Angels Are Among Us

Chapter Two: Towards the Past

Todd read the letter silently to himself for the next five minutes. Nervous, Leah began pacing around the kitchen trying desperately to get her mind of the contents of the letter. She checked inside the refridgerator to make sure they had enough milk for the next day. She placed the scattered breakfast plates, bowls, and cups inside the dishwasher. She took her black coat off the back of one of the wooden chairs and wrapped its warmth around her.

As she glanced toward Todd, she noticed his intelligent gray eyes scanning the page with no emotion showing on his face. Leah sighed to herself and strolled over to the doorway joining the kitchen and living room to check on her daughter. The muffled sounds of Gabbi's feet could be slightly heard as the little girl raced about her room, desperately cleaning...or her version of cleaning. The dark-haired woman swiveled around sharply when she heard Todd clear his throat as a signal that he was finished.

"Well? What do you think?" Leah calmly, she hoped, asked him while trying to avoid showing emotion. Unfortunately for her seeing the concern in Todd's eyes caused her barriers to break down. She threw herself into his strong arms and clung to him with all her strength.

"Oh, Todd! I...I don't know what to do! Do I go back there? If I do, I know I will be surrounded by all those...memories...it took me so long to get over Ethan...I don't want to go through that pain ever again!" Leah mumbled into her lover's shoulder, "But, how can I refuse Charity's invitation? She also was so much of my life. She helped make me who I am today. How can I not go to what will possibly the happiest day of her life?"

"Well, first of all, Leah...don't worry about Ethan. I know how hard it was for you years ago, but you also have to remember that you lost him on top of a lot of other things as well."

She pushed away from Todd and nodded. She remembered full well that time as if it were yesterday. Neil Dutton, probably one of the nicest men she could ever meet, has lost his battle with cancer and then almost as soon as he was gone...Ethan left, going back to his home and family in Nappanee. The pain she had felt the day she dropped him at his farm and drove away never left her mind. She had hoped never to feel sorrow like that ever again.

"What I mean is...I know how much losing Ethan was for you...God...I don't know if I could have done something like that. But, remember that this was a long time ago and most of those wounds have healed. I'm sure Ethan has changed just as much as you have. You always told me how much you wished that he would find a girl to marry who could appreciate the amazing person they had. Also, you wanted him to raise a big family and be successful."

"Yes...I know I did...still do, in fact...its just...I don't know if I will be able to see him...with his family and know that I am not a part of his world or life anymore."

"But, don't you think Ethan will have just as much problems with seeing you after all these years?"

Leah looked in surprise at Todd. She hadn't thought about that before. No, like always, she was thinking about herself and her feelings rather than someone else's. She never stopped to think that she also had raised a family, however small. Would Ethan have just as much trouble looking at Todd and Gabbi as she would his family? Possibly, but she couldn't be sure.

"You're right, Todd...as usual. I'm just being silly and inconsiderate. I don't even know why Charity's letter effected me the way it did."

Todd patted her shoulder, "You aren't being inconsiderate or silly. You had to give up the greatest love you had ever known and something like that can make a mark on people."

"You mean, the greatest love I had ever known...up till then," Leah responded with a tiny smile on her pretty face.

"Right...forgot. Up till then. Anyway, you have a right to be a little apprehensive about seeing the Longacres again, but that shouldn't stop you from celebrating with your friend. Don't you think?"

"Yes, you're right...again. As strange as it will be, I will accept Charity's invitation and make an appearance at the wedding," Leah exclaimed in a confident voice.

Suddenly, the moment was disrupted by the rapid pounding of little feet descending the steps towards the kitchen. A moment later, Gabbi poked her head into the room and grinned.

"Mommy? Daddy? Can we go now?" She asked with a hopeful look on her innocent face.

Leah smiled, "Of course, darling. Let's go!"

The two females headed towards the front door with Todd behind them. He silently watched them race towards the car with a smile on his face. These were, in his opinion, the two most beautiful women in the world and they were his. It still amazed him that someone with his kind of past would be able to find such a happy life. Leah and Gabbi were everything to him and he couldn't imagine ever losing either of them.

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"Okay...three shirts...no, four....five skirts...no make that three...how many shoes should I bring...where is that white sweater...why can't I find my sandals...and where in the world is my black dress?" Todd sighed to himself as he heard Leah mumbling to herself.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the door to the bedroom they shared and almost fell over at what he saw. The usually fairly clean room was a huge junkpile! There were heaps of clothes scattered over the bed and spilling onto the floor. Hangers were thrown in massive piles at random spots, sometimes mixing in with the clothing. And right in the middle of the gigantic mess was Leah buzzing through the piles and glancing towards the large black suitcase situated on the blue comforter.

"Leah?" Todd spoke up. The young woman jumped up and turned to the door with a look of surprise on her pretty face. She met his eyes and followed them to the mess around the room. Grinning sheepishly, Leah made her way through the clutter while attempting not to fall on her face.

After about two minutes, she managed to reach the doorway, "Did you need something, honey?"

"Yeah...." Todd began, "I was going to ask you if you were ready to go...I think I got my answer."

"Um...well..." Leah stammered with embarrassment. She was usually so neat and orderly that this was a surreal experience. Unfortunately, every since Charity's letter had arrived three weeks earlier, she had been scatterbrained and completely unorganized. Now that the time to leave for Nappanee had finally arrived, she was even more of a basketcase.

Todd breathed deeply, "Okay, Leah, you sit down on that bed. I'll finish packing your suitcase for you. You need to relax before the big trip."

Leah nodded slightly and managed to find a clear spot on the comforter. She watched with amazement as Todd poked his way through the clothes and accessories. He quickly evaluated the situation and began organizing the disheveled suitcase. Suddenly, within ten minutes, Todd managed to have her entire suitcase packed up and ready to go, thanks to his patience and her coordination skills.

The two adults made their way downstairs to the living room where Gabbi was sitting on the couch talking a mile a minute, "And then last week, Bobby Hampton...he's a bad boy...threw paint all over the wall and Ms. Green gave him timeout. He had to sit in the corner for five minutes, Nana! I don't like timeout so I would never ever be bad like Bobby Hampton."

"Well, I'm very proud of you, Gabbi. I'm sure your mother appreciates that..." Roberta Dutton exclaimed to her granddaughter's announcement.

"You are definitely right about that, Mom," Leah answered with a giggle, "Especially since she's been put in timeout before, right Gabbi?"

Gabbi hurriedly glanced at her grandmother, "But that was a long long time ago, Nana! I was a little girl then...but now I'm big so I won't ever be bad again!"

"Yeah...last month was really long time ago," Todd responded as he joined the group in the living room. Roberta grinned softly at the sight of her almost-son-in-law. He was everything she could ever have imagined for her daughter and more. She was so happy that Leah had found someone who could understand her so well. Todd was an amazing man who cared for Leah more than anything. Plus he was a loving father to Gabbi who was just about the most precious thing to ever grace God's earth, in her opinion.

"Well, Leah darling, are you ready to go?" Roberta asked her dark-haired daughter who had her hand tightly clinging to the handle of an overstuffed suitcase.

"I think so, Mom," Leah turned to her daughter, "Gabbi, come give Mommy a hug good-bye!" The little girl jumped into her mother's arms and wrapped herself tightly. Gabbi whined softly in her mommy's ear about leaving her while Leah comforted her baby girl. Eventually, the two pried themselves away from each other and Leah managed to wipe the tears from her eyes.

Leah, Roberta, and Todd made their way outside towards the car while dragging three suitcases behind them. Gabbi tagged along, curious as always. Five minutes later, the car was packed and ready to go.

Leah was just about to climb into the driver's seat when she felt herself pulled into someone's arms. She glanced up at Todd and felt her heart squeeze with emotion. His beautiful eyes displayed the concern he could not express in front of Gabbi. Leah felt herself start to go weak at the knees at the very sight of his kind face. She wrapped herself around his body and clung hard.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you, baby?" Todd asked his fiancé.

Leah looked up with her shimmering eyes, "No, Todd. I need to deal with this on my own. But, I promise if I need you for anything, I will let you know."

"You'd better."

"Take good care of Gabbi for me."

"You know I will," Todd watched Leah climb into the car and leaned against the door, "I love you, Leah. Make sure you remember that." He closed the door and scooped Gabbi into his arms. Both of them waved like crazy as Leah and her mom pulled out of the driveway and onto the street. Leah honked the horn three times before taking off into the distance, towards her past.

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Hey, here is the long-awaited chapter two. I hope I didn't disappoint you guys with it. I am sorry it took so long to get out, but I have been extremely busy. Don't forget to review 'cause that helps inspire me to get writing quicker. Hopefully the next chapter won't take so long to get out!

Thanks to all you reviewers: Iggy, bluetop66, Julie, I_Got_You, Alabama Babe, tool, I LOVE OB, Orlando Bloom, Musicgrl130, Ocean Deep 919, Kay 141, Tiria Lam, elizabeth, jaded96, KrYsTeN sUgA, josiah's gurl, Ashley, Dakota, redlily, siriusforeva, sandy, and Brooke Lyn.

You guys are the best!!! Keep the reviews coming!

--Anaxandra