Josh
“You two ready?”
I reach out for Grace’s hand, and she grasps it tight. Noah hesitates another minute, watching his mother pack up his room. She and their father finally finished Grace’s yesterday. After hearing of their son’s heroic act at the parade and being told by the police (who I may have glamoured) that he died trying to save people from a terrorist attack, they finally gave Noah the attention he wanted with a hero’s funeral, during which they wept and prayed that his spirit would forgive them for shutting down after Grace’s death.
“I’m so glad they finally got help from that therapist,” Grace whispers. “And that they decided to move somewhere without so many painful memories.”
“I am, too,” Noah says, joining us. “It would really mess them up if we revealed ourselves, wouldn’t it?”
Grace nods. “It’s hard to let go on both sides. Shona’s training all the greeters upstairs in grief counseling now. The dead need time to grieve for the living, too.”
Things have really changed for the afterlife since we lost both Michael and Lucifer. At first it was chaotic in Heaven, with Angels running around trying to contact The Man Upstairs, who never did respond. Rumors ran rampant, but everything was quickly reined in once we all started working together. Shona is managing the gates and day-to-day running of Heaven. Grace and I have become liaisons to Hell, since we have the unique ability to travel back and forth unharmed.
And most importantly, we’ve changed the ridiculous rules.
Everything’s worked out perfectly since Noah and Keira took over running the underworld. They set up a new program where souls can work their way out of Hell and up to Heaven. It isn’t easy, and the souls stay on probation for a century or so, but so far it’s been wildly popular. Grace and I escort the graduates upstairs, and Grace gets to visit her brother in the process. It’s a win/win.
Noah watches his parents leave the room and then clears his throat.
“We’ll come back and check on them tomorrow. Now it’s time to go to Hell!” Noah rubs his hands together as Grace tightens her grip on my hand and rolls her eyes.
It’s always a bit jarring when we enter Hell because of our memories of the place during Lucifer’s reign, but it’s worth it because I know Grace is happy to be around Noah, and we’re doing something that truly helps souls who weren’t completely evil to begin with. There are so many shades of gray when it comes to right and wrong, and humans were made to be fallible on purpose. So now there’s always a chance to make things better, and no judgment is final—even after death.
We appear in the throne room of Hell. Noah takes his seat in the new throne—a big, padded recliner covered in purple microfiber à la Keira’s decorating sense. He conjures a soda, and Keira, who’s just led in the latest group of graduates while wearing the same crystal crown Noah gave her on Earth and a skintight red dress, spots Noah and crawls into her favorite spot—his lap.
She smiles when she sees us, which still unnerves me a little, but I nod in response while Grace greets the group of four who are graduating today from what we’ve decided to call “Rehab.” There’s an old man, two guys in their midtwenties, and a girl of about twelve who reminds me a little of Lucy, only with two good eyes.
“Remember,” Grace says, “You’ve all done well to get to this point, and you owe yourselves a pat on the back, but you will have a probationary period in Heaven during which your performance will be evaluated by an Angel mentor. Though, I’m sure you have nothing to worry about.”
Every one of them smiles nervously in response. Grace glances up at Noah, and they exchange a smile as well. He’s wearing a crown of his own creation. It’s a large golden thing crusted in jewels that probably weighs at least twenty pounds. Personally I think it’s overkill and super vain, but then again, he’s King of Hell. Grace likes it because in place of a big jewel at the focal point, he’s put the seashell that kept his love for his sister alive.
I guess I can overlook the crown thing.
Grace slips her hand in mine, and we transport ourselves and the four newcomers up to Heaven. Before the light engulfs me, I see Keira grab Noah’s face and start slurping.
Some things never change.
When we arrive at the gates, Grace waits while the group oohs and ahhs before motioning to Shona, who steps up to take over. Tommy Two leaps into the arms of the twelve-year-old.
Once Shona has everything under control, I pull Grace away from the crowd and transport us straight to our room.
“We have a break before we go down for the next group,” I say.
“What’d you have in mind?” she asks playfully. Her blushing cheeks bring warmth to my insides and fuel the fire inside of me. The one that burns forever for Grace.
In answer, I pull her into my arms and part her lips with mine.
It finally feels like Heaven.