A Mrs. Miracle Christmas - Debbie Macomber Page 0,14

would want to return to live with him. It surprised and pleased her that Laurel chose to remain with them. The child had endured enough change in her short life, and starting over again at a different school and having to make new friends was more than Laurel could handle as a young teen.

Mrs. Miracle interrupted her thoughts. “Kelly works in the nursery in heaven. She loves the newborns best.”

“She always did love babies,” Helen remembered. Her daughter had longed for a large family and was able to carry only Laurel to full term, after several miscarriages. Like Helen, Kelly had only one child.

“Those babies love her. You’ll see it all for yourself one day.”

“One day,” Helen repeated. She wondered how long it would be before she would join Robert and Kelly. Asking didn’t seem right. She accepted the future was hidden for a reason. Helen was grateful not to have the ability to look ahead. If she had known in advance about losing both Kelly and Robert, it would have destroyed the precious time they’d had together on earth.

“Oh my,” Helen exclaimed. “I’m doing it again. My mind wanders off, and I have no idea where I am. Where are we?” Looking around her, she stopped. Just like before, she didn’t recognize where she was. If asked, she wouldn’t know how to find her way back to the house.

“Don’t worry, Helen. That’s why I’m here. We’re at the spot where you got lost when you chased after the loose puppy,” Mrs. Miracle said.

Looking around, Helen didn’t see anything that looked familiar. If her memory served her right, there used to be a church on this very corner. Next to it was a small park, or so she recalled. The park had vanished, as well as the church. Both had been replaced by a large condo building.

“Where’s the church?” she asked, certain that it was on this very corner not long ago.

“It was torn down a couple years ago,” Mrs. Miracle explained.

“Torn down?” That didn’t seem right. Laurel had attended Vacation Bible School at that church the first year she’d come to live with Helen and Robert.

“It’s sad, I agree. The property became valuable and the church couldn’t afford to maintain the building any longer. They’ve moved to a new location.”

“So many changes,” Helen said, shaking her head. And it all happened so quickly. One day there was a church and playground for children, and in the blink of an eye, both were gone.

“Are you ready to head home?” Mrs. Miracle asked.

The wind had picked up, and the sun slid behind a dark cloud, bringing a chill to the air. “I suppose we should,” she said, although she’d enjoyed the walk and the conversation.

They started back to the house in silence for a few minutes, when Helen interrupted.

“Would you tell me something about yourself?”

“Me?” Mrs. Miracle seemed surprised by the question.

“Please. Seeing that you know everything there is to know about me and my family, it’s only fair that you tell me your own story…if that’s allowed, that is.”

“You’re right, it isn’t fair,” she said with a chuckle. “First off, my name isn’t technically Mrs. Miracle. I was given the name Merkel. On my first assignment here on earth, I was a nanny to two mischievous boys who couldn’t properly pronounce my name. They called me Mrs. Miracle and I’ve gone by that ever since.”

“Do you visit earth often?”

“Every now and again. I come as needed.”

They continued walking, and Helen had so many questions she wanted to ask. She was unsure which one to ask first. “Can you tell me about heaven…what it’s like?”

“Oh my. That’s a difficult question.” The other woman hesitated, unsure where to start.

“Is it anything like earth?”

“Yes…and no. There’s beauty in heaven that can’t be explained in words.”

“You mentioned Kelly working in the nursery. If you must know, and it’s a bit embarrassing to admit…I’ve always thought that the time we will spend in heaven will be like a really long church service.”

Mrs. Miracle laughed. “I’m afraid far too many people believe that. You’re right in assuming there’s time to worship, but not twenty-four/seven. Speaking of time, there’s no need for clocks, as time has no meaning.”

“ ‘No meaning’?”

“That’s something else that’s hard to explain. It’s eternity, with no beginning and no end. We aren’t bound to the scientific laws of earth.”

Helen took a moment to mull that over, wondering at the changes she would find in the afterlife. “Is there anything else