Christmas at the cabin - Part 2
A car was parked in front of Mrs Kelly's house. The old lady had given up dialling her long gone daughter's number, as there was nobody called "Jasmine" living there any longer. She was sure she had lost her only family for good now.
But a knock on the door took her sadness away for a while and when she opened it up, Mrs Kelly placed her hand against her heart, feeling it racing from surprise and shock. "Jasmine?"
"H-hi, mom..." the young lady was unsure of what to do or say.
"I... I wasn't expecting to see you again..."
"If... if I'm bothering, I'll leave, I'll..."
"I'm just saying this because I phoned you and there's another family living in there..."
"Mike and I moved years ago." She said, feeling awkward.
"I see... And why would you let me know where you were? After all, we practically said each other everything we had to. There was nothing else left." The woman didn't have the intention to reply like that, with a bitter tone in her voice, but she couldn't avoid the words that had come out of her mouth.
Jasmine felt like turning around and going away. She wouldn't allow her mother to remind painful moments. "I... I guess it was a mistake to come here..."
Mrs Kelly raised a hand and, feeling terribly guilty, she tried to stop her daughter. "No, please, wait..."
"I'm sorry I bothered you, I-" The cell phone inside her bag interrupted her. "Mike?"
The voice on the other side of the line was an anguished, desperate one, and moments later, the expression on the young woman's face changed drastically. "Oh, my God! When?!"
As she listened to what her husband was telling her, Mrs Kelly noticed the immediate tears in Jasmine's eyes, and the way her entire body trembled with fear and despair. What could have caused such a change?"
"Jasmine? A-are you alright?" the old lady asked, and then quickly rushed to support her as Jasmine felt suddenly dizzy. "Oh, my God, Jasmine? Dear, what's wrong?"
"My daughter... Jade... She... she disappeared!" was all that she managed to say.
Mrs Kelly's face also changed: that piece of news caused her to be surprised, shocked and terribly anguished.
X
Andrew heaved a sigh of relief as he saw their cabin amidst the trees and bushes on the top of the mountain. By the end of the afternoon the snow started to fall along with the temperature, and the angels in human form were glad they would have a shelter to spend the next two days. Besides this, it was Christmas evening, Monica was eager to decorate it, just like she always did whenever they spent this special day on earth.
"I hope Tess doesn't take too long to get here. I love the way she keeps singing while she cooks, you know, Andrew."
The angel of death smiled and nodded his head as he parked their car. "I sure know what you mean, angel. Tess' singing, your joy and now this cute little angel's smile are already part of my Christmas... Actually, they're the best Christmas presents I could ever get!" he said as he turned the motor off, and Monica wasted no time in grabbing his face with both hands and placing a smack on his lips. "... well, along with that!"
Giggling, Monica got out of their car and felt how cold it was outside. When Andrew reached for little Angela, she threw a warm blanket over the baby's back, and the couple quickly climbed up the steps up to the cabin door. Moments later, they were already inside the house: it was warm and cozy, and the vision of the so familiar wooden walls and the pretty living room filled their hearts with great peace.
"Here we are now, wee one! See? Now you, daddy, auntie Tess and mommy will have the best Christmas ya ever had!" Monica ticked her daughter's belly and both angels were rewarded with a cheerful baby smile.
"She'll be here at any moment!" he said, checking his pocket watch.
"I'll get Angela changed and then we'll start the decoration!"
"Ok, I'll get our bags inside."
He watched as his two angel girls went upstairs. His eyes were shining and one certainly could see his joy at having them close to him on that special time of the year. As they disappeared on the top of the stairs he headed outside to take their bags.
Permanently speaking to Angela, and enjoying the way the little one gazed back at her, Monica walked along the corridor and opened the door that was right next to her and Andrew's bedroom. That room used to be Andrew's and now it was prepared to receive the little angel she was carrying in her arms.
"Here we are, wee one! Let's get you inside and change these clothes and these diapers, will ya?" she spoke, and pushed the door open. It had been left ajar and before the Irish angel turned on the light, she heard a noise coming from inside the bedroom.
Monica's heart skipped a beat and she nearly jumped at the small noise, protectively holding Angela close to her chest. "Who is in there?" she said, and then spoke in a louder voice. "Andrew! Come here!"
She gave two steps behind and returned to the corridor, but before she made it down the stairs, the angel of death was already with her. "Monica? What is it?"
"I heard a noise inside Angela's bedroom!" she told him. Frowning with great concern, he looked at the door at the end of the corridor and ordered. "Stay here!"
"Okay..." she was hardly controlling her breathing. With anguished eyes, she watched as Andrew approached the bedroom.
"Is anybody in there?" he said, and hearing the noise again, he stepped inside and turned the light on. Then, the tense expression on his face softened immediately. "Monica... come here..."
Noticing that she was still scared, he nodded his head in reassurance. "It's okay, angel, come here..."
As Monica joined him, her mouth dropped open and she felt immediate compassion for what she saw: a little girl, which would be around six, was sitting on a corner of Angela's bedroom. She was blond and had big blue eyes, which were now wide open and staring at them with nothing but utmost fear. With her knees drawn up to her chest, her little body was trembling.
Little Angela, however, raised her little arms and pointed at the girl, with curiosity and a friendly expression on her face, as if reassuring her little friend that everything would be alright.
Monica handed the baby back to Andrew and looked at the girl. "I'm sorry, sweetie, we didn't want to scare you!" the Irish angel said, coming closer to her. Watching as the girl retreated even more, she knelt on the floor, to be on the same level with hers. "It's okay. We won't do you any harm."
There was so much trust in the angel's words and especially in her brown eyes that the girl seemed to put herself at ease a little. Monica smiled at her and kept on speaking. "My name is Monica. This is my husband Andrew. And this is our wee Angela, whose bedroom you liked so much!"
"And I'm sure she doesn't mind sharing it with you!" Andrew added, winking at the girl and with a friendly smile.
The little girl's breathing seemed to be coming back to normal and she looked around her.
"What's your name, honey?"
"J-Jade..." she finally spoke, her voice still holding much insecurity and fear.
"This is a lovely name!"
She looked at Andrew, Angela and then back at Monica, as if making sure those were good people. "Thanks..."
Little Angela moved her arms again and smiled, trying to get some attention from their unexpected guest. And that gesture caused a tiny smile to appear on the little girl's face.
"She's cute..." she said, "I like her bedroom..."
"She's glad that you liked it, Jade. And we're glad that you used our cabin as a shelter, it's very cold outside." Andrew spoke, and now that the girl seemed a bit calmer he finally moved, sitting on the armchair nearby the window, and placing Angela on his lap.
"I know..."
"How did you get here, sweetie?" Monica wanted to know.
"I was playing in the backyard and daddy was inside the house... Then I saw a fawn and followed her, but I didn't know how to come back..." she told them, "... I walked and walked... but I didn't remember the right way. Then I saw your house and I saw the funny curtains on this window..."
They soon understood what she was talking about. The last time she had been there, Monica had placed new curtains on the little baby's bedroom, with many funny looking animals, such as wide eyed frogs, elegantly dressed turtles and cute ladybirds. She still smiled remembering how Tess frowned at the new decoration.
"The door was open and I noticed there was nobody home... and I was cold and tired..."
"Your mom and dad might be very worried about you, sweetie..." Andrew said, as now he could perfectly imagine what it felt like for a parent.
The girl bit her lower lip and lowered her head. "I know..."
Monica and Andrew exchanged a glance and the Irish angel offered her hand. "Are you hungry?" Watching as she nodded, the angel invited. "What about having a snack, huh? I'm sure that your parents will end up looking for you here."
The little girl gladly accepted Monica's proffered hand. "Is she coming too?" she pointed at Angela, and Andrew winked at them.
"Oh, yeah, she won't miss the party! Just some diapers change and she'll be right there with you ladies!"
"Will you do that, Andrew?" Monica asked, and he looked at little Angela, who was smiling cheerfully at him. "Well, husband, dad, diapers changer... one has to know how to do everything in life, right, little angel?"
Angela replied with a baby laughter and grabbed her father's chin.
Highly amused, Monica held Jade's hand and both left the room.
X
During the hours that followed, Monica managed to entertain the little girl by decorating the Christmas tree, but on their minds the worry about that situation remained. Monica feared for Andrew's safety if he went outside to try to look for Jade's parents. The roads were dangerous, it was snowing too much and darkness was all he would have ahead. The danger of an accident and the constant reminder that they were in human form kept on playing in her mind.
"Her parents must be desperate, Andrew..." Monica spoke, joining him by the window while Jade kept on placing ornaments on the tree and speaking to a very curious Angela, sitting on her stroller. "I can imagine what it feels like for a mother to be away from her child... Especially when her child is missing..."
Andrew nodded his head. "I can imagine that too, angel. But I was told we should remain here. I don't know why but..."
The noise of a toll truck outside the cabin interrupted him. They looked at each other and then through the window. A few moments later, Andrew was already opening the door and saw their dearest friend Tess followed by a man. And judging by all the anguish and despair on his face, it was easy to guess who he was.
"Tess..."
"Hello, babies, I'm glad you're both home already... I met this gentleman, Mr Stevens, and he is looking for his daughter." The supervisor explained.
"She's six, her name is Jade and she disappeared from our house-"
"Daddy!" Jade rose to her feet and rushed to the door as she heard her father's voice.
"Jade!" A moment later, the man was holding his little daughter in his arms, and crying with emotion. "Oh, my little princess... I finally found you, sweetie..."
The three angels exchanged a gaze of complicity and joy, as Andrew wrapped his arms around Tess' and Monica's shoulders. "I guess somebody has just got a great Christmas present!"
They invited Mr Stevens to come in and closed the door behind them. Monica, Andrew and Tess watched with a joyful smile as father and daughter held each other, after moments of anguish and uncertainty. "Baby, where did you go? I looked for you everywhere!"
"I'm sorry, daddy. I wanted to feed the fawn but I got lost in the woods..." she explained, with some tears of regret in her eyes.
Mr Stevens caressed her hair. "I was desperate... I... I thought..."
"Wee Jade found our cabin on the way, Mr Stevens," Monica explained, "And Andrew and I were very surprised to know we had a guest when we arrived!"
"I don't know how to thank you... All of you. I was on the road, looking for Jade, when I had a flat tire. If it wasn't for Tess I'd still be there."
"It was wise to stop here to ask if you'd seen a little girl!" the supervisor said, winking at her two dearest friends.
"I can imagine how you must have felt, Mr Stevens. Now that..." Andrew looked at Angela, who was playing with her stuffed turtle, "... now that I'm a father too."
A little more relieved, the man nodded his head. "It's a precious gift that demands all the care we can give." He kissed his daughter's cheek.
It was then that they heard another car outside, and a few seconds later, there was an urgent knock on the door.
"I wonder who it might be now!" Tess spoke, with mock concern. And as Monica opened the door, surprise caught them once again: Jasmine and Mr Kelly were standing at the doorstep with tear-filled eyes.
"M-Monica... it's... it's really you..." the young lady spoke, "I saw your car outside and..."
"Jasmine, please, come on in." She invited, and with a warm smile she added. "I guess there's something here that belongs to you..."
The Irish angel opened the door completely and as the young lady saw her daughter and husband standing in the living room, she covered her mouth in disbelief. "Oh, my God!"
"Jasmine!" Mr Stevens was quick to hold his wife, never letting go of their daughter. The family was reunited again.
"You found us, mommy!"
Mrs Kelly stared at Monica and Andrew with astonishment. "You two again..."
"Hullo again, Mrs Kelly!" the Irish angel greeted, while Andrew placed his hands over her shoulders and also smiled.
But another surprise, a lot more shocking was about to come. Jade pulled away from her parent's loving embrace and looked at the old lady that had arrived with her mom. "Hi, Mrs Kelly..."
The little girl's words did call their attention. The old woman's eyes were filled with tears at the vision of that six-year-old little girl. On the following second, she was crying openly, her hands trembling with emotion as she had just witnessed a miracle.
"You know this lady, Jade?" her father wanted to know.
"Yes. She works at my school. At the cafeteria. And she always warms my milk." The little girl told them. "I like her very much, even made a drawing to give her as a Christmas present. I drew you and mommy, me and Mrs Kelly together by our Christmas tree."
"I never... I could never know that... that Jade was yours..." the old lady finally spoke.
"You know Mrs Kelly, mommy?"
Jasmine looked at her mother, fresh tears falling from her eyes. "Yes, I do, honey... I... I guess I never knew her so well... But now... now I guess I do... I so understand her..."
"So do I, dear..." Mrs Kelly came closer and squeezed Jasmine's hand. "That's why I want to apologise... for everything that I said to you and Mike. For all the harsh words..."
"Oh, mom..." the young woman held Mrs Kelly tightly and both cried in each other's arms. "I apologise for everything I didn't say! And especially for not giving you the opportunity to know the beautiful granddaughter you have..." She sobbed and smiled, "... even though God found a way to do that for me!"
"I guess He gave us three a Christmas miracle..." her mother replied. "... in order to make us realise that..." she looked at Monica and finally understood the events of the day. "...that each day of anger and hate is one day less in a person's life. And each day of love and compassion is one more day in our existence."
Jasmine nodded her head, as she too felt there was something different with the people that had stopped to help her on that Christmas eve. The three angels and little Angela, now in Tess' arms, watched as the family held one another, aware that the events of the day would be etched in their memory forever.
"Isn't it wonderful, Tess?" Monica spoke, holding her supervisor's hand.
"And which of the Father's miracles isn't wonderful, angel girl?"
The family left sometime later, and now Monica, Andrew, Tess and little Angela could finally enjoy their Christmas celebration, with a lot of joy, delicious food and singing. Tess didn't like Monica's participation on the carols she had previously and so carefully selected for that special occasion. And Andrew couldn't hide his amusement at the supervisor's face once her charge started to sing. But much to Tess' despair, little Angela turned to be a huge fan of her mom's vocal ability and the oldest angel had no other choice but to surrender to the little one's wishes. By midnight, before the supper, they offered their prayers of thanks for being one more year together, like a real family.
But some time after dinner, Tess started to feel the effects of being in human form until so late at night. It didn't take too long for the supervisor to kiss her "babies" good night and go upstairs to her bedroom.
Andrew had offered to wash the dishes and when he returned to the living room he found Monica sitting on the loveseat. Chin propped on her hand and a slight smile playing on her lips, she watched as the snow fell outside.
Andrew's green eyes were filled with tenderness at her vision, as now with the lights off and only the fire illuminating the room, she really looked like an angel. His beloved angel.
He approached her and kissed the top of her head. "Well, seems it's just you and me now!"
Monica finally interrupted her thoughts and looked at him, snuggling close to his chest as he sat next to her. The blond angel wrapped his strong arms around her shoulders and held her as tightly as he dared, and kissed her temple.
"I couldn't be in better company then!" she said, enjoying the feeling of being in his warm embrace.
"I can say exactly the same. It was possibly one of the best Christmas of my existence." Andrew replied, tenderly caressing her long auburn hair.
Monica sighed deeply, listening to his steady heartbeats. "Of mine too."
But what she didn't see was the mischievous smile on her beloved angel of death's face. "But there's one thing missing..."
Frowning a little, Monica pulled away just enough to look at him. "One thing missing?"
Her questioning expression caused him to chuckle - it made her look simply adorable. "Yep!" That short answer only increased her curiosity.
Monica tilted her head and frowned even more. "What is it, Andrew?"
He let go of her embrace and from behind his back he pulled some mistletoe. Highly amused, Andrew placed it high above their heads and innocently looked back at his wife. "Hey! Mistletoe!"
Now a broad and also amused smile appeared on Monica's lips and she narrowed her eyes. "Ah! Mistletoe! I wonder how in the world it appeared here!"
"Well, me too, but you know what? Now that it did appear here, there's something that has to be done, don't you think so?"
Monica bit her lower lip and grinning at him, she nodded her head. "Alright then... Close your eyes, mister angel of death!"
With a pleased smile, he gladly obliged her. What he didn't expect was the tiny peck he received on the tip of his nose, and Monica's excited giggles as she rose to her feet and walked a few steps away from him.
"Hey! That's cheating!"
His upset face only amused her even more. "Oh, is it? And what about that mistletoe that came out of nowhere, huh?"
This time, it was Andrew who narrowed his eyes, leaving the small plant aside and standing on his feet. "You know what else will come out of nowhere, Monica?"
She knew that look very well but before she could do anything, Andrew's strong arms were already wrapped around her waist. He laughed at her excited giggles as his hands tickled her ribs, playfully ignoring her pleas for him to stop.
"Andrew!" she tried to keep her voice low as she pronounced his name like nobody else did, a way that he had always found particularly endearing.
"Shh, angel! You don't want to wake Tess up, do you?"
He tickled her so hard that her legs began to buckle underneath her and she melted into giggles until they were both on the carpeted floor, in front of the warm fireplace. Andrew decided it was time to stop when Monica was lying on her back and there were tears falling from her eyes. He just stood sitting there, admiring her, treasuring her smile and the beauty of her delicate features.
As her laughter started to subside, the angel of death reached out and caressed her face. A tender touch that caused her to look deep inside his green eyes. No words needed to be spoken as a multitude of loving feelings was exchanged through their connection. Andrew leaned toward her again, but now his gaze had shifted and instead of tickling her he brought his lips to hers and they enjoyed a long, loving kiss.
Monica's hands were soon rubbing across Andrew's back and his hands caressing her hair as the kiss continued. Eventually, air became a problem and Andrew smartly transformed that loving caress into tiny ones, spread all over her face.
"I love you so much, Andrew..." she spoke, looking at him with a smile and so much love that he wished time stood still a bit more so that he could relive that moment again and again.
He tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "Angel... my angel... my Monica... You know ever since I first met you, all the days of my existence have been touched by an angel?" as she tilted her head, still gazing at him with a warm smile, he kept on talking. "As hard as an assignment is, as much as I see all the terrible things that happen in this world, the memory of you... of your eyes and your smile, it brings me back to where I belong. God sent me you as a reminder of Heaven, baby. A reminder that always brings out the best in me and that also fills my heart with much love."
Monica touched his face, delicate fingertips gently tracing a line along his jaw. "My dear Andrew..." a silent tear fell from the corner of her eye, "Thank you..."
Returning her smile, he took her hand and kissed it. "For what, baby?"
"For being you... because it always feels like Christmas whenever we're together... whenever I hear your voice or when you hold me tight... You're my destiny, Andrew. Please, tell me this is forever..."
"It is, baby. For the centuries to come, you'll have this heart of mine. And I promise it'll always be Christmas for you, baby."
Another kiss followed those tender words, and then the two angels in human form remained there, in each other's arms watching as the flames danced inside the fireplace. Two hearts beating in the same rhythm, and two souls connected by the same loving feeling.
It was huge, beautiful and certainly endless.
To be continued.