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a dither. "It was a gang shooting . . . someone he didn't even know. We've got to get there."

"What about Brynn?" Mercy asked, following her friend.

"She's already at New York General with Roberto and his brother. Emilio's in a bad way."

"Oh my."

Together the three of them left Jenny and headed across town. They soon descended into the hospital waiting room where the situation was tense.

Emilio sat in the corner of the room, bent forward, his elbows braced against his knees. Shirley couldn't remember ever seeing the teenager look more stricken. Roberto sat next to his brother, and Brynn couldn't seem to hold still. She paced from one side of the room to the other.

Modesto's mother was weeping softly. His older sister had her arm around their mother, but she looked as though she were about to break into tears herself.

"They've been waiting two hours," Shirley informed her friends.

"What's taking so long?"

"Modesto's in surgery."

"How did something like this happen?" Mercy asked. In all the time they'd been working together, they'd never been a part of this kind of tragedy.

"I don't know what to do for them." Shirley turned to face her two friends. Always before she'd been the one with the most experience and the one the other two had looked up to for help. She looked desperately to Goodness for help.

"This is just terrible," Mercy murmured, wringing her hands. "Just terrible. Poor Modesto."

"Poor Brynn." Shirley stood near the young teacher and watched her pace. "She's nearly beside herself with worry."

"Stand with her," Goodness urged. "Give her your strength."

"Mine?" Shirley was beside herself. Never had she felt more inadequate. "Gabriel was right. I don't have nearly enough experience to help Brynn the way I should. She needs me and I've failed her."

Brynn collapsed into a chair, and Shirley sat next to her and folded her wing protectively over the young woman.

"Stay with her," Goodness suggested. "I'm going to find out what I can about Modesto's condition."

"I'll go with you," Mercy said, joining Goodness. "Don't you worry about a thing," she said, looking back at Shirley. "I'm sure everything's under control."

The last thing Shirley wanted was to be left alone. She ached the same way Brynn did, worried the same way Brynn did. She shared her charge's feelings of inadequacy. If ever Gabriel was right, it was now.

"Shirley."

Just thinking about him seemed to have conjured up the archangel.

"Gabriel," she said, leaping to attention.

"How are things going?" His presence seemed to fill up the hospital waiting room.

Shirley thought briefly of bluffing her way out of this, then figured Gabriel would be able to see through her in less time than it took for a heart to beat.

"It's about Modesto," she explained, distraught and near tears herself.

"I know all about the boy."

"Can you tell me what's going to happen to him?"

Gabriel inclined his head slightly. "He'll recover in time."

Shirley sighed with heartfelt relief. "Thank God."

"I'll mention it the next time we talk," Gabriel assured her.

Sheepishly Shirley looked to the mighty archangel. "You were right," she admitted sadly.

"That's always nice to know, but exactly what am I right about this time?"

"Me helping Brynn. She's falling in love with Roberto."

"So I understand."

Shirley waited for Gabriel to voice his disapproval, but he didn't.

"Mr. Whalen placed a formal reprimand in her file."

"I heard about that as well."

"Suzie's pregnant."

"Yes."

"Everything's one giant mess, and it's all my fault." She hung her head, not wanting to view the disappointment in Gabriel's eyes.

"Your fault?" Gabriel echoed, then chuckled softly. "You've got it all wrong." Gently he placed his wings around Shirley's burdened shoulders. "I couldn't be more proud had I trained you myself." He paused and sighed deeply. "Come to think of it, I have."

Chapter Thirteen

Hannah returned home from an errand her mother had sent her on, and hurried up the stairs to her family's living quarters. She hadn't taken more than a few steps into their apartment when aunts, uncles, cousins, and her beloved grandmother shouted, "Surprise!"

Hannah blinked back her shock. She stared at the sea of faces and noticed Carl's parents were present as well. Ruth rushed forward and hugged Hannah enthusiastically.

"It's an engagement party," her mother announced when Hannah stared at her, unable to disguise her anxiety.

Hannah looked at Carl, who was thrust into the middle of the room with her. She hadn't seen him since he'd confessed that he'd been fired.

Admitting to his family that he'd lost his job would have mortified Carl. Hannah might never have learned the truth had she not arrived unexpectedly on