Orion put an arm around Audrey as the angel that towered over them placed a gentle finger on Luke’s forehead and spoke in Angel. Luke clapped his hands and burbled, but he seemed to be listening. The child calmed down, smiled, and kept still.
Mia felt the power surge through Luke from Michael and, in turn, felt Luke’s power return to the archangel.
Michael took a moment and looked into Mia’s eyes. She felt his gaze and looked up and smiled. He had done right in her eyes. She would support his decisions without question from now on. He had earned her respect.
“I don’t hear the song anymore,” Mia said.
“Besides keeping him hidden,” Orion started, “Why do you silence the song?”
“We have found with the listeners that they just hear the song and don’t thrive. The sound is so beautiful that it’s mesmerizing. The angels he hears do nothing but sing God’s praises. A child needs to experience life, grow, date, learn a few cuss words - not as many as Mia knows - but a few. Luke won’t be distracted anymore, at least not by angel song,” Michael said. “If you have any problems, pray. I will appoint a worthy mentor for your child if there is a need. Come, Mia, we must leave now.”
Orion watched as the roof opened up. Mia handed Luke to Audrey and opened her wings. She shot up, being pulled in Michael’s wake.
Audrey looked at her husband. “Pinch me, I just met Saint Michael.”
Orion pinched her.
“How can Mia leave that and find joy weeding the garden?” Audrey asked.
“Mia’s not an impressionable person. It’s comes from her hellish youth. I bet she could only tell you five angel names,” Orion mused.
“You did well. Now take me to Mark Leighton.”
“I think he’s at football practice.”
They arrived and sat in the stands.
“He’s not playing.”
“He’s small for the position he wants to play. They are probably not cutting him right away because it would upset Dieter.”
“Bring him over.”
Mia wanted to say, “Yes, mister bossy pants,” but instead just smiled. She moved quickly across the field as to not embarrass Dieter with his mom being there.
“Mark!” she called.
He looked up from his statistic clipboard and smiled. He walked over.
“Someone wants to meet you.”
“Sure,” he said, doubting he would be called to run any plays until the scrimmage at the end of practice.
Mark walked around the end of the field, and Mia pointed to the man sitting up in the stands.
“My God, it’s an archangel. He’s your Michael.”
“He’s my boss,” Mia said. “You were right about Luke. I think he wants to talk to you about him.”
“Yes. Ah, hold this,” he said, handing Mia his helmet. He took the stairs two at a time.
Michael knew the history of this child. He was a prophesy that Mia turned around with her kindness. He was now one of the good guys. Michael reached out his hand, “Mark.”
“Sir,” Mark said, grasping the large hand.
“I wanted to thank you and alert you that there will be more and more of these children out there. You will be drawn to them. I would appreciate a… heads-up when you find one.”
“I will.”
“Now why aren’t you playing?”
“I’m too small,” he admitted.
“Seems to me you’re going to grow, but in the meantime, if you have to block, pull from here,” Michael said, patting Mark’s chest, “and send it through here.” He indicated his hands.
“I’ll try that, sir. Any other suggestions?”
“If you must scramble around someone larger than you, mislead them, send them false signals, and when they bite, you can blow past them. You have the speed.”
“How do you know so much about this?”
“Mia has been blowing past me for a long time. I’m only just now starting to catch on.”
Mark laughed. “She’s loyal, but she can be conflicted. She sees the big picture.”
“I’m aware of that. Now go, I think your coach is looking for you.”
Mia handed him his helmet and walked up and sat down next to Michael who looked like he wanted to stay. “Tell me about his father?” Michael asked.
“Locked-in syndrome. Ted has developed a communication device for Mark to talk to him, but the conversation is stilted and can’t be satisfying.”
“You know Raphael’s specialty is damaged minds.”
“How can I be so stupid? He told me that when he took my tumor out. Can I ask him? I don’t want to step on…”
“My tender ego?”
“Well… yes.”
“I’ll ask him to visit Mark’s father. Now watch. I put the idea in Mark’s coach’s mind to run a few plays with Mark in a running back position. Let’s see if Mark listened to me.”
Mia sat back and enjoyed the spectacle. Mark faltered on the first play, but by the second and the third, he moved quickly around the defensive player who outweighed him by fifty pounds. On the fourth play, he blocked for the quarterback successfully.
Michael got up. “Come, Mia, I’ll fly you home.”
Mia was amused.
“No, I won’t carry your books,” Michael teased, reading her mind.
Mia slid into the PEEPs meeting in progress. Mike looked at her windblown hair and said, “Nice of you to fly in, darling.”
“Sorry, I’m late. I had an appointment that ran late.” She quickly raised her hand.
“Yes, Mia?” Burt asked.
“I would like to thank everyone who made my homecoming so easy for Ted and me. I want to assure you all that I’ve been to my… doctor, and I am one hundred percent fit and ready to rock this investigation.”
Ted grinned.
“Anything else?” Burt asked.
“Nope, that’s it.”
“I’d like to start with
