The angel's creation took hours of attentive work, but the day before the deadline, he stood every bit complete. His arms stretched high and determined; he held the trumpet high in the sign of jubilation.
And her angel won. Tanya poured her tea, breathed deep of the aroma, and listened to the applause in her mind from the audience of long ago. Her angel won her more than a contest, more than praise. He won her a teacher. Her arts teacher, a young man in a wheelchair, chose to teach her over the entire summer. She learned the rudiments of painting, the secrets and crafts of drawing, and left her loneliness behind in paper, paints, and work.
Tanya sipped her tea, still wandering in the past.
"Is there enough for me in there?"
Startled, Tanya jumped and nearly dumped the tea pot. "Judith! I didn't expect you until tomorrow. I'm so glad to see you." She hugged the taller, slender woman, and was hugged in return.
Judith poured herself a cup of tea and sat at the table. "I left early. Didn't bother with the going-home party. I thought you might need some company." She grinned, flashed her perfect white teeth. Her huge brown eyes showed signs of exhaustion.
"You must have been driving for hours. But thank God you're here. I doubt if I'd ever get back to sleep tonight, if you weren't. What time is it?" Tanya glanced at the kitchen clock.
"Just a bit after midnight," Judith replied. "So, what's keeping you awake? Bad dreams, or hearing noises in a strange house?" She paused to swallow her tea in two gulps, then poured another cup. "I felt terrible I couldn't be here for you when you needed me, but I would have lost the opportunity to work with this new high-profile agency." She looked thoughtful. "Perhaps they'll be of use to you, eventually."
"I understand, truly," Tanya said. "I'm just so glad you're here now. Judith, I'm concerned. Detective Warner told me to leave the area. What do you think?"
"That's not good," Judith said, her brows creased in a frown. "Warner doesn't scare easily. If he said that, he has to have a good reason, and more than he's told you."
"What?"
"I have no idea," Judith replied, shaking her head, "and I doubt if he would tell me, either, since I plan on leaving for good."
"Where are you going? Are you going far away?" Tanya asked, a twinge of fear washing over her.