Angels at the Table: A Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy Christmas Story

  “No,” he said, and ran his finger down the side of her face. “I’ll admit I’m a bit of a romantic. Let’s meet at the top of the Empire State Building.”

  “Why there?” she asked, smiling at his suggestion.

  “That’s where I’d like to kiss you again.”

  “Okay,” she agreed, “but you understand … I might not come. I hate the thought of you just waiting for me there in the cold.”

  “Then don’t keep me waiting.”

  “Oh, Aren, I don’t know …”

  “Not now you don’t. Give it a week? Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Aren walked her down the stairs to the subway and waited with her until her train arrived. Lucie stepped inside and automatically went to the window, pressing her hand against it. Standing on the other side, Aren pressed his palm against hers, with the glass between them. As the train started to move, she blew him a kiss.

  How wise he was. A week would give her time to think, time to decide. And how romantic of him to suggest the top of the Empire State Building. Biting down on her lower lip, Lucie wanted so badly to continue their relationship … but the timing was all wrong. Yet, would she ever have a chance like this again? That was a question she was afraid to answer.

  Lucie’s eyes burned as she hurriedly dressed for work after less than three hours’ sleep. Even though she was physically dragging, emotionally she was on an all-time high. She didn’t harbor a single regret. Her trip into the city had been amazing. Meeting Aren had set her heart spinning with possibilities. They’d clicked as if they’d grown up together, rediscovering a deep connection to each other after a long separation.

  Before her father died, and before Lucie had started culinary school, she’d dated often. With other men there’d always been that awkward getting-to-know-you period with long pauses in conversation as they struggled to find a connection. It hadn’t been that way with Aren. He’d been so interesting and interested in her. She’d never met a man who wasn’t keen on talking about himself, dominating the conversation and looking to make an impression. Aren had been so comfortable with who he was that he didn’t seem to feel the need to babble on and on about his career or his influential friends. The connection had been there from the very first, which made her decision all the more difficult. How could she walk away from this promising relationship? How would it be possible to maintain even the semblance of one, stretched for time as she already was?

  Lucie ran a brush through her dark, shoulder-length hair and then pinned it away from her face, looping the long strands behind her ears. Once she was in the restaurant kitchen, she’d secure it with a net and a chef’s hat. She wore the hat with pride. She’d worked hard for the privilege.

  Her mother paused in the doorway to Lucie’s bathroom. “What time did you get in last night?”

  “Late.” Lucie wasn’t about to tell her mother exactly what time she’d slipped into bed.

  “Did you have fun?”

  Sighing, Lucie nodded. “I had the most amazing night.”

  Her mother’s face brightened. “I knew getting out would do you a world of good. Lucie, I worry about you and all the hours you work. I’m happy you took my advice and went out with your friends.”

  “I’m happy I did, too. Don’t worry about me, really, Mom, it won’t be like this much longer.” Once the restaurant was up and running Lucie would be able to take a breather. She hoped. Heavenly Delights needed to be a success. It was their future, their dream, and Lucie was determined to make it a winner. She simply had to, seeing that her mother had invested so heavily in it. Wendy had trusted Lucie with her life’s savings and life insurance money and Lucie couldn’t, wouldn’t, disappoint her family.

  “You met someone, didn’t you?”

  “Mom!”

  “Didn’t you?”

  Reluctantly, Lucie nodded.

  “Why so secretive? Tell me about him.”

  “Mom, I don’t have time. I’m late already.”

  Her mother remained undeterred. “Well, at least tell me how you met.”

  Lucie couldn’t have contained a smile if she’d tried. “We met in Times Square at midnight and Aren kissed me.”

  Wendy’s eyes widened. “Well, of course. That’s how I met all the men in my life,” she teased.

  “I lost Jazmine and Catherine in the crowd and I was standing alone while everyone was ringing in the New Year. People were singing, hugging, and kissing one another. Aren and I bumped against each other and before I knew it we were kissing, too.”

  Her mother’s shoulders rose with a deep sigh. “That is probably the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.”

  Lucie finished putting on her makeup, took one last look at herself in the mirror, and decided it was good enough. Once she was finished with work, she’d eat a light dinner and go straight to bed. She needed to be careful in the kitchen, working around knives and fire while sleep deprived.

  “When are you seeing Aren again?” her mother asked, following Lucie into the kitchen.

  “I … I don’t know. He’s new in town and busy.”

  “Lucie …”

  “Yes, Mom?” she said, forcing a light tone into her voice.

  Her mother faced her, hands on her hips. “You’re not telling me something. I told you when you were just a girl that you don’t need to be afraid to tell me anything. I’m your mother.”

  “And you’re the best mother in the world, too,” she said and kissed Wendy’s cheek.

  “But …” her mother protested.

  “I’ll tell you more after work, okay?” Lucie didn’t have time to chat, and besides, she wasn’t sure how little or how much to explain. That warm feeling had stayed with her through the night. Her dreams had been full of Aren. He’d been so certain, confident they should meet again. Although he had given her only a few details of his divorce, she knew he’d been badly hurt. Yet he was willing to set aside his fears for her, and in essence was asking her to overlook the obstacles in her life and give them a chance.

  Aren was new to the city, looking to make a new life for himself. And he wanted to start by dating her. Her mind continued to buzz with questions, with doubts, with longing and fears. The newspaper probably had a probation period for its writers. Their meeting and the instant attraction they’d experienced had come as a surprise. To Aren as much as Lucie. Neither had expected anything like this. Still, the timing couldn’t be worse.

  “You’re looking thoughtful, sweetheart,” her mother said, cutting into Lucie’s thoughts. “Are you sure there isn’t something you want to tell me now?”

  “I’m sure.” Lucie forced herself to smile. “Just that Aren is simply wonderful.”

  Her mother gripped Lucie’s hand. “It’s time you found someone, Lucie. At your age I was already married and pregnant with your brother.”

  “Stop, Mom, you make me sound like Aunt Adele.”

  “She didn’t marry until she was forty-three,” Wendy reminded her.

  “Yes, but Aunt Adele traveled the globe, swam with stingrays, started two companies, and married when she found the man she couldn’t live without. I haven’t met that man yet.”

  “How do you know?” her mother challenged. “It could be Aren. Give him a chance, Lucie. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen your eyes sparkle like this when you talked about a man. I haven’t even met this Aren and already I like him.”

  Rather than comment, Lucie grabbed her purse and headed out the door. Her mother could be right, but she didn’t have time to think about any of this just now.

  Once she was at work Lucie was so busy the hours passed by with incredible speed. At the end of her shift, she was exhausted to the point she could barely think straight. On the subway ride home, she nearly fell asleep. As she expected, her mother was waiting for her, along with Sammy, who greeted her with a tail wagging with such enthusiasm it shook his entire rear end.

  “Lucie, you’re exhausted. Oh dear, I was afraid of this.”

/>   “I’m okay, Mom.”

  “Did you eat today?” her mother asked.

  “I did,” Lucie said, stretching the truth. She had taken the required break but she’d used that time to rest her eyes; just before it was time to return to the kitchen, she’d snatched a roll, slathered it with butter, and called it lunch.

  Lucie sat and chatted with her mother for several minutes while giving Sammy attention. Her mother insisted on fixing her some scrambled eggs. Lucie objected but Wendy wouldn’t listen, and actually Lucie was glad for the late dinner. Sammy sat obediently at her side.

  After Lucie finished her eggs, Wendy laid her head back against the cushioned chair and closed her eyes. “Tell me more about this young man you met.”

  “Mom, are your blood sugars okay?”

  “I’m fine, don’t worry about me. I keep a close eye on my insulin levels. Now tell me about Aren.”

  “I’m not sure what to say … just that he’s funny and charming and witty. After the ball dropped we went to an all-night diner and talked nonstop for nearly four hours. He’s a writer, and he must be very good because he just got a job with the New York Gazette. He has one sister; he’s living with her until he can find his own place and he’s worried about her.”

  “Oh?”

  “Apparently she broke up with someone she’d been seeing for a couple of years. They had been engaged, but then something went wrong and they called off the wedding and aren’t seeing each other any longer. It sounds like Josie is having a hard time of it.”

  “Aren sounds like an exceptional young man.”

  “He is.” Of that Lucie was certain.

  “When will you see him again?” her mother pressed.

  “We haven’t decided that yet … exactly.” Lucie didn’t want to explain their arrangement, because she knew her wonderful mother would encourage her to meet Aren at the prescribed time and place and wouldn’t take no for an answer.

  “Did you exchange phone numbers?” Wendy asked.

  Lucie shook her head and then realized her mother was resting her eyes. “No, we didn’t.” She had entertained the idea of asking for Aren’s cell number and she felt fairly certain he would want hers, too. But having the necessary contact information might make this decision all the more difficult. This way there was no turning back, no second chances. It was January 7 or nothing.

  “He wants me to meet him on the seventh at the top of the Empire State Building,” she blurted out, unable to stop herself. Eventually her mother would drag it out of her one way or another.

  “Then you should go.” Opening her eyes now, Lucie’s mother frowned as though confused.

  “The thing is, Mom, the timing is all wrong,” Lucie whispered.

  “So? If you wait until everything is perfect you might lose Aren, and I don’t want that to happen.”

  “I don’t either. We decided to give it a week. We’d been up nearly all night and the sparks were there but, like I said, the timing couldn’t be worse for me. Aren’s starting a new job; I’m already overwhelmed with the restaurant and—”

  “My goodness, Lucie Ann, don’t you know by now that falling in love is never convenient? I met your father just a short time before he shipped out for the Vietnam War. We had a single day together and then we wrote to each other. Your father wrote the most amazing, beautiful letters.”

  Lucie had heard the story a thousand times and never tired of it. “A year passed,” she continued for her mother.

  “Thirteen months. I was in my sophomore year of college and one day out of the blue your father showed up on campus.”

  “A man in a uniform wasn’t exactly the most welcome sight in those days, especially at the university.”

  “That’s putting it mildly.”

  “But you loved him.”

  “I did, but I had health issues and I wasn’t entirely sure I’d be able to have children.”

  “And Daddy batted down every objection because he loved you.”

  “He was determined, all right,” Wendy said, her eyes gleaming with the memory.

  “And Daddy gave you a deadline.”

  “Just the way Aren is doing.”

  “This is different, Mom.”

  “Not so different, my dear girl. Not so different at all. Like I said, finding the right person doesn’t fall into a tidy, neat schedule. You don’t turn twenty-one and instantly meet the man of your dreams. It happens when it happens.”

  Lucie knew that was true from her parents’ own love story. Her father had to work hard in order to convince her mother that they should marry. Wendy resisted, and insisted George didn’t know what he was getting himself in for. Although the circumstances were different, this was like history repeating itself.

  “Promise me you’ll meet this young man.”

  “Mom …”

  “I know this is what your heart is telling you, Lucie. You can’t fool me, sweetheart. You never could.”

  That was true. Lucie found deceiving her mother impossible and she disliked it intensely when others deceived her. “Give me time; I’ve got an entire week to decide.”

  The morning of January 7, Lucie woke convinced she knew what she wanted. Her mother had worked on her the entire week, talking up the romantic aspect of the meeting. Repeatedly she reminded Lucie of her own starry-eyed courtship with the young army officer who became Lucie’s father.

  “This afternoon is the date,” Wendy casually mentioned over breakfast.

  “Yes, Mother, I know.”

  “Tell me you’ve decided to meet Aren, because if you don’t, I swear I’ll go to the Empire State Building to meet him myself.”

  “Mom.”

  “Well, okay, I probably wouldn’t, but Lucie, I wish you could see how your eyes light up every time you mention him. I felt that way about your father, and sweetie, we had all those wonderful years together. I want you to find that same happiness.”

  “I know, Mom …”

  “Set my mind to rest—just tell me your decision.”

  Lucie had tried to keep this low-key but clearly she couldn’t. “I’ll be there at four and Aren will be waiting for me.”

  Wendy rubbed her palms together as though it was impossible to contain her joy. “You let that young man know I want to meet him, will you?”

  “Of course, Mom. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to meet Aren.”

  Lucie loved her mother’s enthusiasm.

  “I’ve arranged to get off work early,” Lucie explained. “I’ll take the subway into the city.”

  “Perfect. You’ll call once you’re there, won’t you? I refuse to be left in the dark. I want to know what happens when he sees you, okay?”

  “Give me a few minutes to at least greet him.” She’d phone after that kiss Aren had promised her. Lucie had trouble holding back a smile. After all, it’d all started with a simple kiss. Well, in truth, it hadn’t been that simple. Things rarely were.

  Lucie had never been a clock watcher, especially on the job. That day, however, her gaze bounced against the wall several times as she counted the hours away. At three o’clock, a full hour before the scheduled rendezvous, Lucie changed clothes, refreshed her makeup, and headed out the door to the subway station. She was just about to descend the stairwell when her cellphone rang.

  “Is this Lucie Ferrara?” a woman’s voice asked.

  “Yes.”

  “This is New York Methodist Hospital. We have your mother here. She took a bad spill and broke her arm. I’m afraid she’s going to need surgery …”

  “Oh dear. Is Mom all right? She’s diabetic.”

  “Not to worry, her blood sugars are stabilized.”

  Lucie grimaced at the thought of her mother in pain. “I’ll be right there,” Lucie said, doing her best to control the sense of panic she felt. She paused at the top of the stairwell and looked out at the city. The view of the Empire State Building showed in the background. There was no help for it now. No way would she be able to make the appointm
ent with Aren. Disappointment settled into the pit of her stomach. This was divine intervention. Despite her decision he’d be there waiting for her … and she wasn’t going to show.

  Lucie was at her mother’s bedside when Wendy woke following the surgery. Her mother blinked at Lucie and then frowned.

  “You met Aren, didn’t you?”

  Rather than respond verbally, she shook her head.

  “I told the hospital not to call you.”

  “Mom, I needed to be here to talk to the doctors. What happened?” Lucie already knew. Her mother’s blood sugar had dropped again and she’d fallen. Thankfully she was within sight of a neighbor lady who immediately called 911.

  “Oh, Lucie, I feel so bad for you. This is all my fault.”

  “Mom, it wasn’t meant to be.”

  “No, no, I don’t believe it. I just don’t believe it.”

  Her mother tightly squeezed her eyes shut and her lips started to move.

  “What are you doing?” Lucie asked.

  “Sh-h, I’m praying.”

  “Praying for what?” Lucie teased.

  “You and Aren. I’m asking God to bring you two together again in His timing. He’s going to do it, you know. Trust me. God is going to work this out because He knows I’ll never forgive myself if you lost out on meeting the love of your life because of me.”

  “That’s very sweet, Mom, but I believe God’s got more important prayers to answer than this.”

  Wendy scoffed. “Don’t be a silly goose. And don’t be surprised if you and Aren cross paths within the next few days. Mark my words on that. Mark my words.”

  “Yes, Mom.” Although Lucie agreed, on the inside she had a storehouse of reservations that Almighty God really cared about something as minor as this. And at the same time she couldn’t keep from hoping He did.

  December

  Eleven Months Later

  Gabriel opened the huge book of prayers and scanned through the large number of requests that crossed his desk on an hourly basis. He issued orders to the Prayer Ambassadors left and right. Heaven was abuzz with activity.

  They were coming upon the Christmas season, which was often their busiest time of year, stretching the angels assigned as Prayer Ambassadors to their limit. Earth was hectic at this time of year; humans were harried and Gabriel wanted to stay ahead of the rush as much as possible.