early today.
Angel moved quickly to their current resting place. With merely a thought of the clouds they’d slept in last night, she was somehow transported right to the spot. Thank goodness, since the winds had moved the clouds pretty far south today. It had taken her weeks to find this particular set of clouds, two in all, with a special curve at the base. This set was perfect, at least for the time being—but eventually all clouds evaporate.
Angel lay back in the middle of the formation, at the softest peak. She took a single scoop off of the far edge of the cloud and ran it through her long brown hair imagining the shine it would make. Longing for an ice cream, she closed her eyes and licked the side of her vanilla cloud. No taste, no feeling, all was the same.
She curled up in a fetal position and closed her eyes. The need to sleep was a trait that had transferred with her into this existence. After the day’s events, Angel was physically drained—another memory but maybe not an impossibility, she thought as she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
“Wake up, my Angel, wake up.” Angel’s body shook from a gentle push on her shoulder and a voice that didn’t sound like Belle, or Kail. She stretched her arms out and turned on her side.
“Angel. Wake up,” the male voice said.
A male voice?! Angel bolted straight up into a sitting position on the cloud. “Who’s there?”
“It’s me. Your dad,” the man answered.
He sat on the far edge of the cloud dressed in blue-stripped pajama bottoms and a sleeveless T-shirt. His right leg hung over the side of the cloud. He smiled and his bright white teeth glowed against his warm-brown skin. The man was older. Though he had a full head of wavy dark hair, it was speckled with an occasional gray hair, and the thin mustache on his upper lip had gone almost completely gray. Although he frightened Angel at the suddenness of his appearance, he also captivated her with his beauty.
“It’s been a long, long time, Angela,” the man said.
Angel squinted and rubbed her eyes; maybe she was dreaming.
“No, I’m really here. And, I’m there, too.” The man pointed down. “By the way, this is a fantastic view.”
“Who are you?” Angel’s heart-memory pounded down to her toes. “Where are my pups?”
“I didn’t see any pups, although you’ve always had a thing for dogs. Do you remember? The neighbor’s dog … well, any dog. They all loved you.” Her strange visitor took a deep breath. “Your mother had some dogs before she met me … Wow, it feels good to feel good.” He held his arms up to the sky and closed his eyes.
“How’d you get here? Who are you?” Angel was amazingly calm about this invasion of her cloud. She sensed no danger from this man. And though he could be her father, yes, she had no memory of him.
“I’m not sure how I got here,” he said. He smiled and continued, “As I told you, I’m your father. I came to take you home, where you belong.”
“Who am I?” Angel asked.
“After today you know who you are, and I’m going to help you remember the rest.” He stood up and the white, pillowy formation shifted.
“Be careful with moving too fast,” Angel warned him. “We don’t weigh anything right now, but these vapors somehow sense our beings. We might fall out if you don’t relax.”
He laughed. “My Angel, always following the rules. You’re a good kid.”
His eyes sparkled as he looked at Angel. “I’m so happy to see you.”
She felt uncomfortable with his intense inspection, as if he were soaking up every detail of her being, from her face to her inner soul.
“What are you looking at?” Angel’s voice sounded strange, as if a bratty child had taken over her vocal cords.
“Okay, I’m sorry. I want to remember you forever. Something I forgot to do when we were down there. I love you, Angela. And I’ve missed you.” The man blinked his eyes.
“My name is Angel,” she whispered. “Tell me how you
Angel moved quickly to their current resting place. With merely a thought of the clouds they’d slept in last night, she was somehow transported right to the spot. Thank goodness, since the winds had moved the clouds pretty far south today. It had taken her weeks to find this particular set of clouds, two in all, with a special curve at the base. This set was perfect, at least for the time being—but eventually all clouds evaporate.
Angel lay back in the middle of the formation, at the softest peak. She took a single scoop off of the far edge of the cloud and ran it through her long brown hair imagining the shine it would make. Longing for an ice cream, she closed her eyes and licked the side of her vanilla cloud. No taste, no feeling, all was the same.
She curled up in a fetal position and closed her eyes. The need to sleep was a trait that had transferred with her into this existence. After the day’s events, Angel was physically drained—another memory but maybe not an impossibility, she thought as she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
“Wake up, my Angel, wake up.” Angel’s body shook from a gentle push on her shoulder and a voice that didn’t sound like Belle, or Kail. She stretched her arms out and turned on her side.
“Angel. Wake up,” the male voice said.
A male voice?! Angel bolted straight up into a sitting position on the cloud. “Who’s there?”
“It’s me. Your dad,” the man answered.
He sat on the far edge of the cloud dressed in blue-stripped pajama bottoms and a sleeveless T-shirt. His right leg hung over the side of the cloud. He smiled and his bright white teeth glowed against his warm-brown skin. The man was older. Though he had a full head of wavy dark hair, it was speckled with an occasional gray hair, and the thin mustache on his upper lip had gone almost completely gray. Although he frightened Angel at the suddenness of his appearance, he also captivated her with his beauty.
“It’s been a long, long time, Angela,” the man said.
Angel squinted and rubbed her eyes; maybe she was dreaming.
“No, I’m really here. And, I’m there, too.” The man pointed down. “By the way, this is a fantastic view.”
“Who are you?” Angel’s heart-memory pounded down to her toes. “Where are my pups?”
“I didn’t see any pups, although you’ve always had a thing for dogs. Do you remember? The neighbor’s dog … well, any dog. They all loved you.” Her strange visitor took a deep breath. “Your mother had some dogs before she met me … Wow, it feels good to feel good.” He held his arms up to the sky and closed his eyes.
“How’d you get here? Who are you?” Angel was amazingly calm about this invasion of her cloud. She sensed no danger from this man. And though he could be her father, yes, she had no memory of him.
“I’m not sure how I got here,” he said. He smiled and continued, “As I told you, I’m your father. I came to take you home, where you belong.”
“Who am I?” Angel asked.
“After today you know who you are, and I’m going to help you remember the rest.” He stood up and the white, pillowy formation shifted.
“Be careful with moving too fast,” Angel warned him. “We don’t weigh anything right now, but these vapors somehow sense our beings. We might fall out if you don’t relax.”
He laughed. “My Angel, always following the rules. You’re a good kid.”
His eyes sparkled as he looked at Angel. “I’m so happy to see you.”
She felt uncomfortable with his intense inspection, as if he were soaking up every detail of her being, from her face to her inner soul.
“What are you looking at?” Angel’s voice sounded strange, as if a bratty child had taken over her vocal cords.
“Okay, I’m sorry. I want to remember you forever. Something I forgot to do when we were down there. I love you, Angela. And I’ve missed you.” The man blinked his eyes.
“My name is Angel,” she whispered. “Tell me how you
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