to her clothes, Lilli sipped the sour German soup that was so warm and welcome she felt as if it had spilled from God's own table.
She gave a prayer of thanks. Watching the snow drift before her eyes, she sat there, a little lost, very cold, and so weary of heart, of mind, and fast getting weary of spirit.
Then she heard them. Bells. Church bells, ringing out like a chorus of archangels—clear and clean and calling to her.
There was no one near the church when she arrived. She walked up the steps, almost afraid to try the closed doors, afraid they'd be locked to her as Heaven was. But the doors opened easily and she entered the massive church, where candlelight, warmth, and peace welcomed her.
Near the altar, she stopped, a few feet away, then sat in the center of the second pew. She closed her eyes, seeking some small part of what she'd had. There, in God's house, she felt some distant tie to Heaven, so there she sat.
A minute or so later, her eyes grew unbearably heavy. She untied the ribbons on her bonnet and removed it, letting her hair fall free and loose, then exhaustion and cold and hunger finally took their toll.
Lilli laid down and fell asleep.
Chapter Five
"PSST!"
What was that? She was warm and tired, so very tired. Ignore it, she thought sleepily.
"Pssst!"
A pesky fly, she reasoned. Still half asleep, she swatted at it.
"Lilli! Wake up!"
"Florie?" Lilli mumbled, then snuggled deeper into her clothing. She was dreaming of Florie.
"Lilli! Wake up!"
She opened her eyes, then sat up quickly and shoved the hair from her eyes. She looked around and there she was… "Florie? Is that you?" Lilli reached out to hug her best friend, but her arms held thin air. She blinked at Florie's image, then sagged back against the hard pew. "I forgot. I'm mortal now. I can't touch you."
The same painful emotion of loss glistened in both their eyes.
"I can't hug you."
"I know."
"Florie." She looked down at her hands. "I'm so scared."
"Don't you see what's happening? I'm coming to you in a dream. You know, the angel-coming-to-you-in-a-dream thing? Lesson 103?"
"I remember. I never could get that right either."
"Wait! Give me a moment. Okay. Now watch me." Florie took a deep breath, then fluttered her wings until she was hovering above Lilli. "Here goes," she said, the took a huge breath. "Behold! I bring you tidings of great joy!"
Lilli burst out laughing.
Florie stopped fluttering and lit onto the back of the front pew; her wings rippled for a second, then drooped as she dangled her legs over the edge and gave Lilli a small smile. "I suppose that's been overused, hasn't it?"
"I miss you."
"I miss you, too." Florie sat up a little straighter, then smiled brightly. "But I do have good news! Well, I think it's good news," she said, chewing a nail.
"What?"
"Saint Peter has relented."
"I can come back? Now?"
"Well...no, not exactly. At least not right this very minute. He did say that if you can perform a miracle—just one—here on Earth, then you can come back to Heaven."
"But I can't create a miracle in Heaven, most perfect place for a miracle. How can I create one here?" Lillie rested her chin on a fist.
"Truthfully? I don't think in your case it would make any difference where you were."
"I suppose that's true. Now I must think of a miracle," Lilli said thoughtfully.
"Actually, that's not necessary."
"Why?"
"Saint Peter's decision was based on a more specific sort of miracle."
Another chance. She had one last chance. Lilli gripped the edge of the pew and leaned forward. "Anything. I'll do anything, Florie, if it means I can go back."
"That's good then."
"So tell me. What's the miracle?"
"It's a more of a teaching moment....a lesson. You have to teach a mortal to give from his heart."
She thought about that for a moment, then remembered the kindhearted German woman who'd given her the soup. There were people like her, many of them, in a place like New York City. She looked up at Florie and grinned. "I can do that."
Florie was suddenly quiet.
Lilli looked at her. "You look as if there's more to this specific miracle."
There is."
Lilli waited, while Florie looked uneasy.
"I'm not going to like it, am I?"
Florie shook her head.
"Why?"
"Saint Peter has picked the mortal."
"From your tone, I suspect it might be easier to convert the Devil than teach this person a lesson."
"You can do it, Lilli. I know you can."
"Who is my miracle?"
Florie stared at her bare toes. "The financier