy he seemed. Now she wanted to speak with him.

Later that evening, after eating a large salad and downing an herbal smoothie, Kinsley sat down in her writing studio and started to write. In one of her blank journals, she wrote out a short poem.

A perfect stranger crossed my path today.

He seemed so shy and didn't have much to say.

His eyes said more than he did-so bright and blue.

I suppose I didn't have much to say either, but now I do.

I want to meet this stranger and cross his path once more.

This I know for sure.

She closed her journal and stared at all of her framed photographs and articles. She promised herself that she'd try to see this stranger again.

As Autumn left the café, he felt a presence beside him. He turned and locked eyes with Evelyn.

"Who are you waiting to guide now?" she asked.

"I'm not really guiding any one at the moment," Autumn said cautiously, "I met someone."

"What do you mean you met someone?" she pried.

"I saw a woman in the hospital yesterday when I was guiding Royce Jackson. You should've seen her, Evelyn; she looked like she was in so much pain. I met her in person today-her name is Kinsley uh..." he tried to recall what her last name was. He flashed back to the hospital and remembered the doctor calling her Miss Reid. "Kinsley Reid," he said.

"I see," Evelyn said, "is she dying?"

"I don't know, I hope not," Autumn confessed. "I just want to learn more about her."

Evelyn nodded, "angels are allowed to spend as much time on Earth as they please, but you need to be cautious. You can't reveal too much about your previous life. The world believes Autumn Greyson is dead. You'll need to come up with a pseudonym."

"Okay," Autumn said. He watched her walk down the street and called to her. "Evelyn." He waited until she turned her head.

"Yes?"

"Thank you," he mumbled.

She just nodded and vanished into a ball of light.

Autumn walked down to the nearest bed and breakfast and entered.

"Do you have any empty rooms?" he asked.

"I do, how long do you plan on staying?" the clerk asked.

"I don't know yet, maybe a week," he replied. He reached into his back pocket and to his surprise, pulled out a wallet full of money and an ID. He studied the ID for a moment, memorizing the pseudonym. "Put it under Thomas Autumn," he said.

Once he had his key, Autumn settled down in his cozy little room and fell asleep. The next morning, he woke up early and discovered a briefcase sitting at the foot of the bed. He cautiously opened it and found a week's worth of nice clothes and hygiene products.

"Evelyn," he said with a smile. He showered and dressed in a pair of dark jeans, a gray t-shirt and a denim jacket. He grabbed his wallet and headed out the door; knowing exactly where to go.

Kinsley walked down the busy sidewalk listening to her iPod as she walked. She tried to keep an eye out for the mystery man as she made her way to the café.

Autumn sat in the same corner booth and watched anxiously out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of Kinsley.

"Welcome back," Hannah hailed. "Can I start you off with a coffee?"

"Yes, please," Autumn said. He heard the bell jingle as the door opened and he saw her.

Kinsley pulled out her earbuds and scanned the room for an empty seat. She saw Hannah and then she saw him. She shyly made her way over to his booth and brushed her hair behind her ear.

"Can I join you?"

"Sure," Autumn said, struggling to contain his excitement. She sat down quickly and looked up at Hannah.

"I'll have the usual, please."

Hannah wrote it down and gave Kinsley thumbs up as she turned back to Autumn.

"I'll have a cinnamon roll too," he said.

Once Hannah made her way back to the kitchen, the two glanced at one another awkwardly.

"I wanted to thank you for what you did yesterday-that was very considerate of you," Kinsley began. "I never really asked what your name is."

"It's Thomas, Thomas Autumn," Autumn lied. "I usually just go by my last name, though. And you are?"

"I'm Kinsley Reid," Kinsley said reaching her hand across the table.

"It's very nice to meet you, Kinsley Reid," Autumn beamed shaking her hand.

"You too, Thomas," she said, "I guess I never really seen you around before, are you new?"

"I'm originally from Ohio," Autumn explained. "I just moved here and I'm planning on staying."

"I haven't seen any houses for sale, but there are some apartments for rent outside of town," Kinsley informed him.

"I'll have to look into that, thanks," Autumn said.

"Do you have any family around here or what made you move here?" Kinsley inquired as Hannah brought out their orders.

"My family is all passed away; I guess I moved here to try and start a new life. They say a change in scenery is good for someone who's spent their life alone," Autumn confessed.

"I'm sorry to hear about your family. I have my share of family issues too. My mom is a bit eccentric and my dad left us when I was pretty young. He was an alcoholic, so I think his departure was a blessing. It took a toll on my mom, though; she blamed herself," Kinsley confided. She stared at Autumn, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to vent."

"It's fine, I don't mind at all," he said reassuringly.

"So what did you do for a job back when you lived in Ohio?" Kinsley asked taking a sip of her cappuccino.

"I was a veterinarian," Autumn said. He paused-remembering Evelyn's warning about talking about his previous life. "What do you do?"

"I'm a writer for a local magazine and a photographer," Kinsley replied.

"I always thought writing would be fun," Autumn incited.

"It's fun, but not everyone understands it. If you write too normally, people think you're boring. But if you get overly creative, people think you're crazy. Hey, I enjoy the creative freedom, though," Kinsley added.

"Would you happen to have one of those magazines?" Autumn asked.

Kinsley nodded and pulled one out of her purse.

"This is our winter issue," she said as Autumn flipped through it, admiring the beautiful photographs.

"Wow," he admired, staring at the photos of the wildlife. "You took these? They're amazing!"

"Thank you," Kinsley said blushing. "I don't use Photoshop on any of them. My job involves a lot of hiking in the woods with a tripod and a massive digital camera."

"The way you word the articles is very impressive too, they're very engaging," Autumn continued.

The two of them spent most of the morning sitting and talking in that corner booth. Autumn bought their breakfast and listened intently to everything Kinsley said.

Around one o'clock, Kinsley glanced at her phone.

"I better get going, Thomas, it was nice meeting you and thanks for breakfast!" she called jumping to her feet. She waved goodbye and paused. "I'm sorry," she said suddenly. She wrote her number inside the cover of the magazine and slid it across the table to him. "Give me a call sometime, I enjoy our little talks."

A shy smile spread across Autumn's face as he took the magazine.

"Will do, Kinsley, thank you."

Once she vanished out the door, Autumn opened the magazine, his hands shaking. He read the number inscribed on the glossy page and his heart pounded.

I can't believe this is really happening he thought. He tried to gather his thoughts as he read through all of Kinsley's articles. He admired her creative writing and her awe inspiring photos. That magazine had become his most cherished possession.

Once Autumn returned to his room at the bed and breakfast, he shut the door and grinned.

"You did it," he told himself as he stared at the magazine, "now what?"

Kinsley entered her house and shut the door slowly. Her hands were trembling as she made her way into the kitchen.

"How was your day?" her mother called from the living room. For once, Kinsley was glad her mother was there.

"It was great," she said joining her in the living room.

Her mother stood up from the rocking chair and eyed her. "Something has you in a good mood; your cheeks are beet red," she enquired. "Oh," she said, "you met the mystery man, didn't you? So who is he?"

"His name is Thomas Autumn, he's a former veterinarian from Ohio. He just moved here and he seems genuinely nice," Kinsley gushed. "We ended up talking all morning and I gave him my number."

"Good for you, honey, I'm glad you've met someone special. Did you tell him about the uh...spot?" Lucille asked changing her tone.

Kinsley stared at her, "I just met him, Mom, why on Earth would I tell him about my health issues?"

"Are you going to tell him if you two get serious?" her mom demanded.

"I don't know yet," Kinsley snapped. "When is my next appointment again?"

"You didn't make a follow up appointment, remember? You stormed out of the mammography lab crying," her mom said flatly. "Kin, this is something we can't just ignore."

"I know, I'll go to the hospital tomorrow after work and see the doctor," she agreed. She headed down the hallway and disappeared into her studio. She typed up a few articles and emailed them to the editor. Around ten PM, she finally went to bed.

As Kinsley lay in bed, she stared up at the ceiling wide awake. All she could think about was Thomas Autumn. She pictured his face, his eyes, and his contagious smile. The way he looked at me, she thought, he looked at me like I was beautiful.

On the other side of town, in his quaint little room, Autumn lay in bed wide awake as well. His mind was also racing as he contemplated what to do next.

Devotion

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful,"

–Corinthians 13:1-13

The following morning around six, Kinsley sleepily gathered up her purse and laptop and headed to work. The morning was cold and misty as she walked through town. Soon The Glory of Maine Printing and Publishing came into view. It was a large building that had been made from a restored barn. With its white metal roof and pale teal exterior, it was by far the most elegant looking business in little Pine Creek.

As Kinsley entered the stained glass doors, she was greeted by the receptionist, Madeline.

"The Winter issue has been shipped-now Baxter is waiting for some photos for the next issue. The theme is local outdoor tourist attractions," she said. "You may want to get some pictures of the local trails."

"I've already got it covered and planned out; I'm taking my camera and tripod out this evening to Dove's Trail and Indigo Bay," Kinsley assured her.

"That should look pretty," Madeline chimed. "So how was your day off?"

"It was great," Kinsley replied. She hurried over to the timeclock and typed in the last four digits of her Social Security number. Once she was clocked in, she climbed the white staircase to the second level where all of the computers and printing presses were. She sat down at her desk and opened her laptop.

After typing up several articles and setting up the layout of the magazine, Kinsley sent them onward to the editors. She headed to the breakroom and was about to eat her lunch when Madeline's voice came over the intercom.

"Miss Reid, you have a package in the front lobby," she announced.

Kinsley slowly stood up from the table and hurried down to the lobby. She eyed a white box that sat on Madeline's desk.

"Who delivered it?" she asked.

"A dark-haired guy who said his name was Thomas," Madeline responded.

Kinsley opened it and stared down at a cinnamon roll from the café. It was still warm and smelled divine. She smiled down at the gift and her cheeks turned red.

"Aww, it looks like you have an admirer," Madeline teased. "I wish my man delivered desserts to me at work." 

Kinsley pulled the plastic fork out of the box. "I'll split it with you."

"Oh no, he brought that for you, you eat it," Madeline urged.

Kinsley nodded as she took the box to the breakroom and gleefully ate her gift. As she returned to her desk, she couldn't help but smile.

Once her articles had been proofed and sent to the printers, it was three o'clock. She gathered up the printed spreads and admired them. She placed them in the file for her boss and clocked out.

Autumn sat in one of the booths near the windows of the café. He looked out just in time to see Kinsley walk by. She paused and turned, her eyes fixated on him. She smirked and walked in.

"That was a nice little gift," she began, joining him in the booth.

"I thought you would like it," Autumn said, "so how was work?"

"Oh, the usual; a lot of writing and layout designing. Tonight I'm going out to get some photos for this week's articles," Kinsley explained. "I'm going to Dove's Trail and Indigo Bay, would you want to come?"

Autumn stared at her in disbelief, "Sure, I mean I'd love to."

"Great! I'll pick you up here in an hour, does that sound good?" she asked.

"Sounds great," Autumn approved. He watched her jump to her feet and disappear out the door.

Once she got home, Kinsley changed out of her white blouse and black dress pants and put on a pair of faded jeans and a t- shirt. She kicked off her nice shoes and laced up her hiking boots. She loaded her tripod and camera lenses into the back of her jeep and grabbed her camera.

"Did you stop by the doctor's office?" her mom asked walking into the garage.

"No, I'm going to get pictures, I will tomorrow," she said quickly. She climbed into her jeep and started it up. She drove out of the driveway quickly, leaving her mother behind.

Autumn had left the café and stood outside eagerly. He watched as a blue Jeep Cherokee pulled up.

"Hop in," Kinsley instructed.

Autumn did as he was told and climbed into the passenger seat.

"Have you been to Dove's Trail or Indigo Bay before?" Kinsley asked.

"No, I haven't," Autumn said fastening his seatbelt. 

"Then you're in for a treat," she claimed.

They drove through the bustling little town and eventually left it behind. Soon all that could be seen were the thick forests. Emerald trees towered above them like skyscrapers in all directions. The paved road turned to dirt and Kinsley rolled down the windows, taking in the sound of birdsong. They finally reached an old wooden sign that read Welcome to Dove's Trail. Kinsley put the jeep in park and pulled the key.

"Here we are," she proclaimed popping the trunk and getting her tripod and lenses.

Autumn climbed out of the jeep and admired the serene woods.

"Beautiful," he murmured.

"Wait until we get on the trail," Kinsley bragged. She slung her camera strap around her neck and the tripod strap on her shoulder.

"Let me carry something," Autumn insisted. 

"I've got it," she assured him.

The two of them progressed onto the trail. They were quickly dwarfed by the towering spruce trees and pines. The air smelled sweet and crisp as it filled with the sounds of birds.

The sound of a woodpecker echoed through the air and Kinsley immediately flipped her camera on. She mounted the tripod, hooked up the lens extension and pointed it at the looming treetops.

Autumn spotted the scarlet head of the woodpecker as it bounced from tree limb to tree limb. He heard the camera snap several times as Kinsley captured its photo. She proudly held up her camera-revealing the close up of the bird.

"Very nice," Autumn affirmed.

They continued down the trail, stopping every now and then to capture pictures of a bird or squirrel.

Autumn struggled to keep up with Kinsley as she hiked over the tree roots and fallen limbs. He hadn't hiked since he was a teenager and he worried that it was obvious. He admired Kinsley as she kept a quick pace while carrying the heavy equipment. She looked so determined and so independent. She glanced over at Autumn-catching his stare. She didn't look away this time as she gazed back at him, her wavy brunette hair hanging in her eyes.

"I wanted to show you the best part about this place," she said grabbing his hand and pulling him forwards. They hiked a few more yards and stopped by a large river. "This is my favorite spot on the trail," she informed him.

Autumn gazed at all of the beautiful landscapes. "I can see why," he said.

"No, look up at the treetops," Kinsley said pointing her camera up and snapping pictures.

Autumn looked up and stared at the trees. Their tops all pointed up to the sky and left a small opening between their branches. From the ground, the opening looked to be in the shape of a heart. The heart shape opening allowed the light from the oncoming sunset to peek through onto the forest floor.

"They call this the spotlight," Kinsley said leaning closer to Autumn. "I come here a lot and just sit and write."

"I can see why," he said. He gently took Kinsley's hand and smiled at her, "thank you for showing me this."

"You're welcome," she mumbled looking at his hand. She could feel the goosebumps form on the back of her neck as she took a hold of his other hand. "So are you planning on staying here in Pine Creek?"

"Yes," Autumn whispered.

"Good," she disclosed smiling down at the forest floor. She reluctantly released his hands, "we'd better get to the bay before it gets dark. I want to get some pictures of the sunset over the water."

"Lead the way," Autumn said, "but..." He snatched the tripod, "I'm carrying this."

The two of them hiked back to the jeep and loaded up the equipment. They drove out of the forest and back towards town. By the time they made it Pine Creek, it was already twilight.

"Perfect," Kinsley said as they drove towards the bay. They pulled over in a nearby parking lot that overlooked the bay.

Kinsley left the tripod in the jeep and carried the camera around her neck as the two of them walked onto the dock. They walked to the edge and admired the sunset over the still water.

In the distance, sailboats slowly strolled across the water; their white sails standing out against the shades of orange, purple and pink.

Kinsley snapped some pictures and her eyes drifted from the landscape to Autumn.

"Would you want to be my model?" she asked slyly.

"You want me in your pictures?" Autumn asked in disbelief. 

"Yeah, you'd make a good model," Kinsley teased. "Just stand at the end of the dock and act naturally, I think some side profiles would look great and some close ups too."

Autumn did as he was instructed and stood at the end of the dock. He gazed out at the ocean trying to look as candid as possible.

Kinsley revered him through her camera lens. Joyfully snapping photo after photo of him. He looked so handsome in the fading sunlight.

"Thank you," she said turning the camera off and joining him at the end of the dock.

"You're welcome," he whispered. He inhaled the cold air and let it out slowly. "I've never experienced anything this beautiful."

Once the sun set and it got dark, the two of them sat on the end of the dock and stared up at the stars. Their legs dangled over the still water and their hands rested on top of one another's. Autumn thought of the way the sky looked in Heaven and how beautiful he thought it was. Now, sitting next to Kinsley, he felt that nothing could compare to this sky.

"So why were you at the hospital that day?" Kinsley asked breaking the silence.

"I was just visiting, sometimes I go and pray with patients," Autumn lied. "I didn't mean to be so intrusive when I was looking in the doctor's office."

"It's fine, I just regret that you had to see me like that; it wasn't a good day," Kinsley sighed.

"Is everything okay?" Autumn questioned, "You looked pretty upset."

"I'm fine, it's nothing to worry about," she said rather quickly. She leaned her head on his shoulder and sent chills down the angel's spine.

They didn't return to the jeep until after ten o'clock. Kinsley drove Autumn to the bed and breakfast and watched him get out of the vehicle.

"Let's do this again soon," she said.

"Definitely," Autumn approved. "You have a great night, Kinsley."

"You too, Thomas," she replied. She watched him shut the door and disappear into the bed and breakfast. Her heart was pounding and her mind was racing the whole way home. She returned to an empty house. As she climbed into bed that night, Kinsley heard her phone vibrate on the nightstand. She picked it up and read a text message.

Kinsley, I should've given you my number as well, but this is Thomas. I just wanted to thank you for such an amazing evening. I'm not good at saying these things in person but I want you to know that I think you're special. I enjoy our talks and the things we share. You're the first person in a long time who I can speak to about anything. I hope you have a good night and I look forward to our next meeting.

-Thomas

Kinsley saved his number and typed a quick reply.

Thomas, I enjoyed this evening as well. I think you're a really special person too. I guess I'm not good at expressing my feelings either, but please know that I cherished this night. I look forward to our next meeting too and I hope you have a great evening. Yours truly, Kinsley.

She pressed send and curled up in bed.

Autumn read the text and smiled. He walked over to the mirror on his dresser and stared at his reflection. To his surprise, his reflection revealed his gleaming halo and white wings.

"This is something special," he told himself. "Heaven can wait, for now all that matters is her."

The next day, after work, Kinsley returned to the doctor's office and listened to him intently.

"The mass is known as Invasive Lobular Carcinoma or ILC, which is a common cancer which has invaded the breast tissue. It most likely began in your milk-producing lobules and has now spread to the surrounding tissue. Luckily the mass hasn't invaded your lymph nodes," the doctor explained. "We're going to perform a Lumpectomy and remove the lump and some of the unaffected tissue around it. This way, you won't have to endure a mastectomy at such a young age. We suggest you get it done as soon as possible."

"Can we do the surgery tomorrow morning?" Kinsley asked.

He nodded, "Yes, Miss Reid, we can. The surgeon has an opening at eight AM."

"Thank you," Kinsley mumbled.

As she left the hospital, she could feel the wave of dread encompassing her. Her mind raced what if it's worse than they say it is? Will surgery work? What do I tell Mom? What do I tell Thomas?

Once she got home, she emailed her boss and asked for the following day off. When she received the confirmation email, Kinsley drove to the café.

Sure enough, Autumn sat at the corner booth, smiling at her as she entered.

Kinsley faked a smile as she joined him. "How'd the photos turn out?" Autumn asked.

"They all turned out great," Kinsley said half-heartedly. Autumn could sense something was wrong.

"Hey," he whispered looking her in the eyes "is everything okay?"

"I'm having surgery tomorrow," Kinsley sighed. "I have some health issues right now, but I don't want to vent to you about it. You probably don't want to know all about my issues."

Autumn's heart skipped a beat as he stared at her. Kinsley could tell by this expression that he was upset. He seemed to share the same feeling of anguish that she did.

"I need to know," he urged. "Kinsley, what's wrong?"

"I have Invasive Lobular Carcinoma; it's a form of breast cancer," she confessed, tearing up.

Autumn's shoulders tensed up and he felt as if someone had punched him in the gut. As a veterinarian, he'd dealt with similar cancers in animals. He tried to collect his thoughts.

"How serious?" he asked.

"It's a tumor the size of a quarter-they're removing it tomorrow to prevent it from spreading. Then I have to do radiation," she explained. "I don't know how much time that will take, but we may not have time to get together as much."

Autumn listened to every word she said, wanting to be by her side through the entire process.

"What time is the surgery?" he queried.

"Eight AM," she sighed. "Please don't change your plans for me."

"I'll be there," he promised.

Kinsley stared at him through teary eyes, "Thank you, Thomas."

"Do you need help with anything today?" he asked.

"Will you spend the day with me? I mean, are you free today?" Kinsley asked.

"Of course," Autumn confirmed. He paid his bill and the two left. They strolled through town, then through the local park. They eventually found a park bench to sit on and relax.

Kinsley started to rummage through her purse and pulled out the same magazine that Autumn had returned to her.

"I might as well kiss this goodbye," she mumbled flipping through all of its marked pages.

"Hawaii huh?" Autumn said reading over her shoulder.

"My biggest dream-I've been saving up for it for years. But now I'm using that money to pay for my cancer treatment since my insurance is practically worthless," she said grimly.

Autumn studied the pages and the sticky notes; they were all labeled with Kinsley's elegant handwriting. He knew exactly what he was going to do; but he remained silent.

"Do you have any dreams, Thomas? Something you want more than anything in the world?" Kinsley asked.

"I've always wanted to travel the world too," he said. "Dreams are something you should never give up, Kinsley."

"Thank you," she sighed.

They stayed there until the sky darkened and storm clouds moved in.

Kinsley gripped Autumn's wrist, "let's go!"

As they jumped to their feet and started to run, rain began to pour. Thunder rolled across the sky as Autumn shielded Kinsley with his jacket while they ran. By the time they made it back to the jeep, they were both soaking wet.

"Well that was a rush!" Kinsley joked handing Autumn his wet jacket.

"I will see you at eight tomorrow, I promise," Autumn assured.

Kinsley turned to her jeep, her mind racing. Without thinking, she suddenly whirled around and wrapped her arms around Autumn's shoulders. She closed her eyes as her lips met his.

Autumn gently embraced her and intertwined his fingers as his hands wrapped around her back. His shoulders relaxed and he could feel her fingers twirl his short black hair.

Everything, even the rain seemed to slow down as the two faced one another.

Autumn blinked a few times as a grin spread across his face. Kinsley blushed and brushed her hair behind her ear.

"Good night, Thomas," she said breathlessly.

"Good night, Kinsley," he mused. He watched her climb into the jeep and drive away slowly. "Thank you," he whispered.

67

Living

"Try to view each day as an adventure, carefully planned out by your Guide. Instead of staring into the day ahead of you, attempting to program it according to your will, be attentive to Me and to all I have prepared for you. Thank Me for this day of life, recognizing that it is

a precious, unrepeatable gift." -Psalm 118:24; Peter 2:21

Neither Autumn nor Kinsley slept well that night. They tossed and turned in their beds; fretting over the upcoming surgery. When Kinsley arrived at the hospital at seven thirty, she took a seat in the waiting room and waited nervously.

"Hey," Autumn greeted walking in and sitting beside her.

Kinsley's sullen expression slowly turned into a smile, "thank you for coming."

"I'm here for you, please remember that," Autumn said reassuringly. He gently clasped her hand, "I'm sure everything will be fine."

"I hope you're right," she said.

"Kinsley Reid," the surgeon called stepping out from the doorway.

Kinsley took a deep breath and gave Autumn one last glance as she followed the surgeon back to the operating room. She could feel her heart pounding as the surgeon explained the plans to her once more.

"We're going to take care of this, Miss Reid, we promise," the surgeon promised.

After redressing in a hospital gown, Kinsley watched as the surgeon gently marked the area of her breast for the incision with a marker. She was then ushered to the anesthesia room and watched as a nurse inserted an IV into her hand.

"Now it's time to relax," the nurse said.

Everything started to fade away and once Kinsley was unconscious, the doctor began the surgery.

Autumn sat in the waiting room in silence. He prayed that everything was okay. He spotted Kinsley's purse beside him and pulled the magazine out of it. He thumbed through the pages while he waited.

Soon forty minutes passed and the surgeon proudly dressed the wound and stitched up the incision.

"And that's a wrap," he concluded pulling Kinsley's hospital gown over her chest. "Let's let Miss Reid rest now."

Autumn looked up from the magazine when a nurse approached him.

"Are you waiting for Miss Reid?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm her boyfriend," Autumn said, "how is she?"

"You can come see her," the nurse replied motioning for him.

He followed her back to the recovery room and he saw Kinsley lying there still as a statue. When Autumn approached her, he watched her stir in her sleep.

Kinsley slowly opened her hazel eyes and peered up at him. "Hey," she yawned.

"How do you feel?" he asked kneeling down beside her. "Fine," she said slowly sitting up.

The surgeon joined them and smiled at Kinsley optimistically.

"We're going to run some tests on the tumor, Miss Reid. The good news is you don't have to stay the night. I'm going to prescribe you some pain medication just in case. Luckily I didn't have to use a surgical drain, so we won't have to worry about that. Your stitches may cause you some discomfort for the next few days. Please don't remove your bandage until your next checkup with me. The sutures will eventually dissolve too."

"I've spoken to the oncologist too; your first round of radiation will start tomorrow. You'll be receiving the external beam radiation. Your sessions will be Monday through Friday for six weeks. For now all you need to do is relax, wear loose clothing and call me if your swelling or pain doesn't subside," he explained.

"Thank you," Kinsley said.

"Yes, thank you," Autumn added.

"I will finish writing up the prescription," the surgeon chimed. 

Autumn helped Kinsley to her feet and steadied her for a moment.

"It's over," he said smiling at her.

She nodded; "finally!" she grabbed her clothes and slowly made her way to the bathroom. Once she entered and shut the door, she stripped out of her hospital gown and stared at her stitches. She'd lost a decent sized chunk of breast tissue, but she was thankful that it was gone, no matter how ugly it looked. She slowly pulled on a pair of faded blue jeans and a loose black t-shirt. When she rejoined Autumn, they picked up the prescription and walked out to the jeep.

"I'll drive," Autumn announced. "Here," she said handing him the keys.

The two of them drove through town and Kinsley showed him the route to her house. Autumn killed the engine and hurried over to the passenger side to help Kinsley out of the vehicle.

"Thanks," she grimaced, feeling the stinging pain from her stitches.

Autumn walked her up to the front door and watched her unlock it. They entered and made their way to the living room.

"You sit down and relax; I'll make some coffee," Autumn said helping her sit down onto the couch. He hurried into the kitchen and turned on the coffeemaker. Though he'd never been inside her home before, Autumn felt at ease. Once he had the coffee made and poured into two mugs, he delivered them to Kinsley and joined her on the couch.

"I really appreciate everything you've done," Kinsley said sipping the coffee. "No one has ever been there for me like you have."

"I just want to help you in any way I can," Autumn confessed, "you can trust me."

Kinsley just nodded and the two of them sat on the couch and enjoyed each other's company.

Around ten PM, Autumn glanced over at Kinsley, who had her head rested on his shoulder fast asleep. She looked so peaceful and comfortable that he refused to move and he too started to doze off.

For the next six weeks, Autumn drove Kinsley to her radiation treatments in the evenings. Her stitches eventually dissolved and she was left with an indented scar. Her pain subsided and her worries vanished.

Every morning, Autumn would awaken to find new clothes and money left for him in his room. A gift from a fellow angel, he assumed. He spent the money on Kinsley every chance he got. The two would go out and take photos for the magazine together and work together on writing the articles.

"What's this?" Autumn asked one day as he stood in Kinsley's writing studio. He picked up a picture frame and recognized his photo.

"That's one of the photos I took of you on the dock, I've tried everything I could but something went wrong with the exposure," Kinsley replied.

Autumn examined the photo and saw what she meant. There were two balls of light behind him and above his head in the photo. Those are my wings and halo, he thought, I didn't know they could be captured in a photograph!

"It's still a good picture, though," Kinsley teased, "you look so handsome in it."

Autumn sat the frame down and tried to think of what to say. He'd planned this moment out; now that Kinsley's radiation sessions were over, he felt like this was the perfect time. He nonchalantly reached into his pants pocket and pulled out two slips of paper. He lay them down on Kinsley's keyboard in silence.

Kinsley slowly picked up the slips and studied them. Her eyes widened as she stared at the plane tickets.

"Oh my gosh!" she choked. She spun around and stared at Autumn, "you-you bought these for me?!"

"Two tickets to the Hawaiian Island experience, my plan is to travel to as many of the Hawaiian Islands as possible. We can hike around the volcano, see the local towns and get away," Autumn said. "The plane leaves tomorrow at nine AM."

Kinsley's hands trembled as she clutched the tickets. She stared at Autumn with tears of joy.

"Th-thank you so much!" she beamed. She placed the tickets back on her keyboard and wrapped him in a hug. "I need to start packing!"

When Autumn returned to his room at the bed and breakfast, he found a briefcase sitting on his bed with a note attached to it. Curious, he read the note:

Glad you're enjoying your afterlife so well. Angels don't usually take a risk like this, Autumn. Please be cautious and know that I am watching over you in case you ever need guidance. Enjoy Hawaii.

Yours Truly, Evelyn Wheeler

Autumn opened the briefcase and pulled out an envelope full of money, a credit card, a fake passport and several changes of clothes.

"Thank you," he noted shutting the briefcase.

Neither Autumn nor Kinsley could contain their excitement that night as they prepared for the trip.

Kinsley packed her clothes and necessities into a duffel bag and snatched up her black bathing suit. She held it up to herself and contemplated. She nervously pulled down her shirt collar and stared at the scar on her breast. Ugly, she thought to herself.

"This trip should do you some good," her mother concluded. "I've never seen you this happy in a long time, Kin."

"My dream trip is finally happening, Mom! I never thought any of this would ever happen!" Kinsley reveled. Her cheeks flushed red, "and it's all thanks to him."

"You know I never even got to meet this mystery man," Lucille reckoned. She made her way over to her daughter and stood beside her. "I'm glad you've found someone who makes you this happy." She chuckled, "in fact, I'd say he was heaven sent."

"Will you be okay while I'm gone?" Kinsley asked facing her mother.

"Don't you worry about me, honey, you go out and live your life," Lucille assured her.

Kinsley wrapped her mother in a hug and nodded. She could hardly sleep that night and she nearly bounced out of bed when her alarm rang at six AM. She quickly showered, dressed, grabbed her duffel bag and hurried to her jeep. She drove to the bed and breakfast to get Autumn.

Autumn stood outside the building dressed in his usual blue jeans and black blazer. He flashed Kinsley a smile as he climbed into the passenger seat.

"Hawaii here we come," he said enthusiastically.

It took them an hour to get to the airport and once they turned in their tickets and got their luggage x-rayed, it was nearly eight thirty. Anxious, the two of them finally made it onto the plane.

"So what are we doing once we get there?" Kinsley pried, "you've kept me in the dark when it comes to the actual plan."

"First, we're going to Maui, that's where we'll try to rent a little beach house," Autumn explained. Unbeknownst to Kinsley, but Autumn had everything planned out. He wanted to make this the perfect trip for her.

Kinsley pulled her magazine out of her bag and flipped through the pages.

"We could try this, and Maui also offers this," she chatted pointing to different activities.

Autumn listened to her talk for hours, hanging on every word she said. Though he listened intently, his attention was on her face. She seemed to glow as she spoke, her eyes full of life and wonder.

God, she's beautiful, he thought, she's a blessing.

The two enjoyed their inflight meal and eventually settled down to a movie. As night fell, Kinsley snuggled against Autumn and began to drift to sleep. Soon Autumn rested his body against hers and drifted off to sleep as well.

When the two awakened, they were greeted by the gleaming golden sunrise of Maui.

"Please fasten your seatbelts, ladies and gentlemen, we're about to land at Kahului Airport," the stewardess announced.

Kinsley and Autumn did as they were told and Kinsley clutched Autumn's hand as the plane slowly descended onto the runway. Once the plane landed and the passengers had their belongings, they exited the plane and into the warm sunlight of Maui.

The first hour of their trip consisted of taking a taxi to Kite Beach to look at beach homes for rent.

"How long are you two planning on staying?" one of the ladies asked.

"Probably just for a night or two," Kinsley replied. "It doesn't have to be anything too modern or fancy, just a beach house."

"I have an older one back here," the lady responded leading them around a set of large boulders. She stood before a withered old beach shack. It was wooden and its turquoise paint was beginning to peel. It had a white wrap around porch complete with two white beach chairs and a hammock.

She led them inside to reveal a quaint little house. It had one bed facing a massive picture window that overlooked the sea, a stove and microwave, a mini fridge and a little bathroom. It was all decorated with old fashioned nautical décor.

"Right now it's all we have available," the lady said grimly, "I'm sorry."

"We'll take it!" Autumn proclaimed.

The lady stared at him for a moment and nodded, "yes sir." He paid her and the two started carrying their belongings into the shack.

"Excuse me for a moment," Autumn said to Kinsley as he stepped into the little bathroom and pulled the curtain separating them. He changed into a pair of black swim trunks and stepped out.

Kinsley admired his physique quietly. She smirked at him as she carried her bathing suit into the bathroom and changed. Once she stepped out, she immediately felt self-conscious. She studied Autumn's expression nervously, but he looked at her as if she were a goddess.

"Ready to hit the beach?" he asked. 

"I was born ready," she laughed.

The two of them hurried out to the beach, savoring the feeling of the warm sand on their bare feet. They dove into the crystal blue waters and admired all of the vibrant fish around them. When they resurfaced, they watched a shadow fly over them.

Kinsley's eyes strained in the sunlight as she watched a parachutist fly over and land on the beach. Her eyes lit up as she looked over at Autumn; she knew what she wanted to do next.

"Okay," the vendor said as he finished strapping the harnesses to Autumn and Kinsley. "I hope you two aren't afraid of heights."

"Are you kidding, I've wanted to do this for years!" Kinsley insisted. She clung tightly to her camera as the vendor climbed into his truck and started it up. He started out slowly and waited for an air current.

Autumn and Kinsley both ran until a gust a wind caught the parachute and sent them flying backwards. They soared into the air, watching the world get so small.

"This is amazing!" Kinsley cheered snapping pictures.

Autumn closed his eyes for a brief moment and inhaled deeply. He felt the warm sun and the wind on his face and smelled Kinsley's fragrant hair. This is living, he thought, I never knew what it felt like until now.

Kinsley turned the camera around and pointed it at her and Autumn.

"Smile!" she chimed taking the picture.

"Okay!" the vendor called giving them thumbs up through the driver's side window.

"That's the cue!" Autumn said.

Kinsley nodded and unclipped the cable from her harness. The two of them watched the truck do a U turn on the beach

and face them as they slowly floated towards the golden sands.

Once they landed and gave the vendor his equipment back, they thanked him.

"Enjoy the rest of your day," he said waving goodbye.

After parachuting, the two made their way down the beach to one of the many beachside restaurants. They had a seat at one of the outdoor bars and shared a bowl of Lomi Salmon.

"Where to next?" Autumn asked once they were finished eating.

"Let's take a walk," she suggested taking his hand.

The two of them strolled across the beach, admiring all of the sights and sounds. As the day slowly faded to evening, Autumn and Kinsley built a small bonfire on the beach.

"Is this everything you've dreamed of?" Autumn asked watching the firelight illuminate Kinsley's face.

"Almost, I still have the other islands to visit, right?" she asked.

"Of course," Autumn affirmed.

"So tell me," Kinsley said inching closer to him in the sand. "What happened to your parents?"

"They were killed in a car accident when I was eleven. We were coming home from a late supper and had a head-on collision with a drunk driver. I was knocked unconscious and woke up in the ambulance," Autumn recalled. He watched the flames dance as he spoke. "I'll never forget the moment when they told me my parents were killed; I felt so hopeless, so alone. I was an only child, so they were my whole life-my everything."

"I understand," Kinsley said, "and I'm so sorry." 

"And what about you?" Autumn asked.

"My dad was the opposite; he hated my mother and me. Every day he'd get drunk and tell us how worthless we were. The saddest part about it, though, was that I believed him. I spent most of my childhood hating myself," Kinsley sighed.

"Did you feel like you were the reason?" Autumn asked.

"Yeah, I felt like I ruined my parents' marriage. They looked so happy in their wedding photos," she added.

"I felt guilty because I was the only survivor," Autumn confessed. "I spent my adolescence wishing God had taken me instead of them." He turned to her, "but I'm glad I'm here now, because now I have a new world. Kinsley, you're my world and never let anyone tell you that you're worthless."

Kinsley's eyes met his, "you're my world too."

The two settled closer and stared up at the starry sky. Once the fire dwindled down, Kinsley clutched Autumn's hand and jumped to her feet.

Autumn watched her release his hand and run towards the calm ocean. She waded into the water and turned to him, "are you coming?"

Autumn obediently chased after her. He joined her in the warm ocean and watched her dive beneath the waves. He followed her lead and the two resurfaced together.

Kinsley wrapped her arms around him and the two shared a long kiss-taking in the smell of the saltwater.

"Kin," Autumn whispered pressing his forehead against hers. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," she breathed, "I swear you're heaven sent."

Autumn paused and stared into her eyes. He brushed a strand of her wet hair away from her face and embraced her tighter. The two stood in the water for several minutes, savoring the moment before returning to the beach. They poured water on the smoldering fire and returned to beach house.

Autumn lay in bed that night wide awake. Kinsley was fast asleep snuggled against him. He listened to her soft breathing, which, combined with the sound of the ocean outside was like a lullaby to him. He stroked her soft suntanned shoulder with his thumb and thought about how much he wanted this moment to last forever. He finally dozed off around midnight.

The next morning, he and Kinsley woke early and watched the sunrise from their front porch.

"Where to?" Autumn asked.

Kinsley flipped through her magazine and smiled, "Haleakala Crater, I believe."

The two packed up their belongings, paid for their night's stay and spent most of the day in a taxi on their way to the crater. Once they arrived at Haleakala National Park, they changed into hiking gear.

"Try to keep up!" Kinsley teased as they started the hike.

It was a long, strenuous hike, but Autumn managed to keep up with her. They stopped multiple times to admire the scenic flora as they made their way to the peak.

"Now this is living!" Kinsley panted as she took a swig out of her water bottle.

"Yeah it is!" Autumn gasped.

By the time the two of them reached the peak, it was already beginning to get dark.

Kinsley collapsed to the ground when the hike was finished and lay there.

"Kin!" Autumn cried rushing over to her. At first he thought she was sobbing, but soon realized she was laughing.

"I never thought this would happen!" she laughed. She patted the ground, "come join me!"

He lay down beside her and the two of them remained there for as long as they could before making their way down to a nearby campground.

The following week consisted of venturing to the rest of the Hawaiian Islands. They visited Pearl Harbor and Volcano National Park in Oahu, completed the Wailua River Kayak and Hike Adventure in Kauai and saved Molokai for last.

The two of them sat a picnic table and reveled in the moment as they watched a luau. They sipped on drinks and watched many of the dancers move gracefully across the torch lit beach.

Autumn glanced over at Kinsley and watched her sway back and forth in her wicker chair, her eyes gleaming in the firelight. He slowly rose to his feet and stood in front of her, holding out his hand.

"Oh no," Kinsley professed, "I can't dance."

"Neither can I," Autumn coaxed, "but it's worth a try."

She sighed and took his hand, following him out to the center of the beach. Many of the dancers clapped and put flowered leis around their necks as Autumn and Kinsley began moving to the rhythm of the ukuleles and the drums. Kinsley blushed as she watched Autumn dance. He started out swaying back and forth-trying to mimic the moves of the Hawaiian dancers. Finally he shrugged his shoulders and took Kinsley by the hand once more. He twirled her in the sand and the two started to slow dance.

Autumn's hands gently embraced Kinsley's waist as they danced. Their eyes locked and they continued to dance, swaying side to side, twirling and dipping. Soon the hosts of the luau took their seats and applauded the two.

When the luau came to its end, Autumn and Kinsley thanked their hosts and helped them clean up the remaining food and drinks.

It was well past midnight when they headed back towards the beach house they were staying at.

"I have an idea," Kinsley said suddenly clutching Autumn's hand.

"What?" he asked.

"Come on!" she said leading him towards the nearby jungle.

She laughed as she took off running through the lush fantasy of emerald plants and bright flowers. Autumn followed her to a large spring in the jungle. Its water was crystal clear and it had a miniature waterfall that cascaded gleaming water and foam down into the spring.

"Wow," he whispered.

"What are we waiting for?" Kinsley asked pulling off her t- shirt and capris. She stripped down to her black bathing suit and dove in.

Autumn followed her lead and dove into the cool, refreshing water too. He surfaced beside her and the two of them giggled like children.

Kinsley laughed as she swam away from him and headed towards the waterfall. She ascended up the slippery rocks and vegetation and stood at the peak.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Go for it!" Autumn cheered.

She took a deep breath and dove off of the peak-landing a few feet away from him. As she hit the water and descended down into the depths of the spring, Kinsley suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest.

Autumn watched her surface and smiled.

"Hey daredevil, I think it's my turn!" he chuckled. He noticed her grimace and his smile quickly faded. "Kin! Kin! What's wrong?" He swam over to her as fast as he could and put his arm around her shoulders. "What is it?" he whispered.

She trembled as she clutched the left side of her chest.

"I have a throbbing pain," she choked. "It's in the same area that it was before."

They quickly climbed out of the spring, grabbed their clothes and rushed back to the beach house.

Autumn dialed up 9-1-1 and begged for an ambulance while Kinsley sat on the bed, shaking.

"Thank you," he said hanging up the phone. He hurried over to Kinsley's side and watched her lean against his chest. He cradled her in his arms while she sobbed.

"Please don't let it be back," she sniffed.

Guardian

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." -Romans 5:3-4

Autumn and Kinsley sat together in the waiting room at Molokai General Hospital. The pain in Kinsley's chest had subsided a little, but now her anxiety was taking its toll. Her hands were shaking and she couldn't stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks.

Autumn shared her anxiety as he sat beside her. He kept handing her tissues as she sobbed. He watched staff members and patients rush by-his eyes shifting from one unfamiliar face to another. Then he recognized a familiar one. He nearly jumped from his chair when he saw Evelyn standing behind a nurse's station staring at him.

"Excuse me," he said to Kinsley as he stood up and walked over to Evelyn. "What are you doing here?" he whispered.

"Are we taking up permanent residence here on Earth?" Evelyn asked.

Autumn stared at her guiltily.

"Evelyn, I can't possibly leave her right now; she needs me and I need her."

"Autumn, I'm glad you found someone who means this much to you, but you're getting too close. You have duties as an angel too," Evelyn said with a sigh.

"Then why are you here?" Autumn asked irritably, "shouldn't you be fulfilling your angelical duties too?"

"I came to check on you," Evelyn replied.

"Thank you," Autumn said. He shifted from foot to foot uneasily, "I just want you to know that I'm not leaving her."

As he said it, some of the nurses ushered Kinsley down the hall. Evelyn nodded and watched as Autumn followed them down the halls. Once they vanished out of sight, Evelyn inhaled deeply.

"Be strong, Autumn," she whispered.

When they got to the Oncology lab, one of the oncologists instructed Kinsley to lie down on the table. He did a quick scan of her breast and stared at the results warily.

"It's back, isn't it?" Kinsley asked.

"You have spots within your lymph nodes, milk ducts and breast tissue, Miss Reid," he replied. "It's the lymph nodes we're concerned about."

Kinsley stared at the oncologist then at Autumn. "Will we need to perform a mastectomy?" she asked.

"I strongly recommend it. We're also going to perform a full cat scan to see if it's only within your breast," the oncologist warned.

This was exactly what both Autumn and Kinsley were dreading to hear. Autumn suddenly clutched Kinsley's hand and gently squeezed it.

"Will chemotherapy work?" he asked. 

"It will help," the oncologist said. 

"Sign me up," Kinsley sighed.

The rest of the day consisted of phone calls and setting up appointments. Kinsley called her boss first and explained the situation to him. He seemed sympathetic towards her situation and promised to try to have other employees take photos and write. Then she called her insurance company and argued with them over covering the cost of chemotherapy. She saved her mother for last.

"Did you blow all of your money on your vacation?" Lucille quipped.

"No, Thomas was gracious enough to pay for most of it, I will pay for my own chemo," Kinsley muttered.

"Is he still with you?" her mother asked.

"He's here with me," Kinsley said glancing over at Autumn. "Sometimes I swear he's my guardian angel."

Autumn stared at her from across the room in silence. His mind however was racing. He worried about Kinsley to the point that he was nauseous. The thought of her getting sick and frail terrified him. She was so young and radiant and didn't deserve any of this.

Once she hung up the phone, Kinsley could no longer hold it in. She began sobbing-her entire body trembling as she wept. Autumn immediately leapt from his chair and came to her side. He wrapped her in a hug and allowed her to bury her face in his chest.

"She's taking it worse than I am," Kinsley sniffed. "I could hear Mom choking up on the phone. Now I regret leaving her alone!"

"I'm so sorry, Kin," Autumn said mournfully.

"At least I can stay here and get chemo; might as well be sick in paradise," she added.

"We'll get through this; I know we will. You're stronger than you believe, Kin," Autumn reassured her.

"Thank you," she said wiping her eyes. She glanced at the mirror in the lab and stared at their reflection. She saw a ball of light above Autumn's head and a larger one behind him. Puzzled, she turned to him and then stared back at the mirror.

"What's wrong?" Autumn asked.

"Nothing," she lied, still seeing the lights in the mirror. "I think I need something to eat; let's go to the cafeteria."

After sharing a meal, the two of them returned to Kinsley's new hospital room and settled in. While Kinsley dozed off, Autumn carried her duffel bag into the room and sat it in the little wardrobe. He sat down beside her hospital bed and watched her sleep. It wasn't long before he too fell asleep.

The following morning, one of the nurses entered Kinsley's room to find the pair fast asleep.

"Miss Reid, it's time for your CT scan," she announced.

Kinsley sat up in bed and nodded. She looked over at Autumn, who started to stir in his sleep. He opened his eyes and jumped to his feet.

The two followed the nurse to the radiology lab and Kinsley prepared for the CT scan. She changed into a hospital gown and filled out the necessary paperwork.

As she lay flat and prepared for the scan, Autumn watched in silence. He watched her become engulfed in the machine and she vanished. When the scan was finished and the table exited the machine, he watched Kinsley sit up slowly.

The radiologists and oncologist examined the results; their faces unable to hide their concern.

"What is it?" Kinsley inquired.

"Miss Reid," the radiologist warned, "you have masses on your lungs."

Autumn and Kinsley's eyes both widened as they let the news sink in. Kinsley stared at Autumn, her eyes full of tears.

"Will the chemo help?" she choked. 

"Yes," the oncologist said.

"Let's get started," she affirmed.

The next day, she scheduled a mastectomy and on the day of the surgery, she couldn't hide her fear.

"Everything will be okay, Miss Reid, I promise," the surgeon guaranteed her.

Kinsley nodded and watched as they lowered the breathing mask down towards her face. She inhaled several times and everything started to fade to black.

Autumn paced outside the door, he prayed that everything would be okay.

When it was over, the surgeon and his assistant opened the door to find Autumn sitting on the floor-his head buried in his hands.

"Sir, you can come see her now," he coaxed.

Autumn stood up and followed him inside. He slowly approached Kinsley's bedside and smiled down at her.

Kinsley stared up at him, still a little sedated from the anesthesia. She had her arms crossed over her chest-trying to conceal the aftermath of the surgery.

Autumn forced a smile as he patted her shoulder. "It's okay, Kin, it'll be okay," he whispered.

Kinsley slowly lowered her arms and looked away; clearly humiliated by her appearance.

"This will take some getting used to," she grumbled.

"Hey, you're still beautiful," Autumn said taking her hand, "this doesn't change a thing."

"Thank you," she mumbled.

Days turned to weeks as Kinsley began her chemotherapy for the masses on her lungs. She was given experimental drugs each day and spent nearly every hour either resting or being stuck with needles. Each night, she would sit in her hospital room and chronicle the day's events in a journal, which she hid under her pillow. Whenever Autumn would return to the room, she'd hide it from him. She wrote all of her thoughts and hopes within the journal, many of which she was ashamed of.

"Look what I snagged you," Autumn chimed entering the room and sitting a cinnamon roll down on her table.

Kinsley stared at the pastry blankly; she didn't know what to say.

"I know you haven't had much of an appetite, but I had to get it for you," Autumn explained. "It reminds me of the day we met."

"Do you really love me?" Kinsley asked.

Autumn stared at her, "of course I do, Kin, why?"

"Things are going to get ugly," she advised, "look." She held up several strands of her wavy brunette hair. "I'm starting to lose my hair."

Autumn eyed the hair and shook his head, "Kinsley; I don't care what you look like. I love you, I will always love you. You can't let any of this discourage you."

She nodded, "I love you too; I guess I'm just afraid."

"I understand," Autumn sighed. He forced a smile, "I have an idea; why don't you eat that cinnamon roll, get dressed and we'll head to a nearby beach. Does that sound like fun? I'm sure you're ready to get out of this hospital for a while."

"That sounds good to me," she said picking off pieces of the pastry and eating it. Once she was finished, she slowly made her way to the wardrobe and rummaged through her clothes. She gingerly pulled out an outfit and headed to the bathroom to change.

Kinsley shut the door and stripped out of her hospital gown, pausing to glance at herself in the mirror. Who is that stranger? She thought to herself. She had lost some weight and her curvy physique was now thin and frail looking. Her chest was flat and scarred and she had rings underneath her eyes. She looked away as she put on a pair of faded denim shorts and a purple tank top.

"I told the nurses that we're going out for a while," Autumn told her as she exited the bathroom.

The two of them made their way out of the hospital and into the city. They strolled down the sidewalks; taking in the warm sunlight as they walked. They eventually came to a bicycle vendor and rented two bicycles from him. The ride was relaxing as the two of them pedaled out of the bustling crowds.

Soon they found themselves pedaling down a paved road that ultimately turned to a dirt trail.

"Where are we going? Are we getting close to a beach?" Kinsley called to Autumn.

"I think so, but remember, Kin, it's not about the destination; it's the journey!" Autumn laughed.

The dirt road led uphill and to a secluded little beach. The two of them pedaled through the sand alongside the blue waters and continued for as long as the terrain would allow. When they were tired, they sat down in the warm sand and watched the sun set.

Kinsley closed her eyes and leaned against Autumn, allowing the warm breeze to blow across her face. She opened her eyes and watched as strands of her hair blew through the air.

"I think we'd better head back to the hospital soon," she advised.

Autumn agreed and stood up, helping her to her feet. They mounted the bikes and pedaled back towards the hospital. By now it had gotten pretty dark and the trail was beginning to worry Kinsley as she struggled to see in the dark. She kept quiet, however, as she followed Autumn.

Autumn pedaled uphill, glancing back at Kinsley religiously to make sure she was okay. He peered over his shoulder once more.

"Do you need to rest?" he asked.

Kinsley looked up and her eyes widened at the sight of the approaching headlights.

"Thomas! Look out!" she screamed.

Autumn turned back just in time to face the approaching vehicle.

"Get off the trail!" he ordered back to Kinsley.

She veered off the dirt road too fast and crashed onto the damp grass. She lay in the grass and watched in horror as the vehicle roared past-blocking her view of Autumn.

"Oh God, NO!" She wailed watching the mangled bicycle skid off the road. She tried to jump to her feet, but a sharp pain in her ankle made her wince. She squeezed her eyes shut; too terrified to see the aftermath.

"Kin," Autumn's voice whispered.

Kinsley slowly opened her eyes and stared at the unbelievable sight.

There he stood; uninjured and completely immersed in a gleaming gold aura. His snow white wings and halo were now visible to Kinsley as he stared at her cautiously. Autumn looked at his hands and knew that his cover was now blown. He took a step towards her and his aura illuminated her face and her bleeding ankle.

"H-how?" she gasped.

"I need to tell you something," he began. He knelt down beside her and examined her ankle, "but first we need to get back to the hospital."

Kinsley flinched when he touched her skin, both terrified and amazed at the same time. His touch was warm and calming as he cradled her in his arms like a child.

"I've never tried this before," he warned her, spreading his wings. He stared up at the sky and took flight; rising higher and higher into the air.

Kinsley wrapped her arms around his neck and remained silent. She had a million questions to ask him, but this was too much to take in.

They flew over the treetops and once the city and the hospital came into view, Autumn slowly descended into the courtyard. As he made his descent, many of the patients from multiple floors came to their windows to see the angel. Autumn slowly released Kinsley and looked up; making eye contact with many of the spectators. He held his breath; unsure of what to do.

Kinsley shook her head; tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Are you really dead?" she faltered, "is this the last time we'll see each other?"

"Kin, the vehicle didn't kill me," Autumn commenced.

"I know," she said. "This explains all of those photos I took of you. The balls of light weren't from overexposure; they were your wings. You had them this entire time."

"I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't," Autumn professed.

"If you really are an angel then I have one question," Kinsley said wiping her eyes. "Why me?"

Autumn stared at her sadly, "what do you mean?"

"If you're supposed to be this divine being from Heaven, then why on Earth would you spend all of this time with me? Why would you do all of this for me? I'm nothing special; especially not now," Kinsley explained. She paused and her heart sank, "unless you're waiting for me to die of cancer. Is that what you're doing?"

"No, no, Kinsley; that's not it at all," Autumn denied. "I'm an escort angel; I escort the dying to Heaven, but I'm not planning on escorting you. I was escorting someone else when I saw you in that hospital in Maine. I had no idea you had cancer; all I knew was that you were beautiful and I wanted to meet you. I guess it was just intuition; that feeling you get when it's love at first sight. You have to believe me. I've never felt such an attraction to anyone like I've felt to you. Haven't you ever felt that calming feeling within your soul? That little voice that tells you that you're meant to be with a person, to accept their flaws, their true beauty and adopt their hopes and dreams as your own? That's what I felt with you, Kinsley."

Kinsley stared into his eyes and felt a chill run down her spine. "You really felt all of these feelings for me?"

"Yes," Autumn replied. "Why wouldn't I? You're the most beautiful, creative, graceful and fun person I've ever met."

Kinsley wiped her eyes and slowly reached out her hands, hesitant to touch him. She took hold of his hands and inched closer; her eyes still fixated on his.

"I felt the same way about you, Thomas, but did you know all of this was going to happen?" she asked.

"I had no idea; so I guess you could say I promoted myself from escort angel to guardian angel," he said. "And this guardian angel isn't leaving your side."

The two of them leaned closer to one another and shared a kiss; oblivious to the spectators.

Autumn's wings enveloped both him and Kinsley as they kissed like a curtain of white. His aura began to fade away and the wings slowly vanished into a white haze. Soon the two looked like ordinary lovers.

"Let's get inside and have the nurses take a look at your ankle," Autumn suggested.

Kinsley nodded and followed him. She stopped for a brief moment and stared up at the starry skies.

"Thank you," she whispered up to the heavens before vanishing into the hospital.

Loss

"My comfort in my suffering is this; Your promise perseveres my life." –Psalm 119:50

When Autumn awakened the next morning, he glanced at an empty hospital bed. He found a small note on the pillow that read:

They decided to give my chemo session early today; I will see you later, my guardian angel. ~Kinsley.

Autumn made his way out of the hospital room and started walking down the hall. As he passed some of the patients, many of them stopped to stare at him. Some smiled, some looked at him fearfully and some waved. Autumn nodded back at them cautiously.

When he turned the corner, he came face to face with Evelyn Wheeler.

"I heard there was quite a spectacle last night," Evelyn began. "Some of the patients have been telling stories about seeing an angel outside their windows. They said he flew down from the skies with a woman in his arms. Some of the night shift nurses thought they saw him too; they said he looked familiar. Care to explain that to me?"

"I revealed myself to her; it wasn't exactly intentional," Autumn said guiltily. "I didn't mean to do it, but you have no idea how much pressure this relieves, Evelyn. Now I don't have to feel like I'm hiding this huge secret from her. I can be honest with her."

Evelyn sighed and her eyes became glassy. At this moment, Autumn knew what she was going to say.

"No, no, no," he pleaded, "Evelyn, I can't leave her now!"

"Autumn, angels are to only reveal themselves to the dying," Evelyn said. "You can't stay with her unless you're escorting her to Heaven. Angels aren't meant to live on Earth with humans permanently."

Tears stung Autumn's eyes as he pushed his dark bangs out of his face and struggled to control his emotions. His shoulders were shaking and he struggled to speak.

"How do you suppose I tell her?" he sobbed. "I don't think I can face her, not after everything I told her last night!"

"I understand," Evelyn consoled. "You can leave her a note or you can speak to her directly, but you have to return to Heaven today." She looked at him with a somber expression, "I'm so sorry, Autumn."

He turned away from her and made his way back to the hospital room. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he walked; hitting the gleaming tile floors like a crescendo. Nurses and patients passed by him, silently noticing his emotional state.

Autumn entered the empty room and stood amongst his and Kinsley's belongings. He walked over to Kinsley's duffel bag and sorted through some of her things. He decided not to take anything except for the magazine she'd given him. He paced through the room, trying to muffle his sobs. His head was spinning and he suddenly felt so nauseous that he needed to sit down. As he sat down on the bed, he spotted something

hidden beneath the pillow. Curious, he pulled it out and stared at Kinsley's journal.

He opened it and stared at the photos Kinsley had taken of him on the dock. They were taped to the first page of the book with a little saying scrawled beneath them. In her perfect handwriting, Kinsley had written: My Guardian Angel.

Autumn forced a smile as he flipped through page after page of poems, entries about their vacation experiences and photographs. When he came to the last entry, he read over it with a heavy heart.

I'm still going through the chemo and it's rough. My hair is falling out, I'm losing weight and I lost my breasts. I feel so ugly and decrepit but I thank God each day for Thomas. He's the most beautiful, understanding and sincere man I've ever met. I guess it's pretty naïve of me to say this since he's the first and only man I've ever been this close to, but it's true. I love him so much and I don't think I could go through this journey with anyone else other than him. He tells me that I'm beautiful each day and he seems so dedicated to me. Sometimes I swear he's my guardian angel. I honestly don't know what I'd do if I lost him. I'm not by any means a religious person, in fact, I always felt like the Lord ignored my prayers and pain. Receiving Thomas Autumn in life has been a blessing in disguise.

Suddenly one of Autumn's tears dripped from his face and landed on the page. He snatched up a pencil and struggled to write down his note.

Kinsley-

This is the hardest thing I've ever done. You've made this afterlife such a meaningful adventure and I thank you for everything that you've said and done. I love you unconditionally and always will, but I have to return to Heaven. Please understand, angels and humans aren't meant to coexist, a fact that I wish wasn't true.

You're a beautiful, amazing and inspirational person and no matter what happens, you always will be. I know it's cowardly to say goodbye this way, but I don't have the courage or the heart to tell you this in person. I've been alone my entire life and having you enter into my life was such a blessing. Please know that you're not alone; I will always be watching over you. Next time you see a sunset, write an article, stand beneath the spotlight and hike through the woods, please think of me. I know I will always think of you. I love you.

Sincerely, Autumn

He lay the book down on top of the pillow and turned to the window, which was bathed in a gleaming white light. Autumn inhaled deeply and walked into the light. He took another step and stood in front of the House of Souls. He was back in Heaven.

Heartbroken and unable to speak, Autumn began walking down the golden streets. He kept his head down and his wings folded against his back submissively. He wandered aimlessly through the divine kingdom until he found himself in a majestic orchard. He stared at the trees, recalling how much they reminded him of the forests of Maine. He pressed his back against one of their trunks, slid down to a sitting position and buried his face in his knees.

As Kinsley walked down the hallway, she had to stop and lean against the railing.

"Here, Miss Reid," her nurse said pushing a wheelchair behind over to her. Embarrassed, Kinsley sat down in it and allowed her to push her back to the room. Once they made it back to her hospital room, Kinsley was surprised to find it empty.

"Wow, normally that boyfriend of yours is here waiting for you," the nurse teased.

Kinsley nodded and stood up from the wheelchair. She approached the bed and saw the journal lying on the pillow. Her heart skipped a beat as she carefully grabbed it and read Autumn's note.

A knot immediately formed in her stomach as she continued to read. Her eyes began to sting and goosebumps formed on her skin. A shrill cry escaped her lips as she dropped the book and fell to her knees, startling the nurse.

"Miss Reid!" she gasped rushing to her side.

"No, no, no, he can't leave me now!" Kinsley wept, "I need him, and I'm nothing without him!"

"Oh," the nurse mumbled. She gently put her arm around Kinsley's shoulder, "oh, I'm so sorry."

Autumn refused to move as he remained in the same position amongst the trees. He'd sat there for hours; his eyes sore from crying and his throat dry. His black bangs had been matted against his forehead and poked his red eyes. He lifted his head and stared up at the pink sky.

Finally he rose to his feet and shuffled back towards the city. When he made it back to his parents' home, Jonathan and Irene stood on the porch waiting for him.

"We missed you," Irene greeted him. She hugged him tightly and Jonathan patted his back.

"Son," he began.

Autumn shook his head and slouched into the house, refusing to speak to either of them. He ventured to the replica of his childhood room and quickly shut the door behind him. Collapsing to the floor once it was shut.

Kinsley sat at the foot of the hospital bed. Her eyes were sore from crying and her hand shook as she dialed her mom's number.

"It's about time you called me back!" Lucille scolded. "How is the treatment going? Are you feeling any better? Are you going to be released soon?"

"I can't come home yet, Mom," Kinsley said. "I feel horrible, I've lost nearly all of my hair and-" She started to choke up as she finished her sentence, "and Thomas left me."

Lucille felt her heart sink as she listened to her daughter's painful sobs on the phone.

"Oh Kin, I can't believe he did that! He just abandoned you in that hospital in Hawaii!" By now she could feel the fury boil up inside her, "I thought he cared about you! Was he playing tricks on you this entire time?"

"I don't know, Mom, I just don't know what to do; I'm devastated," Kinsley sighed. "I guess I just got my hopes up, as usual, I just thought that maybe this was meant to be."

"He was your first love, Kin, that's always the hardest," Lucille consoled. "There's plenty of other fish in the sea, though."

Kinsley rolled her eyes, but none of them are angels, she thought.

"I know, Mom," she acknowledged. She glanced over at the open window, "I just want him to come back; I need him."

The two of them talked well into the night and before Kinsley hung up; she took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Hey Mom," she said wiping her eyes with a tissue. "Thank you and I love you."

"I love you too, Kinsley," Lucille said.

Once she hung up, Kinsley curled up in the hospital bed and cradled her journal in her arms. Why did this have to happen? She thought to herself, why now?

Days turned to weeks and she began to lose faith in Autumn's return. Each day she'd go through her chemo treatments and return to an empty hospital room. Each night she'd cry herself to sleep.

The same could be said for Autumn. He'd spend his days sitting on his parents' front porch staring off into the distance. Occasionally he'd walk through the city in silence. Neither one of his parents knew what to say to him.

Home

"Soon enough I will come to know: I am better off just one day in this timeless moment than an eternity anywhere else. It is on this very threshold of return that I have come home." –Psalm 84

"Miss Reid, are you sure you want to proceed with this?" the oncologist asked.

Kinsley sat in her hospital bed and nodded slowly. "No more treatments; I'm going home," she asserted.

By now, she didn't care about beating the cancer. It had completely ravaged her body. She was thin, her hair was gone and she'd lost the will to live. Her insurance had paid what it could for her chemo and her boss had fired her via phone call. Without Autumn, Kinsley felt hollow and hopeless.

"Okay," the oncologist agreed.

By that evening, Kinsley had her bags packed, her bills paid and a taxi called.

"Take me to the airport, please," she said tipping the taxi driver.

He nodded and Kinsley stared out the window at the Hawaiian sunset. Once she made it to the airport and bought her tickets, she sat down on a bench and tried to catch her breath.

I look so out of place, she thought as she watched suntanned locals and tourists walk by. Here she sat-pale, thin, dressed in baggy jeans, an oversized t-shirt and woven hat that one of the nurses had made her.

When she finally boarded her plane and took her seat, Kinsley texted her mother.

On my way home.

It took several minutes for her mother to respond.

Did they get rid of the cancer? Are you cured?

Kinsley sighed and texted back, No, I quit treatment; I just want to be home. She pressed send and what came back made her want to scream.

I'm so sorry, Kin, but I'm not home. I'm in the local hospital with pneumonia. Doc Honeycutt says it's bad. Sorry, honey- Mom.

Kinsley held back tears as she fretted for her mother. She regretted leaving her alone and blamed herself. It seemed like eons before the plane finally reached its destination.

The cool Maine air stung Kinsley's fragile skin as she exited the plane with her luggage. She felt eyes upon her as she made her way through the airport, but she ignored them. She wished Autumn was by her side as she progressed back to her hometown.

She made it home long enough to drop off her luggage in the living room and she drove to the hospital. She approached the nurses' station nervously.

"Which room is Lucille Reid in?" she asked.

"Two o' seven," the nurse responded. She squinted hard at Kinsley and gasped. "Kinsley? Is that you?" 

Kinsley nodded, "yeah, it's me."

"I thought you were in Hawaii," the nurse said staring her up and down.

"I was and I wish I hadn't gone," Kinsley uttered as she skulked to the elevator.

She hesitated before entering her mother's hospital room, praying that she could stay calm.

Lucille turned her head and faced her daughter.

"Why are you giving me your guilty look?" she said in a low voice.

"If I were home, this wouldn't have happened," Kinsley began sitting down beside her mother.

Lucille chuckled dryly, "there's nothing you could've done to prevent this, Kin; people get sick." She reached over and laid her shaky hand on her daughter's knee. "It's young people like you who don't deserve to get sick." She eyed her, "why did you quit your treatment?"

"I quit for you; I wanted to be here with you," Kinsley explained. "I'm done fighting it; there's no point because it's everywhere now."

Lucille closed her eyes and exhaled painfully, "that's what I was afraid of."

The two of them spent the rest of that night talking and watching sitcoms in the hospital room. At one point, they'd completely forgotten that they were sick.

Autumn entered the House of Souls and sat cross-legged on the floor, reading through Kinsley's book like a novel. Though he told himself he wouldn't, he had to open it and see how she was.

Evelyn stood in the doorway and peered down at him, waiting for him to make eye contact.

"She quit treatment," he stated, "She's lost her will to live because of me." He read on, "and her mother is sick too. I hope she won't need an escort."

"I don't think that would be a wise decision, Autumn," Evelyn advised.

Autumn sighed, shut the book and put it back on the shelf. He slipped past Evelyn and returned home. He sat on his porch and contemplated what to do. He finally made his decision around dawn.

"Mom! I've got our favorite!" Kinsley called walking into her mother's hospital room carrying To Go boxes. "Hannah fixed us up with freshly made cinnamon rolls and coffee!"

Lucille's body trembled as she struggled to turn her head and peer at her daughter. Her eyes were glassy and when she tried to speak, she coughed violently.

"Oh, God!" Kinsley screamed dropping the food and hurrying over to her mother's bedside. "Mom! Mom!" she pleaded, "please don't go yet!" She wrapped her hands around her mother's and buried her face into her shirt.

By now the nurses and doctors had stormed into the room and started checking Lucille for a pulse.

"You can't be in here if you're taking chemo; your immune system is too risky," one of the nurses warned Kinsley.

"I don't care, she's my mother!" Kinsley snapped. She felt a chill run down her spine and she turned around slowly.

Autumn stood in the doorway dressed in navy blue shirt, a gray blazer and nice jeans. His wings and halo visible only to Kinsley. He stared at her in silence.

Kinsley's eyes shifted from him to her mother and she felt the fury boil up inside her. She hurtled towards him with as much strength as she could muster.

"No!" she screamed slapping him across his face-feeling the pain sting her hand.

Autumn backed out of the room and into the hallway staring at her with an expression of pure anguish.

Kinsley slammed the door shut behind her and glared at him.

"You're a real piece of work!" she snarled. "You left me when I needed you the most and now you've come to take my dying mother! How cruel and sick are you?"

"I didn't leave you by choice, Kin; I had to return to Heaven," Autumn murmured. "I hate myself for what I've put you through but angels aren't meant to stay on Earth. I know your pain-in my opinion, Heaven isn't worth leaving you. I've hated myself since that day and I can't bear to be without you. I'm not here to take your mother, though."

"Then why are you here?" Kinsley asked as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Autumn said nothing as he reached out and tried to wipe away one of her tears. To his surprise, Kinsley slapped his hand away. He looked away as Kinsley vanished back into the hospital room.

"We've got a pulse!" the nurse exclaimed. "Stay with us, Lucille," the doctor coaxed.

Lucille opened her eyes and scanned the room, staring at all of the faces. She smiled when she saw Kinsley.

"I thought I saw Heaven's gates there for a moment," she said trying to lighten the mood.

Kinsley wrapped her mother in a hug.

"Thank God you're back," she mumbled. Her eyes drifted back to the doorway and she saw Autumn. He stared at her with teary eyes. He turned away and disappeared out of sight.

Kinsley spent the rest of the day with her mother, keeping watch over her intently. They passed the time watching TV and sharing meals. Though she'd never admit it, Kinsley could feel her body growing weaker by the second. All she could picture in her head was the look on Autumn's face. He looked so hurt and betrayed. Now she was ridden with guilt as she tried to hide her emotions from her mother.

Lucille snatched a small Psalm book off of her nightstand and opened it.

"One of the nurses brought me this," she explained. "Do you want to read some?"

Kinsley nodded.

Lucille cleared her throat and began reading, "'I am ever so near you, hovering over your shoulder, reading every thought. People think that thoughts are fleeting and worthless, but yours are precious to Me. I smile when you think lovingly of Me. My Spirit, who lives within you, helps you to think My thoughts. As your thinking goes, so goes your entire being,' Matthew one twenty-three and Psalm thirty-seven four."

Ever so near me, Kinsley thought to herself, he just wanted to be near me and I broke him. I messed things up just like I always do.

Days passed by and Lucille started to make a miraculous recovery. As her health improved, her daughter's declined. One morning while helping her mother do her hair, Kinsley collapsed in the bathroom. She lay in a fetal position on the tile floor, sobbing and too weak to stand.

Autumn wandered the halls of the hospital staring at the floor. The events of that morning played out in his mind and Kinsley's acrid words still stung him. He didn't blame her, though. I should've listened to Evelyn, he told himself, I'm just too naïve and stupid. What was she really going to do? Accept me with open arms? He paused as two RN's ran past him.

"What room is the emergency alarm going off in?" one asked.

"Two o' seven!" the other replied.

Autumn swallowed hard and followed them; his heart pounding. When he reached two o' seven, he lingered in the doorway and watched the RN's run into the bathroom.

It took the two nurses to get Kinsley back on her feet and into a hospital bed.

Autumn couldn't stand it any longer; he entered the room and stood at Kinsley's bed side.

"Kin," he pleaded, "are you okay?"

Kinsley stared up at him and wiped away tears. "I'm sorry," she sniffed.

"I am too," he said grabbing her hand.

"I'm sorry, Autumn, but I don't want treatment," Kinsley muttered. "I just want to be comfortable."

"I understand," he agreed.

Lucille stared at the two of them and tried to think of what to say. Instead, she thanked the RNs for their help and left the room to make a phone call. She broke the news to many of the local townspeople.

Soon Kinsley's room filled with former co-workers, friends and fans of her writing. They all came to bring her floral arrangements, sympathy cards, religious paraphernalia or just kind words. As Kinsley visited with everyone, Autumn sat by her side in silence. Whenever they would speak to him, shake his hand or whisper their sympathies, he would meekly nod.

"You've got yourself a fighter," Hannah told him. "I've known this girl my entire life; she's strong, she's dedicated and she's a hell of a woman."

"She sure is," Autumn said smiling at Kinsley.

"Thank you, Hannah," Kinsley said gripping her friend's hand.

The crowd slowly dwindled down as the night progressed and Autumn and Kinsley found themselves alone in a hospital room full of flowers and crosses.

"This all seems familiar," Kinsley joked looking around.

"I wish it wasn't," Autumn said with a sigh. He looked her in the eyes, "look, I'm sorry about leaving and showing up at the most inconvenient time."

"It's okay," Kinsley said. "I'm flattered that you went against Heaven's rules to be with me. I was just afraid that you were going to take Mom away from me. Now she's miraculously healed," she paused and stared at him. "You wouldn't have anything to do with that, would you?"

Autumn didn't, but he had a feeling Evelyn did.

"I guess it's a blessing in disguise," he replied.

"A blessing in disguise; just like you," Kinsley declared. She inhaled deeply. "I never would've thought it'd come to this; but I'm grateful that you're here. Thank you so much, Autumn, you've saved me. You took an empty and lonely soul and turned it into something beautiful." She pointed to her journal, which sat on the windowsill across the room. "There's something I want you to read in there."

Autumn walked over to the windowsill and grabbed the journal. He flipped to the last page and studied a poem written in Kinsley's elegant handwriting.

"Please read it aloud," she lured. Autumn cleared his throat and began,

"There are those who enter our lives when we least expect it. Whose love and kindness resonates in our soul. When we feel like weakened candles, whose wicks are barely lit. They swoop into our lives and their compassion leaves a toll. They may look like you and I, but they hide a secret. Invisible to us are their wings and halos. You may not know it, but these strangers are our angels. They walk with us and talk with us just like everyone else, and strengthen our hearts and spirit. They let us discover the strength and love within ourselves. And when it's our time to leave this world, there is no need to fear. For they will guide us to His gleaming gates of gold and pearl, and dry our tears." He looked up from the page with teary eyes, "Kin-"

"That's dedicated to you; it's probably the last thing I'll ever write," Kinsley conceded.

Autumn knelt down and allowed her to rest her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you so much, Kinsley Reid; you've changed my life too. I never had much of a life when I was human and now you've made my afterlife complete. I love you so much; more than words can describe," he said.

"I love you too," Kinsley wept. She rested her head back down on the pillow and smiled up at her angel.

Suddenly everything seemed to stop and all of the outside sounds became silent. She watched as Autumn walked over to the window and opened it. A blinding gold light shined in and illuminated the two of them. Then he returned to her bedside and knelt down-gently kissing her forehead.

One of the nurses entered the room and approached the bed. She felt Kinsley's wrist for a pulse and shook her head grimly.

Autumn and Kinsley stood by the window and watched the nurse rush out of the room to break the news to everyone.

"Are we going home?" Kinsley asked eying Autumn.

Autumn smiled at her, "yes, but first we're going to visit your mother."

Kinsley buried her face into Autumn's chest and held tight to him as the two of them turned and vanished into the golden light. When she reopened her eyes, she found herself soaring over Pine Creek. The view was breathtaking as they flew over- completely invisible to the town's residents.

When they reached Lucille's house, the two of them phased through the door and made their way to her bedroom. Autumn stood back and watched as Kinsley placed her journal on her mother's nightstand and kissed her sleeping mother's cheek.

She reluctantly walked over Autumn's side and glanced back over her shoulder guiltily.

"She'll understand someday," Autumn assured her. 

"I know," Kinsley agreed, "I'm ready to go."

Autumn took her hands and she closed her eyes. As she reopened her eyes, Kinsley stared at the gleaming pearl gate in disbelief.

"Welcome home," Autumn beamed as the gate opened.

"Marvel at the beauty of life intertwined with My Presence. Rejoice as we journey together in intimate communion. Enjoy the adventure of finding yourself through losing yourself in Me." –John 15:4

THE END