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"That’s it," Mercy agreed, crossing her ar to help each other"

"Is that right," Goodness said, her arms folded over her chest as well She tapped her foot just so they’d reotten from her two best friends "I seem to recall that the two of you were at the Forunored net all the words out

"That she did," Mercy agreed

"Tell me about Karen and herto sidetrack the three before they broke into an arguht with her dad"

"Is she enjoying herself?"

"Yes Brian’s neife is a gentle creature, and Karen’s half brother is as cute as a bug’s ear Karen’s crazy about hi that once Karen is a little older, she can baby-sit for thehter" The cynical reht about that," Shirley added in a whisper

"What about Maureen, Thoood ti the tree, then Thom convinces Maureen to take a ride with him and Paula He drives around to the parade of hoirls that Friday night"

"What I want to know is how Maureen met a man as perfect for her as Thom?" Goodness asked

Shirley clasped her hands behind her back and whistled "Don’t look at me," she said when Goodness focused her attention on her "Really All I did was place the brochure at Maureen’s disposal"

"Rather pointedly, as I recall," Goodness re about mixed-up phone calls, as I re, don’t you think?"

Gabriel ignored the question "Go on," he instructed, gesturing toward Shirley "I’ between Thom and Maureen"

"I am, too, but what I still want to know is how, out of all the stables in the world, Shirley found Thoh every hurdle I can’t believe that the Maureen Woods we first met is the sa and apologized"

"I was rather proud of her e to face Brian and ade," Goodness ae on, let’s discuss--"

"Moving on?" Mercy looked up at the archangel Slowly her gaze aze traveled to Shirley

"Could it be?" Goodness whispered to her friends, "that our very own Gabriel, the renowned archangel, isn’t beneath a little manipulation of his own?"

"How else do we explain Tho?" Mercy wanted to know

"How else do we explain a whole lot of other matters?" Shirley raised the question suspiciously

"Tho them Goodness noted that he didn’t need to be prodded to explain the future this tirateful to turn the subject away froed for Thom and Maureen to meet, Goodness mused Would wonders never cease? Apparently not

"Maureen will give up her job with the bank and take over the bookkeeping duties for Thoers are in, she’ll think he married her just because she kno to balance a checkbook"

"What about Paula and Karen?" Shirley asked

"They remain the best of friends even as stepsisters They’ll have so will ever stand between them Not other friends, not boys, not school

"When Karen said they’d decided to be friends for life, she wasn’t joking The tere able to help each other in ways their parents couldn’t"

"That’s wonderful," Shirley said

"What about Thom and Maureen?"

"They have two more children Two little boys, a year apart Thohters, but the afternoon his first son is born, Thom Nichols will shed tears of joy"

"Does Maureen ever learn to ride?" Mercy asked

"Not really She leaves the horseback riding to Thoirls"

"I can’t say that I blame her," Shirley said, and it was clear to Goodness that her dignity had taken a beating on her one venture atop a horse

"We did good, don’t you think?" Goodness asked Gabriel She felt worlds better knowing that Paul hadn’t turned his back on the ain?" Shirley asked eagerly

"New York City," Mercy suggested "Now there’s a city that could use a fewahead of yourself," Gabriel cautioned "Let’s take one Christmas at a tiether, drifting effortlessly upward toward the reals unlike anything sung on earth Thick white clouds parted, ushering theht to celebrate