A beautiful angel sat upon a cloud
in heaven, looking down at life on Earth. She noticed
a mother, who cried as she fell to her knees in
prayer. "Oh Lord, please, don't take my son away from
me!" The mother's five year old son was dying in the
hospital bed beside her of a very rare heart
condition. As the little boy clinged on for dear
life, his mother was sadly accepting the truth. Her
own son was dying before her eyes and there was
nothing she could do about it. Nothing but pray, that
is.
God saw the angel, and he heard the
helpless mother's plea for help. God said, " I will
not take him yet." He then called the angel to him.
"Go down to Earth and comfort his mother" He said.
"You will be his guardian angel. Watch over him.
Listen to him when he prays at night. Help him to
become a child of God." Smiling, the angel nodded and
flew down to the hospital bed to him.
The years passed, and it wasn't long
before he was a young man. He was very happy and
content with his life. His heart hadrecovered, his
singing career was finally starting to take off, and
he was in a great relationship with his long-time
girlfriend, Samantha. [Unable to display image]
And God was pleased with the wonderful job that the
angel had been doing. The young man remained faithful
to God, and he tried his best every day to live his
life as a good person.
Time went on, and just when he
thought his life couldn't get any better, it
happened. It was about ten at night when his phone
rang. It was Samantha. "I don't want to go out with
you anymore..."
There were no words to express the
pain that he felt. The constant pain. Night after
night, he lay awake, crying "Oh Lord, my heart may be
physi cally healthy, but emotionally, I feel like I'm
dying all over again." Night after night, he told God
how he felt it unfair that he could never find a true
love. Night after night, the angel sat at his
bedside, and listened to his cries. He was such a
good soul, and he deserved to be happy. She wanted to
tell him so many things, but she couldn't. An angel
could only talk to a human in their dreams.
One night, he locked himself in his
room, and listened to sad music until he fell asleep.
Once she was certain that he was in a deep dreaming
state of mind, the angel lay beside him and began to
caress his forehead, although he couldn't feel a
thing. "Why are you so sad?" she asked him. "Because
I want to be in love" he said. "I want someone to be
in love with who loves me," he said. The angel gazed
at his sleeping face adoringly. "One day, you will
find true love" she said. "I promise." He didn't
reply, but proceeded into his deep sleep. The angel
lay there, watching him for a while, and gave him a
delicate kiss.
A few days later, she flew up to
Heaven to speak with God. "Lord, I need to speak with
you about something," she said. "You have fallen in
love with him," God said. "Yes," she said. "He is a
beautiful person, Lord. And I know that it's not
supposed to happen. I was only supposed to guide him.
Angels aren't supposed to fall in love with humans.
But I can't even to uch him, and it's tearing me
apart. Not only do I want to help guide his life,
Lord, but I want to be with
him. Sharing his life with him and being by his side.
I really do love him." After a moment of
silence, God said "I know you do. And that is why
I have decided I am going to make you human. You will
have all the human traits and qualities, but you will
have to sacrifice all of the angelic powers which you
have had in the past. You can no longer hear his
thoughts, his prayers, or speak to him in his dreams.
In being human you will have to take control of all
your own actions. You will not be able to fly into
the heavens as you please, for now you will have to
pray as a human. The decision is yours, and once you
have made it there is no turning back.
You will be a human for the rest of your lifetime.
However, if you decide to stay in the heavens for
eternity, that is your choice as well. And life on
Earth is not easy. There is a lot of violence,
hatred, and misery on Earth. It is far from the
Heaven you know. It is a difficult decision fair
angel, but one only you can make."
She smiled. "Then it is my will," she said. "Make me
a human, my Lord, for I am hopelessly in love with
this man." "As you wish," God said. "Good luck, my
child."
She landed outside of a movie set in
Orlando, Florida. She stood up, looking around,
unsure of where she was. She looked down at her
outfit. She was wearing a pair of blue jeans with a
white tank top. Over it was a white, fitted cotton
pullover, which helped to shut out the breeze. Her
long, pin-straight blond hair fell down her back, and
it looked like satin as the wind played with it. Her
bright blue eyes sparkled behind a pair of
pink-lensed sunglasses. She looked around at the
buildings and people that surrounded her. The Florida
sun shone brightly on the city, and the world was a
beautiful place.
[Unable to display image]
"Leighanne! Leighanne!" a voice
called from behind her. She began to look through her
pocketbook and took out her wallet. "Leighanne!" the
voice called louder. Suddenly, she felt a tap on her
shoulder. She spun her head around to see a
beautiful young black woman. "What are you, dea f?"
she asked. "You are Leighanne Wallace, aren't you?"
the woman asked. She stared at her, then looked down
at the driver's license in her wallet. "Yeah-yeah
that's me," she said. The woman smiled. "I'm Fatima,
the choreographer,"she said shaking her hand. "Look I
didn't mean to snap at you, it's just that things are
so hectic with the video today. We want to get this
done, and it's been hard enough trying to get all the
actresses together. You'd better hurry up, the hair
and make-up call was fifteen minutes ago." With that,
she left. Leighanne smiled. "I'm an actress?" she
said.
"And...action!", the director said.
The group of beautiful women, including Leighanne,
walked in through the doors at the director's cue.
The Backstreet Boys were taking a break and Brian and
Nick were playing basketball on the set of their
newest video, "As Long As You Love Me". "Wow, I don't
know who to choose," AJ told Howie and Kevin as they
sat in two chairs nearby. This comment caught Nick
and Brian's attention. "The brunette is kinda cute",
Nick suggested. Brian dropped the basketball at the
sight of Leighanne. "Who is she?" he asked. " She's
hot isn't she?" AJ said. "I think she's a model or
something.
Later on, AJ was trying to strike up
a conversation with Leighanne. "So, are you seeing
anyone?" he asked. "No," she said. She kept looking
over his shoulder at Brian. She didn't mean to be
rude, but she couldn't take her eyes off him. "I'm
not seeing anyone either," AJ continued. "Oh," she
said, still gazing at Brian. AJ spun his head around
to see what she was staring at. When he saw Brian, he
caught on instantly. He grinned, and faced Leighanne
again. "If there weren't so many hearts coming out of
your head, I'd proceed to hit on you," he said, "But
Brian's one of my best friends." Leighanne felt
herself blushing. "What? There are not hearts coming
out of my head!" "Yeah, OK, and I don't like to wear
sunglasses," he said walking away.
Later on, things weren't any less
hectic. "Cut!" the director yelled. He pointed to
Leighanne. "You, miss. Is this your first time
acting?" Leighanne looked back at the many pairs of
eyes that stared at her. "No sir," she said. He
frowned. "Well, you could've fooled me. Take a five
minute break." He turned to the rest of the set. "I
wanna see everyone back here in five minutes. Not a
second more!"
Leighanne sighed and walked out into
the parking lot. She sat down. Leaning against the
wall of the building, she hugged her knees and put
her head down. "Oh Lord," she prayed. "You were right
when you said that I wasn't ready for the world. I
understand that I can't go back, but I have never
felt such loneliness before. Please God, send me a
sign of your love and blessing, to help guide me."
Almost as quickly as she had made her
request, she heard a noise. A faint little bark in
fact. She lifted her head up to see a tiny chiuwawa
dog, who looked lost and was trotting towards her.
"Hey little guy," she said lifting him up, "Where did
you come from, huh?" She sat indian-style and placed
him in her lap. He barked again and licked her nose,
making her giggle. "Oh, I see," she said, "The Lord
does work in mysterious ways doesn't he?" The puppy
began to play with the laces of her boots, and she
laughed.
"He's cute," she heard a voice say.
She peered up, shielding her eyes from the sun. And
there he was. The person who she had watched and
guided for almost all his life. And there he stood
right before her, as a grown man, speaking to her.
Person to person.
"I'm Brian," he said smiling as he
kneeled down beside her. "Leighanne." "Is he yours?"
he asked. "Yeah," she said. "What's his name?"
Leighanne tensed up. "Uh, his name?" "Yeah," Brian
said, "His name.
You know, the word you call really loud when you
want him to come to you?" Leighanne looked around,
not catching on to Brian's sarcasm. She noticed a big
white truck on the other side of the parking lot,
which was used for transporting large pieces of
equipment for the set. On its side, in bright green
letters read 'Tyke's Transportation Inc.' "Tyke,"she
said, "His name's Tyke." "Cute name," he said.
"Yeah," she said. "I thought it up a while ago." "I
meant yours," Brian said. Leighanne blushed. "You're
a beautiful lady, Leighanne," he said. She smiled at
him.
Suddenly they heard the director's
call to the set. Brian extended his elbow to her.
"Shall we?" he asked. She laughed and linked her arm
in his, and still carrying her new puppy in her
other, they headed onto the set.
When the director saw them, he
frowned at Leighanne. "There are no dogs allowed on
the set" he said. "I don't remember hearing any
restrictions like that," Brian said, defending her.
"We can't have animals running around causing trouble
when we're trying to work" the director insisted.
"Then I'll hold him," Brian said carefully picking up
Tyke and holding him. The director stormed away,
furious, knowing that Brian had more power and
control than he did. Brian turned to Leighanne.
"Listen, don't let him get to you, ok? He always
stresses out making these videos for us. If he tends
to act like a moron, just don't take offense to it.
He kissed her forehead. I think you're doing great."
He then walked away, Tyke in arms, so that Leighanne
and the other girls could film their scene.
Later that night, Brian took Leighanne out
to dinner. When the night was coming to an end, Brian
walked her to her doorstep. "I had an excellent time
tonight Brian, thank you," she said. "Leighanne?",
Brian said taking her hand innocently, "I know this
sounds crazy, but I feel like I've known you for a
really long time." She let out a little chuckle and
looked down. "No. No, that doesn't sound crazy at
all," she said. "So, where did you say you were from
again?," he asked. "Oh, up north... really, really up
north." "Oh," he said, confused. "Goodnight," he said
leaning in and kissing her tenderly. "You have no
idea how long I have been waiting for that," she
said. He smiled. "All day?" She laughed. Brian gazed
into her sparkling bright blue eyes. "You are a
mysterious lady, Miss Leighanne," he said "But that's
only one of the reasons that I'm falling so hard for
you. I hope I will hear from you soon." She brushed
her fingertips delicately along the sides of his
face. "There isn't a doubt in my mind," she assured
him.
The months passed, and everyone
noticed a change in Brian. Although he was always a
rather happy man, ever since Leighanne had entered
his life, it was obvious that he was much, much
happier. Brian and Leighanne were crazy about each
other and everyone knew it. And together, nothing
could stop them. The Backstreet Boys had achieved
amazing worldwide success, and Leighanne was getting
movie offers left and right. The two even got a house
together, just a small little cozy place away from
all the chaos that they could call home. It was
perfect for the three of them. Brian, Leighanne, and
of course-Tyke.
It was rare to see Leighanne at all
without Tyke. With the busy schedules of Brian and
herself, being apart from him wasn't so bad as long
as Tyke was there. Not only was Tyke good company
when Brian wasn't there, but he was a special gift to
her from God, and her only reminder of her life as an
angel. Her life as an angel which no one could ever
find out about. Not even Brian, the man that she
loved with all her heart. But little did she know
what was going on in Brian's mind, which was a
disadvantage to her, now a human. Because if
Leighanne had any idea of what was going on in
Brian's mind, if she still had those angelic powers
which she once possessed, she may very well be in
fear. Because Brian wasn't oblivious to what was
going on. He knew that there was something about
Leighanne that she wasn't telling him.
About a year and a half later, they
were still going strong. Brian was seldom seen
without Leighanne by his side, and it wasn't long
before rumors of marriage were all over the media.
Not that it was something that hadn't crossed their
minds, but their lives were just too hectic to even
think about planning a wedding. And there was no
rush. They knew they were in love, and that was all
that mattered.
One night, it was the first time in a
long time that they the both of them had the night
off, and they decided to spend their evening together
at home, just enjoying each other's company.
"Leighanne, there's something that
you need to know," Brian said. "When Samantha broke
up with me, I didn't think that I would ever move on.
I thought for sure that I would never love
again...and then I met you. And now,
well, I'm scared. Because I have never loved anyone
in my life as much as I love you, and if ever we
should break up, I'm not sure if I can handle being
hurt like that all over again." She smiled at him
affectionally, and took his hands in her own. "Brian,
people do crazy things to be with the one they love.
And sometimes...they have to make sacrifices. And
although I cannot explain to you, all you need to
know is that our love is real, and I wouldn't dream
of having it any other way. So rest assured my love,
because there is nothing in this world that could
tear us apart."
He looked at her. "But that's just
it, Leighanne. This constant sheild you have over
your past is what has created this gap between us.
Don't you understand that I love you with everything
I have in me, and the fact that you have left me in
the dark to your past is tearing me apart? All the
beauty in your life that has created you into the
wonderful person that you are. I just can't
comprehend how a woman who has so much to offer
insists on hiding her past. You tell me you love me
Leighanne, yet after nearly two years, sometimes I
still feel like I don't even know you. Whatever it is
that you're ashamed of, I promise I'll forgive you, I
just wish that you would trust me."
"Brian, I do love you. But there are
things about me that you just can't know, and I'm
sorry."
Brian sighed, and turning away he
put his head in his hands. Seeing him like this tore
Leighanne apart, but she knew she must be loyal to
God before she was loyal to anyone else, and that was
something that Brian was just going to have to
accept, even if he didn't fully understand it.
Leighanne tried to remember that the good Lord always
found a solution to very situation, no matter how
difficult.
She walked over to him. "One day
Brian, you will understand." She leaned forward and
whispered in his ear. "I promise." Brian pulled away
as if her touch had burned him. Many flashbacks began
to race through his mind.
"What did you just say?" he asked her. She looked
confused, and a little nervous. "I-I said that one
day you will understand," she said. "No no no", he
said quickly. "After that." She raised an eyebrow. "
I promise?" she guessed. "Yes!" he said. He stared at
her smiling. "How stupid I was for not realizing it
sooner! I mean, sure there were bits and pieces here
and there that were hints, but-well for some reason
it wasn't until now that I realized..."
Leighanne felt fear overwhelm her.
"Honey, what on Earth are you talking about?" she
said, forcing out a little laugh. He hugged her
tightly.
"Oh Leighanne, don't you understand? There's no
need to hide it anymore. Because I've got it all
figured out now." She put her hand on her forehead.
"Well now that you've got it all figured out, you
mind explaining it to me? Because quite frankly I
don't have the slightest clue what you're rambling on
about!"
Brian looked at her, disappointed.
"You don't?" he said softly. She shook her head. He
tried to elaborate. "My room as a kid? The tapes I
used to fall asleep listening to when I was a
teenager? My dreams? None of that rings a bell to
you?" She stared at him blankly. "Guess not." he
said. "Sweetheart, I only met you about two years
ago. Why in the world would I remember things like
that?" she said. "I know" Brian said, "It's just-Oh
never mind. I'd feel dumb explaining it now." She
laughed. "Brian Thomas Littrell, your friends tell me
all the time that you're crazy, and I may just be
starting to believe it." He pulled her closer to him.
"But that's why you love me," he said innocently
kissing her. "There's many reasons why I love you,"
she said smiling up at him. "Too many to name."
[Unable to display image] Later that
night, Brian and Leighanne were snuggled close on the
couch watching Romeo and Juliet. Leighanne felt
content curled up there with Brian. His gentle
fingertips caressed her forehead delicately, as she
snuggled in closer to him, breathing in the scent of
his cologne. There was nowhere else in the world that
could possibly make her any happier than safe in
Brian's arms.
The movie was up to the costume party
scene, where Juliet was dressed as an angel, and
Romeo was a knight, and they saw each other for the
very first time. "That must have been my expression
the first time that I saw you," Brian said. "You're
my Juliet." Feeling a little tired, Leighanne allowed
her eyelids to close. "And you're my Romeo," she said
grinning. "So tell me, my Juliet, is Heaven really
missing an angel?" he asked. "Nah. It's so busy up
there it's ridiculous," she said. Brian stood up
before her, smiling and folding his arms. She gasped
and jumped up. "I mean, I've heard that heaven is
probably like that," she said, trying to save
herself. He continued to grin. "Gotcha." he said. "Oh
no," she said leaning back and hiding her face with
her hands. "You are her!" he exclaimed. "I knew it!
Why didn't you tell me?" Leighanne felt overwhelmed
with fear, and a bit light-headed.
"Brian, I..." she sighed and looked down. "I am
afraid I have betrayed the Lord. I... I can't see you
anymore. I'm sorry." Her eyes began to fill with
tears. "I'm so sorry." With that she turned and began
to walk away. "Leighanne," Brian said, his voice
almost a whisper. He tried to grab her arm to make
her stay. "Don't touch me" she said. Looking into his
sad eyes, she felt a tear roll down her cheek.
"Goodbye Brian." she said softly. She turned and
walked out the front door of their house before he
had a chance to respond. She didn't look back,
because she knew that he was watching her. She
couldn't bear to see that look of sadness in his eyes
again.
Leighanne ran down the road, with no
destination but to be as far away from her home as
possible. But no matter how far she walked, she
couldn't escape the pain and the guilt that followed
her. Tears blurred her vision as she scurried down
the road. The only sounds that she heard were her
boots scraping against the pavement, and her own
staggered breathing. She ran and ran until she felt
as if her legs were going to collapse underneath her.
She came to a park a few blocks away. It certainly
looked different after dark. The swings were still
and lifeless. And if it weren't for the reflection of
the pale moonlight, the tall silver slide would've
been forgotten altogether. Leighanne headed for a
bench, the thick white sand slowing her pace. She sat
down on the oak bench and began to cry even harder
than she had before. Hot tears streamed down her
face, one after another, and her body trembled. "Oh
Lord, please forgive me!" she pleaded. "I will never
speak to him again, my Lord, just give me your
mercy!" But it was hopeless. She was only a human.
She fell to her knees onto the sand beneath her, and
allowed her tears to roll off of her face and seep
into the thighs of her denim pants.
"What are you doing?" she heard a
voice ask. She spun her head around left and right,
only to find herself still alone. "Over here, my
child," the voice said. She looked up at the sky,
noticing among the stars one in peticular which shone
so very brightly amidst the rest. "Lord?" she asked,
squinting her eyes and slowly standing up. "Yes, my
fair one." He said, "What on Earth have you done?"
Leighanne was confused. "Father, I have betrayed you.
The one simple favor which you have asked of me, to
not reveal my past to anyone. Brian has discovered
the truth my Lord, and I am afraid I have betrayed
your trust. I understand that I must now be forever
punished." "My child, you are mistaken," the Lord
said. "For I am not upset with you at all."
"You're not?" she asked surprised. "No. For you and
your love have both remained faithful followers of
Me, which, sadly, is very rare in humans today. My
child, you did not tell Brian, he discovered it on
his own. Which would not have happened if it weren't
for him adoring your every move and word. Do not
destroy this beautiful thing in which you have worked
so hard to create. You must have faith in your love,
as you have faith in Me." "So, where do I go from
here?" she asked. "Follow your heart." He said. She
nodded. Suddenly, she heard a faint little bark and a
small figure trotted towards her. "Tyke!" she
exclaimed, picking him up. She kissed him sweetly,
and he licked her face happily. "C'mon," she said.
"Let's go home." "Thank you, my Lord," she said.
"There is one more thing which you should know." God
said. "Yes?"she asked. "In your life, there are going
to be people who have a strong disliking towards you.
They will say and do things which will hurt your
feelings terribly. Do not get defensive, no matter
how painful these remarks are. Instead of stating the
truth in what they are saying, try to understand why
they are saying these things. One thing which humans
can't quite comprehend, is that when one has such
little love in their life, they tend to reflect their
pain as hatred towards those who have found happiness
in their lives. They do this in hopes to make
themselves feel satisfied, in hurting others. This is
so common on Earth, that it is hardly noticeable
anymore. So, my child, be stronger than they are.
When one hurts you, understand them and love them,
rather than reflecting the pain. Help them to
understand that there are people who care for them,
and try to spread the word of love throughout the
world, to those who are less fortunate than you."
"Yes Lord. I promise to do my best. And thank you
for your blessing." "Now go be with the one you
love." He said. "And my child, no matter what happens
to you in your life on Earth, you will forever be
known as an angel in the Heavens."
Nearly a half hour later, Brian heard
a knock on his door. It was well past midnight, and
he had been a frantic mess ever since Leighanne
walked out the door hours earlier.
He ran to the door and opened it, to
see the beautiful blond who he loved so much. "Hey
stranger," she said, half smiling, "You lost your
dog." She handed Tyke to him. "Good job, Tyke," he
said patting him on the head. He put Tyke down, who
ran into the next room. Brian and Leighanne made eye
contact. There was an awkward silence. "Could you
ever forgive a fool in love?" she asked innocently.
Brian pulled her inside, and they began to kiss
passionately. "Oh Brian, I'm so sorry! I was just so
scared!" Leighanne confessed. "Shh!" Brian said
giggling as he proceeded to kiss her. "Don't ever
leave me like that again, you hear?" he said. "That
was the two most terrifying hours of my life." "Oh I
won't!" she said, "I'll never leave you again. I
promise!" Brian grabbed the sides of her face and
stared deep into her eyes, smiling. "Say it again."
he said. "I promise!" she said. " I promise! I
promise! I promise!" Brian cupped her face and kissed
her passionately. "I love you" he said. "I love you
too" she said. Suddenly, he grabbed her hand, and
they ran out onto the front lawn. "Hey!" Brian
yelled. "Hey! Everyone! Wake up!" "Brian, what are
you doing?" Leighanne exclaimed. "You're going to
wake up the whole neighborhood!" "That's the idea,"
Brian said. Suddenly, she felt a yanking on her boot
laces. "Brian, you left the door open and now the dog
got out." she said. "Oh, Tyke's just being playful.
He'll go back inside as soon as we do... Hey! Is
everyone up yet?" One by one, they watched as house
and porch lights turned on, and windows and doors
were opened. Neighbor after neighbor watched on to
see what the big commotion was about. When Brian was
sure he had everyone's attention, he began to speak.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to start off by
saying good evening...uh, good morning!," he said
glancing at his watch. I have woken you all up this
beautiful night to share with you a very special
declaration!" The neighbors looked on, anxiously.
"Brian," Leighanne whispered, "What are you doing?"
Brian proceeded. "I have come to announce that I,
Brian Thomas Littrell, am madly and hopelessly in
love with Miss Leighanne Wallace!" Embarrassed,
Leighanne covered her face. "Now if any of you have
been or are in love, then good for you. Because I'll
tell you, when you are in love, there is no greater
feeling in the world, and nothing else matters except
for spending every possible second with the one you
love so much. But I can honestly say with all my
heart and soul, that I have never met someone more
beautiful inside and out than this woman right here,
and there is nothing in the world that I wouldn't do
for her. I love you, Leighanne." He leaned in and
kissed her sweetly. "You're crazy!" she said
laughing. "Crazy about you," he said. Suddenly, their
attention was drawn to the large amount of cheers and
applause they received. They bowed dramatically. "Now
go back to bed!" Leighanne said laughing.
A few minutes later, all was silent
once again in the neighborhood. Brian turned to
Leighanne. "Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"
he asked her. "No," she said "Because you caught me."
"So tell me, my love, " he said pulling her closer,
"How on Earth did you manage to keep it from me for
such a long time?," he asked. She smiled, and kissed
him sweetly. "I'm an actress."
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