She gave a deep sigh, rubbed the bridge of her nose and plunked downonto the nearest park bench. A few moments later, she looked up as a manappeared, stating in an irritated voice everything he was writing on theclipboard in his hand: "Romantic music and candles, check. Doors jammed,power outage from storm, wood for a fire--check, check, check."

"We did everything but push their lips together with our own hands.What is it going to take with those two?"

"Well, if divine intervention were an option, I'd choose that. However,considering that's us, let's face it--we're screwed." He plopped down onthe bench next to the woman. "We did everything right. How could it possiblygo wrong?"

She gave him a knowing look. "The moment the Centre entered the picture,I knew this was going to be a difficult attempt. Lately, where ever thosetwo went, trouble followed."

He looked down to the ground, and said in a low voice, "I can't believethey're dead."

"I know." Her voice was equally sad. "And I hate to tell ya, but itdoesn't get easier each time. If anything, it gets harder."

"Oh, you're a great relief," he replied sarcastically.

"Well, look at their track record: double quinine poisoning, one eatenby a lion and the other by a shark, car wrecks on opposite ends of Greece,and now, shot by sweepers in a cabin. And those are just the easier deaths.Apparently dying of old age in their sleep just isn't interesting enoughfor those two." He grimaced at the images. "They didn't even admit theirfeelings for each other...usually they get at least that far." She sighedagain. "Let's face it--the term 'star-crossed lovers' is not a challenge."

"Still, from what you told me, they made it farther than usual. Howmany times have they died before they hit 20?" The man groaned, and rubbedhis face. "And we'll get absolutely nothing out of this--they obviouslywon't remember anything, and we can't tell them, or we get kicked out ofreality--"

"Like I was. I tried too bluntly to change their future, and Destinyhad me shot. Real nice of her, making me live the rest of that life outas a ghost."

He shook his head. "If they only knew..."

"What? That I only played her mother because it made it easier to keepan eye on things, or that you, his brother, became a guardian angel afteryour death, with them as your first assignment?" She snorted. "Yeah, that'dgo over real well. Let's see, how could we explain it? '130 years ago,I was assigned as your guardian angel when you were both killed in a fireset by a jealous lover. You've been my hardest case, considering you'vegone through six lives, and still haven't managed to do things right. Heand I can't move on to our next assignments until you two live happilyever after together.' " She laughed. "It sounds like the script for a reallybad soap opera."

He grinned. "Tell me about. So, now what?"

"Now, we wait."

"For what?"

"The next life description. A little packet will just appear out ofnowhere, describing how they'll start out in their next lives. Then we'llbe pushed forward in time to their births. Then it starts all over again.This time you'll get to see it from the beginning." True to her words,a thin manila envelope appeared at their feet a few minutes later. Pickingit up, Catherine read it, then gawked in disbelief. "This has to be a joke."

"What?" he asked suspiciously.

"Good news first, or bad?"

"Might as well give me the bad first."

"Mr. Parker's her father, again. And Lyle's back as the brother."

"You've got to be kidding!"

"On the bright side, Mr. Parker's working in corporate takeovers thistime. He's as evil as ever, but at least he doesn't have the power of aplace like the Centre behind him. And Lyle will remain with the family,meaning no abusive foster father, meaning no development of psychopathicinstincts."

"Well, that's not too bad."

"Who said I was finished?"

He gave her a withering look. "There's more?"

"Isn't there always? Jarod doesn't have any siblings this time around--"

"What about Emily?" he demanded. He would've been notified if she'dbeen sent straight to heaven. Besides, she was far better fit for thisguardian stuff than him.

"Her soul will return, but not as Jarod's brother. Instead, she's beenchosen as a friend of Parker's and..." She glanced down at the paper onemore time to be sure, gulped, then hesitantly finished, "...and eventually,Lyle's wife."

"What?!"

"Chill, he won't be a serial killer, so all is well. In fact, theserecords suggest a rather tolerable guy, nice, athletic, a real family man.Besides, nothing we can do--it's one of the few things about these peoplethat's set in stone."

He folded his arms and closed his eyes. Dead or not, he'd give anythingfor a couple of aspirin. "Anything else I should know?"

"They aren't even going to be in the same town until they're 18."

He shot up. "We have to wait 18 years before we even have a shot?!"

"Unfortunately."

"So, what's the good news?"

"We don't have to bother with the rules of reality." Her nose wrinkled."You know, can't walk through walls, can't levitate stuff. All the perksof being guardian angels. Mrs. Parker's her own woman this time around,and you're home free since Jarod's an only child, so..."

"Yeah, yeah." He looked around expectantly. "When do we go?" Even ashe spoke, the park around them began to grow fuzzy.

"Right now."

Seconds later, they were standing in front of a window, looking happilyat a little baby tucked under a blue blanket. A nurse paused, and stucka name tag on his crib: Jarod Russell.

"Wow."

"Isn't it great?" she smiled. "To think, soon we'll be cursing themonce again, for being too dense to figure out their feelings for each other."

"Yeah, just like old times."

She laughed, then snapped her fingers, and they appeared at anotherhospital half way across the country, where another newborn was just beingplaced into her crib, with a name tag already signed. But the nurse wasin the way, and all he could see of the name tag was the last name.

"'Parker' ?" he read out loud. "This is a joke, right?" He had neverlearned her first name in the last life.

"Sorry, but rules are rules. Even 130 years ago, her name was preciousto her--something prized by a soul is never just given out. You weren'tmeant to know, not yet. But look at the bright side--these two are meantto eventually be guardian angels too. Working as a couple, of course--entwinedsouls always do. Then, when she learns of how long you've watched out overher and Jarod, I don't doubt that she'll tell you. Until then, you'll justhave to wait."

"I suppose," he sighed. "Well, ready to get to work?"

"Of course," she smiled. "After all, we've got a lot to do, and only18 years."

"Unless things get mucked up again," he pointed. "At this rate, we mayhave an eternity to get it right."

"Quiet, you." Catherine and Kyle laughed.
 
 
 

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Part 2