Angels

I met him on the street. He was a five-year-old boy, carrying a balloon.

He accidentally let go, and the balloon started to drift away. I caught it, and handed it back to him.

"Thank you!" he beamed at me, with a smile that could melt anyone's heart. Then, he looked at me with his big brown eyes, and asked, "Are you an angel?"

I stared at him. "Um... What?"

"Uh-huh. I saw your hands. There are lots of marks and lines on your wrists, right?" he nods at me, gesturing at his own wrists.

I gaze at my wrists, and look at the lines that decorate them. Pink, white, red.

"Mommy told me that angels have marks on their hands. She said that they don't like it here on Earth, because everything is not good for them. Bad things happen, and people do bad things to them. So they put marks on their hands to decorate them, so they can feel better," he explained. "She said some of them also try to go back to heaven, so they won't have to feel so sad here anymore."

I blink at him. "Oh... Of course. Where's your mother?" I ask gently.

"Ooh, my Mommy's an angel, too! She said that she used to put marks on her hands too, when she was younger. Then, she felt a bit happier and stopped. Though just last year, Mommy wasn't very well for a while. But now, she's gone back home," he said.

"It's just me and Daddy now. Daddy said that one day, Mommy will come and take me to Heaven to be with her, if I'm good. Do you think so too?" he asked, his eyes shining.

I choked back tears. "Yes, of course," I nodded, trembling slightly.

He beamed. "Great! I can't wait to see Mommy again."

He gave me a big smile. "Mommy told me, that even if things are bad, everything will be alright, if only I just wait a while. Miss Angel, I know that you're sad here, but please don't be. Everything will be happy soon, okay?"

And with one last smile, holding his balloon, he skipped away, down the street.