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I was shocked by his openness with me, his obvious sensitivity

"Yes Just one woel as humans can be I’ve never been without love"

He relaxed, lowering his shoulders, but his eyes still briood That’s what I hoped for What did Sister Ruth tell her?"

"She said you and my mother were in love"

He half smiled, and for aover it

"I’ve got a lot to tell you, and that’s a good place to start," he said "Back when I was an angel in heaven If you want to hear it"

"I want to hear everything"

We still held hands, and there was no chance either of us was letting go His rough thumbs rubbed the soft peaks ofon the table, heads inclined toward each other, keeping our conversation as hushed as possible I listened as he began

"Before there was earth, there were angels in heaven, billions of us We were content Well, enderless So our relationships in heaven weren’t clouded by the physical It was a co to a huht"

His face softened, reverently, as he re a civil conversation with , as he continued his story

"Even though we angels could feel the full range of emotions, there was never any need to feel dark for o and moved on Everyone had a role, and ere all used to the best of our abilities We felt secure and important

"When I ht off" He paused, bashful at the el, Mariantha His tender expression was so contradictory to his hardened outer appearance

"Mariantha is your mother, Anna," he explained

My heart leaped I nodded and biteach detail

"I was drawn to her I say ‘her,’ but res were strictly eain Our souls complemented each other to the point where, eventually, we couldn’t stand to be apart During that tihest hierarchy who had the kind of charisma that quickly made him like a celebrity in the heavens"