This is a short chapter because I had a sudden inspiration as to where I
wanted the story to go. Sorry I don't like neat happy endings, I like
angst. (
Craig nearly skipped home from the bus stop that day after school. It had been one of the happiest days in a long time. He felt so light, so overjoyed.
So in love.
Craig couldn't stop thinking about Manny. This time last year, he would have never guessed that he would have fallen in love with her. But he had-he'd fallen hard.
Instead of going straight home, on a whim, he made a sudden detour. He went into a tiny shop that he had never gone into before. It was called "Little Shop of Angels". He wanted to get something special for Manny.
"Hello, welcome." The owner was an older lady with dark hair mixed with streaks of gray.
"Hi." Craig wandered over to a shelf that caught his eye. There were tiny statues of angels in various positions. One was holding a harp and another was flying. He gently picked up one with long black hair. She was staring up at the sky and wearing a glittering blue robe. The wings sparkled and there was a glint in her brown eyes.
Perfect, Craig thought as he brought it up to the register.
"Is this for a girlfriend?" the woman asked as she wrapped it.
"Uh, yeah."
"It's one of my favorites. I'm sure she'll love it."
Craig smiled. "I hope so." He stayed and chatted with the kind woman for a few minutes longer before heading home.
Craig fumbled in his bag, trying to find his keys without removing his gloves. Finally he grasped them and unlocked the door. He heard someone inside, which surprised him since Joey should have been at work and Angela was back in school.
"Caitlin?" Craig was surprised to see her pacing in the living room. "What are you doing here?"
She turned to him and Craig was shocked to see tearstains on her cheeks.
"Craig, honey." She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.
Craig was suddenly terrified. He didn't want to hear what Caitlin was going to tell him but had to know. "Wh-what's going on?"
Caitlin came over to him and tried to hug him but he backed away.
"No, tell me what's going on," he demanded, trying to keep his voice from trembling.
Caitlin rubbed his shoulder, holding back tears. "Craig, it's Ange."
Craig felt a horrible cold sensation come over him. "No, no it's not. I-it's not Ange."
Tears began to stream down Caitlin's face. "Craig I'm so sorry. There were complications."
"No. Oh God."
The angel slipped out of Craig's hands and smashed to the floor into a thousand pieces.
Craig nearly skipped home from the bus stop that day after school. It had been one of the happiest days in a long time. He felt so light, so overjoyed.
So in love.
Craig couldn't stop thinking about Manny. This time last year, he would have never guessed that he would have fallen in love with her. But he had-he'd fallen hard.
Instead of going straight home, on a whim, he made a sudden detour. He went into a tiny shop that he had never gone into before. It was called "Little Shop of Angels". He wanted to get something special for Manny.
"Hello, welcome." The owner was an older lady with dark hair mixed with streaks of gray.
"Hi." Craig wandered over to a shelf that caught his eye. There were tiny statues of angels in various positions. One was holding a harp and another was flying. He gently picked up one with long black hair. She was staring up at the sky and wearing a glittering blue robe. The wings sparkled and there was a glint in her brown eyes.
Perfect, Craig thought as he brought it up to the register.
"Is this for a girlfriend?" the woman asked as she wrapped it.
"Uh, yeah."
"It's one of my favorites. I'm sure she'll love it."
Craig smiled. "I hope so." He stayed and chatted with the kind woman for a few minutes longer before heading home.
Craig fumbled in his bag, trying to find his keys without removing his gloves. Finally he grasped them and unlocked the door. He heard someone inside, which surprised him since Joey should have been at work and Angela was back in school.
"Caitlin?" Craig was surprised to see her pacing in the living room. "What are you doing here?"
She turned to him and Craig was shocked to see tearstains on her cheeks.
"Craig, honey." She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.
Craig was suddenly terrified. He didn't want to hear what Caitlin was going to tell him but had to know. "Wh-what's going on?"
Caitlin came over to him and tried to hug him but he backed away.
"No, tell me what's going on," he demanded, trying to keep his voice from trembling.
Caitlin rubbed his shoulder, holding back tears. "Craig, it's Ange."
Craig felt a horrible cold sensation come over him. "No, no it's not. I-it's not Ange."
Tears began to stream down Caitlin's face. "Craig I'm so sorry. There were complications."
"No. Oh God."
The angel slipped out of Craig's hands and smashed to the floor into a thousand pieces.
