My shelter from the storm
"... erm... Monica, I don't think the Garnets will like the entire content of this pot of pepper in their noodles..." Andrew spoke, to a not all too pleased Monica. The two angels had been in the kitchen of the small but very charming restaurant for the last 50 minutes. Their assignment, a couple who had been married for almost 20 years, had finally realised they still loved each other after being on the verge of separation. And now their two "employees" were preparing them and their daughter a special dinner.
Even though Mr and Mrs Garnet had insisted they wanted to help them, Monica and Andrew told them to go and pick up their daughter at the bus station. She was spending the weekend with her parents and was very happy to know that they wouldn't divorce anymore.
But to Andrew, having his beloved angel girl in the kitchen proved to be an extra assignment a lot more difficult than the one they had so brilliantly accomplished.
"But I won't use all the pepper in the noodles." She replied, looking at him matter-of-factly. "I will use only half of it."
Andrew gently took the pot from her hands and examined it, amazed at the great quantity of pepper in it. "Well... actually, Monica, you weren't supposed to use any of it, you see... Pepper and noodles don't exactly match..."
The Irish angel frowned at hearing those words. "What do you mean by they don't match? There can be many different combinations when food is concerned and as this is a special occasion I wanted to prepare them something special too!"
Andrew ran a hand through his blond hair and let out a frustrated sigh. "Monica... there are many different combinations when food is concerned but pepper and noodles isn't one of them..."
Her mouth dropped open and she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Oh! Just because you never heard of it, then it doesn't exist?"
Trying his best not to upset her more than she already was, he gave her a tender smile and playfully touched the tip of her nose, "Only you have heard of it, angel!"
But Monica's beautiful face didn't light up with a smile as he expected. "That's why I said it was special!" She grabbed the pot of pepper from his hand and turned her back on him, not noticing as he rolled his eyes and let out another impatient sigh.
"And where are you using the other half of all this pepper, may I ask?"
"In my meatloaves!" she replied, adding the pepper to a bowl full with noodles.
And that answer, along with the vision of an entire bowl of noodles being ruined right in front of him caused Andrew to frown with deep concern. "Your... meatloaves?"
The frightened tone in his voice only made things worse. Monica turned around to look at him defiantly. "Yes, my meatloaves. Why are you frowning like this, may I ask?"
The blond angel knew it wouldn't be easy, but he had to do something about the whole situation before it was too late. Even if that meant to go against his beloved angel girl's will. "I don't think so..."
He took the huge pot of pepper from her hands and kept it inside the highest cabinet, where she couldn't reach.
"Andrew!"
Her Irish lilt speaking his name like no one else did made her so adorable to him that he had to fight not to let her convince him that what she was doing was right.
"From now on, I'm in command of the Garnet's kitchen!" He stated, "And you can be the gorgeous assistant who will help me out."
She was frowning indignantly at him and not even his cute last sentence managed to bring a smile back on her face. "I can't believe you're doing this to me!"
Monica's hair was tied up in a ponytail, which accentuated the meekness of her Gaelic features even more. Her sweet brown eyes staring at him and the way she became so adorably cute whenever she was mad were certainly difficult to resist. But he had to; his reputation as a good cook was in check and he had to save that lunch no matter what.
Crossing his arms in front of his chest, and trying his best serious face, he stared back at her. "What I'm doing is redistributing the tasks here in the kitchen, as I have been cooking a few more centuries than you!"
That statement was the final straw. "You're belittling my abilities!"
"That's not true. You have uncountable abilities, angel, and I love all of them." He replied, with a tender smile.
But Monica's mood had definitely been ruined. She removed the apron she had been wearing so far and tossed it over a nearby chair. "You can keep the kitchen. It's all yours!"
Then she left, leaving an amused Andrew behind.
X
"... dinner was delicious! I never thought George and I would be blessed in so many ways in our life..." Mrs Garnet said, sitting at the table with her family and the two angels that had helped her and her husband, who immediately agreed.
"My wife is right. And we are very honoured that you're here with us and more honoured that you made us all this..."
"We don't know how to thank you..." she concluded, her eyes filled with emotion.
Monica and Andrew smiled at the couple and their daughter. A couple of hours after they had an argument at the kitchen, the Garnets' lunch had been "saved" due to Andrew's great cooking ability. Besides this, Monica decided to set and decorate the dinning table and truth to be told she did an impeccable job. But the Irish angel was still upset with her beloved angel of death and was hardly speaking with him.
"You don't have to thank us, Mr Garnet," she said, softly, "You two have a loving Father and that's Him you should thank to."
"Monica is right. And I can tell you that He is very happy right now..."
"Oh, but we've already said our prayers of thanks!" The man spoke.
"And we said an extra prayer thanking for your presence here... we don't think we could have been more blessed." The woman added.
Her eighteen-year old daughter Carrie to look at the friendly couple who had been helping her parents, "You two seem to be such good people... I don't understand why you have to go."
"It's time to move on, Carrie. We have to." Monica replied, and the girl let out a frustrated sigh.
"But you could stay here, working with us..."
Andrew smiled and nodded his head. "We're sure that you'll all be fine and eventually will find two good assistants."
"But you and Monica are so nice..."
"Yes, they are very good souls, Carrie. But they'll have to follow another way... help other people the same way they helped us," her mother gently interrupted.
"And later on we'll tell you more about our kind couple of assistants." Mr Garnet added, smiling at the two angels who were sitting at the table, and who had revealed their true nature on that same day.
Some time later, though, Monica and Andrew had to say goodbye to their assignments and left the small town in Tess' car, heading to the cabin where they would meet the old supervisor and friend, and especially their cute little daughter, Angela. The night had fallen earlier as a thunderstorm was beginning to form in the horizon, and the two angels in human form had a long way ahead before arriving at the cabin.
Dark clouds heavy with rain soon covered the last stars and the wind began to blow more violently as they travelled along the deserted roads that crossed the woods and the mountains. Soon, strong gusts were bending the huge tree canopies and throwing small branches against the windshield. And then the thunders that they could hear only at a distance became louder and scarier. Lightning and heavy rain finally completed that dreadful scenario. Darkness spread ahead of them and Andrew was finding it more and more difficult to drive in such conditions. Besides the awful weather, he could feel his beloved Monica's anguished heart beating faster. She had spoken one word or two with him during their journey but her silence now was the result of fear and anxiety.
"We'll get there safe and sound, angel," he said, gently placing his hand over her knee.
"Wee Angela doesn't like thunderstorms. She always gets upset..."
"I know... But with Tess holding her in her arms and singing to her, I'm definitely sure our little angel will sleep peacefully and only have sweet dreams!"
For just a second, Andrew turned his face to look at her and was glad to see her lips curving in a tiny smile.
"Yes... And I cannot think of a better angel to watch over her when we're not around..."
"Neither can I! And I'm sure little Angela agrees with us!"
Another tree branch hit the windshield, making their hearts jump and bringing their attention back to the road and the storm - the rain made it almost impossible to see ahead. Andrew knew what had tot be done, as he could feel Monica's panic increasing in volumes.
He slowed down and pulled over a few feet away. "We can't go on, Monica."
"We'll stop here?" she asked, before another branch flew towards their car, followed by a deafening thunder.
"We have to, it's too dangerous to go on with the weather like this." He said, parking the car away from the road, amongst some bushes. But their worry was far from ending: the wind was so strong that Tess' Cadillac kept on being continually hit by small objects. Andrew was afraid for Monica. He feared the possibility to staying out there, still vulnerable to the weather and so close to the road.
He saw that Monica had closed her eyes and started to pray. Sighing deeply, and without knowing what to do, Andrew looked through the window. It was then that, with the help of the constant lightning, he managed to see a shack hidden in between the vegetation, not far from where they were.
"I guess I found a shelter, Monica!" he said, quickly grabbing a flashlight in the glove compartment.
"What? Where?" She wanted to know, interrupting her prayers.
"Stay here. I'll stay where you can see all the time."
"Andrew..." her voice was placing and he could see fear written in her brown eyes. The angel of death inched closer and kissed her cheek. "I promise I won't go far."
Through the wet window glass, Monica watched as her beloved Andrew disappeared in between the trees and bushes that surrounded them. Now, all she could see was the flashlight blinking through the dense vegetation, while the constant lightning and rays allowed her to catch a quick glimpse of the small shack not far from the car.
It took Andrew just a couple of minutes to return but for the little Irish angel who was waiting for him it seemed a whole eternity. Monica was scared and praying for that thunderstorm to be over soon.
"Father, please, protect all those people who, like Andrew and me, are travelling along these roads. Make them safe and help them find a shelter from the rain..." she whispered, with her doe-like eyes turned to the dark sky. "... and protect us, please..."
The image of Andrew coming back through the same path he had followed minutes before was like a wave of relief flooding her soul. On the following moment, the blond angel was already knocking at the passenger window and speaking loudly to her. "Angel, come with me! I found a place where we can stay!"
Monica nodded her head and left their car, grabbing his hand as if her very existence depended on him. And that wasn't far from the truth.
A small flashlight illuminated the way ahead of them and soon they were at the shack door. Monica noticed that there was a gas lamp on the table that had been previously lit up, and she immediately knew it had been Andrew the one to do it. He knew how much she feared the darkness and how much scared she was right now. And despite the tense situation, he was kind enough to remember that detail.
His attentiveness was only one of the uncountable things she loved about him.
"Come on in, angel." He said, laying a gentle hand over her shoulder and motioning her to enter first. He followed her and then closed the door behind them. Now they were protected against the rain and the storm.
The wooden shelter was small but reasonably clean. There was a small table and two stools on one side, and a small cabinet on the other. The fireplace was on the left and there were many logs next to it. Monica and Andrew's clothes were soaked and dripping and the blond angel was quick to put some logs in the fireplace and burn them with the help of a lighter, which had also been left there. Soon, the heat coming from the fire made the interior of the shack a lot warmer and cosier. Andrew removed his shoes and socks, and stripped down to his boxers. Then, he hung his jeans and sweater on the stools, hoping that they could dry.
And, despite the storm and how much it made her nervous, Monica gasped at the vision of her beloved Andrew: the flames burning in the fireplace allowed her to see the well-shaped muscles on his chest, arms and back, and his strong wide shoulders. The Irish angel let out a sigh, as her lips curved into a slight smile. Her dear Andrew was amazingly handsome and only he was able to make her heart beat faster not from fear of the storm but from pure enchantment.
Much to her amusement, Andrew was so worried in making that small house a comfortable shelter to his beloved angel that he didn't notice her gaze at his strong human form.
"Take your dress off, Monica. There must be a blanket here somewhere." He said, without looking at her, and opened up the cabinet. With the help of the gas lamp, he checked its interior, searching from a blanket that would also help to protect from the cold.
That order, given with genuine concern and no second intentions, only amused her even more. Monica rolled her eyes and, still smiling, she reached out to unfasten the clasp behind her neck, and then unzipped her dress. Andrew found a blanket in the upper shelf and gladly took it in his hands. As he turned around, he saw his beloved Monica placing her dress over the table and now he was the one to gasp with enchantment at the image of Monica's beautiful body. The golden glow coming from the fireplace accentuated her delicate and feminine curves, now covered with only a two-piece underwear. Busy trying to stretch the dress over the table so that it could dry faster, Monica didn't realise Andrew's gaze at her - nor that his mouth had dropped open with admiration.
A loud thunder, though, interrupted that moment of contemplation. The blond angel noticed how the deafening noise caused his beloved to tremble with fear. But on the following second, he was right behind her, draping the blanket over her shoulders and speaking to her again.
"Here, so you don't feel cold, angel."
She turned grateful eyes at him. "Thank you..."
"Come, let's sit here by the fire. That will keep us warm." He gently guided her to sit on the wooden floor, leaning against the wall as they faced the fireplace.
"What about you?" she wanted to know, with slight worry.
"I'm fine, angel."
She offered him a piece of the quilt. "We can share the blanket..."
A smile appeared on his handsome face and he inched closer to her, "Let's do the following: I could hold you tight and this way both of us would feel warmer. Would you allow me to?"
The constant lightning and thunders, and the howling wind caused her to want nothing but to be in his strong arms - a loving shelter where she could really feel protected and much loved. Without saying a word, the Irish angel leaned against his chest and wrapped her small arms around his torso. She closed her eyes, grateful as she felt his strong arms holding her tightly, gently pressing her against his own body. Andrew lay a gentle kiss on the top of her head and sighed, with a slight smile upon his face. He could be gladly holding her like that for the centuries to come.
X
The minutes turned into an hour and much to their relief the two angels in human form could listen as the thunderstorm slowly faded away. Now, only occasional thunders were heard at a distance and although the rain kept on falling, it wasn't as heavy as before. The wind had also diminished and everything seemed to be back to normal again.
"I guess it's over..." Andrew spoke, tenderly caressing her hair. He felt her nodding her head against his chest.
"Yes..." After a brief silence she spoke again. "I'm... I'm grateful that you're here, Andrew..."
A tender smile appeared on his handsome face and he pulled away just a few inches, and gazed down at her. The look in her sweet brown eyes, as if she was a scared child afraid of the thunderstorm, caused his heart to ache with much love. "There's no other place I'd rather be, angel, other than right here, holding you like this."
"Will you forgive me for arguing with you about the Garnets' dinner?" she asked, with a serious and guilty expression.
Smiling, he reached out and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Then, he traced an invisible line along her jaw with his fingertip. "Only if I get to see a smile back on this pretty face of yours!"
Those words were enough to make her lips curve into a meek smile and she raised her hand to touch his handsome face, gently caressing his cheek and chin. Andrew reached for her hand and kissed her palm, and then placed it against his heart. "There it is. Now I forgive you!" he joked.
Monica tilted her head as she eyed him with deep affection. "Have you ever imagined what we'll be like some years from now?"
"Hum... Certainly you'll continue this gorgeous, charming, lovely, enchanting, sweet, kind and generous angel!" Enjoying to hear the sound of her giggle, he went on talking. "And that cute little one God gave us will be a chatty little angel, making questions about everything and anything that surrounds her! And, most importantly, she will be more and more alike her mom. And this fact alone is enough to make me the happiest angel in all Heaven." He was quite amused as she blushed even more, visibly embarrassed with the evident resemblance between her and Angela.
"She... she will have more of your traits with time, I'm sure she will!" the Irish angel replied, and then searched his handsome face in an attempt to find any similarity. "Actually... I think she has your nose, Andrew!"
As he laughed, she sat up straight and facing him, and let go of his hand to cup his face. "Yes! I guess you do have the same nose shape!"
Andrew caressed her cheek and looked deep inside her sparkling pools, now aware that the fear and anguish caused by the storm were finally over. "Angel... apart from the colour of her eyes, that cute little one is... a little version of you!" She was even more embarrassed to hear that and lowered her head. "... my little Monica!" He lifted her chin up, and the power of his gaze told her many loving words. "And that's why she's just perfect!"
"She's perfect because she is yours too..." Monica replied, eyeing him with enchantment, "Because... whenever I look deep inside her sweet eyes, I see kindness and much love... exactly what I see when I look at you..."
Words soon ceased as they held each other's gaze. Their eyes sparkled with a multitude of loving feelings and through the strong connection that kept their souls together, they could feel a wave of love invading their hearts. Despite powerful, it was tender and gentle, and brought joy and fascination. After contemplating her meek face, committing to memory every small feature, Andrew crossed the small distance between them and as their eyes closed, their lips met. At first, it was a soft, feather-light touch. The blond angel moved his hand from her cheek to the back of her head, entangling his fingers in her long auburn hair, and seconds later, he deepened their kiss. Monica welcomed his loving caress with equal passion, allowing Andrew to taste her sweet mouth as she herself surrendered to his touch, enjoying the way her beloved husband held her in his strong arms.
Soon, Monica's hands were roaming along his naked chest and arms, exploring his muscles and amazed at the fact that so much strength and tenderness could be combined there at the same time. As their lips parted, Andrew started a small trail of tiny kisses along her jaw and neck, breathing in her sweet perfume, and causing her to feel pleasant butterflies at his warm breath against her skin. The Irish angel wrapped her arms around his neck, still caressing his strong shoulders and the back of his neck, delicate fingers entangling his short blond hair as she whispered to his ear. "I love you so much..."
"Angel... you're my entire world..." he whispered back, before capturing her mouth in another passionate kiss. It was in those moments that their souls were deeply connected and their hearts, beating in the same rhythm, in an eternal love promise. Without breaking the kiss, he reached out and gently unfastened the clasp of her bra. The small underwear item was soon discharged and now Andrew could explore more of her body and its graceful curves. The gentle touch of his hands caressing her silky skin nearly took her breath away, and she returned his kisses with more passion, more love.
Andrew felt nothing different. The sweet and tender angel he held in his arms was welcoming his loving kisses and caresses and putting herself in his hands, trusting him with her entire being. He felt honoured and sometimes undeserving of such a blessed gift. As if trying to reaffirm his eternal love without words, he kissed her deeply and yet so gently, he wrapped his arms around her body and carefully lay her down on the wooden floor - to him, she was a precious treasure that demanded all his attention and care. Andrew resented the fact that despite the warmth coming from the fireplace, there was no comfort in the small shack to offer his beloved angel. Just a blanket that had also been left aside for a while.
But these worried thoughts didn't last for long as the blond angel's eyes met her sparkling ones, filled with nothing but unconditional love for him. Monica was smiling at him, so adorable, so sweet that his heart skipped a beat.
"I told you... With you, any place on Earth becomes my home..." she said, raising her hand to stroke his face, eyes filled with reassurance. She knew him so well up to the point to see his concern, which was shattered by her loving words.
Andrew reached for her hand and kissed its back, returning her smile. "My sweet angel... You know what we'll be like some years from now? I'll continue to kiss you and hold you tight and tell you about my love for you, baby..."
She grinned at him and bit her lower lip, in a way he found especially endearing. "Then, could you start our future right now?"
Lost in admiration, he bent down and kissed her forehead, nose, cheeks and finally descended his mouth onto hers, in another long and languid kiss. Monica's hands were back to his shoulders and chest, as his own caressed her hair, neck and arms; their movements growing more intense and urgent as their heartbeats increased; their tongues dancing with each other as their kiss deepened.
Soon the rest of their minimal clothes had been discharged and their naked bodies became one, beautifully shaped by the flames dancing in the fireplace, as they shared something wonderful and amazingly beautiful. Even though it'd been a while since they had been joined as a couple, the fact that they fit so perfectly well together never ceased to amaze them.
And after their sweet lovemaking they lay there on the floor, the fire still burning and causing their human bodies to glow. The storm was gone by now and the silence of the night had only been broken moments before, by passionate cries and whispered loving words. Monica snuggled against Andrew, resting her head over his chest and their breathing little by little returned to its normal pace. He was quick to cover them with the forgotten blanket, and then started a session of soothing caresses over her hair, lulling her to a pleasant sleep.
Andrew held her tightly, protectively and somewhat selfishly, as if she only belonged to him. And that was not far from the truth.
"I love you so much... did you know that?" she murmured, with a sleepy tone in her voice, feeling her eyelashes growing heavily as her finger traced invisible circles on his bare chest.
Grinning, he kissed the top of her head. "Let's say I suspected it at the moment you removed your apron and stepped out of the kitchen!"
Their laughter filled the air, and Monica looked up at him. "I'm so sorry about that..."
"Don't be. You have no idea how cute you are when you get mad! So cute that it was hard for me not to kiss you at that very moment!"
The Irish angel giggled at his words. "You could have!"
He tightened the hold around her small body a bit more. "Could I have a second chance?"
"Always!"
Andrew stroked her cheek, taking his time to gaze at her, never tired of that sweet smile and those sparkling doe-like eyes permanently beaming at him. He pressed his lips against hers, but now their kiss was as serene and a summer breeze, a goodnight kiss to seal all those love promises. Soon, Monica drifted off to sleep in Andrew's arms, and he lay there enjoying to feel her body close to his, knowing that nothing could be better than what they were now sharing.
X
The first morning sunrays started to shine inside the small cabin, causing Monica’s eyelids to flicker slowly. A few seconds later she opened her brown eyes, catching a glimpse of her surroundings. The last few logs burned in the fireplace and there was no trace of the thunderstorm that had scared her so deeply.
As a matter of fact, a much more beautiful memory of the previous night soon came to her mind, and before she knew it, she felt a gentle touch on her hair.
"Hey... good morning, angel!" Andrew greeted her, speaking softly to her ear.
Monica looked up at him and gave him a sleepy smile, causing him to chuckle with amusement. "Hi... is it morning already?"
"Yep. And I guess it's our clue to head to the cabin..."
"Why don't I feel like getting up?" she said, enjoying his arms around her, and returning her head to its previous position - over his chest.
"Well, maybe because you're quite a sleepyhead angel girl!"
She smiled at those words. "I'd say it's because the accommodations are quite comfortable!"
"I don't think so. We're on the hard floor and I'm sorry you had to lie down here all night long."
"I was talking about your arms!" she said, kissing his chest.
Andrew cupped her cheek and once she was gazing back at him, he caressed her skin so tenderly that she leaned on his touch, treasuring the light contact. “Waking up with you sleeping quietly in my arms, looking at this sweet face of yours is... basically everything I dreamed of... ”
Their eyes spoke silent love words that both could clearly hear echoing in their hearts, inside their very soul. Andrew took her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. With his other arm he encircled her waist and pulled her even closer to him, enjoying it when she held him back. But he didn’t kiss her immediately, even if their lips were burning to meet in a tender caress. Andrew took his time to study her face once again, analyse every little detail in it, as if falling in love with her all over again.
“I love you so much...” she spoke, almost in a whisper, lost in the intensity of his green pools.
The blond angel bent his head and kissed her forehead. “My angel...” Then he kissed the tip of her nose, watching as she closed her eyes in anticipation. “I promise you...” and finally one tiny kiss on her lips, which let her even more needy. “... that you can have my heart forever.”
They didn’t have to say anything else, as now their lips collided in a soulful, loving kiss that couldn’t wait any longer. Monica tilted her head and wished that they could remain there a little more time, as that small shack lost in the countryside would be in their memory forever, along with the love promises and confessions that had been made there.
But soon they had to pull apart and rise to their feet, as Tess and little Angela were waiting for them in their cabin, on the top of the mountain. Hand in hand, they left the small shack and headed back to Tess' car, talking with each other and grateful that they had found a shelter to protect them from the storm. Once they got at the Cadillac, though, both angels' smiles disappeared and they looked at each other with deep concern: the car headlight had been damaged during the storm.
"Oh, dear!" Monica exclaimed, picturing Tess' face once she saw what had happened to her "baby".
Andrew nervously ran his fingers through his blond hair. "It's... it's not our fault..."
"Of course it's not! I'm sure she... will understand... eventually..."
"Well... Tess let's not forget Tess has an issue when the subject is me and her car..."
"I know..." she stroked his arm sympathetically, feeling sorry for him as she remembered how their dearest friend scolded him for breaking her car once. They entered the vehicle and headed to the cabin, now slightly concerned about what they would hear when they got there.
X
"Tess! We're here!"
When the supervisor heard the Cadillac being parked in front of the cabin and Monica's unmistakable voice, she turned to the little angel on her lap and grinned. "Did you listen to it, little angel? It's your mommy and daddy!"
Little Angela's toothless smile back at her melted her heart for the hundredth time and she finished to put a pair of tiny shoes in the little one's feet and carried her out of her bedroom and down the stairs, watching as the couple of angels entered through the door.
And when Angela saw her parents, she raised her little arms and grinned at them.
"Whoa, looks like someone certainly missed you two, babies!" the oldest angel exclaimed.
"Oh, sweetie! Mommy and daddy also missed you so much, angel!" Monica was quick to rush to Tess and gather her little one in her arms, kissing her cute face and receiving a baby laughter in reply.
Amused, Andrew bent down and kissed his daughter's little head, stroking her soft auburn hair. "Hey, little angel! Did you have fun with your auntie Tess while we were out, huh?"
Angela raised her chubby hand and touched her father's chin, sparkling green eyes turning from him to her mother, visibly indecisive about who she would greet first.
"You bet we had, angel boy!" the oldest angel replied, receiving a kiss on her cheek form both Monica and Andrew.
"Oh, Tess, did she get scared with the thunderstorm last night?" the Irish angel wanted to know, concern all over her face.
"Well, she complained a little but I kept this little one in my arms and sang for her until she fell asleep, didn't I, baby?" the supervisor replied, tickling Angela's belly.
"Thank you so much, Tess. We were caught by the storm when we were coming back, so we had to stop and wait." Andrew explained.
"I imagined that, baby. I think it was the wisest thing to do, you shouldn't drive my baby along the road with a weather like that!" she said, causing both angels to exchange a worried glance. "And of course, you two should be protected by a shelter all the time. Angela was just fine, it didn't take her too long before falling asleep."
Monica tilted her head and looked at the supervisor with tenderness. "We were sure that she couldn't be in better hands, Tess. There's no one we trust her with other than you."
Pleased to hear that, Tess grinned from ear to ear. "Well, but now that you're already here, I'll take a break in babysitting this cute little angel to go up to the town."
The smile immediately disappeared from their faces and the couple of angels looked at each other again. "Now?" They both said at the same time.
"Well, yes. Angela has already eaten and your breakfast is ready. I'll be back in a couple of hours!" She caressed little Angela's cheeks and received another smile in reply. "Don't you worry! Tess will be right back, baby!"
They wanted to say something else but the supervisor had already turned her back on them. And a second after she opened up the door, her voice changed from kind and friendly to a very upset one.
"But what happened with my baby?!"
"Erm... Tess... we... we were about to tell you..." Monica tentatively spoke.
"Y-yes... you see... we... the thunderstorm was blowing things against the car... an object, maybe a tree branch, might have hit the headlight..."
"What are you talking about?" she interrupted Andrew, "What do you mean by 'might have'? You don't know what hit my baby? What were you two doing when this happened?!"
Monica and Andrew looked at each other for the third time, now really not knowing what to say.
"We... We... Andrew spotted a small shack not far from the road," the Irish angel started.
"Yes, and it was getting too risky to go on driving, so I parked your car out of the road and we headed to this shack..." Andrew completed, while they watched as Tess climbed down the stairs at the entrance of the cabin and took a closer look at her damaged "baby".
"Oh, no! Look at that! My poor baby!"
"Tess, it's just a headlight!" the angel of death spoke, receiving a very, very upset glare in reply.
"What did you just say, mister Halo?"
"Can... can't we fix it?" Monica intervened, noticing her friend's mood had been too damaged at that point.
"We're not talking about just a car like the other ones! This baby is special! It's not that easy to find a piece that fits perfectly here!" the supervisor replied, still not believing it was happening.
"Well, in this case why don't we all go downtown to look for the right piece? It's early in the morning and wee Angela here could get to have a walk in the town!" she said, with a tentative smile and under the impression that little Angela was having fun with all that situation.
"Yeah, good idea, Monica! It's a beautiful day and she would be really happy to go out!" the blond angel agreed, also forcing a smile.
But Tess' mood had definitely been ruined, and she was not pleased with him. "This is not an occasion for a happy outing in the park!"
One hour later, after taking a shower and having their breakfast, the couple of angels and their little daughter were ready to leave the cabin and search for a mechanic downtown.
"You give me those keys, mister!" the oldest angel spoke, grabbing the car keys from Andrew's hand. Monica winked at Andrew and he gave her a little nod, chuckling with amusement.
As they put little Angela's chair in the back seat, next to her daddy, the four angels headed downtown, like a happy family that would spend the weekend together and enjoying one another's company.
The end (of this bonus episode!)