Dark Hope: Book One of the Archangel Prophecies

Dark Hope: Chapter 13

"You're certainly in a chipper mood for having just come off the plane," said the large black man sitting behind the wheel, looking into the mirror at Mona in the backseat.

Mona beamed back at him. How many times had he driven her to and from the airport over the years? Too many to count. He'd seen her at her most tired and exhausted moments. She'd confided in him things she'd never dared breathe to another human being. Arthur was her friend and confidant. So she couldn't wait to talk to him now, to tell him about Hope.

"I've never been able to be with Hope for her birthday, Arthur- not since our separation, anyway." She fiddled with the buttons on her BlackBerry nervously, knowing that she couldn't have any more messages in the nanosecond since she'd last looked. "And this one's a special one, sixteen."

Arthur whistled. "Does she know what you've got planned?"

Mona shook her head. "I only just called her a bit ago to let her know I was on my way home. Everything is a surprise."

"Was she excited to hear from you?"

"She didn't answer," Mona said, shrugging. "Who knows where she is. Running? Studying?" She snorted then, chiding herself while she broke into a grin. "Probably seeing that boy, Michael, with whom she's become so taken."

"You didn't tell me she has a boyfriend. Do you approve?" Arthur peered into the mirror. He could always read Mona like a book, always knew just the right thing to ask her to get her to open up to him.

"I didn't at first," Mona admitted, tucking her BlackBerry into her handbag. "I thought she was too young. Or rather, too sheltered after all her father had put her through. But he seems to be a good influence. And she's opened up to him about everything. God knows she needs someone to talk to."

She smiled back at Arthur.

"They seem innocent enough. I don't think I've even caught them holding hands-just mooning after one another. It's nice."

Mona paused, stretching out with a great yawn. "These international flights are going to catch up with me one of these days. I'm getting too old for this."

"Keep talking, Mona. You know you'll never stop. You love it. Uh-oh," Arthur said, slowing the SUV down. "Looks like an accident ahead. You might as well get comfortable back there; I think we're going to be a while."

"Figures," Mona harrumphed, but even the massive delay looming ahead of them couldn't wipe the smile off her face. Nothing would take away the joy of being with Hope today.

The idea had come to her after she'd had to leave Hope to her own devices on her first day at Dunwoody High. She'd known then that she wanted to do something special for Hope's birthday, but she couldn't figure out what. Hope didn't care about material things; in fact, she almost seemed embarrassed by them. And the idea of a big party just seemed-off. Whatever she did, she knew it had to show effort more than expense; she had to show that it was personal and heartfelt. Intimate.

Once Hope had started running outside, Mona had found her inspiration. Just like the mixtapes of old, she'd started assembling downloads of the songs that had been her, her father's, or Hope's old favorites. Ten songs for every year of Hope's life-160 songs, songs that would mean something. Songs Hope could listen to while she was pounding the pavement, knowing that she was loved. Some of them were silly-like the old "I love you, you love me" song from Barney. Some of them were embarrassingly dated. But all of them were reminders of each stage of Hope's life.

At least, that's how Mona hoped her daughter would see it. That, plus the most decadent strawberry cake from Wright's, was what she'd planned for her daughter after taking her to dinner at the Club.