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Authors: Christa J. Kinde
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small smile, he added, “However, you can rest assured that your Guardian knows his place.”
“Oh.” Quickly changing the subject, Prissie asked, “So dreams let you talk to each other when you’re apart, almost like cell phones?”
“I do not think technology can replicate the experience, but yes, we can reach out to each other across distances.”
“Does that mean you can hear Harken’s voice in your head?”
“I can, provided he has a message for me,” Kester replied. “In fact, he says the meal is ready.”
Right on cue, the dinner bell that hung just outside the kitchen door rang out, summoning everyone to the house.
Dinner was served family style, so after the respectful hush that settled while Jayce gave thanks for the meal, the kitchen burst into happy confusion. Exclamations and laughter rang out on every side as platters and bowls filled with home cooking made the rounds.
Koji was fairly bursting with happiness to be sharing the table with four of his teammates, and every so often, his fingertips tapped the back of Prissie’s hand. It was a habit he’d adopted in recent weeks whenever he wanted to catch her eye, and now she wondered if he was making do since he couldn’t send her the kinds of silent messages Kester had described. When she turned to see what he wanted, he rolled his eyes toward Baird, who was so engrossed in his conversation with Naomi that he passed everything on to Kester without taking any food. The redhead might have gone hungry if it wasn’t for his apprentice, who calmly filled both their plates.
By the time all the individual conversations ebbed and expanded to include everyone at the table, Prissie was feeling much more comfortable in her role as hostess. The four angels were teammates behind the scenes, but there was no need to hide the fact that they were good friends. Harken and Milo lived in neighboring apartments over The Curiosity Shop, and Baird and Kester led music at the DeeVee, where Milo attended midweek services. Their intertwined relationships seemed perfectly normal.
“Rehearsals start in a few weeks,” Grandpa Pete remarked. “You boys are helping out this year, right?”
Baird had just taken a huge bite of a potato roll, so he elbowed Kester, who promptly answered, “Yes, sir. The first rehearsal is the second week of October, and this year Baird is in charge of the band and orchestra.”
“So it’ll be
both
?” Pete asked, frowning slightly. Prissie knew her grandfather wasn’t very pleased that the committee had decided to mix things up this year by performing an updated arrangement of Handel’s
Messiah.
Despite assurances to the contrary, he was pretty sure their newfangled ideas were going to ruin his favorite part of the holiday season.
“Yes, sir,” Kester repeated politely. “The orchestra has been retained, but other non-period instruments have been added.”
Baird jumped in, excitedly explaining, “Choir members shouldn’t have any problem picking up the new arrangements. It’s the same old
Messiah
, but we played with the pacing.”
Tad surprised everyone by quietly interjecting, “I was thinking of maybe joining the choir this year.”
Grandpa Pete looked like Christmas had come early. “Good! That’s good, m’boy!”
Grandma Nell leaned forward to catch Neil’s eye and asked, “What about you? Your voice has settled.”
The sixteen-year-old’s face scrunched thoughtfully as he chewed, and Prissie suspected him of drawing out the suspense before he finally answered. “Guess so. If Tad does.”
“There’s a bunch of young people from the DeeVee that’ll be joining the choir this year, and every one of them is a first-timer,” Baird said with a sidelong glance in Grandpa’s direction. “They’ll be relying on those with more experience to learn their parts.” Pete harrumphed, and the redhead went on to reveal, “Milo’s a newbie, too.”
“How
wonderful
,” Grandma Nell enthused, passing the biscuit
“Oh.” Quickly changing the subject, Prissie asked, “So dreams let you talk to each other when you’re apart, almost like cell phones?”
“I do not think technology can replicate the experience, but yes, we can reach out to each other across distances.”
“Does that mean you can hear Harken’s voice in your head?”
“I can, provided he has a message for me,” Kester replied. “In fact, he says the meal is ready.”
Right on cue, the dinner bell that hung just outside the kitchen door rang out, summoning everyone to the house.
Dinner was served family style, so after the respectful hush that settled while Jayce gave thanks for the meal, the kitchen burst into happy confusion. Exclamations and laughter rang out on every side as platters and bowls filled with home cooking made the rounds.
Koji was fairly bursting with happiness to be sharing the table with four of his teammates, and every so often, his fingertips tapped the back of Prissie’s hand. It was a habit he’d adopted in recent weeks whenever he wanted to catch her eye, and now she wondered if he was making do since he couldn’t send her the kinds of silent messages Kester had described. When she turned to see what he wanted, he rolled his eyes toward Baird, who was so engrossed in his conversation with Naomi that he passed everything on to Kester without taking any food. The redhead might have gone hungry if it wasn’t for his apprentice, who calmly filled both their plates.
By the time all the individual conversations ebbed and expanded to include everyone at the table, Prissie was feeling much more comfortable in her role as hostess. The four angels were teammates behind the scenes, but there was no need to hide the fact that they were good friends. Harken and Milo lived in neighboring apartments over The Curiosity Shop, and Baird and Kester led music at the DeeVee, where Milo attended midweek services. Their intertwined relationships seemed perfectly normal.
“Rehearsals start in a few weeks,” Grandpa Pete remarked. “You boys are helping out this year, right?”
Baird had just taken a huge bite of a potato roll, so he elbowed Kester, who promptly answered, “Yes, sir. The first rehearsal is the second week of October, and this year Baird is in charge of the band and orchestra.”
“So it’ll be
both
?” Pete asked, frowning slightly. Prissie knew her grandfather wasn’t very pleased that the committee had decided to mix things up this year by performing an updated arrangement of Handel’s
Messiah.
Despite assurances to the contrary, he was pretty sure their newfangled ideas were going to ruin his favorite part of the holiday season.
“Yes, sir,” Kester repeated politely. “The orchestra has been retained, but other non-period instruments have been added.”
Baird jumped in, excitedly explaining, “Choir members shouldn’t have any problem picking up the new arrangements. It’s the same old
Messiah
, but we played with the pacing.”
Tad surprised everyone by quietly interjecting, “I was thinking of maybe joining the choir this year.”
Grandpa Pete looked like Christmas had come early. “Good! That’s good, m’boy!”
Grandma Nell leaned forward to catch Neil’s eye and asked, “What about you? Your voice has settled.”
The sixteen-year-old’s face scrunched thoughtfully as he chewed, and Prissie suspected him of drawing out the suspense before he finally answered. “Guess so. If Tad does.”
“There’s a bunch of young people from the DeeVee that’ll be joining the choir this year, and every one of them is a first-timer,” Baird said with a sidelong glance in Grandpa’s direction. “They’ll be relying on those with more experience to learn their parts.” Pete harrumphed, and the redhead went on to reveal, “Milo’s a newbie, too.”
“How
wonderful
,” Grandma Nell enthused, passing the biscuit
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