A Season of Angels Page 0,91

more than Jody could bear.

"Mom, there's something you should know," she said quickly. "Something wonderful has happened and other than Timmy you're the first one to hear." She didn't mean to announce her engagement like this, but she couldn't think of any other way to divert Gloria from speaking about Jeff.

"You do sound excited and rightly so."

"I told you earlier I'd met another man."

Jody waited for some acknowledgment but none came. "We decided we want to be married," Jody said, "and have set the date for January."

"Married!" Gloria shrieked. "But you can't, you can't! What about Jeff?"

"If Jeff were alive why wouldn't he contact me or Timmy?" she asked reasonably.

"He's been very sick and weak. I haven't talked to him myself yet, but the German official told me he's recovering and asking about you and Timmy."

"Mom, give me the phone number of the person you're talking to and I'll contact him myself."

"I'm sorry, dear, I don't have it. But everything he's said is true, I swear it's true, Jeff's alive. You've got to believe me. You've got to break your engagement before Jeff learns you're involved with another man."

"Mom, this is a cruel hoax. We buried Jeff, remember?" Jody gently reminded her.

It was as if Gloria hadn't heard her. "What am I supposed to tell my son when he phones? I demand that you tell this other man you've changed your mind. No, no, I'll tell him for you. He'll listen to me."

"Mom, please," Jody pleaded, her voice low and trembling.

Glen was standing next to her then, his arm around his shoulder. Gently he took the receiver from her hand, and explained that he was the man Jody was marrying. Naturally she couldn't hear her former mother-in-law's response.

Jody turned into his arm and buried her face in his shoulder.

"Grandma thinks my dad's alive?" Timmy asked, when Glen had hung up the receiver.

Jody was trembling too hard to respond. Glen continued to hold her, patting her back. "Your grandmother wants it to be true so badly that she's convinced herself your father is still alive," Glen explained, when it was apparent Jody was in no condition to do so.

Somehow they made it through dinner, although the three of them took turns attempting to make a festive occasion of it. Glen tried the hardest. Timmy made an effort as well, and Jody too, however feeble. She was grateful when Glen claimed he was working on the brief for an important case and left shortly after they'd finished clearing the table.

Jody walked him to the door. "I'm sorry about Gloria."

"Don't worry," he said, pressing his forehead to hers. "We'll get through this." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her gently.

Jody let him out the door and watched until Glen's car was out of sight. He was a good man, a decent man, but she didn't feel any great passion for him. She smiled sadly and realized she'd been lucky enough to know about love from Jeff. Love wasn't the reason she and Glen had decided to marry. They cared deeply for each other, shared the same goals, and were comfortable with one another. A lot of marriages had far less.

"I'm done with my homework," Timmy said some time later. Jody had finished the dishes and was busy writing out Christmas cards. She was later than usual this year.

"Are you telling everyone about Glen?" Timmy surprised her by asking. He reached for the top card and read her brief note.

"No."

"Why not?"

"I thought we'd send out announcements later. I've already mailed out half my cards and it doesn't seem fair that half my friends know and half don't."

Timmy nodded as if her reasoning made perfect sense to him. He plopped his elbows on the table and tucked his chin in his hands as he watched her work.

"You know what I wish?"

"What?" she asked absently, thinking he was about to add another item to his detailed Christmas list.

"I wish what Grandma Potter said was true. I wish my dad was alive."

Jody's hand stilled as her fingers tightened around the pen. "I do too, sweetheart."

"Well, what do you think?" Shirley said, looking anxiously to Goodness. "Gabriel insists the winds of trouble are brewing, but I can't see it. Jody's engaged and from everything I can see Glen Richardson is a perfect match for her and Timmy."

Goodness, who was poised atop the Christmas tree, slowly shook her head. "You don't know very much about humans and love, do you?"

"Not really."

"After tracking Monica and Chet I could