Confusion. What's going on?

Kindness. Oh, do go easy on her, Mother Generosity. After all, she did just die today.

Everything's all fuzzy, I'm wet, and now I'm dead? This day isn't going well. My head clears a bit more as I step free of the pool and look around.

Confusion. What is this place?

Kindness. It's heaven, of course!

Then the cross woman asks me my name. I know hers, Mother Generosity… but I don't know mine.

Confusion. I don't remember my name.

Kindness. Oh, you poor dear. Surely you remember something?

But I don't. Not a thing. Not who I am, where I'm from, not even my own name. I still try to defend myself, though. I'm certain I'm a good person, whoever that person may be.

Confusion. If you can't even remember your own name, then how can you claim to remember your whole life?

That shocks me into silence. Mother Generosity has a point. I duck my head, hiding behind my hair. Where else am I to go but Heaven?

Kindness. Oh, Mother Generosity, can't we make an exception? She looks like such a nice girl.

I look up again, hardly daring to hope, as the kind woman, Sister Sincerity, dickers with Mother Generosity over my fate. Eventually, they agree on my probation, and I nod eagerly. I will do anything to please them as long as it means I don't go to that… other place.

Confusion. Probation? What does that mean?

Kindness. Grace! Wouldn't that be a lovely name for her?

Grace… I think I can live with that. Mother Generosity flies away, and Sister Sincerity turns to the gate.

Kindness. Well, then, let's go, Grace!

I eye the gate dubiously and look up at the path Mother Generosity took.

Confusion. Fly? Don't be silly. You can't fly there, of course! This is heaven, after all.

***

Confusion. Why do I keep having these dreams?

It seems the rest of my new life is going to be the same as my arrival at the gate. Heaven isn't as good as I thought it would be. I catch myself wondering why I wanted so badly to come in here sometimes. Then, of course, I shake it off. As Sister Sincerity would say, "This is heaven, after all." Being here is its own reward.

Confusion. If that's true, why do I feel so terrible?

Everyone here seems ready to dismiss me on rank, but they're never as willing to explain anything. It's hard. I'm tired, headachy, and hungry. I figure that's a problem I can remedy, so I go into the Café Paradise. Instead, I get, Come back when you're worth something, and shoved out onto the street. I land hard on the ground. I think I hit something on my way down, but I wasn't paying attention. I'm still stuck on the dream I had last night… or whatever, since the sun never sets here.

Confusion. I must be losing it.

Then I glance up and see I did hit something… someone, rather.

Confusion. Oh, great. Another person who'll pull rank on me.

I start to apologize, but he smiles at me and shakes my hand.

Kindness. Hey, it's all right.

He introduces himself, and I start to greet him back when I notice he's bleeding. Bleeding! And he just touches his forehead as if he hadn't noticed. It must have happened in the fall. It's my fault!

Kindness. It's all right.

I'm not really listening to his assurances, though. How much I start to freak out- Hurt! Bleeding! I'm such a klutz!- is a testament to how bad my day's been.

Kindness. It's all right!

He steps back and grabs my hands when I reach for him. I wonder how he can look so calm. It's the worst day ever and he's bleeding and-

Kindness. Grace! Relax!

And then he smiles at me again, and everything starts to look better.