The Angel

Walking silently through a crowd of people, just north of Times Square, a beautiful young woman stops dead in her tracks. Amid the clamor of many voices chattering on cell phones or hailing taxi cabs, one voice floats across the throng, to reach her ears.

A young boy speaks to his friend, "I don't know when I will see my dad again. My mother says we might not ever go back, but I don't believe her -- I know he wants to us to come home. "

As the boy and his friend pass the woman, a packet falls out of his school books. The woman picks it up, taps the boy on the shoulder and hands it back to him. After thanking her, the boy and his friend move on, heading toward their Manhattan apartments.

Later that evening, someone knocks on a sad and lonely man's front door. When he looks through the peep hole, he sees the most beautiful woman he has ever set eyes on. She has ebony black hair, palest white skin that seems to glow in the dim light of dusk, and wears a white dress that looks like she just stepped out of a painting. Her eyes are the clearest shade of blue, and as he looks into them they seem to pierce his very soul.

"Yes? May I help you?" He asks as he loosens the bolts and chains on his apartment door... But when the door opens there is no one there. Looking down in surprise at the stoop that had just been occupied by the mysterious young lady, he sees a large white envelope.

An address is written on the outside. When he breaks the seal, he finds a photograph of his son who has been missing for nearly 3 months. Feeling numb with disbelief, he hurries to the phone and calls the police.

Later as he frantically paces his living room floor, the phone rings. “Mr. Lyons? We have wonderful new for you. Can you please come to the police station? ”

Lyons looks up and sees the beautiful young woman again. She is standing in the hallway just outside, and she has tears of joy running down her cheeks. She smiles at him, a smile so sweet it breaks his heart. Then she waves, turns and walks toward the exit stairs.

Just before she reaches the door, soft, iridescent wings ripple out across her shoulders, and spread up toward the ceiling. She turns and smiles at him one more time, then walks through the door and disappears.

Mr. Lyons and his son never forgot the angel they both met on that marvelous day that they were re-united. They play in the park together, read together and do many things they missed out on before.

James’ mother, who had been addicted to drugs until that same day, tells the other re-hab patients about a beautiful young woman who touched her shoulder, whispered words of hope and wisdom, and changed her life forever…