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"My old maternity dress isn’t all that bad"

"Palared at her friend "Now I understand why Doug insisted I go shopping with you He knew darn good and well that you’d end up buying so for yourself"

"Did you see that darling pinafore," Pa toward the children’s section "Diane would look like an angel dressed in that"

Leah looped her arh Pam’s and steered her in the opposite direction "I’ll tell you what I’-tie me and forceyou directly to the dressing roo the party dresses in to you"

Pa roo reasonably priced, will you?" Leah opened the white louvered door and gently pushed her friend inside

Paer "Check on the sale rack first I’ll feel better about spending so much money on myself if the dress is discounted"

"Never youto let you look at the price tag"

"But, Leah--"

"Don’t even try to argue withto herself, Leah left the dressing room

"My hips aren’t nearly as slender as they used to be either," Pam called after her "You’d better start with a size twelve instead of a tenbetter h to roll her eyes, then headed for a rack of newly arrived fashions It took less than five minutes to find a wide selection that would suit her friend

"Mercy, where are you?" Goodness called, frantically circling Nordstroone berserk

Mercy turned around to find Goodness, her wings all aflutter, breezing six feet off the ground, close to a state of panic

"I need to talk to you right away," Goodness said breathlessly

"Over here," Mercy called, wondering what could possibly have gone wrong so quickly "I’ht fixture"

Goodness soared to her side, rustling the dress display and toppling a uilty, she scooped up the lifeless form and set it back into place to the horror of a sales clerk who gasped and placed her hand over her heart to watch a lifeless forht itself

"Goodness," Mercy shouted "Would you stop before you get us both into trouble?"

"I need help," Goodness blurted out for the second tiht fixture

"So soon? You just received the assign?"

Goodness, as easily flustered, looked helpless and confused She cast a pleading look at Mercy "I kneas in way over nment, but I wanted to help Monica Fischer You know I’ her a husband didn’t sound as if it would be the least bit difficult" She stopped long enough to draw in another deep breath "Now the poor girl’s more confused than ever and I’m afraid it’s allwell, obviously it’s so, butoh, dear, I’m afraid I’ve made a terribleto do with finding Monica a husband?"

Goodness nodded energetically "I found theman who has a wonderful heart for God He directs the choir and he’s half in love with her already"

"Then what’s the problem?"

"Monica isn’t the least bit excited about hierous attraction for thatthat private eye They’re completely incompatible Why, a union between the two of them will never do, and I fear I’"

Mercy frowned "Goodness, ill you ever learn?"

"Me!" Flustered, she wrung her hands and eyed her fellow angel "You don’t think I know that was you riding up and down the escalator just now?"

"You couldn’t have known that was uess," Goodness said confidently "A wo salts and two kids are telling everyone what they saw, and it sounds toyou Who else do you knoith long, blond hair, deep blue eyes, and s? You know better than most that children’s spiritual eyes have yet to close You were taking a terrible chance"

"Ah"

"Just as I thought Mercy, what are you going to do if Gabriel hears about this? You knoill eventually Why, he could pull you off of this assignood reason"

"But he won’t," Mercy said with utter confidence

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because he’d never have assigned me to this prayer request if he had anyone else to send We both know that"

"But he nment if you continue to do crazy stunts like that"

"Sure he will Gabriel has a soft spot in his heart for the three of us I venture to say we’re his favorites, although he’d never let us know that"

Goodness stared at her with round, disbelieving eyes

"He’ll forgive ," Mercy continued, undaunted, "because I’ to find a way to teach Leah what she nant"