My world, my love, my life
On that morning, everything seemed to be part of a dream for Monica. A dream that had started with a wonderful piece of news, given by Gabriel, the angel of annunciation. She would become a mother. Her distant, practically impossible dream to become a mother would come true – and every angel in all realm dreamed about this gift, this blessing never bestowed to any heavenly creature before. Maybe she’d been the one to receive it because the love she and Andrew shared was such a deep one that it had to be expanded. Maybe it was because they had done something in their existence that made them deserve this honour. Maybe the Father had especial plans for this still unborn little angel that rested in her womb. Or maybe, all these reasons were combined together.
But then the wonderful dream turned into a terrible nightmare in a matter of seconds. A fire had destroyed the small hospital where Andrew was working and he tried to save all the ones who couldn’t get at the exit by themselves – all of them were children, and all of them were safe now. She didn’t expect less from a gentle, loving and compassionate creature like Andrew. His kind and warm heart, his infinite tenderness, especially with children, his noble spirit – all of these were common qualities to an angel, but in him they seemed even more accentuated and they were some of the innumerable reasons why she’d fallen in love with him.
But, being in human form at the moment of the accident, he got hurt. Monica knew that Adam was avoiding giving her details of what had happened, and feared the extension of his wounds.
From the moment the other angel of death gave her the awful piece of news, everything seemed to happen in slow motion: she changed her clothes, got into Tess’ car and, through blurred vision due to the permanent tears falling from her eyes, watched as the supervisor drover her and Adam back to the city, two hours from the cabin where she was staying. All this time, the Irish angel rested her hand over her belly, trying to get the strength to face that difficult moment from the little gift that rested there.
All the victims of the accident had been sent to the big city hospital and a couple of hours later, Tess parked her red Cadillac in front of the tall building. She, Monica and Adam crossed the gates and headed to the counter, desperately searching for information.
“Please, we’re looking for a person who got hurt in the fire... His name is Andrew...” Adam spoke, as his other two angelic friends were still in shock.
The receptionist immediately nodded her head, knowing exactly who he was talking about, “Oh, yes, the man who helped to save the children... That was so sad...” she said, with distress evident on her face, “Are you his relatives?”
Adam looked at the little angel standing next to him, watching as she wiped the endless tears that were falling from her eyes and spoke for the first time, “I’m... I’m his wife...”
The expression on the woman’s face was one of sorrow at the thought of seeing such a beautiful young couple threatened to be separated forever by the tragedy that had happened a few hours earlier. “I’ll be praying for him, young lady. What he did for all those children only shows that he’s a good man... he’ll be rewarded somehow...”
“Thanks...” Monica’s voice was hoarse and she could hardly speak.
“Can we see him?” Tess wanted to know, with a permanent arm around her charge’s shoulders.
“Well... I’ll call a nurse and she’ll take you to talk to the doctors who are taking care of him... He... he’s in the ICU.”
Monica stifled a sob and nodded, following the nurse that led them to an isolated area of the hospital. And although Tess was there, permanently supporting her, she could feel the anguish and pain coming from the old angel’s heart. She was like a mother to both Monica and Andrew; the one who brought them together (and of that, she was very proud) and how she loved the blond angel! Having to stay away from him would certainly make her suffer terribly, like a mother separated from her dear son.
“... it’s nice to meet you, Monica...” the doctor who was assisting Andrew spoke, once the nurse introduced them, “...I’m just sorry it has to be under this circumstance. Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you...” she replied, and then turned to face her angelic friends, “... these are Tess and Adam. They’re our friends... our family...”
“What’s Andrew’s real condition, doctor?” the supervisor wanted to know.
The old man sighed, as if searching for the right words, “Well... we’ve finally managed to stabilise him now. When the firefighters managed to take him out of the hospital, he had inhaled a great quantity of smoke. Besides, he... he got hurt too... he hit his head and there’s a nasty cut in his temple. Plus, he has a few wounds on his arms and hands, due to the fire.”
The man’s heart was filled with sorrow to see how Monica bit her lower lip, tying in vain not to cry. “How long... how long will it take until he wakes up?” she finally spoke.
“I don’t know, Monica. You see, when he got here, my co-workers and I thought that he wouldn’t resist. But your husband is a fighter, you see. And he surely refuses to stay away from you!” the doctor explained, and it was possible to see that he was surprised with Andrew’s resistance, “So all we can do now is wait. Be patient and see if he can react to the treatment we’re giving him. And we can also pray.”
The Irish angel wiped her tears with a tissue paper and looked at her friends, and then back at the old man, “That’s what we’ve been doing, doctor... May... may we see him?”
“Only one person is allowed in the ICU...”
Tess squeezed her charge’s hand and Adam caressed her hair, “You go ahead, baby, we’ll wait here.”
X
The ICU room was cold and its silence was only broken by the constant noise of the monitor next to the bed. When she saw him, Monica rushed to his side, breaking into tears to see her beloved Andrew so badly hurt. Seeing his pale face and the totally stillness of his human body caused a terrible sensation of panic inside her heart, as if she would never see him smiling at her or holding her tightly again.
With a trembling hand, the Irish angel caressed his face, a gentle caress so common to them but which seemed so precious at that difficult moment.
“I’ll leave you two alone, Monica. If you need anything, please, talk to the nurse, ok?”
“Thank you, doctor...” she managed to reply, never turning her eyes from the angel lying in the bed. Only when the old doctor left the room did she speak again, her crying voice hoarse with emotion. “I have so much to tell you... It’s amazing that we were together just a day ago and I already miss you like we’ve been apart for a whole century... But that’s... that’s what love does... It makes me feel like a part of me is missing when you’re not by my side...”
She reached for his hand as her tears fell freely from her eyes, “I know that the Father has the power to turn something terrible into something wonderful... And I’ll be praying for this to happen... I’ll be here by your side, asking Him to heal you... I know you’ve been fighting and I just need you to hold on a little bit more, okay?” sobbing, she bent her head and lay a soft kiss on his forehead, “... please, Andrew, hold on for me... I cannot imagine my existence without you... If... if I have to stay in this form for a while, I need you with me...”
Her crying and the multitude of strong emotions in her heart stopped her from speaking. All Monica could do was sob and silently pray that God allowed Andrew to stay by her side. She didn’t know if angels could really die. Maybe not their spirit, but their human form was fragile and it was exposed to all sorts of risks a normal human being was. And that fact alone scared her deeply. The Irish angel felt a shiver running down her spine at a terrible but very plausible thought: was the little angel in her womb a way to compensate Andrew’s absence?
X
Time went by slowly inside that cold room. And the more the seconds passed, the more Monica’s anguish increased, as Andrew remained lifeless on that hospital bed, connected to machines and breathing slowly. Eventually, Tess and Adam managed to see their angelic friend, and offered their prayers for his quick recovery. But what the oldest angel couldn’t hide was her great worry at the image of her dear angel boy so badly hurt.
After they had left, Monica remained sitting by Andrew’s bed for a long time, thinking, remembering, praying and crying. The possibility of never seeing someone so much loved was the worst feeling a person – or angel – could ever experience.
It was Tess’ hand over her shoulder that took her out of her reverie and made her turn her eyes away from the blond angel’s sleeping form. “Angel girl? Adam offered to stay here while you go and eat something.”
“I’m... To tell you the truth, I’m not very hungry, you know...”
“Well, you may not be that hungry but things are different now, baby. You need to be strong, your human form has to be a healthy one.”
She knew Tess was right. Slowly, the Irish angel nodded and placed her hands over her belly, caressing it with tenderness and a bittersweet smile. The thought of having a little one, so fragile and innocent and who was totally dependent on her raised a fiercely protective feeling inside her heart, something that she had never experienced before.
“You’re right... He or she needs me too, isn’t it?”
A slight smile appeared on Tess’ face, “Yes, baby. And I’m sure you’ll fulfil this assignment beautifully!”
Monica stood up from the chair and stroked Andrew’s face with tenderness, “I’ll be back soon, okay?”
She bent her head and lay a soft kiss on his forehead and left the room together with Tess, while Adam took her place on the same chair.
Nothing else happened during the rest of the day. The Irish angel returned to the ICU and spent the entire night by Andrew’s side, falling asleep once in a while, waking up with her eyes filled with expectation, hoping to see at least a slight sign of recovery, and then sighing with disappointment when she saw no reaction from him.
A rainy spring morning fell slowly and Monica stood up from her chair, standing by Andrew’s bed and never moving her eyes from him, “Good morning, Andrew... I hope you had a peaceful night... I know you’re fighting hard... Yes, I trust you with all my heart and soul and I’m sure you’re doing everything you can to come back to me... I can feel it right here in my heart... But I understand it’s difficult... I can wait a wee bit more until you’re strong enough to wake up... I wish I had a rose to give you when you do so, but they don’t allow flowers in the ICU, you know...” she whispered, tenderly caressing his tousled blond hair. “But you know how much I love you, don’t you? I do... I love you very, very much, Andrew...”
A silent tear rolled down her cheek as she spoke; a turmoil of many different and opposite emotions visible on her face. But a few seconds later, she covered her mouth with both hands, feeling the now recurrent morning sickness brought by her condition. Quickly, she left the ICU and rushed to the ladies room, which was down in the corridor, just a few steps away. Trembling, she went sick many times, not having anybody to help her out. Tess and Adam had been called in an assignment and although they guaranteed to be back soon, there was no way she could wait for their return. The last time she felt that bad Andrew was the one to hold her tightly and take care of her but now... now she was on her own and that thought brought a flood of tears to her eyes.
She kneeled on the cold white floor and sobbed.
X
Finally bringing herself together, the Irish angel stood up and walked weakly up to the sink. She opened the faucet and washed her face, the cold water bringing some relief. A few minutes had passed and, feeling a little bit better, Monica took a paper towel and was wiping her face when somebody – a young woman, entered the restroom. It was possible to see that she was crying and despair was evident all over her face.
“Excuse me, are you alright?” the Irish angel wanted to know, her kind and warm heart already filled with worry for the apparently vulnerable creature, even though she had all sorts of problems herself.
“I’m... Yes... I’m fine...” the girl replied, her voice and face saying right the opposite.
Monica gave a few steps towards her and gently placed her hand over her shoulder. “I’m sorry, but I can’t believe that, you look very nervous... What happened?”
And the young woman couldn’t help but break into tears, sobbing violently.
Some time later, at the hospital cafeteria...
“Thank you...” the girl said, as Monica brought her a cup of water.
“You’re welcome... are you sure you don’t want some coffee or perhaps...”
“No, I’m... I’m fine, really...”
The Irish angel took a seat at the table and looked at the girl, “My name is Monica,” she offered, friendly.
“It’s nice to meet you, Monica... I’m Linda.”
“Do you have any relative in here, Linda?”
“N-no...”
“I thought you did because you seem so anguished...”
“I came here to do an exam...” she lowered her head for a moment, “Although I already knew the result...”
“Is it why you were crying? Because of the result?”
Biting her lower lip, the girl nodded, “Yes...”
“I know I’m a total stranger but maybe talking about it could help... maybe it could bring some relief, you know. I’m a good listener.”
“Thank you, Monica...” Linda looked back at her and finally a slight, yet bittersweet smile appeared on her face, “... funny I’ve only known you for 10 minutes and feel like I already trust you...”
“Don’t you want to tell me what happened?”
“I’m... I came here today to do a pregnancy exam. I’m expecting a baby...”
“Oh, but that’s great news!” Now more than ever Monica certainly knew the joy brought by a piece of news like that, but judging by the young lady’s voice and by the look in her eyes, the angel immediately knew there were implications involved. “You said you already knew the result... Was it planned?”
Linda shook her head, “No... It... it came as shock... as a problem... I can’t have this child...”
Hearing something like this when she was only an angel, even long before she had met Andrew and fell in love with him, was already painful. Now that she herself would become a mother, those words hurt like a knife. “Why do you say that?”
“I have nobody in this world, Monica. My parents have already passed away and I have no more family. You see, I’ve just got this job and if I tell my boss I’m pregnant, I’ll sure be fired!”
“What about the baby’s father?”
Linda shook her head, “He left me... He said it’s not his problem and that I should solve it by myself.”
“But you do realise he’s wrong saying this, don’t you?”
“It’s my body, isn’t it? And...he was right when he told me to picture myself with this child in my arms, crying night and day and with nothing to eat and no job to pay my bills... He said that I’d regret this mistake for my entire life...”
“And you believed him?”
“He sure has a point, doesn’t he? What am I going to do with a baby in my arms and nothing to eat, Monica? Who is going to help me out when I lose my job? A child requires expenses and costs money and...” she started to cry all over again and the Irish angel covered her hand with hers.
“Linda... May I ask you something?” watching as the girl nodded, she kept on speaking, “When you entered the ladies room a few minutes ago, you were crying desperately... I want you to tell me exactly why you were crying.”
Linda looked at her with a puzzled expression in her eyes, “I’ve just told you, I...”
“No... You told me the result of your pregnancy test and what your boyfriend told you...”
“I... don’t get it...”
“If you were sure about not having this baby, don’t you think you wouldn’t be crying, Linda? Don’t you think you wouldn’t be so desperate?”
The truth in those words came as a shock, as well as the realisation that, in fact, she was lost and felt the conflict in her mind. “You’re... you’re right...”
“For the last minutes, you wondered about what would happen to you in the next 9 months... But have you ever stopped to think how you would be feeling in 20, 30 years from now?”
“N-no... it... it never occurred me before...”
“You’ve just told me you have no more family, no friends and that your baby’s father has left you...”
“It’s true... I’m all alone in this world...”
With a slight smile on her face, the Irish angel made the question that she had been asking herself since she first heard about Andrew’s accident, “Has it ever occurred you that maybe this little child is a gift? A present from God so that you don’t have to be all alone in this world anymore?”
Sobbing violently, Linda lowered her head – a turmoil of different emotions in her mind. The angel’s worlds echoed in her heart and had a shocking, amazing effect in her spirit. The Irish angel kept on talking, voicing her own feelings in order to help that poor young woman, who was visibly confused and lost in endless sadness. They bid each other farewell and the angel’s comforting words led Linda to reflect about the world around her. She left the city hospital still crying, but relieved at the same time and grateful for meeting someone so kind and warm hearted to talk to.
Monica, for herself, returned to the ICU room, also thinking about the conversation with Linda and about her own future, in case she and the baby she was expecting had to stay away from Andrew. Quietly, she returned to his side and continued to pray, in an attempt to soften the painful and long wait for his recovery.
X
One week passed since Andrew’s accident and Monica had to adapt to a sad routine: spend days and nights by his bed, watching over him and wondering if she would ever see his warm smile and hear his voice again. His motionless body and the paleness on his face were difficult to look at, but staying away from him was unthinkable. She rarely left the room, and when she did it was either to eat something or due to the morning sickness, which always made her rush to the ladies room.
She had left the ICU to have a quick snack, but truth to be told she wasn’t hungry. Tess’ early words were constantly in her mind though: a little life depended on her and she would do anything for him or her. The Irish angel walked back to the room fidgeting with Andrew’s wedding band, now attached to the necklace he’d given her a while ago. On that occasion, he’d told her that the two pendants in it – a small dove and a gold heart, were to remind her of God’s love and of his own love. How she wish there was a way to turn back time! They both had shared so many beautiful moments, so many happy memories that every time she thought about the accident, tears filled the corner of her eyes and were soon rolling down her face, like they were now.
Tess was watching over Andrew, praying for his recovery when Monica opened the door, “Is there anything new?” she would always ask, taking the supervisor’s place by the bed.
“I’m sorry, baby, but no. But Adam and I, along with the other angels, will keep on praying for angel boy.”
Monica nodded and watched as Tess left the room. Then, she turned her eyes to the blond angel and reached out to caress his hair. “I’m back... I’m sorry I have to be absent for a few minutes but... but I know you’ll understand it someday...” stifling a sob, she took his hand and squeezed it. “I hope he or she has your eyes and your smile... so that I can always see you looking and smiling at me... even though you’re away...”
X
That night she felt exhausted. Her condition and the hard routine at the hospital were making her so tired that she didn’t resist for a long time and fell asleep sitting on the chair next to the bed, never letting go of Andrew’s free hand. The rest of the night fell quickly and soon, the first sunrays started to shine through the window. The first ones after 7 days of continuous rain.
They would’ve woken Monica up eventually but something made the little angel open her eyes before. Something wonderful and totally unexpected: Andrew’s free hand, which she had been holding all night long, suddenly moved, squeezing her hand back. Slowly, still a bit confused, she raised her head, not sure if she had really felt it or if it was just a dream. But a second squeeze left no room for doubts – and nor did the whispered word that came out of the blond angel’s lips.
“... Monica...”
Her heart seemed to stop at that sound, at that so familiar and dear voice that reached her ears again. Then the Irish angel turned her eyes from their conjoined hands to look at his face, and tears immediately filled her soft brown pools, rolling down her cheeks a second later. But those were tears of happiness at the image of her beloved Andrew looking back at her, “Andrew...”
“Angel... baby...” he said, his voice hoarse not only because of his condition but also because of emotion.
Monica stood up from the chair and caressed his handsome face with tenderness; her heart racing, “Oh, Andrew! Andrew! You’re back! You’re back!”
“I am, sweetie... I’m sorry I made you worry...”
“Oh, God... thank You! Thank You, Father, for this miracle! I prayed so much, Andrew! Oh, God, I prayed so much to hear your voice and see your smile again!” the emotion was so much that she broke into tears and couldn’t speak anymore. Tears sprang freely from her eyes and fell against Andrew’s own face as she leaned over and kissed his forehead.
“Shh... Calm down, angel... I’m here... Please, don’t cry...” he said, reaching out to caress her auburn hair and deeply moved.
“... I thought you wouldn’t come back to me... I was so desperate, Andrew!” she pulled away just a few inches, and caressed his face again, “When I first knew about the accident it seemed that... that my world had fallen apart because I love you so much... so much, darling! I’d give up my whole eternity to have you by my side again!” sobbing and trembling violently, she rested her forehead against his and at this moment tears fell from his bright green eyes, mixing with her own tears.
“My angel... my sweet Monica... You will always be my Heaven, baby... All this time I stayed here I could feel you by my side... I have no doubt you were meant to be my angel...” he kissed the tip of her nose and cupped her face with his free hand, “... and I wouldn’t think twice before giving up my own eternity to be with you... I love you, Monica. Forever and for always.”
Sobbing, she finally smiled – a crying, trembling smile, but which held as much emotion as the brightness of her eyes and the expression on her face. Slowly, they inched their faces closer and crossed the small distance that separated them, lips touching a second later, in a tiny but soft kiss.
As they pulled away, Andrew frowned as he reached out for her trembling hand. “Monica? Angel, are you alright? You’re shaking...”
“Y-yes, I am... B-but I’m fine, Andrew... I guess it’s the emotion of the moment...” she stammered.
“I’m so grateful to be back at your side, honey... When... when the fire started I thought it was possible to take everybody out of the building, including my assignment, but then... when I couldn’t get out I... all I could think about was you, Monica...”
“I was so desperate... I felt... so lost without you, Andrew...”
He wiped her tears away, not aware of his own tears in the corner of his green pools, “I prayed so much... I begged God not to make me stay away from you... I was... desperate too, cause I knew the news about the accident would break your heart...”
“But none of this matters now; you’re here with me! You’re back to me!” a slight smile reappeared on her face, “Tess and Adam will be so happy to see you again... They were here with me too, you know, praying for you.”
He let go of her hand and caressed her cheek, “I’m sorry I scared you all...”
“Please, don’t be. You did nothing less than I expected from you: helped other people,” she leaned on his touch and then kissed his palm, “That’s one of the many reasons why I love you so much...”
“I too could tell you hundreds of reasons why I love you so much, sweetie...”
Monica’s face turned into a serious, worried one a second later, “Oh, but you shouldn’t... You shouldn’t talk too much, you know, Andrew! You have to rest as much as you can now, I’ll take care of you and...”
The blond angel couldn’t help but chuckle: the worried tone in her voice and all the protectiveness visible in her meek face surely were among all the reasons why his heart always skipped a beat for that kind and sweet little angel. He never let go of her hand and while she spoke, he lifted a silent prayer, thanking God for allowing them to be together again. At the moment of the accident, when the fire burned the interior of the small hospital where he was working, he had also prayed to be by her side again. And now he would eternally grateful that the Father had answered to his plea.
X
The days that followed were calm and happy ones. Although Andrew’s condition required attention and a lot of care, his human form reacted well to the treatment and he left the ICU. Maybe Monica’s constant presence was one of the main reasons for that. However, there were two things the blond angel didn’t understand so far: why the Father was keeping him in human form for so long instead of restoring his angelic form, and why sometimes Monica left the hospital bedroom in a hurry. Eventually, he gave up thinking about those, trusting that at the right moment everything would become clear to him.
Besides, his sweet angel girl was there, taking care of him and brightening up his days with her loving presence, filling his heart with joy at every word or gesture or even when she fell asleep in a small bed next to his. And that was all he could ask for.
“You should try and eat a wee bit more, Andrew. There’s still a bit of Jell-O...” she insisted, sitting on the edge of his bed and watching when he pulled the tray with the leftovers of his lunch away.
“No, angel, really, I’m fine. Actually, I feel a bit full with so much food.”
“Are you sure? You didn’t even touch the Jell-O...” she replied, looking at the dessert with visible interest.
And Andrew quickly noticed the way she gazed at the pink coloured mixture. Amused, he spoke again, “I... I’m sure... Actually, I don’t like it very much, you know... but... But if you want, you can have it...”
“Really?”
Now he couldn’t help but to chuckle, “Really!”
Watching as she quickly ate the dessert, the blond angel started laughing and Monica stared at him with a rather upset expression on her face, “What?”
“You look incredibly cute stealing my food away!”
Now her mouth dropped open with indignation at what she had just heard, “Oh! I am not stealing your food, you said you didn’t want it and that I could have it!”
“Yes, but I didn’t say it was for free! I deserve a reward for that!”
Now realising his teasing mood, she narrowed her eyes and put the Jell-O pot (now empty) on the tray. Then, she gently lay both hands on each side of his face and inched her own face closer, “Hum... Let’s see if you deserve it...”
“I promise I do!”
She crossed the small distance that separated them and their lips collided a second later, in a sweet loving kiss. As he was sitting up straight, Andrew wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him, while his fingers entangled in her smooth brown hair. Monica stroked his face with her slender fingers and when air became an issue, that sweet caress turned into small soft kisses.
“Come here, angel, let me hold you for a minute...” Andrew spoke, pulling her for a tight hug, burying his face on her shoulder and inhaling her sweet perfume. He closed his eyes, which were suddenly full of tears, and held her tightly for long, silent minutes. How he treasured that opportunity! Now even more than never, after the threat of not seeing her anytime soon. Overwhelmed with emotion, Monica caressed the back of his neck and also shed a few tears, lifting one more prayer for the blessing that God had given her – Andrew was back, and now he would share the small gift that rested inside her.
That evening, when Monica came back from the small restaurant not far from the hospital, Tess bid her “angel babies” goodbye and left. The Irish angel would always remain by his side, waiting until he fell asleep in order to get her place in the small sofa that turned into a bed placed inside his room. But on that night, the two angels snuggled close together on Andrew’s bed, beaten by exhaustion and the distress of the latest days, and not wanting to be apart ever again.
And due to her condition, Monica was the first one to fall asleep, resting her head on his chest, never letting go of his hand. Andrew, for himself, remained awake for some more time, drinking her beauty, watching as her meek face seemed relaxed at the loving caresses he was performing in her auburn hair. “Thank you so much, Father... Thank you so, so much for this present...” he whispered, and also tired, he fell asleep too.
X
On the following morning, while they were chatting about trivial matters, a light knock on the door interrupted her words: it was Tess. “Angel girl, there’s a lady who wants to talk to you. Her name is Linda.”
“Linda is here? I’ll talk to her...” she immediately said, wondering what the young woman had decided to do with her life.
“Linda?” Andrew wanted to know.
“Yes... I met her a couple of weeks ago and I kind of tried to help her while I was here at the hospital, long before you woke up in the ICU...”
Smiling, he took her hand to his lips, “I see... you had a little assignment while you were here, right?”
“Well... I guess so...” she kissed his lips and caressed his face, “I have so much to tell you...”
“We have the entire eternity, angel. Now go, I promise I’ll wait right here!”
“And I’ll be keeping a good eye on you, Mr Halo!” the supervisor spoke, with a mock stern face, “And I’m not like Monica, who’s always enchanted with your charm and beautiful words!”
Laughing, the two angels looked at each other and Monica spoke again, “Thanks, Tess, I won’t be long.”
Linda was waiting for her in the hospital hall, and when she saw the Irish angel coming towards her, a broad, grateful smile appeared on her face, “Monica...”
“Hello, Linda. I’m glad to see you again.”
“Me too,” she replied, taking the angel’s hand, “I came here to thank you!”
“Thank me for what?”
“For everything. One week ago I was lost and desperate and couldn’t see the truth that was just so obvious. But I have no doubt that God, in His infinite wisdom, put you in my way!”
A slight smile appeared on Monica’s face, “I’m sure He did. He’s always doing wonderful things... even though some of these things come out of terrible moments...”
“I know that now, thanks to you. I’m still amazed at how we met on that morning! It all seems... part of a miracle...”
“There are miracles everywhere... we might not notice them at first but they’re out there...”
“You’re right... after all, I carry one right here with me, right?” she said, emotion visible in her eyes.
“You can be sure of that!”
“May I give you a hug?”
“Of course...” they both held each other and Monica bit her lower lip as she spoke again, “Take care of your little baby, Linda. Love him or her everyday of you life, like a precious gift. He or she is a present from God so that you don’t have to spend your life on Earth all by yourself.”
“I love this little one already...” the young woman said, as the pulled away, “...he or she is very, very special!”
“Oh, yes!”
“Goodbye, Monica. Thank you again, for everything. You were like an angel who appeared when I most needed!”
Smiling, the Irish angel watched as Linda went away, happy to see that joy finally emerged from so much sorrow. Then she sighed and went back to the hospital bedroom, thinking about the following days.
To be continued