All Who Dream (Letting Go) Read Online Free PDF Page A

smelled of cherries and vanilla,
and though she was covered in wrinkles, her skin was perpetually soft like a
rose petal.
    She was
my mother’s grandmother, and she was also the one who had named me—Angela
Christine. My name meant messenger of God, or angel. She always spoke of
angels. Though my parents were too busy to be bothered with faith, my granny
was known for nothing else.
    During
her visits, I sat with her after my parents were in bed and listened to her
stories for hours on end. I would lay my head on her lap as she stroked my
hair. Her touch was a memory of affection I would hold near to my heart long
after she passed; affection was scare in our household.
    The
necklace was a tiny, gold pendant: angel wings that formed a heart.
    Granny
passed unexpectedly two days before my high school graduation. I didn’t receive
the necklace, though, for almost six months. The bequest had been missed during
the initial division of her estate and belongings.
    I’ll
never forget the day Dirk tossed a padded envelope on the counter like it was
nothing—like it meant nothing—though the packet had my name handwritten on the
front with my granny’s return address in the upper left hand corner. He knew
what she had meant to me. I’d been an emotional wreck the day of my
graduation—and consequently, during our elopement to Vegas the day after her
memorial service.
    The
envelope had been stamped, but never mailed. It was to be a graduation gift,
one that held unmatched significance. Though the little angel
wings were tarnished, the vintage piece was invaluable. Priceless. Irreplaceable.
      My granny had placed the necklace inside a
delicately folded piece of stationary. In her beautiful, shaky cursive, she had
written:
    My Dearest Angela,
    I was given this necklace on my wedding day
by your granddaddy. I wish you could have known him. He was my angel in
disguise. I pray this necklace provides you with strength and courage in the
same way it has for me.
    “For He will order His angels
to protect you wherever you go.”
    Psalms 91:11.
    I’ll love you always,
    Granny
    I had
repaired the fragile chain twice, but other than that, I had not taken it off.
The necklace was a part of me—Cody had never seen me without it.
    The
reflection of my necklace in the mirror brought me comfort in these new
surroundings. Dressed in black slacks, heels and a sleeveless, lavender blouse,
I applied my makeup with care, using brown eyeliner to accent my hazel eyes.
Leaving my blonde hair to fall below my shoulders, I assessed the woman that
was my reflection and decided that she was light-years ahead of the just-a-mom from the night prior.
    I’ll prove him wrong.
**********
    True to
her word, Pippy arrived with Walt and the car at nine
a.m. on the dot. The signing was to start at ten. Cody begged to sit up front next
to Walt’s in the driver’s seat, I agreed, and was relieved to see Pippy alone in the backseat of the town car—or at least
that’s what I told myself. As Walt opened the back door for
me, Pippy launched into a story, her hands in full
animation-mode. I decided right then that Rosie and Pippy should never meet. This world was not big enough to contain that much energy in
a single space.
    “Good
morning! I didn’t know how you liked your coffee…so I just took a stab at it.
Peter—my brother—says I’m the worst at ordering coffee because I only drink it
for the sugar, but I did my best at guessing what you’d like.” Her long, black eyelashes
fluttered excitedly as she held out the drink. Evidently, she was waiting for
an assessment—or an approval—I wasn’t sure which. I took a slow sip. Peter was
correct. It was like drinking hot, liquid sugar with a splash of coffee
flavoring.
    I forced a
swallow down.
    “Thank
you,” I said.
      “See…he doesn’t know what he’s talking about—I
thought we’d have similar tastes.”
    I grinned.
      “So, let’s see,” she hurried on, “today you
have this signing