My Angel's Smile

Recently my friend confided in me her deep pain. The conversation began in the usual, "I'm fine thanks and you?" fashion. But the heaviness in her eyes soon gave her away. We found a bench and sat side by side. She picked up a newspaper and tears gathered in her eyes. Distraction sometimes helps the pain settle until we're ready to talk. Silence. Shane snuggled up against me in his sling. Then he turned his gaze to my friend. We three sat quietly.

My friend looked down at Shane. A sudden smile spread across her tear-torn face. "Oh baby, why are you smiling at your crying auntie," she asked and stroked his cheek. He gazed at her, smiled, then gazed, smiled, then gazed. She turned back to the newspaper. I watched my wrist and wondered if I should stay or go. Shane continued to gaze into her eyes. Then smile. Then gaze. "Oh sweet baby, my angel's smile", she whispered through her tears and touched his soft arm. He gazed. She hid her face in her hands, then cried and poured out her pain. I said very little except, "That sounds painful." Shane gazed. Now and again she paused and gazed back. Shane finally fell asleep. But it wasn't until his eyes were closed that his gaze ever left my hurting friend. Not until then.

"He's my smiling angel today," my friend whispered when her poured-out pain ended one hour later.

Today Shane did an awfully uninhibited thing. He overstepped the privacies of pain and gazed into the eye of the storm. Take it from a baby.