The meaning of love
When Andrew arrived at the beach house, Monica was already fast asleep in their bed. She was nine months pregnant now, and the nervousness and anxiety of the so much awaited day made her easily tired. He had just finished his assignment, and on the following day, the couple of angels, along with their dear Tess, would go to town, to stay closer to a hospital. As Monica was in human form, she would give birth like any other human being, and all the necessary care was required so that she and the little child she was expecting were fine.
Silently, the blond angel removed his shoes and climbed in bed next to her, and then repeated every night's ritual. With his eyes sparkling with love, he would stare at her sleeping face for long, peaceful minutes. Then, with infinite care, Andrew reached out to remove a strand of hair from her face, and chuckled at her habit of stealing his tee-shirts - as her night gowns did not fit her anymore.
But his loving presence, combined with the soft touch of his caresses caused her eyes to open, and a heartbeat later, the Irish angel was smiling at him. "Andrew?"
"Shh... go back to sleep, angel..." he whispered, wanting her to rest as much as she could. But Monica didn't obey his request; instead, she inched closer to him until she'd left her pillow and was resting her head over his chest.
"We sleep much better this way..." Sighing with contentment, she turned to look at him. All his protectiveness, care, devotion and unconditional love were evident in the spark of his green pools. And all that along with his kind smile made her heart skip a beat with so much love. With infinite tenderness, he laid a gentle hand over her cheek and bent his head a little. "I too sleep much better having you two right here with me..."
A second later, their lips met in a long, languid kiss, as he wrapped his arms around her body; treasuring that sweet caress after a day filled with all sorts of sad events. Monica's loving nature, her beautiful and delicate features, her perfume and her soothing voice had the power to wash away all the distress and sorrow that would take his angelic heart once in a while, due to the difficult assignments he had to fulfil. When they were on Earth, in human form, the little Irish angel was his Heaven.
"Angel... I love you so much..." he whispered, trailing kisses on her face up to her forehead. "It's always an honour to do the Father's work and escort His children Home, but some days are harder than others... And it's on these moments that I think about what I have... and then I long to be by your side..."
Monica tightened her hold on him, listening to his steady heart beats. "You're sad... and worried, I can feel it..."
Sighing deeply, he rested his cheek on the top of her head, staring at an invisible point right in front of him, "You're the only one angel who knows my heart and my soul, aren't you, Monica?"
"Tell me, what is it?"
"I'm... I'm sad because I had a hard day... How can the human race be so evil sometimes? As much as I know my duty is to escort God's children to their Home, it hurts too much to see the ones who stay... the ones who are separated from a loving parent, wife or husband... And when this happens in a violent way, as a consequence of a human being's action, it's... unacceptable..."
"I know... For many times I caught myself angry at the world and at the human race... For many times I wondered if the world our Father created wasn't spoiled by man's insanity... by the evil that man allows to enter his heart so easily..."
Never stopping the slow movement of his fingers caressing her hair, he kissed the top of her head once again and nodded, "Some years ago I used to believe that I'd learned how to deal with it... but then..."
She moved again to look up at him, gently laying her hand against his face. "Oh, Andrew... You're carrying such a heavy burden in your heart... Please, don't do this to yourself. Love in its essence is holy. It comes from God Himself, as a blessing either to humans or to angels... Our love is exactly like the love inside the human beings hearts: the unconditional, unselfish love of God. And be sure that there are people out there who have a great capacity to love; people who have a kind and compassionate heart and are always ready to help."
"I know that, Angel... It just doesn't feel like right now..."
She kept on looking at him with all her love reflected in her eyes. "Think about all these wonderful presents the Father gave us... Happy thoughts always help..."
"I do... all the time..." he said, caressing her hair and eyeing her with much love.
"Then talk to Him... Remember to always talk to our loving Father, Andrew... There's so much power in prayer; besides, I know He's the one who take away this mix of sorrow and uncertainty there's here..." she pointed at his heart, and he took her hand again, kissing her palm. "... and replace it by much love..."
His lips turned into a small smile. "He already did it, you know. When I met you, my sweet Monica, I learned the true meaning of love... Having you in your mind and heart every second of my existence... Wondering what you're doing... Feeling happy because you are happy, and in deep sorrow when I feel your heart is in pain... And missing you terribly when we're not together..." he touched the tip of her nose and concluded, "No matter how hard my assignments are, the mere thought of you is enough to comfort my soul... And this love does nothing but grow. Everyday. "
Their faces inched closer and they shared a soulful kiss, full of love and tenderness, exchanging loving words through the silent language of their hearts, which beat in the same rhythm.
When they parted, Andrew kissed her forehead and continued to caress her face, "I... I guess I'm feeling like this because... Well... In part because I just wish I could stay close to you and this little one... I miss you both so much..."
"Tess told me you will be... as soon as our wee one is born..."
"What do you mean, baby?"
Monica straightened her body and gave him a slight smile, "She told me that you'll be with me during the delivery... And that later on, you'll spend some days off, so that we all stay together..."
His face lit up with a broad smile at the mentioning of that piece of news. "Really? I mean, when did she tell you this?"
"Today... And you'll be able to confirm with her tomorrow as she's fast asleep at the room next door!"
"S-she's here? So it means that you're..."
"Oh, no! I haven't been feeling anything different these days, Andrew, so please, be calm. Tess offered to stay with me, once you've been away; we're going to the town soon. She too wants to be close to me on this occasion, but she doesn't know when it'll happen either." She caressed his handsome - and very surprised and worried face, with tenderness, "See? You shouldn't worry about me so much, Tess is here, and she's certainly the closest thing to a mother to me! I have a mother and an angel!"
The blond angel nodded his head in agreement, "Yes, You're much loved baby... But that doesn't stop me from worrying, you know that, don't you?"
"I do..." sighing deeply, she decided to change the subject, "I was at the window, looking at the stars just a few minutes before you arrived... They're so beautiful tonight! And reminded me of our 'classes'!"
"Yes, it's a beautiful night out there, it's even possible to see some constellations. I just wish you could..." his voice trailed off as he realised she was unable to go outside and lie in his arms as they counted the stars and he taught her about the galaxies and the universe. "I'm sorry, Angel..."
But with a kind and gentle smile, she shook her head, "Andrew, you don't have anything to apologise for... Very soon, there'll be two students for you to teach instead of one!" that little joke caused him to chuckle, "Besides, I'm quite comfortable where I am now, you see?"
Returning her smile, he kissed her forehead one more time, "So try to sleep now, sweet angel. I want you to rest as much as you can. And it's past the time you two went to bed!"
"Yes, sir!" Monica playfully replied, before settling her head over his chest.
A few minutes later, when Andrew thought she was already asleep, the little angel spoke again. "Andrew..."
"Yes, sweetie?"
"You're the meaning of my love..."
"I love you too, Angel..." he whispered back, with his voice filled with emotion.
X
The sun was high up in the sky and shining through the window when Monica stirred in bed, in a restless sleep. Andrew had been called on an assignment on that same night, and after kissing her cheek and whispering some loving words into her ear, the angel of death left the beach house, praying to be back soon. Maybe it was one of the reasons why her sleep was far from calm. The Irish angel rolled in bed, frowned unconsciously and then whispered her beloved one's name repeatedly.
All of a sudden, she scared. Panting heavily, Monica sat down with some difficulty due to her huge nine month belly and looked outside through the window. The intensity of the sunrays told her it was far too late. The nightmare she couldn't even remember well was still having its effects on her but when she felt the light movement inside her belly, she all but forgot her worries, and a smile crossed her face.
"So you're up too, right, little angel?" Monica lay a gentle hand over her belly and caressed it with tenderness. "I know... I miss your daddy too, sweetheart... But he had to go just for a little while... Very soon, he'll be holding you in his arms and kissing your cute face."
Feeling hungry, the Irish angel decided to stand up and after dressing her robe, she headed to the kitchen, feeling the taste of strawberries mixed with cream milk in her mouth. And there she found someone very dear to her heart there.
"Good morning, Tess!"
The older angel and supervisor had prepared a big breakfast and for the last hours had been impatiently walking from one side to another, and when she saw Monica, she heaved a sigh of relief.
"Angel girl! Finally! I was about to check on you to see if you were still sleeping! Why took you so long to wake up, baby?" She wanted to know, visibly surprised, and, before the angel replied, she frowned with concern, "A-are you feeling something? Is there something wrong? You're-"
"Tess, I'm fine..." came an immediate reply, and Monica felt somewhat amused with the fact that Tess and Andrew seemed to be in permanent alert state due to her condition.
"Are you sure?"
She took the old angel's hands and squeezed them, "Yes, I'm sure and I'm hungry!" Then, observing that Tess let out a sight of relief, she quickly corrected herself, "As a matter of fact, we are hungry!"
"Well, so what are you two waiting for, Miss Wings? Have a seat! Breakfast is ready!"
"Ah, thank you, Tess!" The Irish angel replied, kissing her dear friend's cheek before sitting down at the table.
"Now you two can have your breakfast and, when you're finished, we'll start packing."
"Packing?" She looked at the supervisor with surprise while she filled a cup with warm milk.
"Yes, we're heading to town today, baby."
"Really? I thought it would take a few more days..."
"Well, considering this..." she pointed to Monica's huge belly, "...I guess the sooner the better!"
Sighing deeply while she devoured a deep red strawberry, she nodded her head, "I guess you're right..."
"Of course I am, I'm always right!" The supervisor replied, matter-of-factly.
Slightly amused, Monica decided not to argue with her dear friend. "I'll go and pack my things... there's not much in fact, but... can we wait for Andrew to come back from his assignment? You know, so that he could go with us too... He loves this scenery as much as I do..."
Tess rolled her eyes with some impatience, "I knew it! Can't you two get your wings away from each other for just a few hours?" The supervisor asked, frowning with some annoyance.
Trying the best to hide a mischievous smile, Monica gently placed her hands over her belly and looked back at Tess. "Well... actually... no..."
"Oh, please, for Heaven's sake!" Twice annoyed, the older angel stood up from her chair and headed outside the kitchen mumbling something under her breath - and leaving a really amused Monica behind.
"You see, wee one? You got yourself a rather grumpy grandma!" Giggling, she nodded, "Yes, I know. I too love her just the same!"
X
Although she remained grumpy for the rest of the day, Tess helped her friend to pack and put her clothes in the car, along with hers and Andrew's. And deep inside, she wasn't mad because Monica wanted to wait for him. It was far too clear that they should be together on that special occasion. What worried Tess was the hour - she didn't want to risk taking the road at night, especially due to Monica's condition.
The Irish angel, for herself, finished to pack the last bag containing the baby's first clothes and some other objects: they were all white, and most of them, cheerfully knitted by Tess, who couldn't wait until the little one was born so she finally knew if it was an angel boy or an angel girl. Once she was finished, Monica lifted the bag and was going to take her to the car when Andrew's voice stopped her from leaving the bedroom.
"Monica!" Her broad smile only lasted a few seconds, as he rushed to her side and took the bag away from her hands. "Angel, you shouldn't be carrying this!"
"It's... it's not heavy, Andrew... I was taking it to Tess..."
"I'll take it..." he lowered his head, trying to escape from her inquisitive gaze. But she placed a gentle hand on his arm and stopped him.
"Andrew..."
Her soothing voice and the way she was looking at him - with permanent unconditional love, filled his heart with a terrible sensation of guilt. Sighing deeply, he placed the bag on the bed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling the Irish angel for a tight hug, full of emotion.
"I'm sorry, Angel..." he said, in a low voice, and kissed the top of her head.
Monica closed her eyes and prayed for their loving Father, asking Him to put Andrew's heart at ease. "My dear Andrew... I love you so much... I wish I could take this sadness away from your heart..."
"Oh, but you do, baby... Every time I look at you... Every time I think about you..."
She pulled away and touched his handsome face. "So I guess you're having a bit of difficulty removing all this sadness right now..."
Sighing deeply, he lay both hands on each side of her face and brushed a tender kiss on her forehead, "I'm sorry I haven't been a good company..."
Monica used her warm and kind smile to confront his sorrow - she knew that it would always put an extra spark in his green eyes, and Andrew himself had told her so many times. Standing on the tip of her toes, she reached out and kissed his lips as softly as a summer breeze. "Your two angels don't agree!"
Happy to see at least a faint smile forming on the corner of his lips, she reached for his hand and put it on her belly, "See how this little one is always happy when daddy is around?"
Moved with emotion and tenderness, Andrew knelt down on the floor and placed both hands on her belly, "Hey, little angel... I wish you were here in my arms... Daddy can't wait for this to happen... You and your mom are so precious to me... You two bring me so much happiness and peace..."
As he kissed her belly, Monica ran her fingers gently through his blond hair, tilting her head and looking at him with tenderness. "You two will be together very soon, you know?"
He looked up at her a bit confused, "What do you mean, Angel?"
"I was finishing to pack our things, Andrew. We're heading to the town today."
Hearing that piece of news, the blond angel stood on his feet. "Today? So... it means..."
"I don't know when it'll be yet. I told you I'm fine, and Tess said it's the best time for us to leave, while I'm feeling alright."
"Tess is totally right..." he agreed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, and looking for any sign of tiredness on her pretty face.
"We were just waiting for you to arrive, so we all go together!"
"Oh, but then I'll pack my things and..."
With a permanent smile, she interrupted him, "I already did this, mister angel of death. Your clothes are in the car!"
"Monica, you shouldn't have done this, I-"
"Oh, I kind of... had some help, if you know what I mean!" she blinked adorably at him, once again melting his heart and sending away some of his sadness, "I guess that, with a little more practice, I could be a good housewife... I mean... a good 'angel housewife'!"
Chuckling, he kissed her lips. "You're definitely the most adorable angel I've even met!"
He grabbed the bag with the baby's clothes and both left the bedroom.
X
The trip along the coast line started as a very pleasant one. Always enchanted with the beauty of the place, the three angels watched as the sun set behind the ocean, leaving shades of orange and purple in the sky. Monica was sitting in the passenger's seat, next to her dear friend and supervisor, while Andrew took the back seat, permanently caressing his beloved wife's hair or kissing her cheek once in a while. And for some time, the blond angel pushed away the sad memories of the latest days and enjoyed his friends' company.
As they left the coast and took the road that crossed the countryside, however, the sky became little by little covered with dark clouds, announcing that soon, a heavy rain would start.
"Hope we get there soon... The weather is changing fast..." Andrew spoke, frowning with concern as he observed the sky.
Tess looked through the window "It'll take one hour more, angel boy... We'll probably get some of it along the way..."
Permanently caressing her belly, and aware of her dearest friends' worries, Monica lifted a silent prayer, asking their loving Father to keep them safe all the way down to the town. A smile broke on her face when she felt the baby kicking once again.
"Looks like our wee one is having quite a busy day!" she joked, looking at Andrew and Tess and watching as they also smiled.
"We're getting there, baby! Soon, you'll get to hear your grandma singing a lullaby to you in person!"
Chuckling, Andrew reached out and covered Monica's belly with the palm of his hand. "She's right, my little angel... Very soon, you'll be in our arms, and we'll be able to hold you and rock you to sleep..."
Monica covered his hand with her much smaller one, and they exchanged not only a loving gaze but also some silent loving words.
The dark clouds made the night fall down quickly, and along came the storm that hit the countryside of the region. The winding road that crossed the valleys became dangerous, making Tess slow down the car. It was deserted and an hour went by without them seeing a single soul around.
"The city is still so far... and with all this rain it'll take even longer to get there..." the oldest angel said, concern written in her eyes.
"Wouldn't it be better if we stopped for a while, Tess?" Andrew suggested, watching as the heavy raindrops hit the window pane, making it difficult to see what was ahead.
"I think you're right, angel boy. I'll find an open area, away from the trees, so that I can pull over and-"
A cry interrupted their conversation, and when they saw Monica holding her belly, their hearts practically jumped. "Tess... Andrew..." Monica's anguished tone of voice only increased their panic and the way she was biting her lower lip left no room for doubt: something was just not right.
"W-what is it, Angel?" he quickly spoke, searching to look at her face.
"I'm so sorry... but..."
For almost an hour, the Irish angel had been the less talkative of them, and both Tess and Andrew assumed she was getting tired of the trip. Yet, now the situation seemed much more serious.
"But what, sweetie?" Andrew desperately asked, even though he already feared her answer.
"Angel girl? Talk to us, baby! Tell us, what's going on?" the supervisor said, immediately slowing down the car speed.
"I'm... I'm feeling so much pain..." she spoke, breathing heavily.
"Oh, dear Father... you're in labour, Monica!" Tess exclaimed, pulling the car break and finally stopping the vehicle.
Andrew ran his hand over his blond hair, not believing that was happening. The most awaited moment of his existence had just turned into a moment of anguish for him and Monica. What would be of his beloved angel girl and his baby in the middle of the deserted road, under a violent storm, and with no one around to help?
"God... it can't be..." he whispered.
"It... might be over soon..." Monica said, gathering all her efforts to resist to the sharp pain she was feeling.
"It won't, baby..." Tess placed her hand on her cheek, studying the expression of pain she could see on her face, and aware of what it meant. "You're in labour... this little angel won't wait any longer..."
"A-are you sure, Tess? It might be a false alarm... maybe if Monica could lie down here on the back seat and-"
Another sharp pain interrupted Andrew for the second time, and when Monica lowered her head and closed her eyes, still holding her huge belly, he knew the old supervisor was right.
"Oh, Father... what are we going to do?" Monica whispered, panting heavily, and feeling Andrew's gentle hand over her shoulder a second later, "Shh... Calm down, Angel... we're here with you, sweetie... And remember that God is also here... You told me yesterday that there's a great power in prayer... I'm praying now... and I know He's listening... He won't let us down, Angel..."
"Angel boy is right, baby, we're here with you and everything will be alright..." Tess said, gathering Monica's hair in a ponytail. Then, as Andrew reached for the Irish angel's hand, she turned the car on. "We'll have to face the storm and make it to the hospital as fast as we can!"
"We'll make it, Angel... our little one can wait just a bit more, right?" he spoke, caressing Monica's face.
"I guess we can arrange that..." she replied, and then looked at him, trying to hide the pain with a feeble smile. "... but I feel that this wee one is eager to be in daddy's arms..."
Their smile only broke when Tess tried to turn the red Cadillac three times, and it didn't work.
"That cannot be happening..." the oldest angel exclaimed, her hands shaking with nervousness.
"Tess? What... what's wrong?" Andrew wanted to know, his heart racing with anguish at that new drawback.
"It doesn't want to turn on!" she looked heavenwards and raised her voice, "And we could use a little help here!"
Monica rested the back of her head in the seat and closed her eyes. "Is this meant to happen, Tess?"
"Calm down, sweetie... If the motor doesn't turn on, I'll go outside and fix it." He said, even though panic was, little by little, taking over his heart, and he had to struggle not to let Monica feel it.
There, on that deserted road, under the most hostile conditions, the three angels turned into humans prayed for divine intervention. The miracle of a new-born angel depended on another miracle, and if anything went wrong, Andrew knew he and his beloved Monica would become some of the saddest souls in the universe.
To be continued