By Deyse
“Here we go...” Tess spoke, placing a big turkey on the kitchen board, almost ready to be taken to the oven. She and Andrew had been in the kitchen practically since they had arrived at the cabin up in the mountains. That year the three angels had been granted the Thanksgiving holiday off and were equally happy to know that they would be together on that special occasion.
“I’ll prepare the pumpkin pie while you do it, Tess.” He spoke, also with a set of ingredients spread on the table.
“Ok, but be sure to use my recipe!”
The blond angel rolled his eyes and chuckled, “Yes, ma’am!”
At that moment, little Joy entered the kitchen sniffing around as if looking for ‘someone’. “Hey, baby! Sorry to inform you but you’ll have to wait a little more to eat Thanksgiving dinner!” Tess spoke, as the black spaniel puppy stopped right in next to her, gazing at her “grandma” with somewhat sad slanting eyes.
Andrew looked down at the little animal and nodded, “I guess tonight’s dinner isn’t the only thing that’s been on her mind, Tess.” He bent down and patted Joy on the head, “She’ll be here soon, little one. You just have to wait a little more.”
A low bark was her reply and, with the same sad face, the puppy headed to one of her favourite places in the cabin: under the kitchen table.
“Yes, you’re right, angel boy. She’ll be here soon, so we’d better hurry cause if our angel girl arrives early, she’ll want to ‘help’ us finish dinner and you and I know the risk it represents!” the older angel spoke.
Chuckling, the blond angel returned to his previous task, “She could surprise you, Tess. Remember that when we took vacations together, on the beach house? She managed to cook reasonably well.”
“And do you remember what we had to do to make it possible?”
Now Andrew let out a small laugher, “How could I ever forget it? But you also remember the look in her eyes when we told her it was good? The prayer she offered at the table?”
Tess’ expression softened and a tender smile appeared on her face. “Yes... Not even in a million years I’d forget that...”
“Neither will I...”
The two kept on doing their work, thinking about the little angel who would always have a special place in their hearts, the one who had taught them what pure, unconditional love really was.
x
“Damn it! We’ll take hours to see this system operating again!” a woman complained, in a rather long supermarket queue. Right behind her, a petite beautiful lady, with auburn hair and meek face, heard that comment. She had bought some food for Thanksgiving dinner and couldn’t wait to get at the cabin and hug the two angels she loved most in the entire universe. Had she not been stuck with a little assignment – which fortunately was easily solved, Monica would have gone there together with Tess, Andrew and little Joy and maybe helped them to prepare dinner. But now that everything was solved, she couldn’t wait to meet them.
The Irish angel noticed how upset the woman was with that temporary problem in the cash register and how her two children were getting bored to stay stuck up in that place – the three and five-year-old boys kept on climbing the supermarket trolley. “I’m sure they’ll fix it soon...”
“Computers! They crash when we most need them!”
“Well, I have a friend who loves computers, you know, and he usually says that they’re very useful and we have the impression that they crash when we most need them because nowadays we’re more in a hurry and less patient.”
“Hum... well, he may be right, but it’s still annoying! I still have lots of things to do when I get home, Thanksgiving dinner is gonna be a huge one this year! Gosh, I get tired just to think I’ll have to cook for over ten people! Sometimes I just think about spending it with Charlie and the kids!”
“But I’m sure you change your mind whenever you see all your family gathered at the table,” the little angel replied, noticing how the woman’s face softened to hear those words.
“Oh, well... I have to confess that... yes, it’s nice to have everybody at my house, celebrating with us... Do you have a big family too, erm...”
“Monica...”
“Nice to meet you, Monica, I’m Sheila.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Sheila. No, my family is small... But I love them dearly, you know. Andrew and Tess are everything to me...” The woman didn’t miss the brightness in her eyes and the way her face lit up when she talked about the two angels. “In fact, I am in a hurry too, ya know. They’re waiting for me as we’re spending Thanksgiving together and I’m a wee bit late!”
x
“... it’s the first time we’re all spending Thanksgiving together despite the fact that we’ve known one another for years...” Andrew spoke, taking the cake he had prepared from the over - the delicious smell soon spread all over the kitchen.
“Yes, you’re right, angel boy. I still remember the first time Monica and I met, you know.” Tess shook her head, “And to think that our angel girl and I had a rocky start!”
The blond angel chuckled and nodded his head, “I know... she told me everything.”
“She did?”
“Yes... She told me how she had announced to all those people as an angel at the same day 'The War of the Worlds' had been released and how they ran away from her!”
Although the passage they were remembering was a bit funny, the look on Tess’ face was a serious one. The old angel pulled a chair and sat down at the table, “Whenever I look behind and think about what that angel girl means to me and about how badly I treated her when we first met, I turn my eyes to the sky and ask for the Father’s forgiveness, Andrew...”
Feeling sorry for her, Andrew took a seat right next to her and took her hand, “Hey, Tess, don’t beat yourself up because of this! You’re the closest thing to a mother to Monica!”
“Well, that baby is the closest thing to a daughter to me and I still cannot forgive me for being so unkind to her.”
“She told me about that night... about how she started crying when everybody left the church afraid of her and about how you scolded her...” the blond angel spoke, “... And she said that what made her feel better at that moment was exactly you going there and apologising.”
“Really?” Tess’ eyes were full of emotion.
“Yes. And you know what else she told me? That she treasured that day very much because it was the day when you two first met... And that she could not imagine existence without you...”
“Oh, dear Father...” a few tears formed in the corner of the supervisor’s eyes and she smiled, “... she never told me that!”
“Well, maybe not with words, but she did tell you, Tess.”
“Yes... I suppose you’re right, angel boy!”
Andrew pulled her closer and let her rest her head on his shoulder, as a smile appeared on his face, “I too remember the day Monica and I first met, and we didn’t have a nice start either!”
“I know... that angel baby was afraid that you’d steal me from her!”
“Yes... But you know something, Tess... When I first saw her, I felt something different... It was as if I knew immediately that behind that jealous angel’s pout there was a kind and compassionate heart... I immediately felt all the joy and peace she transmits to the ones who are near her right here in my heart...”
Also smiling, despite the tears that were falling from her eyes, Tess looked at him, “And when I see how close you are today I still cannot believe she acted that way with you!”
He chuckled and nodded his head, “She apologised many times, although I keep on telling her that she doesn’t have to, as there’s nothing to forgive. Besides, the same way she’s grateful for meeting you, I’m grateful for the day I met her.”
“The Father knew very well what He was doing when He made your paths cross, baby. What you both share is special; it’s a connection that will never be broken, no matter how far you are. This love you feel for each other is pure; it’s blessed by God, it’s strong and very beautiful.”
“It’s the most precious treasure I have, Tess. The one I’ll be eternally grateful for...” he said, also with his emerald green eyes filled with emotion.
x
“Stop it!!!” the woman at the market shouted, as her little boys started to run through one of the market’s corridors. “Come back here, now, you two!”
As they approached their mother, the woman held glared at them, “You stop doing this or I’ll leave you two here until Monday!”
Highly scared, the children looked at each other and nodded their heads.
“I’m sowy mommy...”
“I won’t do it again...”
Sheila rolled her eyes and looked at Monica, who was somewhat feeling sorry for the boys having to stuck in a place like that for such a long time. “Kids! Gosh, sometimes I guess they’re more tiring than an entire working day!”
“They’re lovely wee ones!” the Irish angel spoke, smiling at them.
“Wait until you spend an entire day with them!”
“I know how excited small children can be... but I’m sure you three will have great memories to share in 20 years...” she replied, “I’m sure you share a lot of good memories from your childhood with your parents.”
Once again, the woman’s face softened and a slight smile appeared on her face, “You’re right, I really do. We too used to have a big dinner on Thanksgiving; I got three brothers and two sisters and we would always get together with our cousins at my grandfather’s house, not far from here. It was not a big house and we usually spent three days there all together; but we didn’t care that we had to share the rooms and that the house was crowded. In fact, the more, the merrier!”
“These wee ones will have just as precious memories as yours and, some day, maybe they’ll be the ones in charge of preparing Thanksgiving.”
Smiling, the woman stroked her sons’ hair with her eyes visibly filled with tenderness.
x
Things were going fine with the Thanksgiving dinner the angels were preparing up in the cabin and Andrew couldn’t help chuckling as he made the cake dressing and the cranberry sauce.
“What?” Tess wanted to know.
“I was just imagining what it would be like if Monica was here, you know. She’s such a curious little angel and would certainly be doing a lot of questions about how to prepare the food!”
“Oh, that’s true! That angel girl is quite an inquisitive little angel! And too questioning sometimes!” the older angel replied, with a hint of annoyance to remember the times Monica had contested her orders.
“That’s because she’s always eager to learn more... I still remember the day I taught her about the stars and the galaxies; how her eyes were shining as she listened to my explanations – she was so attentive that she hardly blinked, Tess.” Andrew’s own green eyes became brighter with that happy memory, “And I’ll never, in a thousand years, forget all the fascination I could see in that pretty face...”
“Well, you were sure a good teacher, angel boy, as now she’s the one who keeps making all sorts of comments and providing all information about the sky!”
They let out a little laugher and the blond angel kept on talking, “And you know one of the many things I love about her? It’s that, even if she’s not good at something, she accepts it and is eager to learn it anyway.”
“Hum... obviously we’re not talking about singing, right?”
“That’s not true, Tess, she learned a lesson already,” he quickly disagreed, “Take the day we went bowling, for example. I taught her how to play and I can’t forget how happy she was when she threw the ball and hit one pin!” Another smile appeared on their faces as he brought that fact up, “And don’t forget that how happy she was because you won the game, Tess! Monica is the most selfless creature I ever met...”
The older angel stared at him not all to pleased to hear it, “What do you mean by that, mister? That I’m not a selfless creature?”
“Oh, Tess, I mean that even if she can’t make it, it’s okay with her. The day I taught her to play football is a good example: she never made it and it was alright with her anyway, she didn’t get mad or beat herself up for not having that ability!” he smiled and added, “She has many other abilities, that’s the truth!” Watching with some amusement as Tess rolled her eyes, he kept on talking, “Besides, I remember that once I taught her how to play pin ball and she beat a record at the first attempt! She did great!”
“Don’t you think you’re not much of a partial angel to talk about Monica’s qualities?” she ironically asked, teasing him. But Andrew didn’t mind her, “Well, neither are you, Tess! Remember when we prepared the testimonial for you? She was so excited with all the arrangements for the party and spend weeks planning everything!” he let out another laugh, “Sometimes, she would even search for me anywhere I was to ask my opinion about the colour of the balloons, or the best flavour for the cake...”
Now with a smile back on her face, the supervisor finally nodded her head, “That baby is something, isn’t it?”
“She sure is!”
x
“...Then come here to pick me up, Charlie! No, I won’t wait for you another ten minutes, I’ve been stuck in this queue for the last half hour, if you don’t come to catch me, I’ll take a taxi and you’ll pay for it when I get home!” Sheila spoke, turning off the cell phone a second later, with a very upset expression on her face.
“Is there any problem?” Monica wanted to know.
“Men! My husband just told me he had to stay until late at work – because he offered to replace a co-worker – and now I’ll have to stay at the parking lot waiting for him!”
“Well, maybe he can make it on time, the computers are working again but the queue is a bit long... it’ll take some minutes for us to pay.”
“Yes... Couldn’t he come with me? Why did he have to work until late?”
“Well, Christmas is near and perhaps he wants to gather some more money to buy a special present. Sometimes people prepare surprises, you know.”
“Hum... Now that you’ve mentioned it...”
“And from the look in your eyes I can see he’s surprised you before, yes?”
“Yes...” the woman sighed and smiled, “...Charlie is like a valentine... always buying me things... He forgets all the important days, you see. Our anniversary, the day we started dating... The only occasions he remembers are our birthdays. But then he kind of ‘compensates’ his bad memory by giving me these little surprise presents.”
“That sounds incredibly romantic to me!”
Sheila looked at her, now with a broad smile. “This friend of yours... Andrew... are you two erm...”
“Oh, Andrew is a dearest friend, ya know.” the Irish angel replied, blushing deeply.
“Well, by the way you’re blushing, I can tell he’s quite a special friend!”
Chuckling at the woman’s curiosity, Monica nodded her head, “Well, yes, you’re right, he is. And I love him very much.”
“I just hope he feels the same!”
“He does. I’m sure he does.”
Finally, a few minutes later, both angel and woman paid for their goods and left the market heading to the parking lot. “It was nice to meet you, Monica. I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving!”
“Thank you, Sheila. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family too. I hope you continue to have as many things to be grateful for as you do now!”
Those words seemed to have an immediate effect on her: it immediately made her realise that, for the last half hour, she had been talking about the many blessings she had and, at that moment, she felt her heart lighter, as if it had been touched by an angel. “Thanks...” Sheila watched Monica entering the red Cadillac parked not far from her and turn the motor on.
“Mommy, Jeremy is stealing my candies!” one of the boys spoke, drawing her attention to them. “Jeremy, don’t do it!” she said, and when she looked at the Cadillac again, her heart seemed to skip a bit: the car had disappeared.
“Oh, my God...”
“Sheila?”
A sudden voice took her out of her reverie and she turned around to face her husband. “I’m sorry, baby, I should’ve left earlier...” he started to say, but the woman just held him tightly. “Is... is everything alright?”
“Yes... it’s everything alright... I just wanted to tell you how much I love you...”
“I love you too, honey...” the man replied, without understanding that sudden attitude.
“I’m so grateful to have you and the boys... so grateful, Charlie. God was very good to us. To me.”
x
Tess and Andrew had been sitting at he kitchen’s big table for the last 20 minutes in a terrible, anguishing silence. Everything was almost ready for that night’s dinner, which was due to in a few hours, but someone very important was missing. Someone who, for them, was the most important element of that night.
“... I’m under the impression that time stopped...” the blond angel spoke, looking at his pocket watch.
“You’re right, baby... it’s awfully quiet in here...” Tess agreed, sighing deeply.
Suddenly, Andrew stood up and walked over up to the window. “Did she tell you when she would arrive?”
“Hum... no, but she didn’t have much to do, it was a very simple assignment...”
He shook his head and it was possible to see a hint of worry in his green eyes, “She was supposed to be here already, Tess...”
“Calm down, angel boy, let’s be a little more patient!”
“We should’ve waited for her there, in town; we should’ve come to the cabin together with her...”
Tess let out an equally worried sigh and nodded, “You know, I’m starting to believe we really should’ve waited... That baby doesn’t have much sense of direction even if she knows the way up to the cabin...”
The blond angel turned his eyes from the window and faced her, “You know, Tess, sometimes, when I remember everything that’s happened here a couple of months ago... all that we’ve been through...” he sighed and a sad, anguished expression appeared on his face; bad memories of the their last assignment together returned to his mind, “We’re angels, that’s true, but whenever we’re here on Earth, we’re in human form and exposed to all sorts of risks humans are. And when I think about this I... I just feel like being at her side, protecting her every second... I know that the Father is always with her but when we’re apart, there isn’t a single day that I don’t wonder how she’s doing, if she’s alright, if she’s happy or sad or maybe needing some help or a friend to talk to...”
Tess’ eyes were filled with emotion and, deeply moved, she stood up and walked over up to him, placing her hand over his face, “I know exactly how you feel, baby. That angel girl... she’s a blessing...”
A short, tender smile appeared on his face, “Oh, yes, she is... She’s everything we should be grateful for. You know something, Tess? Since Monica came into my existence, she transformed every single day into a Thanksgiving Day... And I guess that even if I spend the rest of eternity thanking for all the joy she brought to my existence... it still won’t be enough...”
A multitude of loving, tender feelings could be seen reflected in the brightness of the two angel’s eyes. In silence, but with their hearts filled with emotion, they held each other.
Suddenly, the noise of a car reached their ears and they pulled away; looking at each other’s faces with surprise and expectation. “It’s her!” the blond angel announced, smiling as he looked through the kitchen window and saw Monica parking the red Cadillac in front of the cabin. Quickly, they rushed outside with an excited little Joy running clumsily behind them.
“Oh, I’m so happy to see you all!” the Irish angel spoke, getting out of the car with a broad smile on her pretty face.
“We are the ones who are happy, baby!” Tess spoke, pulling her to a tight hug.
With a slight smile, Andrew watched as Tess and Monica exchanged a mother-daughter embrace, lifting a silent prayer of thanks for having his dearest friend back to his side.
The little Irish angel kissed Tess’ cheek and then looked at the blond angel: a second later, he was holding her tightly, finally feeling his heart filled with peace and much joy – something that would always happen when she was around him.
“We’ve been talking about you for the last few hours, angel. But you know what? Nothing feels better than finally holding you like this...” he spoke, never releasing her.
Resting her head against his chest, a slight smile played on her lips, “I can say exactly the same, Andrew... And... I’m sorry I’m late...”
“It doesn’t matter now... The most important is that you’re here with us...” Andrew gently pulled away, just enough to look at her eyes, “... our most precious gift!” he added, brushing a loving kiss on the top of her head and a tiny one on her nose.
“He says that now but you should’ve seen how nervous that angel boy was before you arrived!” Tess said, chuckling at his embarrassment and at his blushing face.
“Thanks, Tess! But if I remember it well, you were as worried as I was!” he replied, and now it was Monica who looked at them and blushed with embarrassment. “I’m terribly sorry...”
“Nevermind, angel. We were a little worried because we knew you wouldn’t take too long to finish your assignment.” He quickly spoke, placing a few strands of her auburn hair behind her ear. “Besides, there’s ‘someone’ who couldn’t wait for her ‘mom’ to arrive!”
They looked at the ground, where a very excited little Joy patiently waited for her chance to greet the Irish angel, who quickly scooped her in her arms and kissed her tiny head.
“Oh, wee one, I’m sorry I made you wait too, sweetheart!” she giggled as the animal filled her pretty face with lots of wet ‘kisses’. “I was stuck in the supermarket queue, you know, there was a problem with the computers and we had to stay there for about half an hour...”
“A supermarket queue? Why, baby?”
“Well... I have to confess that I was a wee bit sad for not being able to help you with Thanksgiving dinner, you know...” she explained, causing the two other angels to exchange a secret and quick look, “So I decided to pass by one of the few markets that were open this morning and buy you some things for dinner...”
Now Tess and Andrew looked at each other again, with surprise and an inch of guilt, “Oh, angel girl, I can’t believe you did it!”
“It was nothing, Tess. Just my way to give ya a little help. I’m sure you both cooked delicious meals but I thought you’d like some icecream, cake and other things...”
Smiling, Andrew encircled her small shoulders with his arm and kissed her cheek, “You know something, Monica? Tess and I must have done something really wonderful in our existence to make the Father create you for us!”
“I couldn’t agree more!” the oldest angel said, holding Monica’s hand and causing her to blush deeply.
“No... I am the one who should say that about you two!”
x
Monica’s arrival lit up Tess and Andrew’s spirits and brought up a lot of happiness to the once sad cabin. Chatting happily, they heard about the woman in the queue and how Monica had talked to her, and soon realised that their angelic friend had performed a little assignment at the supermarket, even if the little angel hadn’t noticed it herself.
Time seemed to fly and at 8 o’clock, dinner was finally served. Tess and Andrew prepared a delicious turkey, cornbread, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and a pumpkin pie. Sitting at the table (but with little Joy standing right next to them), they offered a prayer of thanks for everything they had and were about to start eating when Monica interrupted them.
“Well... before we start having our dinner I... I wanted to say a few words...”
Tess shot a surprised look at Andrew, who chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.
“And what is it, baby?” the supervisor asked, and anyone could see she wasn’t in the mood to wait too long, as the turkey really looked delicious.
“When I first knew that we would spend Thanksgiving together I thought about the many ways you both make me feel blessed... of how grateful I am to have you two in my existence...”
At that moment, they heard a small, protesting bark, and Monica quickly corrected herself, “I mean, to have you three in my existence. Then, I found a song that somewhat can explain how I feel. Even if it cannot express all the love I feel for you, as that would be quite impossible, I found it so beautiful that I wanted you two to listen...”
She took a piece of paper from inside her pocket and unfolded it, “Well... although it’s a song, I hope you don’t mind I say it, instead of singing it...” Andrew couldn’t help chuckling at the slight blush he could see rising in her cheeks, finding it incredibly adorable.
“It’s called ‘Grateful’.” Clearing her throat, the Irish angel started to read.
"I've got a roof over my head,
I've got a warm place to sleep.
Some nights I lie awake counting gifts
Instead of counting sheep.
I've got a heart that can hold love,
I've got a mind that can think.
There may be times when I lose the light
And let my spirits sink,
But I can't stay depressed
When I remember how I'm blessed
Grateful, grateful,
Truly grateful I am.
Grateful, grateful,
Truly blessed
And duly grateful.
In a city of strangers,
I've got a family of friends.
No matter what rocks and brambles fill the way,
I know that they will stay until the end.
I feel a hand holding my hand --
It's not a hand you can see
But, on the road to the promised land,
This hand will shepherd me
Through delight and despair,
Holding tight and always there.
Grateful, grateful,
Truly grateful I am.
Grateful, grateful,
Truly blessed
And duly grateful.
It's not that I don't want a lot
Or hope for more, or dream of more,
But giving thanks for what I've got
Makes me so much happier than keeping score.
In a world that can bring pain,
I will still take each chance --
For I believe that, whatever the terrain,
Our feet can learn to dance.
Whatever stone life may sling,
We can moan or we can sing.
Grateful, grateful,
Truly grateful I am.
Grateful, grateful.
Truly blessed
And duly grateful ”
When she finished, the two angels were so moved that they stood up and held her tightly and kissed her cheeks.
“It’s the best way I found to say how grateful I am for having you two at my side,” Monica kept on speaking, and it was possible to see some tears in the corner of her eyes, “I love you very, very much, for the rest of my existence...”
“Oh, angel girl! We love you too, don’t we, Andrew?” Tess said, hardly holding back her own tears.
The blond angel gently stroked Monica’s hair and kissed her temple, “Oh yes, we do... We love you forever, angel.”
x
The angels’ Thanksgiving dinner was a happy one, with a lot of chatting, laugher, delicious food, and, most importantly, with much love. As they had been granted the following days off too, by 11 PM, Tess kissed Monica and Andrew goodnight and soon retired to her bedroom. Being in human form caused the trio to be tired from the busy day and the blond angel too was about to go to bed when he saw Monica sitting on the coach, in the living room. She was already wearing her pink pyjamas and, in front of the warm fireplace, the angel took some notes in a small notebook.
“Monica? Angel, what are you doing?” Andrew asked, approaching the sofa and taking a seat next to his dearest friend.
She quickly closed the small notebook she had been using and looked at him unsure of what to say, “I... well, I was... making some notes...”
“Notes? About what?” he raised his eyebrows a bit curious and not missing her attempt to hid the notebook from him.
“About... about a future assignment...”
“Hum... I see... and what kind of assignment is it anyway?”
“Oh, well... it’s not a difficult one, you know, Andrew... But... it’s very special at the same time and I still have to study it carefully...”
He was clearly amused by her attempts to hide her little secret from him, “And... do you have any intention to tell me or Tess about it?”
“You’ll both know about it, but... but you’ll have to wait a wee bit more. Could you do that for me?”
Chuckling, as if there was anything he could deny her, the blond angel nodded, “Hum... well, it’s okay, then; I’ll be patient and wait a little more.”
“Thank you.” she replied, somewhat relieved that he hadn’t insisted.
“Now... Aren’t you sleepy, angel?”
“Yes... but it’s cosy here, you know...” she replied, snuggling close to him and resting her head on his shoulder.
“Yes, you’re right. This living room and the fireplace do make you feel good.”
“I meant you are cosy!” she replied, giggling softly at the same time she leaned on him.
“Oh, I am?”
“Yes...” she nodded her head.
“Hum... okay, then...” he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and softly running his fingers through her auburn hair. And they remained like that for a while, just enjoying the warm atmosphere, as well as each other’s company.
Only some time later, Monica, who was dozing on his shoulder, broke the silence again, “Hum... Are you planning to go away?” her eyes were almost closing.
“Away? No, angel, I’ll stay here in the cabin until the rest of the holiday, I’m not going anywhere!”
“... I meant away from the living room...” the Irish angel added, with a sleepy amused smile on her face, which caused him to be equally amused.
“Oh, I see! You want to know if you’ll keep your ‘angelic pillow’, right?”
“Yes...”
He watched as she was almost sleeping on his shoulder. “Well, it seems I have no choice...”
“Thanks...” was the last word she could utter, before closing her eyes and falling asleep. Smiling, feeling his heart practically aching with love for such a warm hearted and gentle little angel, Andrew tightened his hold on her and kissed her forehead lovingly. “No, little angel. I’m the one who’s grateful. Grateful I am. Truly blessed. And duly grateful.”
The end.
