The bedroom in the upper level apartment of the two-story apartment building was dark except for one shaft of moonlight that shone in from the window where the curtains were still halfway open. In the bed a young woman lay on her side under the covers. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was quiet. Above her a ceiling fan turned slowly.

      “I think she’s asleep,” said one of the angels. He was sitting on a chair near the bed watching the young woman closely.

      “Just wait,” said the other angel. “I doubt if she’s asleep already.” He was standing up near the window looking at the moon.

      The first angel listened and watched the young woman carefully for a few moments. “I think her breathing has slowed down,” he said. “I’m pretty sure she’s asleep.”

      “Feivel,” said the second angel, “we’re starting to do this every night. You need to be patient. She lays awake for at least an hour every night.”

      “But, Hannah, that’s exactly my point. I think she’s exhausted.”

      “She is tired, I’m sure. But she’s also emotionally troubled. And that’s not going to help her sleep.”

      Feivel sighed and stood up from the chair. He began to pace to the opposite side of the room. Hannah turned away from the moonlight to face his partner.

      “Feivel, I know this is a hard case. It’s been very frustrating.” Hannah thought for a moment, watching Feivel turn and pace back toward the bed. “Look, if you want to stand down, go ahead. I’ll keep watch here.”

      “No. Thanks for offering, but no.”

      “I’m sure she’s almost asleep. Go ahead. I’ve got it.”

      “No.”

      “Why not?”

      Feivel turned to face Hannah. “Because of what happened the last time one of us stood down. Remember? One of us had stepped away to regroup and the other, thinking she was asleep, went to run an errand.” He looked at the young woman in the bed. “And she, who was not asleep, decided to get up and go downtown and get tangled up in a hideous mess.” Feivel looked back at Hannah. “Of course, you would never go on an errand, no matter how good the intention.”

      “Feivel, forget about that. Overall, we’ve done a good job in a hard situation.”

      Just then the young woman rolled over on her back. Her eyes were wide open and became fixed on the ceiling fan. Feivel looked over at her, and then pointing to her, looked back up at Hannah.

      “Well, you were right again,” he said.

      Hannah walked over to his partner and patted him on the back. “I know you’ve got a good heart, Feivel. You’re frustrated because you care.”

      Feivel nodded. “We see her day-in and day-out. How could we not care?” He looked over at the young woman lying awake. “I don’t know how much longer I can watch her destroy herself.”

      Hannah looked at the young woman. “She’s still searching for love and acceptance. She just doesn’t realize it yet.”

      Feivel gestured angrily over his shoulder with his thumb. “Well, she’s certainly not going to find it with that man that was here tonight!”

      “Nor with any of them that she’s been with.”

      “All they do is tell her what she wants to hear until they get what they want. They play on her brokenness!”

      “They’re broken, too.”

      “Yes, AND sold out to the flesh! This one tonight is just racking up a score.” Feivel shook his head and continued his pacing. “I’ll tell you, I don’t like him. He’s a monster in the making.”

      “He’s not as bad as the one who was on the phone."

      Feivel turned around suddenly. “Oh, my word! That one makes me want to go run another errand!”

      “Now…” Hannah held up a hand to quiet his partner.

      “He IS a full-blown monster!” Feivel anxiously walked over to the bed and looked at the young woman. “I shudder to think of what might’ve happened if he would have come over. Those two together…” He shook his head as his words trailed off.

      “They would’ve destroyed her,” said Hannah.