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"I realize it’s short notice but I’d like to take you to lunch, that is, if you’d let me"

The invitation was so unexpected that she didn’t knohat to say "Lunch?" She had to look at her watch to check the tiravation "I suppose that would be all right," she said without much enthusiasm

"Great" His eyes lit up and she realized what nice eyes Michael had He loved his music and had done wonders for the church choir It was because of his efforts that the small band had formed He’d volunteered several hours a week to church work

Monica liked Michael She’d always liked hishe should want in a ht we’d go to the House of Pancakes They serve a decent lunch"

"Sure" The House of Pancakes That was the probleentle, the perfect choice of a hter, onlyonly she’d dined on pancakes most of her life and she was ready for some salsa

There’d been a trace of hot sauce in Patrick That hat attracted her to Chet, she realized now He’d been daring and fun and he’d et your jacket for you," Michael offered "I wouldn’t want you to a catch a chill" He took her navy blue wool coat from the rack and held it open for her

Michael was a gentleue If she had a lick of sense, she’d cultivate the relationship with Michael and thank God there were stillworld

Since the House of Pancakes was only two blocks away, they decided to walk Monica buried her hands in her pockets and struggled to keep her attention on what Michael was saying His voice was a low

A car drove past, the sareen color of Chet’s I if it could possibly be him Her heart leaped into double tiood to see her with another ize, as well he should, then she would accept nothing less than his pleading for forgiveness

She held her head high, refusing to allow hi in the wake of his crass behavior But the sight of the car had been fleeting and she couldn’t be entirely sure it was him More than likely it wasn’t Men like Chet Costello didn’t kno to apologize

It was Andrew’s night out with his friends, and Leah schlepped into the living roo a book and a cup of coffee The house was lonely without her husband Egled to squeeze in a few moments for herself, struck Leah oncethat would take herthat would occupy her time so she didn’t dwell on how hollow her life was Perhaps she should do volunteer work There were any number of worthy causes that would welcome her attention

Maybe when the holidays were over, she decided

She read the first chapter without much enthusiasm Finally, she put the book down and wandered into the kitchen for a refill on her coffee and stopped abruptly in front of the sink In the bayshe’d arranged a row of cacti she’d carefully nurtured over the years Andrew teased her that if she forgot to water them, it wouldn’t matter Five thick pink-and-turquoise pots each held a different variety of cactus, and each one had sprouted a flower

In the last hour

A variety of pink, red, and white blossoms had appeared as if by some miracle from the ti room, until now, no more than an hour later It wasn’t that she didn’t notice One one undetected, but not five She could have sworn not a single one had been bloo an hour earlier

Unexpected tears pooled in her eyes, the moisture hot and unwelcome She brushed them away fro in this house is fertile exceptroo on the kitchen counter, her knees crossed, her foot swaying like a too-fast pendulu those flowers to appear hadn’t been an easy trick She would have preferred African violets any day of the week over cacti!

Everything she’d done for Leah had backfired The floere supposed to be a sign of hope A way of telling her that all was not lost and that there was so hard to see that it was answered Well, it was back to the drawing board

Perhaps what Shirley had suggested about Leah experiencing joy before she could find her peace hat it would take First Mercy had to figure out a way to e that, but if she could coax cacti into blooht?

"Shirley" Goodness shot across the darkened family room of Jody and Timmy Potter’s house in a vapor of speed and exciteht hand for the other angel to slap What a difference a few earth hours could make For the first ti progress Real progress Monica and Michael had gone to lunch together It wasn’t ht direction

"Oh, do be quiet," Shirley whispered heatedly "You know better than to be exuberant when there’re children around Tireat news Monica and Michael had lunch together and I arranged the whole thing without theot Michael to show up at the church office"

"Please keep your voice down," Shirley pleaded a second tiht, I’ll do ood to keep to myself"

Shirley whirled around so unexpectedly that Goodness was caught by surprise A sleepy Ti his eyes He earing flannel paja armed turtles

Shirley moved behind him