CHAPTER 12

To Aiden's parents, the hours passed slowly as there seemed to be no clues about the boy's disappearance. To the police, however, every minute represented a small defeat in the fight for a child's life and they knew they could easily lose this battle.

What everyone ignored, though, was the grieving of two children who could not fully understand how evil the adults' world could be. The door to Aiden's room had been left ajar and for the last couple of hours no one had crossed that border. When Monica slowly pulled it open, her first impression was of an empty room. But she could detect an aching heart not far from her and had to give just a few steps to find a weeping 12-year-old boy sitting on the floor, knees drawn up to his chest and a hopeless expression written on his face.

"Aiden once told me that you taught him to rollerblade. He looks up to his older brother very much." She spoke.

"Our father taught me when I was little. But then he got too busy to teach Aiden."

The Irish angel knelt down next to him and waited until he could look at her. And so much sadness at such a tender age broke her angelic heart.

"And you did a great job, Josh. Look what a talented rollerblader your brother has become!"

That remark elicited a bittersweet smile from the boy. "He's better than me, actually.." He spoke, but then his eyes were suddenly filled with tears. "But I never told him that… Will I ever get the chance to tell him, Monica?"

Deeply moved, and feeling the presence of tears herself, the angel inched closer and offered him a warm embrace. "There are people looking for your brother right now, Josh. Good and brave men who are determined to bring him back to your family where he belongs."

"What if they don't find him?"

Closing her eyes, Monica lifted a silent prayer so she could find the right answer to that question. Then, she pulled away and cupped his cheek with tenderness. "Do you remember when we visited that church a few days ago, when we were coming back from the park? Do you remember that lovely music?"

He nodded, not fully understanding why she was asking him that.

"Do you know why those people were singing and playing? Or why that beautiful building was constructed so many years ago?"

"No…"

"Because they believe in a higher power. A loving Father who is always ready to help those in need at difficult times."

"You mean God?"

A hint of a smile appeared on her face. "That is what most people call Him."

"Do you think He can help my brother?"

"I have no doubt that He has sent his messengers to help find Aiden. And we must have faith that those messengers are putting all their effort to accomplish this assignment."

The boy looked at her for long moments, pondering about her words and trying to understand why her presence was suddenly so warm and conveyed so much hope. "I believe you."

"And I am happy that you do, because there is somebody else who could use some encouragement himself and I think you are the right person for the job!"

He knew who she was talking about. "Dad doesn't need anybody but his job."

"This is not true, Josh. He is suffering exactly the same way you are, but with the extra burden to carry the guilt for not being here when your brother was taken. It's such a heavy burden for a human being to carry."

"I don't think he's suffering."

"If he wasn't, then why would he be sitting in the study all by himself holding Aiden's rollerblades and crying?"

Those few words had an impact on him as his eyes grew wide with surprise. "He is?"

"Yes. And with your mother watching over wee Jane there is no one to comfort him right now but you."

Shaken by the impact of those words, the boy rose to his feet and left his room towards the study, where his father used to spend the hours he stayed home working in his projects. There was just a few sunrays coming from outside shining on the carpet, but Josh could easily make out his father sitting by the window and holding his brother's favorite toy, just like Monica had said. Slowly, he approached the man and saw the tears in his eyes – an image of a father he had never seen before.

"Son…"

"Dad…"

"I'm so sorry… So sorry for everything I didn't do…" his voice was hoarse with emotion and it brought tears to the boy's eyes. A moment later, father and son held each other in a tight embrace and cried together.

Unseen to the human eye, another angel watched the moving scene. Tess lifted a prayer of thanks before her friend and co-worker appeared next to her, also in angelic form.

"I didn't think there would be a moment of happiness in between all this pain, Tess." Monica spoke, her own eyes filled with tears.

The supervisor nodded her head. "But I knew you'd do it, baby. From the start I knew you were the right angel for the job."

"They still have so much to face."

"It's true, but your assignment here is accomplished."

Monica turned her eyes from Mr Clark and Josh to stare at her friend with surprise. "But Aiden…"

"Finding Aiden is Andrew's mission. Yours was to reestablish love and mend father and son relationship."

"Andrew… he is devastated. It's one of the hardest assignments he has ever had in his existence." There was so much sadness in her voice and Tess knew how true those words were.

"It is a moment to pray, baby. For that little boy and for Andrew to find him and bring him back to this family."

"It's what I've been doing, Tess. Begging the Father to guide him."