Chapter 2
"Eliza, do you know what your name means?" Katie questioned the little girl as they walked together in a beautiful little park back in Salt Lake City. Eliza had told the Search and Rescue angel her name and Katie had recognized it immediately. Eliza Tucker was a name well known throughout the force, for she was the only one she knew of who ever had an angel as a mother, but was human as well. Katie knew she had no choice but to tell Eliza the truth about herself and who she really was. It would then be her decision about what she would do next.
Eliza nodded as she recalled her mother telling her one day a long time ago what her name meant. "Yep. I think it means conse…con…" She tried to pronounce the word with her young, inexperienced tongue but it never came out so Katie helped her a little. "Consecration to God." She finished for her with a proud smile. "And do you know who gave you that name?" She continued hopefully, knowing full well that if the answer were what she thought it would be, it would make this a whole lot easier. And again, Eliza nodded as she looked up at the angel with her sweet, hazel eyes.
"Yeah. My mom once told me an angel named me." She replied simply, as though she had no trouble believing every word of it. And again, Katie nodded in response. "That's right she did. Her name was Monica. Do you know anything else about her?" She ventured cautiously, clearly not wanting to say anything she'd regret in front of the little girl. After all, it was possible her parents had already told her the truth. But that last hope was dashed away when Eliza shook her head no as she walked next to her. Katie sighed in dismay and pressed on.
"Well," she began, wondering how to even start telling Eliza this, but eventually she decided on a way, "a baby grows inside a mommy's tummy, you know that right?" She confirmed a little timidly and to her relief, Eliza nodded. She didn't want to have to explain that as well instead of the whole stork theory, so she went on. "Okay, well, before you were born, your mommy and daddy found out that your mommy could never grow a baby in her tummy. They needed help. And they wanted to have you so badly. So, Monica came along and she grew you in her tummy for them and when you were born, she gave you to your parents." Katie explained slowly, clearly impressed with herself that she was able to explain that so well.
Now Eliza stopped walking and turned to face the angel with something of a puzzled expression. "So…Monica's my real mom?" She confirmed, seeming slightly perplexed by the matter, but not at all upset, which relieved Katie a great deal. Had Eliza been a teenager, or worse, an adult, she could've even had a breakdown or something, but thankfully, she seemed to accept it just fine.
Katie shrugged in response, wondering in which way Eliza meant it. "Well, no not really. Your mother's name was Abby and she was a very good mommy wasn't she?" She glanced down at the little girl, who nodded sadly as she thought of her mom. But then Katie continued. "Yeah, well, she was your mom, but now…" she paused, not wanting to upset Eliza before continuing. "…Now I'm supposed to take you to your biological mother, because you don't have any other relatives. But I don't have to bring you there if you don't want to. I could take you to a shelter instead." She suggested kindly as she knelt down so she was eye-to-eye with the little girl. Eliza seemed thoughtful for a long moment as she contemplated what to do next. "Live with Monica?" She repeated uncertainly as she studied the ground in an indecisive manner. Katie nodded in confirmation and patiently awaited Eliza's answer.
Eliza took a long, silence moment to contemplate this. Personally, if she was going to live somewhere she would rather it be with her parents. That was all she wanted. She just wanted her parents back. She may be young, but she was old enough to understand that wasn't going to happen and there was a decision at hand. It didn't take much more thought. If she couldn't be with her parents, she definitely didn't want to go to a shelter. That sounded like some kind of orphanage to her and all she had heard about orphanages weren't good things. Besides, living with an angel could be cool…
Author's note: Chapters 1&2 are dedicated to my best friend Katie.