"Eeeny, meeny, miney, moe!" Five year old Bridgette Leighton opened her eyes to see which stuffed animal she had picked. She was going on a special trip to the park with her daddy, Geoff. He had promised her that they would go when she had to get her school vaccinations for kindergarten. It was the only way to get her to calm down enough for the nurse to give her the shot.
She had picked Taffy, the little fluffy lamb with a pink bow collar attached to its neck so she could drag it behind her. She lifted it up and put it in her knapsack.
Bridgette wished that her mommy, Bridgette Sr., was here to go with them to the park, but her daddy said that she was with the angels now. Her mommy had gone to visit the angels when little Bridgette had been born, but she hadn't come back yet. Daddy said that one day, they would both go to the angels together and visit mommy, but not yet. Bridgette didn't like waiting but she had to.
"Bridgette?" Geoff called. "Where are you? We have to go now!"
She grabbed her knapsack and ran from her room down the hallway and into the arms of her daddy. "Ok-ay!" he took her hand and led her to the car, where he fastened the buckles and straps on the car seat, or at least tried to. Little Bridgette giggled when he got the straps all tangles up and was now picking at a thick, unforgiving knot. Finally he just picked her up, put her in a stroller, and walked to the park.
When they got there, Bridgette spread out a picnic blanket and plopped down on it. "I'm hungry." She announced. Geoff got out a jar of peanut butter and spread it on a slice of bread, she gobbled it down. Then he took her to the playground. They stood on the hill that faced opposite the sun and looked up at a big fluffy cloud.
"Daddy?" Geoff looked at his daughter.
"Yes?"
"Do you think Mommy is on that cloud, playing the harp? I think she's an angel up there, right?"
Geoff let go of his façade for one moment and thought about her. He could feel her gaze as he looked up. She waved. Then he put on a fake smile and said, "Yes, absolutely."
"And you know what? You are an angel too, except you are here on earth as a mission. One day, you'll go up there with mommy and join her, and your mission will be finished."
Little Bridgette looked a bit worried. "What about you, daddy? You have to go too, right?"
He nodded and took her into his arms. "Yes, don't worry, I'll be there."
Bridgette started waving at the clouds. "Hi mommy!" she yelled. Geoff gave a little wave too, and from somewhere in heaven, Bridgette smiled down on them and waved too.
Well, I am not very happy about the way this turned out. It's kind of bad, but I just got the idea and wrote it.
Elly