The Angels' Mirror Pack 2: Books Four through Seven

by Harmony L. Courtney

  Paloma snickered to herself as she watched Edward quickly put the card’s contents in his pocket. “Just something fun and thoughtful from my wife, Mark. Nothing to get so close over,” he said, laughing as he reached for the next card in the pile.

  Three more cards – two containing even more cash for his pocket – and then Edward was ready for the gifts that went with them.

  “So, what shall I open first,” he asked. “This one?” He pointed to a silver and red box covered in ribbon curls.

  “Maybe this one?” He pointed to a blue and green sack with white paper tufting out? “Or should I start with one of these?” He pointed to each of the others; four in total. “Where shall I start, kids?”

  Paloma could tell he was having fun with the teens, and other than Duncan – who had frowned fiercely, then crossed his eyes at his father, tongue sticking out – they were buying into his act.

  “Duncan? What do you think,” Edward asked again. Paloma could see a tic in his jaw; evidence he was trying to keep calm. “Which one is from you?”

  Duncan pointed to the sack. “That’s from all three of us. Don’t matter to me what you open first. You’ll still get them all open, won’t you?”

  “True, true,” Edward said, picking up the first box he’d pointed to. “So in that case, I’ll open the bag last of all; it can be the finale… since you don’t really care what order I open them.”

  “But, Papa,” Cherish protested, pushing her bottom lip up at him. “That’s not fair!”

  “Why isn’t it fair, young lady? Is everything in life fair?”

  She shook her head, the curls of her ponytail swishing vigorously.

  “Is there something wrong with my choice to be patient?”

  Again, Cherish shook her head, this time also shrugging her shoulders. The rest of the teens were watching the conversation closely; Paloma could see their eyes avert back and forth between them during the exchange, and she smiled.

  “So I’m going to start with this one,” Edward said, patting the box that was now on his lap. “And I will end with this one,” he pointed to the bag Duncan had indicated. And it will be fine.”

  With painstaking precision, Edward slowly began to unwrap the present before him. He took a deep breath, exhaled; another as he then carefully unfolded the flaps of the box inside, and peered in.

  He whistled.

  “Who is this from?” She saw him smile. “It’s beautiful.”

  Paloma scanned the room, then, as well.

  It had always been part of the ritual. Edward delighted in trying to guess who each birthday gift was from, and other than Duncan’s response, he’d never gotten a quick reply.

  “Is it from you,” he asked, pointing to Jason and Me’chelle.

  Jason smiled, but said nothing.

  “It is from you, isn’t it?”

  Me’chelle began to laugh, and with her, Jason and Charlotte. Soon, Clayton had joined in.

  “You aren’t going to tell me?”

  “What is it,” Mark asked, looking up from the pant leg he was fiddling with to rejoin the conversation.

  “A handheld mirror. It doesn’t look like… any mirror I’ve ever seen, but it’s lovely. And with it, there is a set of photographs; old photographs,” Edward said, finally lifting the contents with tender care from the package.

  The mirror, an apparent antique, had a white lustre handle and back. Its shape bore the slight resemblance to a crown.

  Paloma watched as her husband moved through the photographs, turning each one over to check for inscriptions before placing it back in the little tin they had been presented in.

  “Well, whether they’re from you two,” he said, pointing at Jason and Me’chelle again, “or from someone else, who isn’t present, it’s beautiful. I appreciate it.”

  As Me’chelle smiled, Jason nodded; a bare movement Paloma would have missed if she wasn’t looking right at him.

  Edward moved on to the next gift; the one she had prepared for him. I know mine can’t top what he’s already been given, Lord, but I do hope he likes it, she thought.

  He removed the simply wrapped top from its base and peered inside. Paloma thought she heard a sigh as he lifted the contents from within: silver candleholders, matching photo frames filled with recent photos of the family, and a note she’d written that promised a weekend at the beach for two, as well as for the concert of his choice.

  “Thank you,” Edward said, his voice nearly a whisper; Paloma could see tears in his eyes, and smiled at him.

  “You’re very welcome,” she told him. “I tried to think of something that would be… meaningful, but also experiential.”

  “Well, you certainly succeeded,” he told her, his eyes meeting hers. She felt a shimmer of delight course through her, and she quickly finished the last of her tea as she felt her cheeks flush.

  Edward made quick work of opening the next two – one from Mark and Eugenie, and the other confirmed to be from Jason and Me’chelle. And then, he slowly reached for the gift from his kids. Paloma held her breath, then forced herself to let it out as Edward removed the filler paper and unwrapped the first gift: a red and green-striped tie from Cherish.

  “That’s so you have one for Christmas and your birthday every year, Papa,” their daughter told him, beaming brilliantly.

  The next package, admittedly from Chosen, was a simple gold tie clip.

  “To go with your new tie,” the boy explained when Edward raised an eyebrow at him. “You can’t have a tie without a decent clip, can you, Papa?”

  A chuckle wound its way around the room, and then Edward opened the last present from the bag; Duncan’s gift. Three different pocket squares, each in matching colors to the tie and clip.

  Paloma smiled.

  So, that’s what they had been up to.

  “Well, thank you, Duncan. That was very thoughtful of you… all of you,” Edward said, refolding the tie and squares carefully and setting the contents back in the bag.

  From the other side of the room, Paloma heard Rose clear her throat.

  “Excuse me,” the young woman said, her voice sounding raw, as if she’d been crying. “Um… I know it isn’t much, but I have something for you, too. I just…”

  She paused; reached into the pocket of the jacket she still wore. “I wanted you to have this,” she said, standing and walking toward Edward, her hand clasped tightly. “It’s the least I can do, and after all you’ve done for me… after all you and your family have meant to me, I just.. I want you to have it.”

  As Rose placed her hand against Edward’s and transferred the contents, all was silent, until Edward gasped.

  He didn’t even look down or open his hand.

  “Rose, are you sure? This is…. I mean to say, I appreciate it more than you can ever know, but… are you sure?” There were tears streaming from Edward’s eyes, and Paloma yearned to move toward him. She hesitated.

  This was Rose’s time. Rose’s gift. Something she desperately wanted to give.

  She watched as Edward and Rose both smiled; Rose nodded her head. The glow from the light near the chair cast their shadows against the wall, and Paloma sighed.

  Whatever had been exchanged had been precious. And she thanked God that everyone else realized it, instead of clambering to find out what Rose had let go of; what Edward had taken possession of.

  And with that simple gesture, Rose turned and went back to her seat. Edward placed the object in the bag with the gifts from the kids, then lifted it to his lap.

  “Thank You, God, for this time with my loved ones. Thank You for allowing me to be present for them today, and for Your presence,” Edward said, bowing his head in prayer. “Thank You for sending Your Son to die in our stead… in my stead. Thank You for His birth; You made Him the lowest of the low, to be celebrated over by the lowest of the low, in order to exalt him to His rightful place as the Most High, that we may, in turn, soar in Your kingdom by faith. Thank You that, as we exchange gifts of love
, we are reminded of Your deep, abiding and perfect love,” he continued, pausing a moment.

  “Thank You for bringing Rose back to us; thank You for what You’re doing in her life, and in each of our lives. Prepare the way before us into the coming year as we step up to the blessings, the challenges, the surprises, the disappointments and the miracles You already know about even now. Watch over each one here, and those who are here only in our hearts. Now, bless the rest of this evening as we continue to celebrate Your Son… to celebrate that He is the Life, the Truth, and the Way in which we should walk. And it is in His mighty name we pray; Amen.”

  “Amen,” Paloma said as she heard others echo the same.

  Tears were streaming down her face for the third time in as many hours, and she stood to stretch and share hugs with those around her.

  Saving Rose for last, she hugged her before pulling her aside, back into Cherish’s room. “I don’t know what you handed to my husband, Rose, but-”

  “My St. Peter’s,” Rose said, interrupting her. “I gave him my St. Peter’s. I got a new one from S. Gillam and Angelique yesterday; they insisted. And as much as I love that medal; as much as it reminds me of my family, you’re my family now. It just… it just seemed fitting that Edward should have it. Since he came through the mirror before I did and helped pave the way for me to…”

  She paused, all of a sudden in tears.

  “Paloma?”

  “Yes,” she replied, trying to see Rose through her tears.

  The young woman embraced her suddenly, startling her; her grip much tighter than Paloma would have expected.

  “I just realized something,” Rose told her, still holding her close. Paloma could feel Rose’s jaw against her shoulder as she spoke.

  “Edward paved a way for me, just like Jesus paved the way for all of us… didn’t he? Edward was Christ to me and I didn’t even know it. So was Eugenie; she took me in, gave me hospitality; so did the Iglesias’ family. All of you, really… well, almost all of you. And I just….”

  Rose let her go, but looked her in the eye. The vivid green of the woman’s eyes, sparkling with fresh tears, were beautiful in Paloma’s sight. They shared a smile between themselves.

  “It’s like… it’s like I had to go away and come back on my own, afresh, in order to really see what was in front of me,” Rose continued. “God wanted me to see how much He loved me, even when I didn’t love myself; that He placed people in my life who would be His hands and feet, in spite of myself.”

  Paloma nodded, listening; seeing if Rose had anything else to share. For a few moments, there was a comfortable silence.

  “Paloma, Rose? Are you in here,” she heard Auntie Angelique call at the door. “I came to get Rose, but we can stay a while if need be…”

  They headed slowly toward the door in silence, their arms wrapped around one another’s waists, and Paloma opened the door. “We’re here. And it’s good to see you; you two were missed.”

  She let go of Rose long enough to give her aunt a hug.

  “We’re not the only ones to show up late for the party; everyone’s here now, I think.”

  Everyone? Who was everyone?

  “Come see for yourselves,” Angelique told her, tugging on her arm. “It’s been a long time since we’ve all been together, but we decided to move our party over to yours so we could all wish Edward and Majesta a happy birthday and drop off gifts so they can be opened tonight, or tomorrow, whichever suits your fancy,” she said as the three women walked back toward the living room.

  Paloma’s eyes watered as she looked around at the smiling faces not only of those who had already been there, but another twenty or so members of the family who were now present.

  How had she not heard them driving up? Not heard the door?

  Had she been so involved in her conversation with Rose that in such a short span of time, twenty people had shown up unannounced without her even noticing?

  “Thank you all for coming,” she said, walking over to where her husband was standing, near the door. “You all mean so much to us, and we thank you for your consideration.”

  A cheer went up through the party even as Paloma’s energy began to slump once more.

  Good thing we have a quiet day tomorrow… we’ll need it to recover, she thought, smiling. Edward squeezed her hand, and she looked up into his eyes.

  “I don’t know about you, but I think we should cut this short if we want to get any sleep tonight,” he whispered to her, his eyes sparkling. “And to think that this morning things were calm and unhurried… that was so long ago, it’s a memory now.”

  She laughed.

  “I totally understand,” she said, sighing. “And I’m with you in this.”

  “Always and forever, my Love?”

  “Always and forever.”

  Fifty

  Edward glanced at the clock as he finished greeting the last of the new arrivals, trying not to seem as though he was rushing.

  I would have been just fine if this had finished about five hours ago, Lord, he thought when he noted the time: 12:47 AM. Christmas Day had come, and he hadn’t even noticed.

  They still had stockings to fill and presents to rearrange under the tree before the night was over; the dishes that remained after Eugenie and Tawny had done the latest load would have to wait.

  As much as he loved his family and friends, he was ready to sleep until noon, easily.

  “So, I hear it was quite the day over here,” Uncle Masao was saying, his dark eyes bright. Edward looked back down into his face and smiled.

  Always meticulously dressed, and rarely looking tired, Edward sometimes envied the man who he had come to love as though he had always been part of his life. Masao and Anouk Chanel, along with S. Gillam and Angelique, had been the closest thing to parental figures he and Paloma had had as they’d walked through some of their tough, dark stages of life.

  Tawny’s parents and Miss Eve, her neighbor, had done their best to be an extra sounding board, but there was nothing like the bond of family to help create a sense of true security amidst the trials and frustrations of life.

  “That, it was, Masao. You’ve heard whisper, I’m sure, of the finest and nastiest times coming together? Well, that was today… well, yesterday, technically,” he said, laughing wearily.

  “Well,” Uncle Masao said, putting a hand on Edward’s arm. “We do not wish to intrude, but if there is anything that we may help with? Please, let us know. If you need to talk through some things, I will be available. Just give me a call, okay?”

  “I’ll do that,” he replied, thinking back to the letter he’d received from Kristof Sage. A shiver ran up his spine, and he tried to quell it. Thinking even briefly about the card made his heart race and he had to force himself not to clench his fists.

  “Wow, that bad,” Masao asked, frowning.

  “That bad… but so much good, too. It’s…”

  How could he explain without going into detail? And how could he go into detail when he was so tired?

  “I tell you what,” he finally said, trying to formulate a plan of action even as he spoke. “I meet with Jason on Monday about some information he has for me, and then, Paloma and I are planning a vacation; we just… we’re burnt out. Totally and completely. But how about I call you Monday evening before I go and we talk things through, if that’s alright with you?”

  “Absolutely. Call me anytime. I might be retired now, but my schedule fills up quickly. But I hope you know I’d set aside whatever I need to in order to help you and your family. You’re like an extra son to me, you know…. or maybe I never told you this?”

  Edward bit back tears in order to stay calm. “I… no, I didn’t realize, but… that makes sense, since you’ve been a father to me more than my own ever was. I mean… I love my father, God rest his soul, I do… but we were never… close.”

  Masao ushered him further away from the rest of the crowd, into the hall. “This, I understand all too well, my friend�
�� my son from another time and father,” he said quietly. “I, too, had to make room in my heart for someone to step into a parental role. My own Chichioya – my father, that is – was a… he was a hard man to come to know, Edward. A hard man to know. I have not seen him in eleven years.”

  Edward looked down into the man’s eyes, stunned.

  Uncle Masao’s father was still alive?

  “Yes,” Masao said, answering the cry within him. “My father still lives in Japan. He has never left; I try to call him; he does not answer the phone. He does not use computer, either. So, to communicate, I send correspondence that he never replies to, and if I want to know he has heard me, I travel to go to him face to face.”

  Duncan and Chosen blasted past them then, almost knocking into the pair of them.

  “Watch it; you know better than to be running in the house. Especially with guests over,” Edward told them, unsuccessfully grabbing for their shirts to stop them. “What’s the rush, anyway?”

  “Mama… wanted us to… get something for… her, to give to… Rose before she left… with S. Gillam and Angelique,” Duncan informed him, swallowing in breaths with each pause. “A CD from your room.”

  Edward looked to Masao and shrugged before looking back and forth between his son’s faces. “Alright, go get it, but please… no more running, you hear me?”

  With quick nods, the twins headed toward the back bedroom, Confetti on their heels. Leaving the door open, the cat walked in behind them.

  “Sorry about that; are you alright,” Edward said, smiling down at Masao once more.

  “I have had a son. I understand. No harm done,” he said, tilting his head toward the open doorway. “Jermaine no longer has that much enthusiasm, but his son does.”

  He smiled, revealing the bare edge of one gold tooth just beyond the front ones. “Christophe has grown nearly as much as your boys now, already, even though he is so much younger.”

  Edward nodded.

  True, the boy had definitely grown. He was at least as tall as Cherish, likely more.

  “Edward,” he heard Paloma calling. “Is Uncle Masao with you? We’d like you both to be in here for this,” she continued. “Once the boys are back.”