The temporary home
"It's here!"
Tess stopped her red Cadillac in front of a small but very charming residential three-floor building, in a more quiet area of Salt Lake City. Next to her, Andrew moved to open up the door and get off the vehicle, so that he could help Monica. The Irish angel was sitting in the back, standing beside a wide eyed Angela. She gently removed the little angel's seat belt and freed her from her chair.
"Here we go, wee one!"
Monica kissed her daughter's cheek and handed her to Andrew, who accepted the precious cargo with a smile that matched Angela's.
"And it seems someone is very excited about her temporary home!" the angel of death spoke, smiling at how the little one raised almost non-existent eyebrows as she looked at the building in front of them.
"And what are we waiting for? Let's go inside!" the supervisor commanded, once Monica had also left the Cadillac and joined them.
Andrew handed Angela back to her mom and opened up the door of the apartment 305. When the group entered the living room, they gladly contemplated its beautiful decoration.
"I made the decor myself!" the oldest angel proudly announced, causing Andrew and Monica to exchange an amused glance. They stood each on Tess' side and as Andrew passed his arm around her shoulder, Monica inched closer to her. "It's all very beautiful, Tess!"
"Well... yes, it really is! Beautiful like an angelic family should be!"
"You're part of this family too, Tess!" Andrew kissed her cheek
"I know that, baby. And the instructions is that you'll stay here for a week, just living like a regular human family would."
"And when do we know what our assignment is, Tess?" the Irish angel wanted to know.
"Oh, don't worry angel girl, you'll know it when the time comes. For a while all you need to know is that you will start working tomorrow, as a maid for a wealthy family."
"And what about Angela? I mean, she will need someone to look after her and with Monica and I working, I think-"
"Hold on to your horses, Mr Halo!" the supervisor raised her hand, interrupting him. "You have a very important and special assignment which I'm sure you'll enjoy a lot!"
"What assignment is it then?"
"Your mission is to stay home and take care of this cute little angel girl here! Like a good daddy would do!"
And Tess was right: not only Andrew but also his beloved Monica grinned with contentment at that piece of news. "Really? I'll get the chance to look after Angela while Monica is on assignment?" He spoke, hardly believing it.
"That is correct, angel boy!"
Monica kissed her daughter's rosy cheek. "Well, looks like someone is going to have a lot of fun with her daddy then!"
As the little angel clapped tiny chubby hands and smiled, Tess inched closer and kissed her cheek. "Well, I can see everybody is pleased but for now I'll have to let you three settle down because I have an assignment not far from here."
"But you'll come to visit us, won't you?" Monica wanted to know, while little Angela played with her hair.
"Yes, baby, I can't stay here on Earth and not see you all..." she threw an affectionate gaze at the trio.
"Having you around is just as necessary, Tess."
The old supervisor bid them goodbye and left, and once she did so Monica and Andrew looked at each other.
"Hum... as we're gonna act like a regular family in our temporary home... Shall I carry you through the threshold?" He joked, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand. Monica returned his mischievous smile and then looked at little Angela, who seemed to be rather entertained with a lock of her mommy's hair.
"I'd love it if you did this again, you know, as I have lovely memories of our honeymoon. But this time we have some wee company here!"
Angela turned innocent little eyes at her parents, noticing that they were both looking at her and smiling.
"Hum..." Andrew arranged some strands of his daughter's soft auburn hair, "Little angels go to bed early, I'm afraid!"
"Ah, the perks of being in human form!" Monica's Irish lilt was like music to his ears and, laughing, he bent down and kissed her lips softly.
X
It was nearly 8 at night when Monica finished to wash the dishes and keep the leftovers of their dinner. She, Andrew and Angela had spent a pleasant and lazy afternoon and evening enjoying one another's company, and the couple of angels wondered how human beings didn't give value to something so precious as staying with their loved ones.
The Irish angel came out of the kitchen and a scene in the middle of the living room filled her heart with tenderness. Andrew was walking slowly around the room carrying an asleep little Angela in his arms. The little girl had found a comfortable pillow in his chest and fell asleep to the sound of his soothing voice whispering a bedtime story to her ear. Monica loved watching the interaction between father and daughter as she felt extremely sorry for Andrew. He was the one who didn't have the chance to see wee Angela as much as she did. His assignments all around the world left him with nothing but short visits to the little angel, or some few stolen moments when she was already sleeping. The opportunity to spend an entire day with her was precious and Monica knew it.
"You two look so beautiful together..." she spoke, in a low voice as she approached them.
"If I were human and didn't know what angels looked like, I'd still think she's a real angel!" he said, with a broad smile upon his face, not managing to hide his contentment.
Smiling, Monica stroked Angela's soft hair. "Yes, this wee one was created to spread much joy and tenderness wherever she goes! And I think she chose the best place on Earth to fall asleep!"
Chuckling, he looked at the baby again and reluctantly came to a conclusion. "I think I should put her in bed..."
"Well, I think she would spend a pleasant night right there where she is now, but I think her daddy's human form would be rather tired!"
They went up to the baby's room, where the soft light coming from the nightstand broke the darkness. Before depositing Angela in her crib, Andrew kissed the top of her head and caressed her auburn hair. "May God watch over you, my little angel... I love you very much!"
He looked at Monica and she gave a step forward to say good night to her daughter. "Sleep well, my wee one. And have only sweet dreams..."
She kissed Angela's cheek and Andrew gently lay their baby in the white crib. A delicate mobile was hanging on the top of it and they wondered how much it would entertain the little one on the following day. After covering her small form with a white blanket, they held each other and stood there, just admiring their precious treasure as she slept.
X
"Something tells me I'm going to enjoy these days we'll spend as a human family, you know Andrew?" Monica spoke, as he closed Angela's bedroom door behind them and headed back to the living room.
Smiling, he lay both hands over her small shoulders as she tilted her head to look up at him. "I'm sure about it, angel!"
"I love it when you have some time to spend with her, as I know how much you miss it."
"I do... Nothing feels as perfect as spending my time with both of you! My two angels!"
He reached for her hand and took it to his lips as she returned his smile. "Well... What would a regular human family do now?"
With a crooked grin, he wrapped his arm around her waist and gently brought her closer to him. "Hum... I think a regular husband should now give more attention to his beautiful and adorable wife!" he said, cupping her cheek and lost in the spark of her sweet brown eyes. Their faces inched closer and Monica closed her eyes in anticipation, waiting for his tender kiss.
But before their lips met, a noise coming from outside their temporary home interrupted their moment. They could hear a voice coming from the corridor on same floor their apartment was on. And it was asking for help.
"But what is going on, Andrew?"
"I'm afraid we're dealing with our first assignment, angel..."
They opened up their apartment door and found out that the voice belonged to a woman. She was about forty and had a crying expression on her face.
"Please, somebody help me!"
"Miss, what happened?" Andrew wanted to know, as Monica closed their apartment door behind them - the voices could wake Angela up.
"What can we do to help?" the Irish angel asked, and both walked over up to the desperate lady.
"It's my husband... He... he's not feeling well and I have to take him to the hospital..." she explained, and Andrew was quick to offer their car. "I can take him to hospital, our car is parked outside..." he said, aware that the red Cadillac would be ready for him.
Monica placed a supportive hand over her shoulder. "Yes, Andrew can help him to go down... please, be calm, everything will turn out fine..."
Relief and some tears appeared in the woman's eyes. "Oh, thank you... Edward, he was diagnosed with a heart condition a few months ago and I'm afraid he's getting worse..."
Monica and Andrew exchanged a worried glance as he asked permission to go inside the other apartment and help the man. They wondered if the first assignment there was Andrew's, and if it would be as an angel of death.
Soon, Monica watched through the window in Angela's bedroom as Andrew and the couple got inside the Cadillac and headed to the hospital. Looking at her little daughter, who slept peacefully, she offered her prayers for Mr and Mrs Parker, as she could imagine the wife's anguish at her beloved husband's condition.
X
It was past midnight when Andrew parked the red Cadillac in front of the building, and Monica heaved a sigh of relief at the fact that he was finally back to her and to Angela, even though the worry about their temporary neighbour remained.
"How is he, Andrew?" she wanted to know, as she opened up the door for him.
The blond angel removed his leather jacket as a smile formed on his lips. "He's fine, angel... everything will be just fine with him!" he announced, throwing the garment on the armchair.
And a matching smile appeared on her pretty face. "Oh, thank You, Father! I prayed so much!"
"It was really an assignment, Monica. When we came to her help, Mr Parker's wife told us he was diagnosed with a heart condition, right?"
"Yes, I was so worried for both of them, you know..."
"Well, what happens is that when I looked at the man I immediately knew he couldn't have anything like that because these two... they'll live a long life together, Monica, and what Mrs Parker said didn't seem right. When we got at the hospital, due to my insistence, the doctors ran some more tests and found out the diagnosis was wrong."
Monica covered her mouth with both hands in surprise and amazement. "Oh, my goodness..."
"Edward Parker was actually suffering the side effects of the wrong medication..." he concluded, as pleased with that piece of news as Monica. "And as I said, he'll have a very long and happy life next to his wife and children..."
Her smile grew wider as she closed the door and nodded. "I noticed that too... I'm afraid wee Angela isn't the only baby around this building as Loraine is carrying twins with her..."
"And being in a hospital, she'll find that out soon!" Andrew added.
"Are you hungry? I can make you a sandwich or-"
The blond angel wrapped both arms around her waist and brought her closer to him. "No sandwich is necessary, angel... Actually, we were discussing something when Mrs Parker's voice interrupted us, remember?"
Rather amused, she narrowed her eyes as she pretended to remember what he was talking about. "Oh, that's true... something to do with the perks of being in human form..."
Chuckling, he surprised her by passing his arm underneath her knees and lifting her up, and she tried to stifle an excited yelp. "Andrew!"
"I told you a regular husband should carry his wife through the threshold!"
"Well, I want you to know that your wife loves you very much!" she replied, her giggling subsiding as he inched his face closer to hers; her heartbeats accelerated every time he looked at her like that.
"She's very loved too..." he spoke, in a low voice as his green eyes scanned every feature of her meek face, "...and I'm gonna show her how much... one more time..."
Words finally ceased as Andrew brushed his lips against hers, in a long and loving kiss that both had been waiting to exchange almost the entire night. Monica lay a gentle hand against his strong jaw and caressed his face with delicate fingertips. The blond angel carried her along the living room and towards their room without breaking that sweet caress, and when they finally parted it was just for a moment, as another kiss started after a loving gaze.
And through that gaze echoed the feelings that were coming from the bottom of their hearts. Loving feelings that could never be translated into words but which they would always be aware of, as their hearts beat like one.
To be continued