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“Angel?” Percy cut in as he marched into the kitchen with a scowl. “Yes, we know.”
“How?” Al asked Kevin, ignoring Percy as he added, “And what the hell are you doing running around with a demon?”
Kevin’s stomach was in knots as he replied hesitantly, “It’s a long story. Been a crazy few weeks while you’ve been gone.” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, afraid to meet Al’s eyes. “I’m not an angel anymore either.”
“That’s… that’s what I was afraid of.” Al sighed. “You found your wings then. How much do you remember? Anything? About how we met? Why you fell?”
“Wait, you know about all this?” Kevin finally looked up at Al, unable to hide his shock.
“Of course I know! Who do you think helped you hide your damn wings inside theGooniesrock?”
“Wait, wait, wait. That was you?”
“Yes!”
Kevin’s brain hurt, and he rubbed at his neck again. “Okay, so, yeah. I found my wings. I had them for a minute, but I never remembered anything. Not a damn thing.”
“You.” Percy pointed at Al. “Man with the ugly hat.”
Kevin snorted. “His name isAlfred.”
“Actually, it’s Alan.” Al smiled. “I just stopped trying to correct you after the first five years or so.”
“Well, shit.”
“Whatever his name is.” Percy scowled as he eyed Al. “Start talking. From the beginning.”
“All right, all right.” Al held out his hands. “It was almost fifteen years ago. I’d tried to save a man from choking to death—“
“On a hot dog?”
“Yes.” Al narrowed his eyes. “I knew that was you! You were there to collect his soul, weren’t you?”
“Wait a minute, hold the fucking phone.” Kevin was having trouble keeping up. “Al was the man in the ugly hat?”
Al glanced at his bowler. “Hey, come on—”
“Yes,” Percy confirmed.
Kevin froze as the full weight of this new information hit him. “Holy fuck nuggets. I was the angel, wasn’t I?”
“Yes.” Al made a face at Percy. “And he was the demon.” He looked back to Kevin. “I didn’t know that man, but I still tried to save him. I prayed to God, to anyone who might be listening. It was you who answered. You came down to try and help me, but… it was too late. You were angry. You didn’t understand why God would have let you come to Earth if there was nothing you could do.”
“So I fell. You helped me hide the wings instead of destroying them? Then what? Brought me here?”
“I didn’t want you to do anything you couldn’t undo. Especially when you were angry.” Al smiled sadly. “So, yeah. I moved you in with me. Wasn’t really sure what else to do with you, heh. You’d stay at the house and watch movies while I worked here at the restaurant. I’d told you to call me Uncle Al, and well… the longer you were on Earth, the more your memories faded.”
Kevin swallowed over the lump growing in his throat. “I replaced them all with the fucking TV.” He snorted, rubbing at his stinging eyes. “From the sound of it, I’m probably not missing out on much.”
Al reached out to squeeze Kevin’s shoulder. “You seemed so happy pretending to be human, working with me at the restaurant, and I… Well, it was easier than having to remind you every week who and what you really were. It got to a point that when I would try and bring it up, you’d get upset and then just forget all about it again. I don’t think you wanted to remember.”
“Yeah, no. I’m sure you did exactly what you should have done.” Kevin managed a smile. “Thank you. It really is probably better that I don’t.” He reached for Percy’s hand. “Except for you. I wish I remembered seeing you.”
“Ha! Even if you did have all your memories, I don’t think you would.” Al cackled. “That chicken tucked tail and ran as soon as you landed.”
Kevin laughed and then stuck his tongue out at Percy. “Big bad demon afraid of little old me.”
“Little old you was a holy celestial being who would have smited me on sight,” Percy grumbled.
