?Not anymore. I stopped hearing him after Gregory died.? Ivy nodded and continued sorting through the stones, telling herself she shouldn?t have expected anything else, and it was silly to be disappointed.
Philip rolled a pebble between his fingers, then discarded it. ?I hear Lacey.?
Ivy glanced up. ?You do? You never mentioned that before/?
?You never asked.? Ivy sat back on her heels, thinking. She hadn?t sensed Lacey?s presence in the house — hadn?t seen the telltale purple shimmer that indicated the angel was mere — so she had assumed that when Tristan said good-bye, Lacey had left too.
Of course, Lacey hadn?t liked her; Ivy knew that. Lacey had helped her because Lacey cared about Tristan — was in love with him, Ivy suspected.
?Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum,? Philip sang, stirring the wet pebbles and sand with his finger. ?The doctors told Mom it?s a miracle you didn?t die.?
?Yes, it seems like a miracle. I prayed to?—she hesitated—?an angel.? Philip looked up at her, as if he suddenly understood. ?Did Lacey help you??
?I think some angel did,? Ivy replied. ?Let?s ask her,? Philip said. ?Lacey!? He stood and raised his hands to the sky. ?Hey, Lacey, Lacey, Lacey. C?mon, Lacey, you scallywag!?
There was no response. Philip shrugged, then knelt to continue sorting through the stones. ?I guess she?s busy.?
?Well, blow me down, if it isn?t the old buccaneer and his scurvy sister!? a husky voice said. ?Lacey!? Philip replied happily. ?Hi, Lacey,? Ivy greeted her, trying not to let the hope seep into her voice. If Lacey was still here— ?Long time no see,? Lacey replied to Ivy, ?which works for me.? Her purple shimmer came close to them, as if she were crouching on the sand. ?This one?s perfect.? A smooth round stone appeared to hop into Philip?s hand.
?What?s up, Philip? I can?t stay long this time?got a new gig — an apprentice that doesn?t have a due what he?s doing.?
Philip nodded. ?Just a question: Did you save Ivy?s life on Sunday night??
?Excuse me?? She moved away from where Philip and Ivy were kneeling and appeared to dance along the edge of the water. Her shimmer was as delicate as a sea mist, the deep purple of a mollusk shell. ?Save Ivy??
?Beth and I were in a car accident,? Ivy explained.
Lacey came closer, circling Ivy, as if studying her. Ivy felt the gentle pressure of fingers against her temple and knew that Lacey was materializing just the tips of them; by the time Tristan had left, he had been able to do that too.
?I?ve seen paper cuts bigger than that,? Lacey said. ?I know,? Ivy replied with surging confidence.
?Tristan healed me.?
?What??
?Tristan?? Philip asked, sounding surprised as Lacey.
?Not possible,? the angel said adamantly. ?Last time I was with Tristan, he was headed to the Light. He had fulfilled his mission — thanks to me,? she added.
?By now, he’s far beyond all of us, hanging out with Number One Director, I’m sure.”
“But I felt his arms around me,” Ivy insisted and recounted the details of the accident. When she described looking down at her body in the crushed car, then rising the starry night, Lacey’s purple mist held perfectly still. For a full thirty seconds after Ivy finished, Lacey was uncharacteristically silent.
Ivy thought she might have stopped listening halfway through until Lacey spat out, ?Unbelievable. Unbelievable!?
Small stones, one after another, were lifted by an invisible hand and hurled into the water. ?Hey!? Philip cried, ?that was my best one!? ?Sony.? The shower of stones stopped. ?I just hope you were hallucinating,? Lacey said to Ivy, ?because if what you?re describing really happened, there?s going to be serious fallout.? Ivy frowned. ?What do you mean9? ?Angels can?t go around giving the kiss of life.?
The kiss of life, Ivy repeated to herself, recalling how, when Tristan kissed her, she was suddenly aware of her heart beating. ?If s against the rules.? ?How do you know?? Ivy asked Lacey. ?How do I know? Look at me. What d?ya see??
?Fog with an attitude,? Ivy replied. ?Oh, yeah, I forgot. Give me a second..
Lacey materialized herself, then strutted up and down the shore in her ripped leggings and long tank top.
?Like my new hair?? she asked, shaking her head. It was tinged purple, long and straight, with blunt?cut bangs. ?I picked up a few more skills since we last had the pleasure of working together.?
?Wow!? Philip exclaimed, reaching out to touch the angel. ?The whole you!
You?re awesome, Lacey!?
?Thanks, kid.? She turned to Ivy. ?For three years I?ve successfully put off my mission by breaking the rules. If I?m not the expert on forbidden acts, who is? I?m telling you — Number One Director does not like his cast members changing the script. There will be repercussions ?
?Because Tristan saved me?? Ivy argued. ?I guess you weren?t listening in Sunday school. Don?t you remember the fallen angels story? They wanted to be like God, just like God. If s God?s privilege, not ours, to give and take life.”
Ivy didn’t reply. Would Tristan do something forbidden for her sake?
Lacey’s mouth curved in disgust. “Only you could get a guy killed, and one year later, put his soul in jeopardy!?
Ivy and Philip watched as the angel?s body faded into sand, ocean, and sky.
Philip laid his hand on Ivy?s arm. ?Maybe you just dreamed it.?
?Maybe,? she replied, but the words rang hollow, even to her.
?Not even Will??
It had upset Will just to hear her playing Tristan?s song. No, I?ll tell him myself in a little while. It’ s best not to mention Lacey either,? she added Ivy was relieved when Philip and her mother left on Wednesday morning. Taking off the fitted silk blouse her mother had picked out for her, she pulled on a tie?dyed T?shirt, an X?Large that was leftover from a school fund?raiser.
For the first time in her life, Ivy was uneasy around Will. Every time he looked at her, she feared he could read her thoughts — and see Tristan there. She trod carefully around Beth and sensed that Beth was being careful around her too.
Kelsey and Dhanya, wrapped up in the guys from Chatham, spent most of their time there, which was fine with Ivy. Her most comfortable companion was Dusty the cat.
On Friday, Will drove Ivy to Hyannis to pick up a rental car, which she would use until the insurance for her totaled car was processed. ?You?re so quiet?? he said when they stopped at a traffic light. ?Are you worried about something??
?No.? Her response sounded short and stiff, but Ivy couldn?t think of a single word to add to it. ?No,? she repeated.
Will turned in his seat to study her. (?Light?s green,? she told him. He nodded and drove on. ?You know, Ivy, it?s natural to be a little nervous about driving again.?
?I?m not nervous.? She saw the tightening in his jaw and realized Will felt as if his thoughtfulness had been rebuffed. ?Because. . it?s daytime,? she added lamely. ?So, I guess it doesn?t bother me— the way it might if it were dark, as it was when the accident happened.?
They were silent the rest of the way. Standing together in the hot parking lot, waiting for the rental car, Will rattled his car keys and said, ?I?ll go with you to your appointment at the hospital, and then maybe we can stop for—?
?Thanks, that?s not necessary.? He squinted at her. ?You haven?t driven since the accident. Suppose a car coming from the opposite direction gets too close to the center line. You don?t know how you?re going to react.?
