Free A Simple Case of Angels by Caroline Adderson Page B

sniff it.
    Prostration . Climb’st . Darksome .
    â€œIs this even English?” Nicola asked.
    Lindsay turned the pages. “ Seraphim, Cherubim , Throne, ” she read, plugging her nose.
    â€œSeraphim?” Nicola said.
    She carried the book to the bottom of the basement stairs and shouted up, “Mom! Is this a poem about angels ?”
    * * *
    Lindsay lived in an old brick apartment with its name in slanting gold writing on the front door: The Sheldon Arms Apartments.
    Irene, Lindsay’s mother, met them at the door. She had glasses with zebra frames.
    â€œI’ve heard so much about you,” she told Nicola.
    Over lunch, which was homemade vegetable soup, Lindsay told Irene about their discovery. “The thing Mr. Milton keeps saying is actually an expression.”
    â€œWhat expression?” Irene asked.
    â€œâ€˜Do not forget to entertain strangers, because something something about angels.”
    â€œAnd what does it mean?” Irene asked.
    â€œWe don’t know,” Lindsay said. “But it had over three million results on Google. And then we found out that another Mr. Milton wrote a famous book about angels. Nicola’s mom had it. We’re going to read it after lunch.”
    â€œLindsay,” Irene whispered when the girls were clearing the table. “No box today, right?”
    â€œShe already knows about it,” Lindsay said. “I told her.”
    They went to Lindsay’s room, which was a lot like Nicola’s messy room except for magazine pictures of brides taped all over the walls, and the cardboard refrigerator box that took up most of the floor space.
    Lindsay said, “That’s my Feel Better Box. Go on in.”
    Nicola hesitated. She got down on her hands and knees and crawled inside.
    â€œLying down is better,” Lindsay said, so Nicola lay on her back on the sleeping bag that padded the floor of the box.
    Taped on the ceiling and walls were more magazine pictures — flowers and sunsets and brides — as well as photographs of people Lindsay probably knew, and her bride drawings.
    â€œLook under the pillow,” Lindsay told her.
    A bottle of spray cologne. Lindsay told Nicola to spray some around, then close her eyes.
    After a minute she asked, “How do you feel? Better?”
    â€œThan what?” Nicola asked.
    Lindsay squirmed in and lay beside her. Nicola felt worse.
    â€œWhich dress do you like the best?” Lindsay asked of the drawings taped above them. Nicola pointed to one at random.
    â€œI love that one, too! I love the heart neckline.”
    â€œI’m never getting married,” Nicola said. “I’m going to live alone in a big house with lots and lots of dogs. Can we read the book now?”
    â€œSure. I’ll get it,” Lindsay said.
    â€œI don’t think I’ll be able to read in the box. I’m starting to feel funny.”
    â€œThat might be the Feeling Better starting.”
    â€œI don’t think so,” Nicola said.

15
    â€”
    The last day of winter break, Nicola brought gingerbread and salmon cookies to reward June Bug for doing her tricks. She wasn’t supposed to bring Mr. Milton food, but if he wanted to try some of June Bug’s treats, it would be rude to say no.
    Mr. Milton was feeling fine today, Glenda told them when she buzzed them in.
    The girls sat side by side on the end of his bed with June Bug between them. Lindsay held the treats out for Mr. Milton, whose hand dipped robotically into the container.
    Nicola unfolded the sheet of paper she’d brought.
    â€œWe figured out you were interested in angels. Then we found out about this famous book about angels written by another Mr. Milton. But we could hardly read it. So last night my mom told me the story. The part she remembers, anyway. I wrote it down.”
    June Bug sniffed the paper in Nicola’s hand, as though to read the story, too.
    â€œOnce upon a time there