DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own the characters from Touched by an Angel. They belong to CBS. Everyone you don't recognize, I do own.
Enjoy!
God loves you!
A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope everyone likes it! There's one more chapter to go after this. Also, I hope everyone likes the story Tess tells Gloria. The story I had Tess tell Gloria just flowed out so easily. It was incredible!
"Happy New Year, Gloria!"
Chapter 2-Tess's Tale
A few minutes of silence passed before Gloria broke it. She gazed around the room and sighed. She and Tess, apart from Snickers were the only ones in the house. Even Kassie, Gloria's daughter, was spending New Year's Eve elsewhere.
"I can't believe Kassie's spending New Year's Eve away from home this year." Gloria said, wistfully.
Tess sat beside Gloria in the spot Monica had vacated moments before.
"Well, honey, Kassie's growing up. She's almost ten. She's gonna want to do these things from time to time. And Kiana's parents are good people. They'll take really good care of our baby angel."
Gloria nodded.
"I know. I guess I'm just used to Kassie spending the Holidays with us."
"I know you are, little angel. But Kassie will be back a day after Monica comes back."
Gloria nodded.
"So what is this question you wanted to ask me that Monica keeps referring to?" Tess asked, hoping Gloria would give her a straight forward answer this time.
Gloria sighed. She started playing with the end of her catheter tube that was sticking out of her shirt near the right side of her chest.
Tess narrowed her eyes and the youngest angel stopped what she was doing immediately. She never normally did that, but she was nervous.
Gloria had been diagnosed with cancer a few months ago, due to an assignment that needed her help. She had survived, but she was still recovering from some of the affects of it, so she needed to keep the chest catheter in for a few more weeks. The catheter was helping her get the remaining medicine she needed in order to make a full recovery.
"All right. You know you can talk to me, right?" Tess asked, making sure Gloria knew she was there for her.
Just then, Gloria sneezed.
Tess gave her a concerned look.
"Gloria, are you okay?"
Gloria nodded, although her head was starting to hurt a wee bit.
"Yeah. I'm fine."
"Honey, are you sure you're feeling all right?" Tess asked, knowing something was wrong.
"Uh-huh."
Tess sighed in resignation.
"Okay. You would tell me if something was wrong, right?"
"Yes. I promise."
"Good." Tess replied, giving Gloria a small smile.
Gloria was about to say something, when she sneezed again. She sighed before looking at Tess for a minute or so.
"What is it, baby?" Tess asked, concern in her voice. She wanted nothing more than to take Gloria into her arms, but she knew Gloria wouldn't have any of it right now.
"It's nothing." Gloria insisted, getting another look from Tess. "It's really not that important."
"Well, while you decide whether or not to tell me what it is you want to ask me, get your coat on."
"Where are we going?" Gloria asked, curiosity in her voice as well as her eyes.
Tess grinned.
"You'll see." Tess replied, a smile on her face. "Come on."
After getting their coats on, Gloria made sure Snickers had enough food before following Tess out of the house.
As they approached the familiar red Cadillac, Gloria got a hopeful look in her eye.
"Can I drive?"
Tess shook her head.
"No." She said emphatically.
Gloria pouted as she got into the passenger's side of the car.
Tess chuckled as she slid into the driver's seat and closed the door.
"You don't give up, do you, little angel?"
Gloria smirked.
"Hey, I had to try."
Tess laughed softly as she pulled out of the driveway.
"Yes you did." She agreed, smiling over at Gloria with nothing but love in her wise brown eyes. "Yes you did."
The drive to the park was silent. Both angels were in their own thoughts. The sound of the music coming from the stereo helped the atmosphere in the car stay peaceful as well.
When Tess stopped the car twenty minutes later, she got out and helped Gloria out. She took her hand and instructed the youngest angel to close her eyes.
"Why?" Gloria asked, not sure where Tess was going with this.
Tess sighed.
"Trust me." Tess replied, praying Gloria would obey her.
Reluctantly, the little angel did so.
Tess led Gloria into the park and up a flight of stairs. She then helped her sit down upon a flat surface and sat down next to her. It wasn't until both angels were safely sitting down, did Tess let Gloria open her eyes.
"You can open them now." Tess told her.
When Gloria did so, she got a good look at where they were and her face broke into a grin.
"Tess…this is awesome!" Gloria declared enthusiastically. "Thank you!" She threw her arms around Tess's neck and the elder angel hugged back.
"Well I can do some pretty awesome things once in a while." Tess said, laughing herself.
Gloria giggled as they pulled away. She gazed back up at the place where the fireworks would be before turning her attention back to Tess.
"When are they gonna start?" She asked, her tone full of excitement.
Tess laughed despite herself. Gloria was rather cute.
"Patience, little angel." Tess cautioned, but she was smiling. "They'll start soon."
Gloria smiled as she made herself comfortable. She lay back against Tess's right shoulder. She didn't even flinch when Tess pulled her close.
"There. Are you comfortable?" Tess asked, patting Gloria's shoulder gently.
"Yup." Gloria replied, closing her eyes contentedly.
"Good." Tess told her. "You know I do love you, honey."
"I know. I love you too." Gloria replied, making Tess's heart melt.
Silence fell between the two angels before Tess broke it with an observation.
"Do you realize something?"
"Hmmm?" Gloria asked, resting her eyes slightly.
"You're laying here, comfortably in my lap, not flinching or squirming or anything. You're just relaxing."
Gloria smiled at Tess's words before nodding her head.
"I guess that means I feel safe with you again." Gloria told her, making a grin spread across Tess's face.
"I'm glad to hear it, baby. I'm really glad to hear it." With that, Tess kissed the top of Gloria's head and waited for the fireworks to start.
When the colorful spectacles started, Gloria grinned and pointed at each one excitedly
"Tess look! They're so beautiful."
"They sure are, baby." Tess agreed, gazing at the rainbow of fiery color above her. "They sure are."
The two watched the fireworks for a few more minutes before Tess got an idea.
"But you know something? New Year's Eve isn't just a Holiday for some people to abuse alcohol or even for these big parties and fireworks displays in Time Square. It didn't start out that way at least."
"Is there a story behind it?" Gloria asked, hopefully.
Tess grinned.
"Oh yes."
"Tell me Tess, please! Tell me!" Gloria begged. Her innocent brown eyes were full of wonder and curiosity.
Tess laughed as she gave Gloria's shoulders a small squeeze.
"I'd never thought you'd ask, little angel. The year was 1932. It was six years before Monica and I met."
"So she still was in annunciations?" Gloria guessed, hoping she was right.
"Well, yes and no." Tess replied, making Gloria confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, she was just finishing up with annunciations, but the Father had a special assignment for Monica that year."
"What kind of assignment?" Gloria asked, eager to hear more of Tess's tale.
Tess laughed.
"If you would stop interrupting me, you'd find out faster."
Gloria blushed, but was relieved to see that Tess was smiling at her.
"As I was saying, the Father gave Monica a special assignment that year. She was assigned to the Hamilton family. It was Greg Hamilton who needed an angel back in those times."
"Why?" Gloria wondered aloud.
"Well to be honest with you, little angel, Greg didn't think New Year's Eve was anything to celebrate."
"Oh my!" Gloria exclaimed, as though that was the most terrible thing in the world. "How could anyone think like that?
"Because times were hard back then, honey. America was going through what they called the Great Depression. Many people were out of work. And the people who had jobs, didn't put much stock in keeping them."
"So people would just get fired for no reason?"
Tess shook her head.
"There's always a reason. It was just hard to keep a job once you had one."
"How come?" The little angel inquired. She was never one to be short on questions.
"Because times were hard back then, sweetheart. So it was no wonder that Monica came just in the nick of time. You see, Mr. Hamilton worked for the stock market. In fact, it was the crash of the stock market that caused the Great Depression. You can imagine what Mr. Hamilton's family was going through when that happened. Then again, what all the families were going through when that happened."
"So Monica was sent to give these people hope during this difficult time?" Gloria chimed in.
"Yup. And let's just say, Monica certainly had her work cut out for her on this assignment. You can be sure of that."
"Didn't Mr. Hamilton believe in angels?" The little angel inquired.
Tess sighed.
"Not exactly. And during this time, it was hard for anyone to believe in anything that they couldn't see. Most people's philosophy was, if you couldn't see it, then it didn't exist."
"Oh my!" Gloria gasped, not understanding why someone would think that way.
Tess nodded in agreement.
"So what was Monica's job?" Gloria asked, completely interested in the tale.
Tess grinned.
"I'm getting there, baby, I'm getting there. Monica had two jobs in this case, no pun intended."
"What's a pun?" Gloria asked, innocently.
Ignoring Gloria's last question, Tess continued her story.
"Monica was a nanny for their little girl, Christina. She also served as an accountant for Mr. Hamilton."
"I'll bet Monica enjoyed being a nanny." Gloria commented. She knew how much her supervisor and best friend loved children.
"Oh yes. Monica loved taking care of Christina. As for the other job, well, let's just say I think you would have been better equipped for it."
"So what happened then?"
"Well, like I said before, during that time people were under the impression, if you couldn't see it, then it didn't exist."
"Let me guess, the Father changed their minds."
"Amen to that, baby. Amen to that. You see, the Hamiltons' wanted to have a second child. But after Christina was born, they started having some…well they started having some problems let's say."
"Like Rose's parents?" Gloria asked, trying to make a comparison.
Tess nodded in confirmation.
"Yes, pretty much. But unlike Rose's parents, the Hamiltons didn't think of adoption as an option. It's not that adoption wasn't heard of back then, it was. But it was new and not a lot of families were too crazy about the idea. After the Depression hit, people didn't want to take risks anymore. They were too afraid of the consequences."
"But taking risks is a good thing sometimes." Gloria noted.
"I know. But people didn't know that back then. They were losing their jobs, and some even lost family members. All they wanted to do was cling to anything that could be seen."
"What happened then?"
"Well, the Hamiltons' were devastated. They wanted to have a second child so badly, but after the Depression hit, they lost hope that it would ever happen. What's worse, they didn't just lose hope in having a second child, they lost hope in everything else too. Including themselves."
"And in God." Gloria guessed.
Tess nodded and heaved a sigh.
"Yes, little angel. They lost their faith in God too." Tess confirmed solemnly.
"But didn't Christina believe?" Gloria asked, her tone hopeful.
"Yes she did, baby. Yes she did. That child's faith was as strong as ever. And that was one thing that worked in Monica's favor. But as far as getting through to Greg Hamilton...let's just say Monica had to work extra hard for that to happen. It took a while. It wasn't until New Year's Eve that Greg Hamilton learned to hope again. And along with that newfound hope, came a renewed faith in God as well."
"Let me guess, it was Monica's revelation that helped Greg realize the truth."
Tess nodded.
"That was part of it. But Greg Hamilton also got another surprise too. His wife was having pains and at first they thought it might be Appendicitis. But it wasn't. It turned out to be something else entirely. Something nobody was expecting."
"She had a baby?" Gloria guessed, a smile of joy spreading across her face.
"Yes she did, baby. By the grace of God, Margaret had the baby she and her husband thought was lost forever. After that, Mr. Hamilton never doubted God's existence again. And not only that, but he found a reason to celebrate New Year's Eve. He also found a reason to believe in God as well."
"Because Monica revealed the truth to him." Gloria finished, resting her head against Tess's shoulder once again.
"Exactly. God showed Himself to that young man in such a way that Mr. Hamilton had no choice but to believe. Live it by faith is true, little angel. But God shoed His love and mercy to that family by giving them the one precious gift they thought was lost forever."
"Which gave them reason to Hope again?" Gloria finished, a smile spreading across her face.
Tess grinned.
"That's right, baby. In fact, that's what they named their little girl."
Gloria grinned.
"Hope. I like that name. It's really pretty."
"Yes it is. It's also something that should be cherished as God cherishes each one of His children."
"Amen to that." Gloria commented.
"So what did you think of the story?" Tess asked, combing her fingers through Gloria's hair.
Gloria thought for a minute. The fireworks had ended by now and the other groups of people who had come to witness the colorful spectacle were packing up to return home.
"It was good." Gloria replied. "I really liked it. Thanks for telling it to me."
"Aw, it was my pleasure, little angel. New Year's Eve is a fresh start for everyone. It's God's way of giving His children a fresh start."
Gloria nodded. She was silent for a few minutes before an idea formed in her mind.
"Tess?" Gloria started, giving her superior a hopeful look.
"Yes, baby?" Tess replied, glancing down at Gloria with nothing but love and pride. She prayed Gloria was going to ask her whatever she had been holding back all night.
"I have a question." Gloria told her, her eyes still holding that same hopeful gaze.
"Go on." Tess encouraged.
"Well, since New Year's Eve is a time for fresh new starts…" Gloria's voice trailed off as she gazed up at Tess hopefully.
Tess narrowed her eyes at where Gloria was going with this train of thought.
"Yes?" Tess coaxed, although her tone was one of anxiety.
"Is there any way you could give me a fresh new start with your car?"
Gloria held her breath, not sure how Tess would react. She prayed the elder angel wouldn't become angry. After all, it was only a question and Tess had said New Year's Eve was a time for starting over.
TO Gloria's utter surprise, Tess laughed and pulled her close.
"You will never change, will you?" She asked, planting a kiss on the top of Gloria's head.
Gloria shook her head, a small smile on her own face.
"Noep."
"And I'm grateful for that, little angel. I really am. I wouldn't have you any other way. Even though I complain sometimes, I love you so much, Gloria. Lord knows how much I love you."
Gloria smiled as she snuggled into Tess for a cuddle.
"I love you too." Gloria replied.
Tess smiled as she gazed up at the Heavens above.
"Thank you, Father. Thank you for creating this precious little angel."
"What did you say, Tess?" Gloria asked, not catching Tess's last statement.
Tess grinned.
"I said, we need to put some gas in my baby if you're going to drive her anywhere."
Gloria nodded. Then what Tess had just said hit her full on.
"You're really gonna let me drive? You're really letting me drive? You really mean it?"
Tess gazed Heavenward again before nodding her head in Gloria's direction.
"Lord, did I just say that?" She muttered, not sure she had heard her own words correctly. Then to Gloria she said, "Yes, I do."
"Thank you, Tess, thank you!" With that, Gloria threw her arms around Tess and hugged her tightly.
"You're welcome, little angel. Just don't let me regret it." SHE said, her voice semi stern.
"I won't, I promise." Gloria said, earnestly. "I'll be really careful."
"Lord, I hope so." Tess muttered as she followed Gloria back to the car. "I really hope so."