In your eyes
Monica drove along the coast savouring the warm sun rays and the gentle breeze that was blowing against her face. The day was beautiful, as spring was blooming in all its colours and perfumes, and during her little trip she could watch, even for brief moments, as lilacs and other flowers blossomed by the road, making her smile grow wider every time she saw them.
But there was another reason why her heart was so full of joy: sitting right beside her, Andrew had spent the last hour teasing her by saying that Tess wouldn’t be very pleased to see her admiring her surroundings while she drove her car. Her happy grin was much more than amusement at his jokes: after many days in hospital, healing from serious injuries caused by a fire, he’d been finally released. And as he would remain in human form for a while, and wasn’t fully recovered, she would take care of him – an assignment that she happily acknowledged to fulfil.
Besides, she had something important to tell him, a piece of news that would certainly bring tears to his eyes and fill his angelic heart with pure joy. And Monica couldn’t think of a better place to deliver this news and to help him recover than the beach house.
“I love the smell of the ocean, you know... it always brings happy memories to my mind.” She said, making a turn and approaching the deserted beach. Smiling, the blond angel nodded his head, “Yes, they bring happy memories to me too, angel. All of them about you!” he said, tenderly caressing her face, enjoying to see as the wind disarrayed her auburn hair. “Maybe we can swim a little, if you want.”
Hearing that, she frowned a little and her smile faded away, “Oh, Andrew, I think it’s not very wise, you know... you’re still recovering...”
“Well, we could do like that time, when we used the natural lakes formed by the sea water...”
In here eyes, there was still uncertainty as she approached the house, “I don’t know... you should stay home and rest, that’s the doctor’s orders. The only thing you’re allowed to do is to take a little walk along the sand when the sun is not too hot...”
“That’s not fair!” he said, half upset and half amused.
“I’m sorry, Andrew, I don’t want you to be sad, but you’ll have to obey the orders until your human form is fully recovered!”
All the prudence and concern in her voice and on her meek face finally caused his own face to turn to a mischievous one, “Well, the fact that I cannot swim is fine... What I can’t stand is coming in here and not getting to see you wearing a swimming suit!”
Giggling, she elbowed him and received a tiny kiss on her cheek. The Irish angel parked the car a few minutes later, and they both climbed the porch steps hand in hand. Andrew had hurt his leg and his arm during the accident, and just for a while, he was using a walking stick for support. They opened the door and smiled to see that the place was exactly how they had left, nearly two months before.
“I’m so happy to be here again...” she said, as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders from behind and rested his chin on the top of her head. But the expression on her face turned into a serious one a second later, “... there... there were times, when you were in hospital that... that I thought we’d never come back here again...”
Sensing her sadness, the blond angel quickly stood in front of her and cupped her face, “Hey, hey... I don’t want any sad memories around here, Mrs!” he said, hoping to cheer her up a little by calling her like that. After a quick kiss on her forehead, he continued to speak, “This is our place, our shelter, sweetie. And here we are, together again as the Father wants us to be... Just leave what happened in the past, I don’t want to see an inch of sadness in those pretty eyes...”
“I know...” Monica tried to make a smile appear but instead, a few tears formed in the corner of her brown pools and she couldn’t help but to wrap her arms around his waist and hold him tightly for several moments. “... I love you so much...”
Her whispered words against his strong chest moved him deeply and Andrew kissed the top of her head and caressed her hair with tenderness. “I know... You never ever let me forget about it, my angel.”
X
Being in human form required a series of needs for both of them, especially for Andrew, who should drink lots of liquids and eat light and healthy food. With the help of his sweet angel girl, who almost drove him crazy in the kitchen with a series of exotic food combinations (none of them attractive to Andrew’s taste), they started to prepare lunch. During this time, for several times, the blond angel caught Monica staring at him for long minutes, as if a million of different thoughts were running through her mind.
“Angel?” he said, searching for her soft brown eyes with amusement, “May I offer a kiss for your thoughts?”
His voice took her out of her reverie and she smiled softly, “Sorry, I was a wee bit distracted...” her blushing cheeks only made her more adorable to him.
“What is it you were thinking, may I ask?”
“Well... We could go for a walk this afternoon... to watch the sunset...” she suggested, tentatively, busying herself peeling a few tomatoes and not wanting to say too much.
“Sure, angel. I was thinking about it too.” A sudden thought crossed his mind and made him smile, “I’m always under the impression that this beach is a bit ours, you know.”
“Me too!” she nodded enthusiastically, and grinned at him, “And I told you my thoughts, mister, don’t I deserve something back?”
Now laughing openly, he let go of the food and grabbed her face with both hands, pressing his lips against hers in a loving kiss. Monica surrendered to that caress and tenderly stroked his face, feeling her heart full of love for that kind angel who was always ready to tell her again and again how precious she was to him.
After lunch, Monica started to feel one of the effects caused by her condition and, as Andrew insisted on washing the empty dishes and glasses, the Irish angel lay down on their bed to rest a little, but ended up falling into a deep sleep on the following minute. When he returned to the living room, Andrew was going to say something but the sentence died in his mouth when he didn’t find her there.
Frowning a little, he headed to their bedroom and was surprised at the sight of her sleeping form. “Angel... I just hope you’re alright...” he whispered, sighing deeply and wondering if she was hiding anything from him. Frightening memories of Monica being terribly sick just a night before his accident suddenly returned to his mind and he dreaded to imagine his dearest angel ill due to some human disease. Tenderly brushing a few strands of hair from her face, Andrew lay a soft kiss on her forehead and lay down right beside her, protectively wrapping an arm around her shoulders, careful not to wake her up.
X
Andrew spent the rest of the afternoon watching as his beloved angel girl slept in his arms. Monica had unconsciously inched closer to him and snuggled against him a few minutes after he had lay there, as if sensing his angelic presence even during her sleep. Despite his concern and the strangeness of her sudden falling asleep, there was such a peaceful expression on her meek face that made him even more confused about her condition.
A kitten like yawn took him out of his reverie and he turned his eyes to the little angel, watching with amusement as her eyes flickered open and a very confused expression appeared on her face. “Hello, Sleeping Beauty!” Andrew whispered, kissing the top of her head.
“Andrew?” she said, looking first at him and then at her surroundings, “What happened?”
“You mean... what happened in the last three hours, while you were peacefully snoring away here in my arms?”
“Three hours? Oh, my goodness!” Blushing a little, she looked at the window to see if it was still day, “We’re late!”
“Late? Late for what, angel?” he wanted to know, frowning a little as she disentangled from his arms and got out of bed.
“Oh... For... For our walk on the beach...” she replied, looking through the window and heaving a sigh of relief to see the sun hadn’t set yet.
“We could go tomorrow, Monica, you see... we’ll spend some days here and...”
“No, we should go today, Andrew. Please, it’s very important...”
The urgent tone in her voice and her unusual behaviour were making Andrew more and more intrigued – she would never fall asleep so fast without even telling him, nor get out of bed that quickly. The blond angel stood up and walked over up to the window, standing in front of her and taking her hand. “Angel, are you alright?”
“Y-Yes... yes, Andrew, I’m fine. I just want to take a walk on the beach...” She turned her eyes away from him for a second, “... unless you’re not feeling very well...”
“Oh, no, I’m fine too.” He cupped her chin and lifted her head up, gazing at her for a few seconds, trying to understand what was on her mind. Then, he brushed a tiny kiss on her lips, “You know, you can be really intriguing sometimes, sweetie, but never less enchanting!”
A shy smile appeared on her meek face as he said that, and her sweet voice made his heart ache with so much love, “Come with me, please?”
X
Hand in hand, the two angels in human form walked barefoot along the white sand, allowing the small waves to tickle their feet as they talked and admired their surroundings. They didn’t talk much, though, as no words could express the joy that the couple of valentines felt for being together again. But despite that beautiful and calming scenario, something was worrying Andrew and the more he observed Monica, the more his concern increased. The Irish angel had been quiet – a lot more than usual, and he knew that it wasn’t like her to remain in silence for a long time, especially in his company. If there was an angel with whom she used to share all her thoughts and philosophical remarks about the world around them, it was Andrew. He would listen intently to every little detailed explanation about how she felt, always treasuring her words and feeling proud for having the privilege of her trust.
But that time she wasn’t saying much and that scared him deeply. “Angel?”
“Yes, Andrew?” she looked at him and, before he kept on speaking, she frowned, “Are you feeling tired? Do you want to go back?”
“Oh, no. No, baby... Actually, we’ve been talking about me way too much lately. I wanted to know about you...” he spoke, tentatively.
“I’ve never felt so happy...” came her answer, and he could detect the presence of tears in her soft brown eyes. At the moment she let go of his hand to wrap her arms around his waist, he felt a lump forming in his throat and made her stop walking. “Monica... Angel, there’s something I want to know...”
“Andrew, I...”
“No, please, Monica, don’t hide things from me...” he tenderly caressed her cheek, “I’ve been watching you, baby. The way you fell asleep just now, your exhaustion... And I never forgot the night before the accident, when you wouldn’t stop feeling sick... Please, tell me if you’ve been feeling like this, because I...”
She gently covered his mouth his her fingers to silence him, “Andrew...” Then, she took his hand and pulled him down to sit on the soft sand with her. Looking at him with infinite tenderness, Monica continued to speak, “Do you remember the last time we visited this beach?”
“Of course I do, angel. It was the best Valentine’s day of my existence...”
“We only come here in special moments...” there was a slight smile on her face.
“And each and every moment is etched right here in my heart, baby.” He said, not yet realising what she was trying to say.
“Well... There’s one more special moment to add, Andrew. That’s why I wanted to bring you here.”
“Angel, I... I’m quite confused... All the moments I spent with you are special alone, but I sense you’re talking about something else...”
The sun was spreading its last golden rays on Earth and started to set behind the ocean, surrounding her image with a wonderful glow that would always make him feel in awe with so much love. But her next words only made him more and more worried, “The sickness I felt at that night... well, it didn’t stop. I’ve been... feeling like this quite often lately...”
“Monica! Angel, why didn’t you tell me? God, I would never allow you to drive all the way up to here, I’d never allow you to help me with lunch, Monica, you should’ve told me about it, I...”
“No, Andrew, please, calm down...”
“Angel, I think it’s high time for you to return Home, I don’t mind staying here all by myself, I can handle-”
The blond angel stopped talking at the moment tears started to fall from her eyes and she let out a sob, holding his hand with both of hers and now pressing it against her heart. “Angel...” he whispered, with trembling voice.
Sobbing even more, she continued to speak, “All the time you were at the hospital... I was praying that you could go back to me. I prayed so much, Andrew... I asked the Father night after night not to send you away from me...”
His heart was racing and he seemed to be in the middle of a nightmare, haunted with the possibility of seeing something bad happening to his beloved Monica. He reached out and caressed her face with his free hand, as the other one the Irish angel kept on pressing against her heart. “I felt your presence all the time, Monica... You’re a part of me, of my very soul... I cannot imagine existence without you and I promise, sweetie, I promise you that I’ll never leave you alone!”
It was at that moment that she smiled through the tears, making him even more confused. “There’s... There’s someone else who needs you now, Andrew...”
“I... I don’t understand, angel...”
Slowly, she moved his hand from her chest to place it over her belly, and finally spoke the words that had been in her heart for weeks, “Our love is so strong, Andrew, that it allowed the Father to create a new angel.”
For a moment, Andrew forgot how to breathe. What she was telling him, her placing his hand over her belly, her tears, all the strange symptoms over the last weeks... No... Even being quite obvious for humans, all these evidences couldn’t mean it! Feeling his whole body trembling and his accelerated heartbeats, Andrew searched deep inside her teary brown eyes and the truth he found there scared him.
And it also made him feel like crying with so much happiness.
“Monica... What you’re saying...” he tentatively spoke, still afraid of voicing it – afraid that it could be a misunderstanding or even a dream and that he would wake up at any moment. Tears welled up his green pools and only took them a split second to fall as she concluded her announcement, “I don’t know how or why... Only God knows His reasons, but the truth is that... I’m pregnant... You will be a father, Andrew...”
“...a f-father?” he whispered, a turmoil of strong, loving emotions running through his mind. He did not manage to say too much, as now he cried freely and gently lay his other hand over her still flat belly. “A baby? We’re having...”
“A baby, yes...” her sobbing voice and the tearful smile upon her face were now shared by her beloved Andrew, who reached out to hold her tightly in his arms, “Oh, Father... I... Angel... I... You’ve just made me the happiest creature in the world...” he said, kissing her lips and cheeks and once again, caressing her belly with an immediate father’s love. “Our baby... You’re telling me that our baby is here, angel?” he exclaimed, grinning with never-ending tears of joy.
“Yes! It’s a miracle...”
“Oh, yes, a miracle... the most wonderful miracle I’ve ever witnessed!” he caressed her face, “And again it had to be you the one to give me so much happiness, my angel... God, Monica, I love you so much, baby, so much I guess eternity wouldn’t be enough to tell you how immense my love is...”
“I already told you that you show this to me every single day... With words, gestures... with your eyes, with every part of your soul...”
He held her tightly and closed his eyes, lifting a prayer of thanks for that wonderful blessing. They remained entangled in that embrace while the sun was setting right behind the ocean, speaking loving words to each other through the connection they shared since from the day they’d first met, all those years before.
The blond angel kissed the side of her head and reluctantly pulled away, “When... when did you first know, Monica? Please, tell me everything about it, I feel like I’ve missed so much...” he asked, permanently stroking her belly.
She smiled tenderly and covered his hand with hers, “Gabriel told me on the day of your accident, Tess was together with me then...”
“Tess... She must be so happy!”
“She is! In fact, I guess she feels like a grandmother already!” They both laughed at the Irish angel’s words, “I’m sorry it took me some time to tell you but... I didn’t want to give you the news in a hospital bedroom... I wanted it to be here, at our beach...”
“I know, angel, I know...” Andrew frowned a little, “... I’m just so sorry you’ve been through all this all by yourself. When I think about all the sorrow you’ve been through and now knowing that you were waiting to give me the news... I wish I was there with you...”
“You’re here now and that’s all that matters to me.”
He took her hand to his lips, “I promise I’ll be here with you all the time.”
“I’ll have to stay on Earth for a while, you know, until the baby is born.”
“And I’m sure the Father will allow me to stay here with you.”
“I’m always happy when you’re doing the Father’s work but... I have to confess that I’ll be also happy if you could be with me...” she quickly corrected herself, “... with us too... in between one assignment and another...”
“You and this little one can be sure I’ll be right by your side...” Smiling broadly, he placed both hands on her waist and bent his head, kissing her belly repeatedly, as she caressed his dishevelled short blond hair. “I promise you, little one... Daddy will always be here with you and your mom...”
“He or she knows that, Andrew... I know this little angel can also feel his daddy’s presence!”
From the look in his eyes, Monica could see Andrew’s heart was almost bursting with happiness and that fact alone was enough to make her twice happier. Noticing that the sun had just set, he took her hand, “Come now, angel, let’s get inside, it’s getting cold.”
She waited until he stood up and took his proffered hand, “It was the most beautiful sunset of my existence...”
“Of mine too, sweetie.” he brushed a tiny kiss on her lips and placed a strand of hair behind her ear, “God, Monica, you’ll need special care from now on... I promise I’ll take good care of you two... Come, this night air is not good for you and you need to eat, I’ll prepare dinner and...”
She started giggling and wrapped her arms around his waist, interrupting him, “You’ll be such a wonderful daddy...”
That statement was enough to melt his heart and he held her tightly once again, kissing the top of her head, “Well... I can say you’ll be such a wonderful mom too, angel...”
X
“... are you sure you’re alright? Aren’t you feeling dizzy or nauseous or...”
“I’m fine, Andrew, please, relax!” Monica replied, later at night, once they’d had dinner and were now settled in their cosy bedroom. The fire in the fireplace was the only source of light inside the room and once she had changed into a warm pair of pyjamas, the Irish angel lay right next to her beloved Andrew, resting her head on his chest. Amused with all his concern, she inched closer and kissed his chin. “I feel wonderful!”
“You told me that you were feeling tired and you didn’t eat all the food I prepared you, we have to be very careful with...”
“I’m a wee bit tired because... well, because I’ve been driving all the way up here and the last few weeks have been really hard ones, but I don’t feel sick... And Andrew... You put way too much food in my dish...”
“Well, that’s because now you’re eating for two people!”
“Okay...” she replied, giggling at his excessive worry.
Not totally pleased with her explanations (and with her giggling), he cupped her chin up so that she could look at him, “But I want you to tell me everything, ok? If and when you start feeling bad, please wake me up so that I can take care of you.”
“I promise I will!” she inched even closer and placed a quick peck on his lips. Then, Monica returned her head to his chest and chuckled with amusement.
“What?” he wanted to know.
“I’m sorry to inform you but you definitely won’t get to see me wearing a swimming suit...”
“And why not, may I ask?”
“Well... my swimming suit doesn’t fit me anymore, you see... I’ve put on some weight...” she replied, as if telling him a secret and now making him chuckle with amusement.
“I don’t think so, angel... You still look the same to me...”
“Oh, but I’m not...” she looked at him with a tender smile, “... I guess we have a chubby little one on the way!”
Laughing with happiness, the blond angel tightened his embrace on his sweet angel girl, picturing her in some months, with her growing belly and with their little baby kicking as if saying that he or she would be in their arms soon.
To be continued