Madeline's life had just seemed to get worse as years passed by. She convinced herself that she had nothing else to live for. She had been without her husband for many years, and decided she would rather sulk in her liquor. She walked into the kitchen yet another time and poured herself another stiff seven and seven, and eased herself into her chair. She stared off out the window at the sulky skies. The clouds hung there almost haunting her, telling her there was no way out of her dismal state. "You're right! I am stuck within myself and within my own dreary world! You got me, so now go away and let me lounge in my misery by myself." Madeline looked into her tall glass as the ice cubes bobbed up and down. She raised the glass and as she started to drink it she caught a glimpse of herself in the bottom. "What has happened to me? Why can I not just be happy? God, send me an angel!" she yelled. Lady began to whine at her owners agression. "What do you know? You do not live my life, you are a dog, and could never know what I go through!" She snapped at her dog. With that Lady walked to the corner and laid down as if she tried to hide from the anger. Lady understood more than Madeline could ever know.

"Well I suppose I should get up and be ready for my daughter to come over." Madeline almost complained. She thought about her four daughters, and how they couldn't possibly care about her. All they ever did was tell her how to run her life. But when she got out of the hospital she swore they would not put her there again! She would rather wallow in her self pity on her own, she didn't need their help. Then she remembered a promise she had made to them, "Well, I suppose promises were made to be broken." Madeline tried to pull herself together, and tidy up her dining room table. That was where she spent most of her time anyway, along with her faithful glass of seven and seven!

It was an hour later when there was a knock on the door. Madeline opened the door to her daughter Jessica. Jessica said, "Hi Mom, I have missed you." Jessica gave her mom a big hearty hug with the hopes of letting her know that she was loved. "How have you been?" Jessica painted on a smile. Jessica looked at the table and spotted the glass sitting there in sweat. "I am just peachy Jessica." Madeline said with a saddistic smile. "How should I be?"
"Mom, why are drinking? You promised you would stop!" Jessica was pleading with her mom, in hopes that she would not get irritated with her. "I was hoping I would come her and you were drinking a cup of coffee, or soda, anything but alcohol!"
"Jessica, you better come to terms with the fact that I live my life as I wish, and nothing you or your sisters say will change that!"
Jessica sat down at the table and said, "Mom, what about your last hospital stay, was that not enough to show you that your life could end over this? You got lucky Mom, your healing, but now with this...." Jessica sighed, placing her face in her hands.
"Oh come on Jessica, I don't mean that much to you. All you cared about was your dad, you never cared about me!" Madeline stumbled over to her chair, and plopped down with a thud.
"That is simply not true, I love you mom, you just won't open up to see that. I would do anything for you!" "Anything Jessica, you would do anything?" Madeline sneered, "would you die for me Jessica?"
Jessica looked at her mother with disbelief at what she was hearing. She tossed the question around in her head several times before she answered. A tear began to trickle down her cheek at the thought of losing her mom to this horrible disease. She knew she had to do something to make things better for her. "Yes, I would die for you..." Jessica whispered through her tears. She stared deeply into her mother's glazed eyes, hoping for a response that would hold some meaning.
Madeline gulped down the rest of her drink, stood up, and while looking at her daughter she said, "Thanks for the show Jessica, I needed a good laugh. And with that she stumbled and swayed into the kitchen to make another drink.

Jessica quickly went into the kitchen to try and stop her mom from pouring another drink. "Mom come on, you don't want that."
Madeline pushed her daughter away from her. "You better get away, don't make me mad Jessica!"
"Mom, please put the liquor down. Why don't you lay down and take a little nap, you'll feel better."
"Oh please Jessica, I am not a child!" Madeline slurred her words across to her daughter.
"Then please go lay down Mom, we'll talk after you have had a good nap."
At that moment Madeline threw the glass into the sink shattering it into a million pieces. Madeline turned and staggered to the back of the trailor into her room, and slammed the door.

Jessica turned and looked into the sink at all the glass, and decided she needed to get it out of there. So she carefully scooped it up in a dustpan and dumped it out in the trash can. Jessica sat down and decided to stay for a while longer. She was lost in thought, when Lady came up to her and nuzzled her hands. Jessica wiped back the tears and said "Hi there girl. I bet you are so worried about mom aren't you?" Lady whined softly and layed her head in Jessica's lap. Jessica gently stroked Lady's head, wondering what she had witnessed in all the years that she had been with Madeline. "Oh girl, if I could make this all alright, I would do it in minute."

Some time had passed and Jessica realized that her mother was not coming back out, so she decided to go check on her. She quietly walked back to the room where Madeline had gone. Lady followed and began whining nervously, as if she was afraid. Jessica opened the door and found her mom lying on the bed out cold. In this room were bags full of empty beer cans, alcohol bottles and filth. Jessica sat next to her mom on the bed and whispered, "Mom I am going to go now." Madeline just made a sigh with no responce. The tears began to trickle once again down Jessica's pale cheeks. She leaned over, and kissed her mother's cheek. Jessica whispered in her ear, "I love you Mom." She pulled a blanket up over her mom and sat there for a moment longer. She breathed a silent prayer to God to release her mom from the pain she must be feeling. Jessica reluctantly stood up and quietly walked to the door. She looked back at her mom, and wished there was something she could do to save her from herself. Lady laid down next to the bed that held the only woman she would call mom. It was as if that was Lady's place to lay, even though she did not like it there, she would not leave Madeline's side.

Weeks passed, and Jessica had not heard anything from her mother. This had been eating her alive wondering what she was doing, or on a more serious note, how she was doing. She decided to give her a call. Jessica dialed the phone with her stomach tied in knots, worried at what she would hear or not hear. The phone rang four times before it was answered. A raspy male voice on the other end said "Hello..."
Jessica heard all kinds of noise in the background, and finally found her voice and answered, "Yes, hello....who is this? she asked with concern.
"This is Steve", he laughed, who's this?"
"Let me speak to my mother please..."
"You're mother? Now who might that be?"
Jessica was getting very agitated with Steve. "If you do not put my mother on the phone right now I will call the police and have your slimy behind arrested!"
"Ok now chill, I'll get her", he snickered.
After about waiting 15 minutes, and listening to several different people say hello to her, her mother finally managed to pick up the phone.
"Hi sweetheart," Madeline said. "what did you need?"
"Mom, I called to see how you were doing."
"Well I am doing just great!"
Jessica knew her mom was three sheets to the wind, and knew she would only get worse. "Mom, who are all those people there?"
"Oh I just have a few staying with me, they didn't have anywhere else to go. I couldn't say no to them," she answered. "Hey Steve, poor me another darlin!" "Mom, listen to me, you need to stop this, you will end up back in the hospital...."
"Oh you would just love that wouldn't you?", Madeline sneered.
"No mom, that isn't true at all. I would rather have you clean up than to lay in the hospital near death again."
"Oh Jessica you just need to get a life of your own." Madeline told her daughter, "Are you so lonely that you have to consistently bother me with this?"
"I am not trying to be a bother mom," Jessica started. Just as she was about to finish her sentence she heard a click. Her mom had hung up on her.

Jessica came to the conclusion that her mom was the only person that could end this all, either by killing herself with alcohol, or actually getting help. Jessica and her sisters had tried everything to make their mom see that life could be good. They all thought for sure that the last time she was in the hospital so near to death, would trigger something. Madeline had made a promise to not put herself in this same position again, but here she was, right back where she had started.

A week went by and Jessica and her sisters all decided to give their mother a call just to let her know they loved her. It was a bright sunny day, and Jessica decided it was a good time for her to call. It was early, so Jessica thought maybe she could catch her mom before she began drinking. Jessica quickly dialed the phone, and waited for her mother to answer. Finally on ring number three, her mother picked up and answered. "Hello..."
"Hi mom, it's Jessica." she answered with a hopeful heart.
"Hi honey, how are you?" Madeline answered in almost a whisper.
"I am good Mom, how are you?" Jessica answered carefully.
"Oh I suppose I have seen better days. Did you need something special Jessica? I am not feeling too well, and thought I would lie down."
"No nothing special Mom, I just called to let you know I was thinking of you."
"Thank you honey."
Jessica could tell her mom was drifting away from the conversation. "I Love you mom, please don't forget that." Jessica felt the tears beginning to well up in her eyes.
"I know you do Jessica, I love you too, and thank you for calling."
Just as Jessica was about to say something else, her mom hung up the phone. Jessica let out a sigh, and let the tears fall down her cheeks. "God..." Jessica started, "please keep watch over mom, she is hurting for one reason or another, and I do not know how else to help her." Jessica felt a warm embrace enfold her, as more tears fell from her eyes. She knew God would take her mother from her pain, and in whatever form that would take, Jessica would accept it.

It had been a week since Jessica last spoke to her mom. It was a dreary day outside, the birds no longer sang, the cold air had began rushing in, she knew winter was about to begin. Jessica was startled out of her deep thoughts when the phone rang. She picked up the phone hoping that maybe her mom took the first step this time in calling her. "Hello..." Jessica answered.
"Hi sis...this is Joanie."
"Well hi Joanie, how are you?" Jessica smiled.
There was a hesitation on the other end. "Joanie, what's wrong?" she questioned.
"Jessica..." Joanie sobbed, "Mom is in the hospital."
"No, not again, not again...." Jessica began to sob.
"Jessica, come on, everything will be alright, ok? We'll go up there and maybe this time mom will realize that she needs to stop."
Jessica knew her youngest sister has always had high hopes for their mother, she just could not put a damper on that. "Ok, umm....." Jessica tried to find words to speak, "Ok are you going to come by here and get me?"
"Yes sis, I am on my way."
After Jessica hung up the phone, she paced for what seemed an eternity, and finally sat down, and closed her eyes to think about what would come next. Then it came to her, she saw her mom smiling, standing in the beautiful bright sunshine. As soon as it came to her it was gone. Jessica came around when she heard a knock on the door. She quickly got up to open the door to her youngest sister Joanie. Joanie instantly grabbed her sister and clung to her sobbing. Jessica gently stroked her sister's hair. "Shhh....everything will be ok now sis, God is in control." With that Joanie looked up and stared into her sister's eyes full of glistening tears. "How can you know that Jessica?"
"God showed me Joanie, I can't really explain it, and that is all I can say sis." With that they walked out the door and headed for the hospital.

They arrived at the hospital, and found their other sisters, Jill and Julianne, waiting for them. "Well how is she?" Joanie asked anxiously.
"Well mom is not so good Joanie." Jill answered.
"I want to go see her." Jessica said, pushing her way past her sisters. She turned and looked back at her sisters all with tears in their eyes. "Room 202 Jessica", Jill whispered.
Jessica finally got to room 202, and saw her mom lying there so helpless, and breathing so hard. She made her way to the side of the bed, and sat down next to her mom. "Hi mom", she said, trying to smile. "You don't look so well." Jessica started to cry as she gently stroked her mother's cheek. Even though Madeline was incoherent, Jessica knew she heard her. She held her mom's hand and leaned over whispering, "I love you mom, I always have, and I always will. God is gonna help you mom. Just let him ok? You didn't want us to help you, but you just have to let God in." At that moment Madeline squeezed her daughter's hand gently. Jessica's tears fell more abundantly. "Don't you be afraid to release that angel inside. Dad will be waiting for you Mom. I love you so much, and I want to let you know that it is ok to go." With that the door to the room opened, and her sister's all came in and gathered around their mom, each a strength for the other. They each softly told Madeline that they loved her. Jessica closed her eyes and felt a warm embrace, and at that moment she watched an angel rise from within her mothers still body. The angel had a smile of sunshine that could warm your soul, and then in an instant was gone. Jessica opened her eyes and saw that her mother had ceased her breathing, and her sisters were all hugging and sobbing. She knew that God would release their mother from her suffering. She did not know when the time would be, but she knew that God would be gentle. He revealed to her that they all have angels within themselves, and that someday they will all be released. Today was the day for Madeline to be free from her anguish and pain, and find that sunshine that she so desperately needed in her life. With all these thoughts in motion, Jessica rose from her bedside seat, and glanced out the window as a ray of sunshine reached across the room and shined on Madeline. She walked to her siblings. She looked at her sisters and spoke gently. "Mom is in her sunshine", Jessica whispered as she pointed to the bed. "God released the angel that was within her." As a final tear trickled down her cheek she smiled. "We now cry for ourselves, for mom is witnessing all the beauty that she could not see in her worldly life. We will miss her, as she will miss us. Just remember that mom is no longer experiencing pain, or lonliness. We are strong, and we can get through this." Jessica hugged her sisters with all that she had left in her. The fight had finally come to an end. Madeline had finally found her angel within.