Pom Pom Angel: Love Rescue pt. 10

Missy stood in the dressing room, a pile of clothes that Soul had picked out for her slumped onto the bench in front of her.  Soul stood behind her, in the open doorway. 

“Wow, clothes sure have changed since I was alive.” She picked up a sheer blouse, lifting it up to the overhead light. 

“When was that, exactly?” Soul leaned against the doorway, her arms crossed in front of her ample chest. 

“I’m not entirely sure, actually.” Missy continued to fish through the stack of clothes, looking for something that was more her style.  She wasn’t having much luck. “You know, compared to Gus and Nando, you have taken the whole Guardian Angel thing pretty well.”  

“Guess I always believed that angels existed.” Soul stepped into the dressing room, and picked up a pink halter-top.  “Here, try this on.” 

“I don’t know.” Missy glanced at her wings.  “I still haven’t figured out how to make these things go away.”

“Well… just try to imagine that they aren’t there.”

“Really?” Missy couldn’t help but shake her head.  It couldn’t be that simple.  If it was that simple Mama would have told her that when she was having her little bug spray induced return to heaven. 

“Just try it.” Soul gave her a look that would have frozen fire.

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt.” With a shrug Missy closed her eyes, and imagined her that her back was smooth, and the wings were tucked away someone deep inside of her. 

When she opened her eyes, and turned towards the mirror she was shocked to see that the wings were nowhere to be seen. 

“Wait, how do I get them back?”  Missy could feel the panic building up inside of her.  What if she just majorly screwed herself over, and could never fly again? 

“Do I even need to say it?” That look never left Soul’s face. 

Missy didn’t even reply.  She kept her eyes open this time, just to make sure.  She imagined her wings springing from her back, and just as she formed the image in her mind, they appeared. 

“You’re a genius!”  Missy turned, wrapping her arms around Soul. 

Soul hugged her back. 

She froze for a moment.  How long had it been since someone had hugged her?  Really hugged her?  She couldn’t remember.  As hard as she tried, she couldn’t remember the last time someone had actually held her like that.  It wasn’t a romantic hug, but just that close, friendly touch. 

Had her mother hugged her?  A boyfriend maybe?  She didn’t know.  She was sure that her mother had hugged her at some point, but no matter what she couldn’t recall it. 

“Sweetie, are you okay?” Soul pulled away slowly, and Missy was disappointed for the hug to end. 

“Yeah, why?” When she spoke she was shocked at the sound of her own voice.  Was she crying?  “Oh…” 

Without saying another word Soul pulled her back into the hug.  Missy couldn’t control herself.  She started balling her eyes out, right there in the dressing room.  She hadn’t felt sadness in so long, or loss.  To have all those emotions come flooding back to her was a shock, but in a way, it was a welcomed shock. 

After about a minute Missy let Soul go. 

“You better?”  Soul brushed a stray hair off of Missy’s forehead. 

“Yeah.”  Missy smiled and wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand.  “Yeah, I am.” 

“You were young, weren’t you?” As Soul spoke she began to fish through the pile of clothes. 

“I guess I was.”  Missy looked in the mirror and tried making her wings disappear and reappear a few times.  “I’ve been an angel for a while, at least I think it’s been a while.  Anyways, your memories kind of fade away the longer you’re off the earth.  I do think I was in college, though, or maybe I was getting ready to go to college.” 

Soul just nodded her head, and Missy could see a small shimmer on Soul’s cheek.  She didn’t mention it. 

“Here,” she lifted a pale blue V-neck T-shirt up to Missy, “try this one on, and…” she looked back at the pile, “with these jeans.” 

“Okay.”  Miss smiled, taking the clothes from Soul. 

“I’ll wait outside while you get changed.” Soul quickly left the dressing room, closing the door behind her.   

Once Missy was alone she began to undress.  As she did, she watched herself in the mirror.  Her body was whole again.  It was familiar, and yet the feeling of being solid, of being something real made her body seem somehow foreign. 

She rested her hand on her bare stomach, and the sense of warmth she felt under her palm nearly made her jump.  She wasn’t supposed to feel this, or be this way.  She was supposed to be an invisible entity that gently guided her project towards their intended goal.  Yet, here she was, whole again. 

After she put on the clothes that Soul had picked she stepped out of the dressing room. 

“What do you think?” She held out her arms, and gave a little twirl. 

“Almost perfect.” Soul walked over to her. 

“Almost?” Missy looked at the woman, slightly confused. 

Soul reached up, and pulled the hair ties from Missy’s pigtails, letting the hair fall loose against Missy’s neck. 

“There we go.”  She gently placed her arms on Missy’s and turned her towards the mirror.  “You’ll blend right in.” 

Missy gasped.  She looked… she looked human.