Touched by Angels Page 0,94

to look."

When the bell rang her class filed out of the room with little of the enthusiasm they generally showed at the end of a day.

"Will you find out about Mike's funeral?" Emilio asked.

The other kids stopped and waited for Brynn to respond.

"We want to know," Yolanda said.

"I think it would help if we went."

There was a chorus of agreement.

"You were the only friends Mike had," Brynn said.

"It's too bad we didn't do a better job of it," Yolanda said just loudly enough for Brynn to hear.

Brynn left the school as soon as she could. She had Suzie's address with her and walked over to the teenager's apartment. The girl's mother greeted her at the door and was painfully polite as she ushered Brynn into the living room.

"Is Suzie home?" Brynn asked.

"No. She with Mike's mother."

Brynn studied the delicate Chinese woman who struggled with English. "My daughter has torn heart."

Brynn placed her hand over her own heart. It did indeed feel as if it had been torn. "Please tell Suzie that I'm looking for her."

"Yes. Thank you very much to coming." Her English was heavily accented and barely understandable.

Before she left, Brynn placed her hand on the other woman's shoulder. "Suzie is a wonderful girl. I feel honored to have been the teacher of such a fine student."

The delicate woman's eyes avoided Brynn's, but she thought she might have detected a smile.

When Brynn arrived at Mike's, his mother was at the funeral home, making the arrangements for her son's burial. Brynn left feeling as if she'd failed everyone. Mike. Suzie. His mother. Her students. Herself.

Her apartment was cold and bleak. She walked inside and stood in the dark, feeling as though she carried the burden of the world on her shoulders. With a heavy heart, she turned on the light switch and walked over to her desk.

It might have helped her had she been able to cry, but there were no tears left inside her. With a steady, sure hand, she wrote out her letter of resignation to give to Mr. Whalen in the morning. When school resumed after the first of the year, she wouldn't be there.

Roberto was right, and had been from the first, she realized. She didn't belong here. She'd failed Mike, but most of all she'd failed herself.

"She isn't actually going to quit, is she?" Mercy asked.

Shirley stood with her hand planted protectively over Brynn's shoulder. Mercy knew that her friend had been with her charge from the moment Brynn had learned about Mike's suicide.

"What happened with Mike wasn't her fault." Mercy wished there was something she could do. Poor Shirley was at a loss as to know how to help.

"I know."

Brynn leaned forward and pressed her forehead against her folded arms.

"Isn't there something we can do for you?" Mercy asked.

Shirley shook her head.

It was then that Mercy realized her friend was weeping. "Oh, Shirley."

"I'm sorry," the other angel said softly. "It's just that I can't bear to see Brynn feeling this defeated."

"What's going to happen?"

Shirley rubbed her hand under her nose. "I don't know. Gabriel's the one who can tell us that. But . . ."

"Yes?" Mercy prodded.

"I think it might be best if Brynn returned to Rhode Island."

Mercy was shocked. "But why?"

"She cares too much. If she'd had a more experienced angel assigned to help her . . ."

"You can't blame yourself," Mercy cried, outraged at the suggestion.

"She needs Roberto," Shirley added.

"Then let's get him," Mercy suggested. There were ways of dealing with stubborn men, and she wasn't opposed to using them. If Roberto Alcantara thought that he could trample over this sweet young woman's heart, well, there was a thing or two Mercy could teach that man. She'd take a great deal of pleasure in doing it, too.

"No," Shirley said with surprising strength. "Leave Roberto out of this."

"But - "

"He has what he wants."

"You're sure of that?" the strong male voice spoke from behind them.

"Gabriel." Mercy was quick to jump to attention.

"How's Jenny?" the archangel asked her.

Mercy brightened. "Great. At least she was the last time I checked. She was chosen for a major role in a new musical. It's the chance of a lifetime. She couldn't be more thrilled."

"What makes you think that?"

Mercy hesitated. This sounded like one of those trick questions. "I . . . I . . ."

"What happened to Trey? The last I heard he'd disappeared, and Jenny was looking for him. He'd checked out of the hotel by the time she arrived."

"Trey, well, that is a bit unfortunate."