"Manager needed at the pharmacy counter. Manager needed at the pharmacy counter," an unseen announcer on the P.A. system.
The angel had felt terrible for adding to Charlene's pain. He whispered into Solomon's ear and told him to leave her alone. Solomon woke up the next morning and told Charlene that he couldn't have a wife who couldn't be a mother. Then there was more trouble, and then a divorce, but it was the for the best. The angel took the form of a man named Marcus. He came to Charlene with a little girl who had golden skin, honey-colored eyes, and soft hair. And Charlene loved her. She did. Keisha was shy to her at first, testing her stepmother's trust. Everything changed, though, the night the storm came. Keisha's greatest fear at that point in her young life was of thunderstorms. Keisha nervously opened the door to Marcus and Charlene's bedroom and crept in. She stood at the end of the bed, trying to decide whether or not to wake hery daddy. Her presence stirred Charlene awake, but as she opened her eyes, she nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Angela!" she said.
"It's Keisha."
"Go back to your room," Marcus murmured. "You're a big girl."
Keisha returned to her room as quietly as she came. But Charlene couldn't sleep knowing her stepdaughter could be crying. She realized then that Keisha had some of her daddy's angel powers. She had turned into Angela for the briefest of moments, a new test for her stepmother.
Marcus said something as Charlene got up, but she didn't listen. She opened the door to Keisha's fairy-colored room. Keisha lay on the floor, knees to her chest, clutching her toy bunny. Charlene sat on the floor next to her and gingerly placed her hand on her shoulder. Keisha was silent, but she didn't stiffen or move away, either. Charlene lay down behind her, rubbing her shoulder as the rain pounded persistently on the roof. Slowly Keisha's began breathing through her mouth in the soft rhythm of sleep. Charlene stayed with her the rest of the night.
The next morning Marcus told Charlene never to do that again, that Keisha needed to learn the strength of being alone. He later admitted to himself that it was a very necessary action for Charlene, for after that night, Keisha let her stepmother be her mother.
The angel had felt terrible for adding to Charlene's pain. He whispered into Solomon's ear and told him to leave her alone. Solomon woke up the next morning and told Charlene that he couldn't have a wife who couldn't be a mother. Then there was more trouble, and then a divorce, but it was the for the best. The angel took the form of a man named Marcus. He came to Charlene with a little girl who had golden skin, honey-colored eyes, and soft hair. And Charlene loved her. She did. Keisha was shy to her at first, testing her stepmother's trust. Everything changed, though, the night the storm came. Keisha's greatest fear at that point in her young life was of thunderstorms. Keisha nervously opened the door to Marcus and Charlene's bedroom and crept in. She stood at the end of the bed, trying to decide whether or not to wake hery daddy. Her presence stirred Charlene awake, but as she opened her eyes, she nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Angela!" she said.
"It's Keisha."
"Go back to your room," Marcus murmured. "You're a big girl."
Keisha returned to her room as quietly as she came. But Charlene couldn't sleep knowing her stepdaughter could be crying. She realized then that Keisha had some of her daddy's angel powers. She had turned into Angela for the briefest of moments, a new test for her stepmother.
Marcus said something as Charlene got up, but she didn't listen. She opened the door to Keisha's fairy-colored room. Keisha lay on the floor, knees to her chest, clutching her toy bunny. Charlene sat on the floor next to her and gingerly placed her hand on her shoulder. Keisha was silent, but she didn't stiffen or move away, either. Charlene lay down behind her, rubbing her shoulder as the rain pounded persistently on the roof. Slowly Keisha's began breathing through her mouth in the soft rhythm of sleep. Charlene stayed with her the rest of the night.
The next morning Marcus told Charlene never to do that again, that Keisha needed to learn the strength of being alone. He later admitted to himself that it was a very necessary action for Charlene, for after that night, Keisha let her stepmother be her mother.
