Epilogue

Some months after meeting Amos and Cal out in Maine, the four angels ended up in California. After having some rather complicating cases there, they were not really thinking about the time they had spent in the company of the two elderly men and the mother and daughter during the storm. They didn't think about this, at least not until they had found a large decorated bookstore, and Gloria looked at her friends.

"Is there a chance we could go in and look around before our next assignment, Tess?" She asked.

The eldest of the four angels nodded. "I don't see why not, we don't have to be in San Diego until later tonight."

Gloria walked into the store not really sure what it was she was looking for, but suddenly she stopped. On a large table, there was a stack of thin hardcover books. Next to it, a small line of people had formed, most of which were parents with small children.

The young angel walked over to the table and picked up a copy of the book that was lying there. She brushed her hand across the cover, it was such a beautiful picture, that she failed to notice the name of the author and artist, which was printed at the bottom of it. The drawing of the lighthouse and the stars reminded her of when they had had the assignment in Maine.

"Hi," she suddenly heard a voice behind her and she turned around and saw a young woman in her early twenties.

"Hi," she responded in kind and replaced the book on the table.

"Have you read that book yet?" the young woman asked. "I know it's just for kids, but it's such a great book. I gave one to my kid sister for her birthday and she takes it with her to school every day now. The author will be here to sign copies of it this afternoon."

Gloria looked at the woman and could see a nametag on her blazer, and she realized that she was an employee there. After a few seconds had passed, she glanced down at the two names adorning the cover of the book, and tried to hide her overwhelming and happy surprise. "Do you mean to tell me that Amos Thomson and Cal Harris are going to be here this afternoon?" She asked.

"Yes," the woman answered smiling. "If you want to meet them, then I'd suggest you get in line now, because the book is pretty popular and this signing has been advertised all over town. The line will probably grow by the time they arrive, too. They're supposed to be here in about an hour."

Before she got in the line, Gloria went and paid for a copy of the book, and thumbed through it as she waited. Just before the signing was to start, she could see that groups of small children and even some of the parents were staring at her as she stood alone waiting. A little more time passed and Monica, Andrew, and Tess joined her in the line and they talked as they waited.

The four angels remained there and they passed the time by reading two or three of the stories in this book. Around them, the lines were growing longer, and eventually, the excited crowd made it impossible for them to continue reading, so they finally closed the book, stood, and watched, all the while waiting anxiously with all the children for their former assignments to make an appearance.

When they finally did, the four angels smiled. Amos looked about the same as he had the afternoon Gloria and Monica had met him the first time. He wore leather sandals on his feet, and the very same captain's hat. He was smiling and as he took a seat, the children started cheering from the front of the line, which by this time, had extended through the store out the front doors, across the sidewalk and around the corner.

At this moment, Cal too, appeared, also looking about the same as they had remembered him and the four angels smiled as the two men began to sign copies of the book, and the line started moving.

By the time Gloria and her friends had reached the front of the line, Amos was so busy signing books that he apparently didn't seem notice them until they had reached the other end of the table with the copy that Gloria had purchased earlier. At this moment, Gloria's disappointed eyes met Monica's and she nodded ever so slightly. After that, their attention returned to the line of children who were waiting to talk with Amos and Cal.

As the angels were leaving the store, Gloria looked at her companions sadly. "They didn't seem to remember us, did they?"

"I think Amos remembered us, Gloria," Monica answered softly. "But, I also think you saw how happy all those children were to see them. Now all these people will enjoy those stories that Amos had told us. We should be happy for both of them, because now people are listening to them and their message of hope is spreading."

"That's true, but I would still like to look through the book. Why don't we go over to the park and sit down and take a look?" Gloria asked. "We still have some time, right?"

Tess nodded, all the while putting her arm around Gloria's shoulder. Once they reached the park, the four of them sat down on a nearby bench. Tess took the book from Gloria, opened it, and looked down at the handwriting on the inside cover. "To Gloria, Monica, Andrew, and Tess, from your friend Amos, page 21."

"He did see us," Gloria said softly.

Tess nodded and began to thumb her way through the small book. When she found the page Amos had written, she handed the book back to Gloria, and watched as the youngest angel's eyes widened as she read the title of the story: "Entertaining Angels". Along the bottom of the page, she recognized the hand drawn seashell exactly like the one Monica had held for Susan in her pocket. But neatly etched next to was a somewhat unrecognizable, yet animated drawing of Gloria's likeness.

She looked down at the picture, and smiled weakly as Andrew spoke, thus breaking his silence. "Read it, Gloria, out loud."

She nodded and began to read the story:

Entertaining Angels

My adventures brought me to the coast of Maine.
Where I met up with a little girl named Susan Loraine.
She came to the house where I was to be
With our wise old friend, the man of the sea.
She introduced me to someone I hold dear
A heavenly friend who spoke without fear.
An endearing friend who could emanate light,
But the sounds of the storm could be heard throughout the night.
The fear of the thundering from outside could be,
Reminders of the storms I had, lost at sea.
But the angelic friend smiled suddenly,
And these are the words she spoke to me:

"When the darkness engulfs and fear surrounds,
It is only then, that the light is found all around.
Just look up to God and search the black velvet sky,
And see for yourself the strength there that lies.
In the power and beauty of the star,
The beautiful light is not all that far.
If you believe in the wonder and magic at hand,
It exists on the water and also on land.
The beauty that lives inside you and in me,
Will always remind us, when we cannot see.
Through the clouds and the rain that fill us with fright,
Will be replaced with comforting shadows of night."

The divine loving light of God's radiant grace,
Would be what gave us the will to remain in this place.
Together with our wise, friend of the sea,
Unafraid of what the future may be.
It can only be described as a heavenly light,
That gave us the strength to get through that night.
We were empowered with love on a stormy beach,
From angels we thought had been out of reach.
They came into our hearts and helped us to find,
That power that comes is from the wisdom inside.

So when we looked out the top of the lighthouse window,
To learn what our friend, the keeper of the light, wanted to show.
We were instantly reminded of the scary sight,
When our heavenly friends disappeared that night.
We didn't see them again, the messengers of God's glorious love,
But we remember them every time we behold the dove.
God's beautiful light helping others to see,
The beauty and love that always will be.

Gloria was wiping the tears from her eyes when she had finished reading. "That's so beautiful!"

Monica nodded; she too had started wiping the tears from her own eyes. She knew that this story had been born on that night, which they had spent in the small comfortable home of Amos Thomson, and this was a special memory for them. She watched as Gloria closed the book and held it tightly in her arms.

"Didn't Cal write something too?" Andrew asked curiously.

Gloria opened the book to the title page. On the inside, in the man's somewhat shaky handwriting, were the words, "It's no surprise 21 is the page your story is on, it's how many people you saved who were on that boat." Underneath it, Cal had signed his name.

Tess looked at her three charges, "You know, I'm glad you did what you did that night, Little Angel."

Gloria smiled weakly and nodded as she wiped her hand over her eyes and looked at Andrew. "Thank you for trusting me to do that, Andrew. Before we met Amos, I never realized how much I not only value, but need to be trusted."

Tess smiled and nodded in concurrence with Gloria's words. Yes; it was indeed a very special gift.

The End