Betrayed

by Carly Fall

Jeff sat on the couch with Missy next to him. She had her hand on his back, moving it in slow, comforting circles.

  Liam and Adela stared at them for a moment, then Liam said, “There’re some divorce papers on the coffee table. Let’s take a look.”

  “Remember not to touch, Liam.”

  He nodded. “I remember.”

  Adela didn’t want the papers to move while Jeff and Missy sat a mere foot away from them. She inched closer and glanced over Jeff’s shoulder. It was both soothing and strange to be back in the angel role again. She was far more comfortable as an Angel of Death than she was as a human. She didn’t like the uncertainty she felt with being human. Yes, there were some things she enjoyed, such as a bubble bath, coffee, and the smell of orange blossoms, but being wrapped in this cocoon was something she was used to, something familiar, and she appreciated it.

  As she looked over Jeff’s shoulder, she could almost feel the sadness and confusion in the room coming from him. It was as if the emotions had a life of their own.

  “Jeff, maybe it’s just time to let her go,” Missy urged.

  Jeff nodded. “Maybe it is. She wants a divorce, so I guess she’s done with me. I just can’t seem to be done with her.”

  There was a beat of silence, and Adela glanced over at Liam who was eyeing the papers, and then at the small photo on the side table. Jeff and Sara looked so happy. What had happened? Could people just suddenly fall out of love? What did the other man possess that Jeff didn’t? He was smart, honest, good-looking, and he had integrity. What more could a woman want? Why did Sara leave Jeff for another man? The frustration of not understanding was driving her crazy.

  “I just want to go back to the way things were,” Jeff stated. “I miss my life with Sara. I miss the way it used to be.”

  Jeff’s heartbreak was palpable. Adela noticed tears glistening in Missy’s eyes, and she supposed if she were human, she’d feel tears in her own. As she studied the both of them, she realized it was the first time since her death she actually cared for any human. She glanced over at Liam. Yes, she cared about him, but at the end of the day, he was simply an Angel of Death she had spent a lot of time with. He didn’t count.

  “Let’s go,” Liam said. “I’ve got an address for Sara from the divorce papers.”

  Adela nodded, and they stepped through the wall. She hoped they weren’t too late to convince Sara that she belonged with Jeff.