Chapter 2

"G'morning." Gloria greeted as she trudged wearily downstairs into the kitchen, where she found Eliza sitting alone at the kitchen table, accompanied only by a small bowl of cheerios in front of her. Eliza glanced up from her meek breakfast and nodded a hello to the older angel. "Hey." She replied in a voice so quiet and barely audible that Gloria almost didn't hear her. She sat with slumped shoulders in her chair, barely doing much more than just stirring and splashing her spoon in her cereal. It was clear that the poor thing hadn't gotten much sleep. But that wasn't all. It was obvious that there was something else as well. She not only looked exhausted, but sort of distracted.

Still, Gloria never took her eyes from the young angel as she swung open the cupboard over the sink and lifted her own bowl from it as well in silence, as if awaiting Eliza's further conversation. (She was never the shy one to speak). But it never came. The only sound drifting throughout the cozy kitchen was still the subtle creak of the wooden cupboard door as Gloria closed it again, and the gentle, occasional clink of the teenager's spoon colliding now and then with the bottom of her cereal bowl as she continued to do nothing more than fiddle with her meal. It was an unusual stance with the young girl, and certainly one Gloria very rarely came across. But now and then it appeared as if from nowhere and the knowledgeable caseworker took it upon herself to pin-point the source of such behavior from her supervisor's daughter.

Although, seemingly unable to come up with some sort of icebreaker that didn't make her look like she was prying, Gloria decided to change her tactics before they even started. "You look tired. How long have you been up?" She suddenly seemed to split the brief silence like lightning through a night sky and Eliza straightened immediately in her seat as she forced herself to come to full alertness, though she did not seem startled. She needn't think about this long before the reply came to her. After all, there was no point in hiding something as meaningless as this. And besides, she could use some answers right now.

"Oh, I woke up a little after midnight and I guess I just never went back to sleep. That's all." She sighed in obvious fatigue as she attempted to make it appear as though she wasn't tired at all, and was ready for anything that came her way. Ever since she began her first case, she had been so determined on finishing it that she never let anything get in her way…not even her own mood. But Gloria seemed unconvinced as she raised her eyebrows over her glasses in response before seating herself at the table across from the young girl. "Wow. You must be tired then. Of course, I've had those sort of nights myself." She informed Eliza as if in some sort of compensation attempt. She then glanced around the kitchen as if looking for something or someone and, when she didn't find it, she returned her attention to Eliza for answers.

"Where's your mom?" She ventured casually as she realized – even in her half-awake state – that usually, if Eliza was up, so was Monica and it was clear enough that this kitchen was empty except for her and Eliza. That was also an abnormal happening around here, but Eliza only released hold of her spoon in the bowl and turned her full attention to the older angel, thinking that perhaps now would be a good time to see if she knew anything more about her mother's odd behavior last night. After all, she had known Monica a lot longer than Eliza had.

"She went out for a walk." She replied briefly with a clueless sigh as she recounted the conversation with her mother the night before as if in search of answers before continuing. "You know, she was acting really weird last night." She informed Gloria in a curious tone as she made eye contact with her fellow angel for the first time that morning. But Gloria didn't quite seem to understand at the young teens statement, as she furrowed her brow in obvious misconception. "Weird how?" She questioned further in clear wondering about Eliza's proclamation, and so the young angel went on to explain. "Oh, I don't know. She was just…not here. It seemed like she was constantly thinking about something else and when I tried to talk to her about it this morning before she left, she just said she was tired and felt like she had to go for a walk and be alone." She told Gloria as she struggled to recall every detail she could about her mother's strange mood.

But it was now that Gloria understood. She wasn't thinking about something else. She was thinking about someone else. Quite suddenly, everything seemed to come screaming back to her as she realized the date today. It was then that she recalled the shooting, Monica's sorrowful solitude for days afterwards…everything. It was no shock that some of those horrible nightmares of memories would reveal themselves once more to the little Irish angel on today of all days. Exactly five years ago today, Andrew was shot and killed in a corner store hold up with Monica at his side. He died in her presence. And over the past few years, she had seemed to regain some of her old self back and she was nearly fine again now, but it could just never be the same without Andrew there. She had never been the same after she watched her best friend die when she could do nothing. He had given his own life to save her and she had never forgotten it. She had never quite forgiven herself, or got over Andrew's constant absence.

After a long moment of silence between both Gloria and Eliza as Gloria contemplated all this, she eventually decided she might as well tell Eliza the truth so that perhaps at least she could understand her mother's temporary behavior today. "Well, sweetheart, you know what today is don't you?" She inquired briefly as she struggled to maintain control of her emotions for now. But Eliza only raised her eyebrows in obvious cluelessness and shook her head no, there for prying Gloria to go on, no matter what terrible flashbacks were invading her computer-like mind at the moment. "Well, you remember Andrew?" She began carefully, knowing Eliza was still quite young when…when it happened. But Eliza only nodded the confirmation and Gloria went on to explain. "Today's the anniversary of his death. It's been five years." She informed the girl in a solemn voice, clearly not knowing how Eliza would react to this, seeing that she didn't know Andrew for long, but she knew her mother had.

But as Eliza pondered this for a quick moment, she stood up from the table, leaving her bowl of cereal somewhat abandoned as she did so, and began to pace the room slowly – something she often did when she was unsure of a situation. She then decided she didn't quite understand, and so she'd better question further. "But I don't get it." She stated simply as she studied the floor, still continually striding back and forth across the room. "Why would Mom still be so upset about it? It's been so long. I mean, it's not like they were married or anything." She reminded unknowingly as she desperately attempted to understand the relationship between her mother and this other angel. But she couldn't quite seem to get a grasp on it as Gloria continued on, all the while shifting her gaze back and forth across the room as she watched the young teen pace.

"No, you're right. But she and Andrew had a sort of connection when he was alive. It was the strangest thing, but at the same time it somehow made all the sense in the world. They had a special connection. They listened to each other, talked to each other, depended on each other and you wouldn't believe some of the memories they had together. They were best friends and I just don't think they could ever imagine one not being in the other's life. And when he died, a little part of her died with him."…

…Monica strode somewhat aimlessly down the sidewalk through the small town, all the while keeping her eyes fixed on absolutely nothing ahead, as if in some sort of trance. Though on some, subconscious level, she thought she knew where she was headed and her suspicions were only confirmed when she finally reached her destination, standing evenly across the street from a little convenience store that sold little more than milk and newspapers. The terrifying flashback that overtook her mind then was almost too much for her to bear…