“Dad?”

“I….” Chris put his head down; ashamed of his neglect over so many years for some many foolish reasons in so many horribly displays. His shoulders began to bob up and down as he sobbed; a confession of sorts that he had loved his child all along with complete and utter conditional expectancy. Any child would have been nearly destroyed; that Chrissy had survived was miraculous, to say the least. But the mercy that was woven into the moment overwhelmed Chris as he realized he had been given a chance that few receive when they hold onto their own wants and needs with a tight fist. He had finally let go, and the blessing of knowing his daughter for the first time was too much to bear without being swept away in a flood of gratitude.

Previously...

“What…wha….” Keeva began to protest, but Rianna was determined and would have none of that. She leaned close and put her hand on Keeva’s face, caressing it softly. The woman tried very hard not to respond, but her face, already hot with embarrassment, took on a new change of temperature as her face cooled slightly and her cheeks lightened slightly; a new emotion or rather a newly-focused emotion began to display itself. Rianna missed nothing and leaned closer. She smiled with a soft sigh and kissed Keeva full on the lips; all the while still touching the woman’s cheek with her hand. A hand that had helped heal and sooth and restore as part of a job took on a new function as the healing and soothing and restoration was for as much benefit for her as for Keeva’s.

And the Angels Dance

True confession from a heart that seeks
The pure desire for cleansing love
And a prayer for His healing touch
Any of these and the angels dance

Keeva used her sleeve to wipe the steam from the car window. She was desperately and vainly seeking a way out of the moment; flight from the woman beside her, even in a real sense, was pointless since there was no escaping how ‘comfortable’ Rianna made her feel. She turned back to face Rianna and found her sitting with her head against the passenger’s side window, crying softly.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have.” She protested. Her shoulders shrugged almost involuntarily as she shied away from the one truth beside her own existence that she had sought nearly all her life. It was another example of feeling unworthy and inauthentic and false in the midst of the truest moment in her life. And of course, with Keeva pulling away as well, it seemed the moment would soon be lost. A gentle nudge came from her right, pushing her toward Keeva.

And Keeva wanted to answer, ‘no you shouldn’t have;’ feeling things should never begin if they are doomed to failure or if they are given to those who do not deserve favor. She leaned closer to the window; wanting so much to comfort the woman beside her but feeling incapable and vulnerable at the same time. A soft hand seemed to push her sideways and she found herself face to face with Rianna.

Keeva tried to speak, but look of acceptance on Rianna’s face stilled her protest. Always the one to dance to someone else’ lead, she found instead in herself a brand new confidence. That feeling that she had prayed from the depths of her heart all her life. She smiled; almost a polite ‘I hope you don’t mind,’ expression before reaching over and firmly placing her hand on the back of Rianna’s neck. Softly but with intent fully displayed, she pulled the woman close to her and kissed her. It was the first kiss she had ‘given’ anyone; every single preceding kiss was given to her, so to speak. Today it was her turn to bless.

“Mmmmm.” The two purred softly. And outside the car two women stood on either side. They were tall and strong and handsome in as gentle a way as you can imagine. Rianna and Keeva seemed to take no notice of them and the people who passed by the car took no notice at all as two sets of wings; broad and powerfully built, fluttered gently to provide a cover for the scene that unfolded inside. And the two women smiled at each other; satisfied that the healing the two so desperately needed was manifest in ways that even they would never have conceived.

And the angels dance
And the angels dance

Back at Keeva's place...

“I….” Chris put his head down; ashamed of his neglect over so many years for some many foolish reasons in so many horribly displays. His shoulders began to bob up and down as he sobbed; a confession of sorts that he had loved his child all along with complete and utter conditional expectancy. Any child would have been nearly destroyed; that Chrissy had survived was miraculous, to say the least. But the mercy that was woven into the moment overwhelmed Chris as he realized he had been given a chance that few receive when they hold onto their own wants and needs with a tight fist. He had finally let go, and the blessing of knowing his daughter for the first time was too much to bear without being swept away in a flood of gratitude.

“I am so, so sorry.” He repeated over and over; practically murmuring at times. Some may speak in apology to ease their own pain and guilt. Chris had moved beyond that in mere moments to seek forgiveness; not for his sake alone, but for the sake of the girl whom he had just met. Chrissy put her hand on her father’s chin and pulled his face up gently and slowly.

“I’m so sorry, too, Dad,” she sobbed. She reached up and touched the place on her head where the bullet had glanced. Success would have meant no reconciliation; no chance to redeem a life-time of her own regrets and failures. No chance to lose the anger that had welled inside her. No chance to let go of the self-hatred that she had built upon her father’s foolish neglect; feeling entitled to be broken and lost and alone. The hand that pulled the trigger had been unsteady, but only but the hand of another had her aim been deflected. Only by the flutter of unseen wings and the gentle touch of an unseen hand had her life been exposed. Not as a worthless bit of rubbish, but for the hidden treasure that lay beneath.

In Keeva's car in front of the Thai Orchid Cafe....

“I don’t know what to do.” Rianna said. As confident as the two had seemed only moments before, they appeared tentative and almost frightened. Two lifetimes for one, in a way, and a lifetime for the other of hesitant self-acceptance did still have their affect, but quickly and happily waning as Keeva spoke.

“I do.” She reached over and grabbed Rianna’s right hand. Stroking it softly, she smiled and hummed a tune; vaguely familiar to Rianna from a concert she had attended a few years back.

“Where your treasure is…there is your heart…..” She paused and smiled with a modest shrug.

“I think I know where my heart lies, Rianna. I don’t know what to do, either, but I know what not to do, and that’s to pull away and act like I do every time. I’m not going to let go.” Keeva demonstrated without even realizing as she gripped Rianna’s wrist.

“I guess…I know… Oh, hell.” Overcome by another wave of confidence, Rianna turned to face Keeva fully. She held both of Keeva’s hands in hers and spoke.

“Right!”

“I…I don’t’ understand,” Keeva said. Rianna smiled and shook her head. Dreams do occasionally make sense and portends occasionally come true. She glanced down at the console between them and noted that there was a small locket lying in the coin tray. It was open, revealing two sides; one was empty of any picture, but the other side displayed a photo of two women. The picture that she had seen in her dream; the two women who looked across the locket as if longing for someone to join them. The two women; Keeva and Chrissy looking for someone…for her.

“I don’t know why or how, but something deep inside me tells me that this,” she used her hand in a gesture back and forth between them,

“This is right.” She smiled and tilted her head as if to ask for agreement. Keeva noted Rianna’s glance and looked down at the locket. Her eyes widened in relieved recognition as she raised her eyes to meet Rianna’s once again. She smiled and sighed, her eyes welling with grateful and happy tears as she said,

“Right!”

Spinning round in a blaze of colour
Carried high to a realm of light
Wings that brush the air with motion
Soft as breath - when the angels dance

Hidden treasure in the waiting earth
Brought to life again, to dance like children
Free to feel again the warmth of heaven
Into love, and the angels dance

Shortly thereafter, back at Keeva's place...

“I’m sorry we’re late. I ran into Rianna here, and we got to talking.” Keeva said as she placed the bags of food on the kitchen counter. She noticed no sounds of protest or welcome, and she walked into the living room. On the couch, side by side, were Chris and Chrissy. The girl was sitting up straight, but not uncomfortably so. Chris had fallen asleep with his head on her shoulder. She looked up at Keeva and smiled; a smile that no one had seen before; a smile that said it was going to be alright. Keeva nodded.

“I can come back at another time,” a voice came from behind Keeva. Rianna’s face was red with a modest embarrassment; understandable considering that the hour had grown late and she was responsible in part for the delay. Her embarrassment was met with a broad grin by the girl on the couch as her glance darted back and forth between Keeva and Rianna. She laughed softly and shook her head, mouthing words toward both.

“You still got it!”

And outside the condo, several tall, handsome looking women gathered in a circle that seemed to illuminate the parking lot in the otherwise growing twilight of the fading day. Almost as one, they began to step back and forth, in and out, as a melody seemed to permeate the air with a gentle mixture of sweet and strong and even bittersweet, which quickly gave way to joy that played out almost as if the notes were lights that blinked in harmony with the song. And the angels danced….

And the angels dance
And the angels dance

Spinning round in a blaze of colour
Carried high to a realm of light
Wings that brush the air with motion
Soft as breath - when the angels dance

The End

And the Angels Dance

Written and performed by Iona
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JljpKn_3RQ