Chapter 23: When is a Dream Just a Dream

Not only are Molly and Gabriel excited about his coming birthday, but they both feel something else is coming. Though Gabriel can tell that Molly seems to know more about what’s going on than he does, she is not forthcoming and he doesn’t push it because in truth it really doesn’t matter to him. She is his dreams personified and that is more than enough for him.

The next Morning Gabriel wakes up to Molly talking to somebody. He is a little foggy and didn’t get to sleep late so he is not a hundred percent sure he isn’t still asleep. He sits up and sees Molly standing in front of the bathroom door looking into the bathroom holding a conversation.

He doesn’t interrupt her and can only listen to her side of the talk, but like Molly it is pure and innocent. “Thank you for this time. I’m really having lots of fun.”

There is a long silence as Molly is listening to the other and then Charlie the cat walks in and gives away that Gabriel is up. Molly quickly looks at him and then back to her ‘invisible’ friend, who is nowhere to be found. Molly herself looks around, but gives up and comes over to Gabriel and crawls into his lap.

“Who was that?”

Molly has often just ignored Gabriel’s questions, but she answers, “He was an angel. He was checking on me to make sure I’m alright.”

You would think that would throw some people off, maybe even think the silly little girl has an imaginary friend, but not Gabriel. Gabriel knows Molly’s discernment of spirits includes being able to see angels to where, as far as he knows, his doesn’t.

“Well, are you?”

“What, alright? I think you know the answer to that.”

Gabriel smiles. “Yes I do, yes I do.” And then attacks her with a million little kisses. Molly’s giggles are Gabriel’s manna: his divinely given food that will see him through.

Over the coming weeks Gabriel catches Molly talking with her angel friend several more times. He looks up on the sign he wrote and put on his wall that says: Because it is not about the flesh – it is about the spirit. Gabriel remembers back when he was trying to force speaking in tongues and it was coming out weird, even seemingly backwards at times, until he realized he was trying to control it; meaning he was in the flesh, not the spirit, so he does the same thing in listening to Molly’s ‘guardian angel’.

“He is proud of you. But what Gabriel needs is not here.”

“What do I do?”

“We’ll do it and Gabriel, as usually, will respond in love.”

Molly turns and smiles at Gabriel and then turns back to her friend to say, “Okay,” but he is gone.

“Guess what, babygirl?”

“What, daddy.”

Gabriel loves being called that. “I realized I was once again letting the flesh interfere with the spirit. Once I focused I heard your angel.”

“Really!? Wonderful!”

“So your daddy needs something?”

Molly smiles shyly. “Yep.”

“Did you finally get your prayers answered or did you just decide on your own?”

“Yep and yep.”

“And?”

“And we are going to get to spend a long time with each other.” Then Molly goes silent, but whispers to herself, “But only if I can save you.”

About a week from Gabriel’s birthday another package shows up with the return label being from Raphael Angel. Gabriel laughs. They open it up with both excitement and trepidation. The very first things they see, what is setting on another pile of cash, are two Passports.

This time there is a note that reads: “Beware, they are coming.”

Molly seems to be as concerned as Gabriel, which is to say ‘not’.

They go up to Diamond Springs and hit the three thrift stores up there. Just because they have money now doesn’t mean they are going to stop enjoying the simple things.

When Gabriel and Molly get out of the truck at the first thrift store he looks across the street in the gas station parking lot and sees two men in black looking at him. He doesn’t give it any thought other than for the movie Men in Black. By the time they are done and get back out into the truck the men are still there and still looking in their direction. Gabriel pulls out to go to the next thrift store and pointedly looks at them. They stare right back.

Both vehicles pull into the next thrift store parking lot, but the older black LTD parks on the other side of the parking lot, but where they can see the front door. Again neither Gabriel nor, once he points them out, Molly can sense any danger.

They don’t let it spoil their fun and they chatter on about all sorts of stuff. Gabriel has to pull Molly away after five minutes from gazing longingly at a wedding dress. “I wish I could have got married.”

“The day’s young.” Molly turns to Gabriel quickly and then smiles joyfully and then a little sadly and then she squints her eyes at him. Gabriel laughs and puts his hand on her head to direct her away from the wedding dress. “Come on.” Gabriel guesses all little girls dream about their wedding.

Molly finds a darling Rosary, but the time spent together is the real gift. When they exit the store the black LTD is still there. Gabriel stops and stares at them for a minute. They stare back. To Gabriel it appears they don’t even blink. Their eyes are black. As Molly and Gabriel are leaving Gabriel pulls out the gun and slowly starts to pull alongside that car. They leave in a hurry. Molly and Gabriel look at each other, but leave it at that. They don’t let it interfere with their day of fun, so they go on to the last thrift store. For the rest of the day they do not see the ‘men in black’.