With you
Snow was starting to fall when a red Cadillac was parked in front of the pretty cabin hidden up in the mountains of Utah. The ever green of the pine tree tops were slowly turning into white as the snowflakes came to rest upon them, and a white blanket covered the area around the secluded property. Temperature was dropping quickly and the latest forecast announced a storm for the evening. Monica got off the vehicle carrying a heavy supermarket package and climbed up the porch steps in a hurry. She was wearing heavy winter clothes but it was far too cold outside and she couldn't wait to be in front of a warm fireplace.
The Irish angel pushed the door open and surveyed the living room. It had been previously tidied up and she could feel a delicious smell coming from the kitchen. Grinning, she crossed the living room in a hurry and got at the kitchen. The red-brick chimney and the oven had just been used, and lunch had already been prepared. But the smile died in her lips as Monica realised there was no one in there.
Slowly now, as there was no need to rush, she placed the supermarket bag on the counter and let out a small sigh. Andrew had probably been there earlier and, always aware of her culinary abilities, had cooked lunch for her as they would not stay too long. She was expecting to at least spend the afternoon and evening with him, as both of them had been very busy with hard assignments all over the world.
How she missed the small family that the Father had so kindly blessed her with! She had a loving soulmate who had the ability to say "I love you" just by the way he gazed at her. She had also been blessed with a cute little angel, who could touch everyone's heart just with her cheerful smile and pretty face. And finally, there was someone who was a mother figure to Monica, the one friend who taught her valuable lessons of wisdom.
But right now, wee Angela was with Tess and the two angels were exactly where they belonged to, where all the angels would go once they had finished their assignments on Earth. And Andrew... well, he could be anywhere now, and judging by the smell of the food, she had missed him for just a few minutes.
However, when Monica returned to the living room, to drop her coat and scarf by the entrance door, she spotted a silver box right over the coffee table. It wasn't too big but it was beautifully wrapped with a matching silver satin ribbon, and a small card was hanging on its top. Now frowning and rather intrigued, Monica approached the table with slow steps, still wondering what kind of mystery could involve the small object. She flipped the white card and saw that it was her name written on it.
"I guess I saw a very beautiful angel crossing this living room in a hurry towards the kitchen!" a sudden male voice came from behind her and spoke into her ear. Pleasantly startled, and with the broad smile immediately back at her face, Monica turned around to face a mischievous-looking Andrew. "And she didn't even notice this little box waiting for her!" he added, a second before she spoke his name - her Irish lilt filling the living room.
"Andrew!"
A pair of arms were instantly wrapped around his neck and dragging him down for a warm hug, which he returned with the same intensity. "I thought I wouldn't have a chance to see you..." she spoke, in a mix of relief and joy.
"I thought I wouldn't be here either, but something unexpected happened." Andrew tightened the hold around her and buried his face against her shoulder, breathing in her sweet perfume and kissing the nape of her neck. He could feel her heart beating against his chest and her trembling hands clutching his sweater. Nothing could have been more perfect.
"Something unexpected? What is it, Andrew?" she wanted to know, without the courage to pull away from his arms.
He kissed the side of her head and brought his face inches apart from hers, admiring her delicate features as he talked. "I was supposed to take a little boy Home, but plans have changed." The angel of death announced, watching as his happiness brought joy to her soul. "Jonathan will live, angel."
"I'm so happy to hear that... Happy for you as I have an idea of how you could be feeling..." she spoke, her face softened a little.
Andrew touched the tip of her nose with his index finger. "I know you are... And I also know that you too have finished a successful assignment!"
"I did!" her instant joy and the childlike way she had said that only made his heart ache with so much love. Her smile faded a bit on the following instant and she tilted her head sheepishly. "But mine was a more simple one, you know."
"It's worth praising just as any other!" he gently lay both hands on each side of her face and his eyes turned away from hers to aim at her rosy lips. "And when I came here I had three 'assignments' to fulfil..."
"Three assignments?" she repeated, shooting him a questioning look.
"Yes... One of them, is this..."
He brought his lips to hers in a long, soulful kiss typical of those couples who hadn't seen each other for a long time, and Monica gladly welcomed this kiss with the same intensity, with the same love. Andrew wrapped on arm around her waist, bringing her closer to him, and entangled his fingers through her auburn hair, applying gentle pressure to the back of her head so that he could deepen their kiss.
Once that loving caress was over, he held her tightly once again. "I love this assignment, you know..." she rested her head over his shoulder and sighed with contentment.
"Good, because there are two others I have to accomplish, and one of them is directly connected to this small box you've just found out here..."
Monica pulled away and searched for his green pools, not missing a hint of mischief in them. "Is it a present?"
Andrew blinked at her with amusement. "Yes, sort of... it's actually your anniversary present! And your name is in there, so open it up!"
Confusion clouded over hear face and she frowned slightly. "Anniversary? But... do we celebrate anniversaries? I-I don't recall anything happening on today's date..."
"Who said anniversaries have to be celebrated on an specific date?" he replied, in a charming way. Monica let out a sigh and agreed on playing his little game. She knew it would amuse him, and that's why she gladly did it. The little angel finally let go of his embrace and turned her back on him, picking up the small box with her both hands. She shook it first and placed her ear next to it in an attempt to listen to any different sound, causing Andrew to chuckle with amusement. She focused on unwrapping the satin ribbons that involved the box and once she was over, Monica was surprised at its content.
"Bikinis?" she said, raising the two-piece purple swimming suit with her hands and turning to face him again. "They... they are... lovely, Andrew, but... I guess it's a wee bit cold right now..."
Still chuckling, the blond angel kissed her forehead. "It's not for you to wear right now, angel..." But he made a short pause to scan her body from top down with interested eyes, "... even though seeing you wearing your swimming suit always pleased me a lot..."
She smiled at him, blushing a little at his remark and still confused. "Andrew... I'm not sure if I understand..."
"Come with me..." He took her by the hand and guided her upstairs.
They headed to their bedroom, and when he opened up the door she was surprised for the second time. Over their bed, there were two small suitcases.
"What is it?"
"We're off for a few days, Monica. Tess is watching over our little angel, and I've just heard that there are at least seven angels drooling little Angela. Besides this, Jonathan is having a fine recovery and his life is not at risk anymore. And you told me you'll have some free days as soon as your latest assignment was over." He quickly explained, and before she could say something, Andrew lay both hands gently over her shoulders. The initial mischief was now gone from his face, and replaced by a sincere and loving smile. "Just you and me."
The look in his eyes and the certainty of a tomorrow by his side were everything of the most urgent in her existence. Monica let out a sigh, and tilted her head to gaze up at him with a matching slight smile. "You and me together is what brings so much love to my world..."
The blond angel tenderly cupped her cheek, the power of his dark green eyes penetrating her very soul and reading what was in her heart. Stating that he loved her deeply would never be able to express what he felt for her and how much he needed her by his side. Andrew crossed the small distance between them and slowly their eyes closed. Monica felt his warm breath tickling her skin, a second before their lips finally met in another loving kiss.
Only when air became an issue, they broke their kiss and rested foreheads together. "So I take it you agree to wear your anniversary present?" Andrew's smile was back upon his handsome face and he enjoyed to see that she too was smiling - he could live only to make her smile like that.
X
One day later...
The warm sunrays shone across the bluest of the skies and the equally deep blue ocean. The waves came to crash gently upon a small island lost in the middle of nowhere, kissing its white sands along with the gentle breeze that was blowing from the sea. To get there, Andrew had to row a small boat for nearly an hour while Monica just rested comfortably and enjoyed the journey to the small piece of heaven lost amongst a blue immensity. She was wearing the two-piece black swimming suit that Andrew had bought her a couple of days before and an unbuttoned white blouse and he, only his black trunks. Both needed very little right now. The most important was being with each other, and being with each other is how they would remain for the rest of their existence.
Right after they arrived at their destination, he tied the boat to a small dock and Monica took the time to lie over a towel and enjoy the sunbathing time. It was so good to be away from all that cold and the incessant snow! That breathtaking scenario renewed their spirits and filled her heart with a sensation of peace.
And later on, Andrew reached out to take her hand and gently guided her up to where the waves broke. With his firm grip around her, she allowed him to take her further in the water, and little by little grew used to the swing of the waves as they passed by her small body.
X
A veil of stars covered the night sky, their ancient spark enchanting humans upon Earth - humans who gazed at them and marvelled, unaware of the fact that they were gazing at a distant past. A fireplace had been lit up a couple of hours before, and along with the full moon, it illuminated the island with its intense sparkling.
"...maybe the reason why it fascinates us so much is because unconsciously we know it comes from a better time and place, untouched by evil."
Andrew's words, along with the crashing of the waves upon the soft sand, were the only sounds that could be heard in that secluded place. There was food and a small tent pitched right close to the fire - but the shelter wasn't being used at the moment. He and Monica were now lying on a white towel, spread upon the sand and away enough so that the water didn't reach them. She had changed into a loose sleeveless dress, which went down bellow her knees, while Andrew was wearing bermudas and a white T-shirt. Although it had been a hot sunny day, temperature usually went down a little as the night fell. All in all, it still was a warm night and the couple of angels spent some pleasant time gazing at the stars and chatting unworried about the world out there.
"But then we marvel at an illusion, as this same light no longer exists; it's just a memory of something lost in the dust of time..." Monica replied, comfortably lying next to him, resting her head over his arm, very close to his shoulder. She too was facing the night sky after a day filled with laughter and happy memories.
Together, they had swam in the blue ocean, walked hand in hand along the shore of a deserted island and shared some romance time in each other's arms. In short, Andrew had found a way to bring joy into their existence and nothing could please him more other than the broad smile upon his beloved Monica's face or hearing her laughter.
"Well, that would explain why humans always want what they can't have - or what they don't have." He said, and propped his weight on his elbow as now he changed the vision of the starry sky for her beautiful face.
"I'd say this is part of their nature." She replied, eyeing him with a slight smile, happy to be in his strong arms. "But yet, that's why we exist, so that we make them realise which things are truly the most important in life!"
"You are such a wise little angel!" He tenderly caressed her cheek, committing to memory her every meek feature, enjoying to see the spark of joy in her eyes.
"Oh, but there are two wonderful angels, who I'm very fond of, who teach me many valuable lessons, you know?" she spoke, resting both hands over her stomach as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Andrew moved his hand to her waist as he spoke again. "Well... talking about the most important in life... I'd say that there are these wonderful angels who are all of the most precious I have in my existence..."
She searched in his eyes and saw nothing but the truth and deep love. These had always been there - since from the beginning when they were just friends. There had been immense love and honesty in the way Andrew looked at her.
The slight smile upon her face was slowly replaced by a moved expression and she raised her hand to touch his face. "Do you have any idea of what I feel for you?"
"I do. I can see it in your eyes. And in your soul..." he bent his head to brush his lips with hers in a soft but brief kiss. "I made myself a promise a while ago, when you were in hospital, sweetie. You got hurt in an explosion while you were on assignment, in that school, remember?"
"What promise?" she wanted to know, the memory of the assignment in which she almost sacrificed her human form to save the children of a kindergarten immediately on her mind. It had happened a while after they admitted their mutual feelings for each other. Andrew spent ten painful days by her bed, praying for her to get out of the coma and open his eyes for him again.
"That other than doing the Father's work, I'd exist to put a smile upon your face and make you happy. That I'd exist for you, Monica."
Those words brought tears of emotion to her eyes. "Andrew..."
"And what makes it even more blessed is the fact that, by that time, I had no idea of how much the Father would give me... of how much you would give me, pretty angel... Our love... and materialised in the form of a cute smiling little angel... Just as pretty as you are."
"But then it's me the one who should be grateful... Grateful for the gift of your love..." she said, tears falling from her eyes as she spoke, "Which I can see reflected in Angela's bright green pools!" Tears finally made their way down her rosy cheeks and she let out a small sob. "I love you so much..." her whispered words caused him to smile - a loving smile as they filled his hear with tenderness.
Slowly, he bent his head again and kissed her forehead. Andrew went on kissing her cheeks, wiping her tears away with his lips, savouring the feeling of having the one he loved so much right there in his arms; aware that her heart, body and soul belonged to him. He made a trail of kisses down her jaw up until her neck, breathing in her sweet perfume. Monica entangled her fingers through his short blond hair as he proceeded in delivering soft kisses along her skin until he found her lips again. The kiss that followed was long and filled with deep, unconditional love.
In each other’s arms, they completely forgot about everything else around them, lost in delicate caresses. Andrew’s touch was gentle and soft, and her sweet perfume inebriated him. Monica held him tightly and at moments like those, when they were so close together, she was under the impression that they were only one person, that she was meant to be with him since the day she was created.
The moon and the stars witnessed as the angels in human form fell asleep in each other's arms, in that secluded part of the Earth, and that moment would remain etched in their minds for the centuries to come; one of the many happy memories they would share along the eternity.
X
To be continued