It Happened One Christmas

Christmas Eve 1968

 

“I told you I’m not supposed to be dead,” said Daphne as she ruffled the itchy white feathers now adorning her back. It wasn’t enough that the Angelic Council took her life prematurely, they had to torture her with bulky wings created from allergy-contaminated feathers, a gown made of gauze so thin she’d catch her death, and too-tight golden slippers. Surely Heaven wasn’t more interested in image than in comfort.

She and the angel, Leonard, were alone, floating in some scuddy white cloud in the heavens. While she was no longer of the living, she could see the condensation of each of her exhalations—so apparently she could breathe. That was a good sign, or at least she thought it was.

“I’m afraid the Angelic Council made a slight miscalculation,” said Leonard soothingly. He’d been saying lots of things soothingly to her, probably hoping she’d calm down and back off her demand to return to her life.

Leonard was right, though. The Angelic Council had definitely made a mistake. Daphne was used to landing in messes, and then having to clean up after herself. But she’d never been in a position like this before, where the problem had been brought about by a heavenly outfit, and there was absolutely no human resolution possible.

The more confusing the situation, the angrier she felt.

”So, what is the Angelic Council going to do about it?” Although she was thoroughly upset, she held her punches for fear she might accidentally injure the heavenly messenger hovering before her.

Leonard wasn’t anything like her previous conception of an angel. He was tall, only slightly bent, and gaunt enough to be blown away by the slightest gust of wind. His face was creased, aged, yet his bright blue eyes shone with childlike benevolence and love.

Even if he weren’t an angel, she’d never be able to be truly furious with someone like him. Perhaps that was why the Angelic Council had sent him? He’d said it wasn’t his usual heavenly job.

“Do?” he asked.

“Yeah. I want to go back. I had plans, plans to fall in love, marry and have kids. And thanks to this miscalculation, I’m not going to have a full complete life? I don’t think so. Unless there’s a fellow for me up here in Heaven?”

“Oh my, oh my, oh my.” Leonard was in an absolute dither. Although Daphne had never actually used the word before, she recognized it when someone did it. Leonard dithered. “We can’t have that.”

“I was afraid it’d be out of the question.” She was losing all patience. “Look, Leonard, the Council made a mistake. Tell them to fix it. I’m entitled to be sent back.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Leonard smiled and patted her arm. “Never worry. You’re in Heaven. Everyone is happy here. Once your angelic status is finalized, I’m sure you’ll find everything most satisfactory.”

“Leonard, I know you mean well, but I’m not happy and I won’t be happy unless I get my life back. I’m not ready to be an angel. I told you, I want a full and complete life. I want to experience romantic love, maternal love, even everyday humanitarian love. Just because I stepped between a lieutenant and the shrapnel he deserved, I can see no reason to punish me for it, all because the Council didn’t expect it. I want my life!”

“Becalm yourself, Daphne. How was the Council to know you’d interfere and risk your life for the Lieutenant?”

It was everything Daphne could do not to yank the poor messenger by his heavenly robes. “Because that’s the kind of woman I am and you’d think Heaven would know that. What kind of heaven is this if the angels don’t know the mortals they’re supposed to be helping?”

Leonard’s eyes dropped with remorse. “I’ll consult the Council.”

“Please, do that. And, Leonard?” Daphne fluttered her lashes, remembering belatedly that honey draws the most flies. “While you’re at it, I know if you put your wonderful mind to it, you’d be able to procure me some cream for this rash. These da . . . er, dratted feathers are killing me.”

“I’ll do my humble best.”

“Thank you.” He seemed inclined to stick around. She waved her arms. “Scram!”

As he disappeared, she turned and walked to a distant wall. It twinkled like moonlight and every color shimmered as if iridescent. Reaching out with her hand to stroke it, it felt solid and cool to the touch. Ahead, she noted a gate and rather than walking, this time she floated toward it. Groovy.

In less time than it took her to completely survey the pearly gates, Leonard returned with a beaming smile on his aged face.

“Good news, child.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. She’d almost panicked wondering what the Post’s hardest-hitting ace reporter could find to keep herself busy up here in all these clouds. She was used to staying busy, and if there wasn’t an assignment for her, she was used to creating her own. But how anyone could come up with something to do when the only things visible on the horizon were white and fluffy, she had no clue. “They’re sending me back?”

“Oh, yes. You don’t know how fortunate you are. There have only been two previous cases I can recollect . . . and with each of them,” he lowered his voice to a whisper, “there were extenuating circumstances.”

“You don’t say.” As far as she was concerned, her situation was filled with extenuating circumstances, such as angels that refused to wait to see what would happen, or who didn’t know what to expect from the people whose guardians they were purported to be.

Leonard nodded. “Otherwise, the poor ones who’ve joined us too hastily have happily made do with the bounty offered by our Heavenly Host and remained among his flock of newer angels. Are you sure you don’t wish to reconsider? The choice is yours.”

“I want to go back. But wait a sec.” Her reporter instinct kicked in. “How many other cases have there been and who were they?” Not to mention when, where and why.

“Oh, my. Shouldn’t we be on our way rather than standing here discussing the others?”

“Why did they make an exception for me? What were the extenuating circumstances?”

“Isn’t it enough,” Leonard asked, “that they did make an exception? You will be going back.”

Daphne narrowed her eyes, fully aware he’d avoided answering her question. But so what? She was getting what she wanted. Maybe she could get more details out of him later. “What happens now?”

“Let’s see. I regret having to do this, Daphne, but since you choose to return to earth, I must remove your wings.” Leonard snapped his fingers.

“Gee. I’m really going to miss them.” Right, she added silently. Like a GI would miss K rations.

She heard a tinkling of bells. Her wings transformed into a flock of doves and instantly the itchiness ceased. She breathed a sigh of relief before putting her mind to what was to happen next. “Isn’t it time for you to snap those fingers and send me back?”

She fought back a scowl.

Leonard tapped his forehead. “Oh, my! I nearly forgot one small favor the Council requested. You won’t mind it, I’m certain, since it involves the lieutenant whom you saved.”

“That lieutenant was not a nice man. I didn’t save him on purpose. I reacted. It just happened.”

“Exactly,” Leonard said. “Since you were willing to risk your life for him, the Council beseeches you to help save the immortal soul of his son.”

“What?” she squealed, interrupting him. “I hadn’t realized he had a kid.”

“He does indeed. His name is Nathaniel.”

Leonard and the members of the Angelic Council were angels – and she was just a puny human. They were the experts on saving and redeeming people, not her. “Why do you need my help, anyway? Seems to me, you’re the angel.”

“That’s the gist of our problem. Nathaniel Danvers doesn’t believe—ergo, we cannot reach him. However, since you are human, you’ll be able to do what we cannot: connect with him on a physical plane. After all, he can see and hear you.”

So the son couldn’t see Leonard or the other angels, and since Daphne was to return to the living, the son could see her. She’d like to get on with returning to her life, rather than spend more time on side issues. But still, she really couldn’t turn the Council down. “How old is this child?”

Leonard coughed, then mumbled, “Thirty.”

Could she have heard him correctly? “There’s got to be some mistake. The lieutenant can’t be over thirty-five himself.”

“I’m afraid you won’t be returning to your own time. You’ll be going into the future.”

That did it. She grabbed his robes and pulled him close enough for their noses to rub. “I thought you said I get to go back.”

Leonard bobbed his head up and down. “You do! You do! You get to go back, marry, complete your life and have children if you wish. The Council’s only aim is to make you happy.”

Daphne dropped him. After all, it wasn’t Leonard’s fault. This was the Angelic Council’s doing. Plus, not returning to her own timeline might actually be for the best considering how dangerous everything had been.

Her assignment to cover the emotional angle on the police action in Vietnam had been less than comfortable. It had been frightening. Many of the men serving there, boys really, had been as scared as she. Uncle Sam had some explaining to do. She really wouldn’t mind not going back to that madness. The future had to be better.

She gritted her teeth. If it was a choice of the future or sticking around with the wings to drive her bananas, the future it was. She wondered how different the future would be. “Please, tell me more about Nathaniel.”

“Nathaniel’s mother died when he was six. He’s now matured into something of a miser. He is the CEO of the Danvers and Son department store chain.”

“That’s just groovy. I can’t believe you want me to reform some establishment tightwad.” She shook her head. “This has got to be a nightmare.”

“I regret to say it, but it’s all too real.”

The whole idea of trying to help the lieutenant’s son filled her with anxiety. “And what makes you think I can help where angels failed?”

Leonard smiled. “The Council wouldn’t send you if they didn’t think you’d succeed or that he isn’t redeemable. There’s something there and I’m sure you’ll find it.”

“You call this a small favor? My ass–ignment.”

“There are also a few rules you must understand. First, your body is only temporary.”

“Temporary?” Daphne sputtered. “The more I hear the less I like it. Why do I have a feeling you and your Council are leading me down the Yellow Brick Road?”

“It is rather hard to believe,” assured Leonard. “But you’ve been out of your body too long for the Council to be able to do anything more. You’ll have all Christmas evening to perform the favor and by dawn, you’ll start your new life.”

“You promise? I get my life? I won’t come back here?”

His brow wrinkled. “If you don’t enter your new body in time, your current one will evaporate. Since it’s never happened before, I’m unsure what would happen to your soul.”

He waved his hand. “However, I don’t anticipate that eventuality.”

She wouldn’t let anything stop her from taking up her life. “And if I fail? If I can’t help Danvers’ son?”

“You’ll succeed. All he needs is a little help reinterpreting the events in his life. As a reporter, you have a lot of experience measuring facts and reaching an unbiased conclusion.”

“Just because I know how to draw a conclusion is no guarantee of success with the son. The Council knows that, right?”

“Absolutely.”

“And if I refuse to help?”

Leonard flapped his fluffy white wings, hovering lightly over the clouds. “We can only appeal to your sense of honor. Any young woman who would throw herself in front of another human to protect that person, at the cost of her own life . . . We know how giving you are, my dear, and only ask for a few hours of your time. Please?”

 

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