Happy Valentine’s Day!
“... and remember, Annie, that God loves you, He is your best friend, the One Who is always holding your hand and laughing with you in the good times and crying with you during the sad ones...”
“I know, Monica... And I promise I’ll take care of myself from now on; it’s good to know that I’m not alone!’
“You’re never alone, Annie. Never. And remember that now your husband lives in the presence of God now; the same Loving Father Who watches over you.”
The young woman, who seemed to be still in her twenties, nodded her head with tears of emotion in her eyes, “I still miss my dear Richard so much, you know... it hurts so much not being with him... Especially in days like today...”
“I know it hurts; it’s been less than a year that he’s gone, it’s still very recent,” the Irish angel said, placing a supportive hand on her shoulder and aware of all the suffering she was feeling: she couldn’t even start to imagine what her existence would be without a beloved angel by her side. “But don’t forget that time and, most importantly, God’s love will heal this pain.”
“I know He will, Monica, now I know this. He even sent me an angel to help me to see the truth and to comfort my heart on Valentine’s Day...”
Smiling at the young lady and realising a trace of hope in her eyes, Monica took her hand, “I’ll pray for you, Annie. I’ll pray that you can rebuild your life, that you can start it all over again here, in your hometown, and that you can find a good and kind man who loves you and who wants to spend the next 50 years of his life at your side. You’re still very young, dear, and the Father wants you to live your life with happiness, not with eternal grieve. Remember to always hold on to your faith.”
“I will!” the young girl said, smiling with confidence at the beautiful angel in front of her. She and Monica were in the sidewalk of a countryside town (which had grown a lot in the last years), standing in front of a red mail box and next to a big oak tree, and, once again, the little Irish angel had succeeded in accomplishing her assignment, bringing faith, hope and reassurance to a lonely and miserable young widow.
Suddenly, a small van, with the logo of a flower shop, was parked near the sidewalk, and a second later, a man got out of the vehicle and approached them, holding a beautiful bouquet of red roses and checking a paper he had in his other hand. He had a puzzled expression on his face and, frowning, he cleared his throat, “Excuse me, are you Monica?”
“Yes.” She replied, smiling friendly at him.
He gave her the flowers, “Well... these are for you, lady...”
“Oh my goodness! They’re gorgeous!” she exclaimed, a bit surprised and smelling their perfume.
Seeing that unexpected present, Annie smiled, “Hey Monica, you never told me you had an admirer!” she said, causing the Irish angel to blush.
“Well...”
“Look at these roses! They’re gor...”
At that moment, the young woman stared at the man who had just delivered the flowers and a surprised expression appeared on her face, “Daniel?!”
“Annie?!” he replied, as surprised as she was, “God! I thought you had left the city! The last time I heard from you I was told that you had married!
“Well, I did, a couple of years ago, but... Richard, my husband, died in a car accident last winter...”
“Gee! I’m so sorry, Annie, I didn’t know, I’m really, really sorry...” he was immediately sympathetic.
“Thank you, Danny... I met some really good people who helped me through this difficult hour and now I know that Richard is in peace, in God’s arms...” she replied, with a slight smile, and looking at Monica, “Danny and I were in highschool together; Danny this is my friend Monica... oh, well, you already know her name!”
“Nice to meet you madam...” he greeted, now with the previous intrigued look back on his face.
“Nice to meet you, Danny!” the Irish angel replied, glad to see the happiness a sudden meeting with a dear old friend could produce in their faces.
“I can see you didn’t leave the city, right?” Annie continued to speak.
“Yes I decided to stay, contrary to most of our friends, and opened my own business together with Steven Parker; we now own a flower shop and we produce and sell the flowers to all the nearby cities, including Salt Lake.”
“Oh, that’s great! I’m really happy for you, Danny! You were such a good friend and deserve to have success in your life! But... do you have to deliver the flowers too?”
“Oh, no! It’s usually done by another person, but Steve and I had a bet...” Still surprised, the young man took a paper and a pen and gave them to Monica, “Could you sign this, please?”
“Sure...” she said, while he observed her with haunted eyes.
The man kept on talking, “The gentleman who ordered the flowers gave us this specific address... ‘Ethan Street, next to the big oak tree, in front of a red mail box’... Steve, and everybody else at the shop, thought it was a joke, that I wouldn’t find anyone in this place, but now they owe me 50 bucks!”
They laughed and Monica and Annie exchanged a quick glance – now that the young woman knew who the auburn haired lady really was, she knew pretty well that unexpected and incredible things like this weren’t impossible.
Monica took the small card that had come in between the flowers and, reading the sender’s name, her smile grew wider, “Well, the gentleman knew I would be exactly here, you know.”
“That’s what I call precision!”
“And what are you planning to do with your 50 bucks you’ve just won?” the angel wanted to know.
“Well... I have no idea, I must admit that I thought I wouldn’t find anybody here...” then, an idea crossed his mind and he looked at the young lady, “Hey, Annie, are you doing anything special tonight?”
“No, I came back to the city 2 days ago, to be honest...”
“Would you like to go out, maybe eat something while we do some catching up with our lives?”
“Oh that would be lovely!”
Now with a hint of mischief, the angel studied their faces carefully and, a second later, she smiled, feeling an inward happiness and the certainty that her assignment had turned out better than she had previously expected, thanks to a dear and beloved friend, whom she longed to see and thank on that special day.
~~~~
Monica watched her assignment go away and then looked at her flowers, admiring them with a lovely smile upon her pretty face. Then, she took the opportunity to read the card which had come together with them in its entirety:
[i]“My dear angel girl,
I saw these flowers and felt sorry for them, as they couldn’t reflect half of the beauty I see in your heart; so I had the idea to send them to you and now I’m sure they look infinitely better...
... though they will never manage to be as beautiful as you are!
I love you forever.
Your eternal valentine,
Andrew.
PS. Take a look at the envelope...”[/i]
Happiness evident on her face, and she placed the note against her heart, with some tears of joy threatening to fall at any minute. Then, she looked inside the small envelope and found a paper heart. Still smiling, and now a bit confused, she read the message in the paper:
“I[i]Get 3 hearts and receive a kiss.
PS. Have you posted any letter today?[/i]”
Letting out a small giggle, she gave a few steps and examined the mail box: moments later, she found another small heart glued on the upper part of it. With curiosity, she read its content:
“[i]You’re getting warm...
... why don’t you stay under the shadow of the oak tree to escape from the heat?[/i]”
With a smile that would never disappear from her face, the little Irish angel walked over up to the huge tree at the end of the street and carefully examined its trunk. It didn’t take her too long to find another paper heart, with a third message written on it:
“[i]Congratulations, angel! You’ve accomplished your assignment!
PS 2. I love you again.[/i]”
Immediately after she read the small sentences, Monica felt a loving presence right behind her and, now happier than never, she turned around to face a smiling Andrew.
“Good afternoon, angel...” he greeted; his green eyes sparkling with love for her.
“Oh there you are...” she replied, also looking deep inside his eyes, her heart suddenly beating faster due to the great love she felt for him, “I was looking for you...” she kept on speaking, now with amusement.
Chuckling, the blond angel stepped closer to her, with his hands on his back, “Really? What can I do for you?”
“Well, I found these 3 wee hearts, you know, and now I’d like to know who I have to talk to in order to claim my prize...” she spoke, showing him the 3 paper hearts.
With a mischievous expression on his handsome face, he gave one more step, standing only a few inches apart from her, “Well... I happen to be the angel in charge of this... You can claim your prize anytime you want, I’ll be happy to give it to you...”
Giggling at his solemn tone of voice, she wrapped one of her arms around his neck, keeping the bouquet of roses on the other one, “Ok, then, Mr ‘angel in charge of this’! What about giving me my prize right now?”
“As you wish...”
He held her tightly in his arms, bringing her even closer to him, and bent his head. Then, watching as she closed her eyes, the blond angel raised his hand and stroked her face as gently as a soft breeze. He placed tender kisses on her forehead, on her left and right cheek, on the tip of her nose and, finally, on her lips.
Their kiss was sweet and slow, there was no hurry: they felt as if the rest of the world had stopped just to allow them that always magical moment, so full of emotion and, most importantly, full of the purest and most beautiful love.
Andrew moved his hand from her cheek and started to run his fingers through her auburn hair, while she moved her hand to caress his face, never breaking their loving kiss.
Only a long minute later, when air became an issue, did they part. Andrew placed a tender kiss on her forehead and stroked her cheek, enjoying it when she wrapped her arm around his neck again, now in a warm embrace. He held her tightly, burying his face on her shoulder, not missing the opportunity to smell her sweet perfume, and, seconds later, pulled away to kiss her lips once again.
“... hum... am I wrong or the little ad on the first paper heart said the prize was only one kiss?” the Irish angel asked, with an amused smile, when they finally parted.
“Are you complaining?” he asked, also with amusement, and causing her to giggle.
“No, absolutely; this is only a remark...”
“Well, ok, then. There is a special bonus for the one who arrives in the first place!”
Monica frowned with slight annoyance when she heard his teasing words, “Hey! What do you mean by ‘first place’?! Are you, by any chance, telling me that there is a second and a third place?!”
Laughing at the upset tone in her voice and at the way she stared at him, he grabbed her face with both hands and kissed her lips one more time, “You know you look quite cute when you get jealous?”
“That is not funny!”
“I’m sorry, baby, but it is! You’re definitely adorable!” he spoke, kissing the tip of her nose, and then he became serious, “And... just for the record, there would never be a second and a third place, you know this heart here belongs only to you, angel.” It was far too clear that the Irish angel wasn’t really upset with him and, hearing those words, she smiled with tenderness as he kept on talking, “And you mean the world to me. With you, my existence is complete...”
That statement, along with the sincerity in the way he looked at her, brought tears to her eyes, and she gently touched his cheek, “Andrew... I love you so much, so deeply... and I’m so grateful that the Father allowed us to see each other in a special day like this; I thought I wouldn’t see you, that we would be apart from each other, working on different assignments today...”
“I thought that myself. Matter of fact, I prayed for a moment with you, even if it was only a few minutes, so that I could tell you again how much I love you. And you have no idea how happy I was when I got the call to meet you here, some minutes ago.”
“Oh yes, I do have... I know this is mostly a human holiday but if it’s meant to remember the one we love, then I can’t help feeling like celebrating it, because, when think about it, it’s always your face I see in my mind; it’s always your loving presence inside my heart.”
Smiling with tenderness, they inched their faces closer and their lips met once again.
“How long can you stay?” she wanted to know, still holding him close to her, her face standing only a couple of inches from his, and loathing the idea of seeing him going away from her.
“I don’t know. I was told to meet you here and wait... I guess I’ll know when it’s time to leave.”
“I see...”
Brushing a tender peck on her lips, Andrew wrapped one arm around her shoulder and they started walking along the lane. “Let’s try not think about it right now and enjoy those moments together, ok? So, how was your assignment?”
“Better than I expected, and thanks to you!” she replied, gazing at him with gratitude and constant growing love.
“To me? Why?”
“Well, the young man who delivered the flowers and Annie were old school friends and hadn’t seen each other for a long time. But now, after our unintentional little push, something tells me that they’ll meet quite often to catch up with their lives, you know...”
The blond angel didn’t miss the hint of mischief in her eyes and in her voice when she said that and couldn’t help chuckling, “So you mean we did a quick ‘matchmaking assignment’?!”
Giggling, she nodded her head, “Yes! And I really enjoyed that, especially in a day like today!”
Suddenly, an old man, elegantly dressed in a white suit and a bow tie approached the two angels. He was carrying a small suitcase and a bouquet of flowers similar to the one Andrew had given Monica.
“Excuse me... I’m sorry to interrupt you, but I was wondering if you could help me...”
“Sure, what can we do for you, sir?” the blond angel said; he and Monica didn’t miss the slight worry in the man’s eyes.
“Are you two from here? Do you live in this town?”
“Oh no, we’re just visiting,” Monica replied.
“Oh dear God... then I don’t think you’ll be able to help me...” there was now a disappointed expression on his face, mixed with some sadness.
Monica and Andrew looked at each other and the Irish angel placed a supportive hand on his arm, “Sir? Are you feeling alright?”
“Yes, yes, I’m fine, thanks, young lady. Just a bit tired...”
“We’re not from here, but if you tell us exactly what you need maybe we can help you,” Andrew said; he and Monica already feeling sorry for that man.
“Well, I’ve been travelling for nearly 3 days to get here, you know. And now that I’m here, I’m a bit lost...”
“What are you looking for exactly?”
“I’m looking for a person, her name is Margaret Davis, she’s my girlfriend!” the old man informed, now with a content smile upon his face and that piece of information caused the two angels to exchange an amused glance.
“Oh... I see...” Monica replied, now curious to know more about it.
“We’ve been together for 1 year! Today is our anniversary!” he explained.
“And... don’t you have her address or phone number?”
“Oh Margaret doesn’t have a phone number; she uses the library computer.”
“I beg your pardon?” Andrew spoke, now as confused as Monica.
“We’ve met each other on the internet, that’s how we’ve been dating; she lived in New Jersey, I live in New York.”
The angels exchanged a third surprised (and equally amused) glance, “Oh, internet, huh? Well, aren’t computers great?” the blond angel said.
“Oh yes, they really are! After all, they helped me to find the love of my life!”
“I’m happy for you, sir... But... You said she lives in New Jersey and we’re in Utah...”
“Oh yes, that’s right, young lady. What happens is that Margaret moved to this little town 2 days ago, with her only niece, and we didn’t have the chance to talk about the address or phone number, as she was still waiting for a confirmation of her new address. But as today is our anniversary, I decided to surprise her and come here anyway, just to see her!”
Andrew and Monica we both moved with such a loving attitude, but the blond angel was also worried, “That’s... that’s a very beautiful gesture, mister...”
“Charles Peters!”
“Mr Peters, but it’s gonna be a bit difficult to find her if you don’t have any address or phone number, I think...”
“Oh no, Andrew! I know where she lives!” Monica interrupted her dearest friend, with a broad smile upon her face.
“You do?” he and Mr Peters spoke.
“Yes! I know Miss Davis and her niece! Annie is her name and she lost her husband some months ago.”
“Yes, that’s it! Margaret was thinking about moving to Annie’s hometown to help her to go through with her loss...”
Monica looked at Andrew with a content spark in her eyes and he chuckled with surprise, “I’m glad I came here with Tess car!” he said, “So... what are we waiting for?”
~~~~
The angels took Mr Peters until Annie’s house, whose address Monica knew pretty well, and when they parked Tess’ Cadillac in front of the beautiful house, the old gentleman didn’t waste any second in rushing towards the doorbell. Monica and Andrew stood some steps behind, by the white fence, just observing that so much awaited encounter.
A few seconds later, an old lady opened the door and, when she saw Mr Peters, an expression of surprise and emotion appeared on her face.
“Oh my God, Charlie!!!”
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Maggie!”
The couple shared a loving and tight embrace, which caused Monica and Andrew to exchange a pleased look, and the blond angel didn’t miss the opportunity to wrap his arm around her shoulder and kiss the top of her head.
~~~~
Andrew and Monica left Miss Davis’ house some time later and, hand in hand, they headed to the red Cadillac.
“They are adorable!” the Irish angel said, with a contented sigh.
“I’d say they’re an adorable modern couple!” Andrew agreed, with a smile.
“Isn’t it amazing how the Father can bring two souls together and make them feel as if they had really found their other half? As... as if they had some kind of connection and were really meant to stay by each other’s side forever and ever?”
The blond angel chuckled at Monica’s philosophic mood; her habit to make a comment on everything that happened around her was one of the numerous things he loved about her, and his smile grew wider, “Yes, it really is. After all, even angels can feel this way...” he said, causing Monica to look at him. With an extra spark of happiness in her eyes, she placed her hand on his cheek and made him bend his head to face her. Then, standing on the tip of her toes, she brushed a tender kiss on his lips and they entered the car a moment later.
~~~~
Monica and Andrew spent the rest of the afternoon riding along the countryside, as the blond angel knew how much his beloved friend loved to watch the nature, and they took the opportunity to spend some time chatting about their latest assignments and everything else that had happened during their time apart from each other, as they always did when they had to work on different missions.
“That was a beautiful Valentine’s day, you know. I love being in the countryside, it’s always so... so green and full of... of viscosity...” the little Irish angel said, observing the orange coloured afternoon sky with contentment and causing Andrew to chuckle at her wording, “... it reminds me of my beloved Ireland!”
A pleased smile appeared on the corner of Andrew’s lips, “Well, I agree, it was really a beautiful day and this place is great. But you know what make them perfect? Being here with the cutest and most adorable valentine on this earth and in Heaven!”
“Really?” she replied, enjoying his flirting.
He took her hand and brought it to his lips, “Really.”
They exchanged a loving glance and remained with their hands intertwined for another minute, when Andrew made a turn and something caught their attention.
“Good Heavens, what is it?” the Irish angel spoke, she and her dearest friend frowning with concern: up ahead of them there was another car, stopped in the middle of the road. The driver had opened the hood and was trying to fix something, while, near him, an old man paced from one side to another with visible impatience. Andrew parked Tess’ car near them and both angels approached the vehicle.
“Excuse us... I can see there’s a problem with your car; can I help you with something?” he asked, observing how damaged the engine looked like.
“Oh, thanks sir, but I’m afraid you can’t. The car broke down and it’ll be necessary a mechanic to repair it!” the man who was trying to fix the motor said, putting the hood down.
“That had to happen today!” the other man spoke, with a bit of anger.
“Why? Is it any special occasion? I can see you’re both dressed up to...”
“Andrew!” Monica interrupted him, drawing his attention to the interior of the car, where a young woman, wearing a beautiful bride’s outfit, was crying helplessly in the back seat.
“It’s my daughter’s wedding, but it’ll be in a farm, far from here!” the old man explained.
Monica came closer to the car window already feeling sorry for that young lady. “Excuse me...” she said, reaching the front door to talk to her and maybe put her heart at ease. The young woman looked at the angel through blurred vision. “Please, don’t cry...”
“... today is the most important day of my life...”
“I can imagine that but you shouldn’t let despair consume you, you’re such a beautiful bride!” the Irish angel replied.
“And how am I supposed to get there in time? You heard my father, the farm is far from the city, it takes over an hour to get there and I’m already late! Oh God, please, help me!” she spoke, while tears rolled down her cheeks. Monica looked at Andrew, who had come closer to her, and no words needed to be spoken between them, as they already knew what the other was thinking.
~~~~
“Stay calm, Karen, I’m almost done with your make up!” Monica was sitting in the back seat of Tess’ Cadillac and giving the last touch in the young bride’s appearance, a bit damaged by her early tears. Andrew and Karen’s father were in the front seat and the blond angel had driven as fast as he could to get to the farm on time. Fortunately, the delay was a small one and they finally managed to get there.
Now, while Andrew and the bride’s father waited outside the car, Monica straightened Karen’s hair and surveyed her outfit one last time. “I guess I’ve finished! And you look absolutely gorgeous!” the little angel said, pleased to see happiness back on the woman’s face.
“Oh God... thank you! Thank you so much, Monica! If it hadn’t been for you and Andrew I don’t know what would’ve happened! Got sent you two on my way, I’m sure of this!”
“Well, now I have to agree with you!” Monica replied, happy to hear those words, “but don’t you cry anymore, you have a wedding to go!” she helped Karen to get out of the car. The young woman wrapped her arm around her father’s and, before they started a walk towards the build up altar, they looked at the two angels with gratitude in their eyes.
“Thank you, Andrew, Monica. May God bless you for what you did for us!” the old man said.
Andrew took Monica’s hand and laced his fingers with hers, “He already blessed us, sir.” He looked at his beloved friend with all his love evident in the spark of his eyes.
“Monica, I wish you more happiness than what I’m feeling right now... if this can ever be possible!” the young bride spoke, taking the Irish angel’s hand.
“Thank you, Karen. Have a happy marriage!”
As they started to walk towards the altar, before the guest’s enchanted eyes, Andrew wrapped his arm around Monica’s shoulder, bringing her closer to him, and the angels watched the whole celebration.
~~~~
“Oh Andrew! Isn’t it beautiful?” Monica said, sniffling and with tears of emotion rolling down her eyes after the priest had finally pronounced Karen and her fiancé husband and wife. With a moved smile upon his face, always aware of the sensitive creature she was, Andrew offered her a handkerchief and brushed a loving kiss on her temple.
“Yes, and it seems that we really have been the ‘matchmaker angels’ for one day!”
“Well, I’m glad for that cause I love these kind of assignments! Look at how happy Karen is!” she kept on talking with a crying voice.
Andrew squeezed his beloved friend, “I’m glad too cause I could share it with you!” he whispered into her ear and kissed her cheek. Still shedding tears of emotion, the Irish angel rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped an arm around his waist.
When the ceremony was finally finished, there was a small reception (to which the angels had been happily invited) and, at a certain point, the single female guests were gathered together: the bride would throw her bouquet. Much to Karen’s insistence, Monica also took part in it, being observed at a some distance, by her beloved friend.
The young woman turned her back to the others and, after some suspense, she finally threw her bouquet towards the group. And, to everybody’s surprise, it landed straight in Monica’s hands.
“Oh my goodness!” The little Irish angel blushed deeply and looked at Andrew, who couldn’t help but smiling at her with all the love in his heart.
“Congratulations, Monica! Getting the bouquet means you’re gonna be the next one to get married!!!” Karen spoke, secretly happy that the angel had caught the flowers, “And I guess I can have a bit of an idea who the lucky guy you’ll be!” she had a hint of mischief in her face, which made Monica blush twice more.
Andrew approached the two, his smile growing wider with the young woman’s words, “Second bouquet in just one day! You’re really special, angel...”
Slightly embarrassed, yet with a pretty smile upon her (now pink) face, she lowered her head, “You know you’re both making me blush?” she spoke.
Karen let out a giggle, “Yeah, you’re blushing deeply, but I have to repeat once again that I wish you both all the happiness in the world! I can notice how much you love each other and you deserve to be happy!” she left a second later, to give attention to the other guests.
Andrew gave a step closer to Monica and gently placed the palm of his hand against her cheek, “What she doesn’t know is that I’m already happy because I have you here, by my side, for the rest of eternity.”
A slight smile appeared on her face and the Irish angel looked at the bouquet in her hands and after at him with some uncertainty, “... have you ever wondered if... if...”
“Yes,” he replied, his green eyes sparkling with love for her, “And we should never forget that He answers to our prayers, angel... the best evidence is how He answered to mine today and sent me here to stay with you, on this special day...”
She placed her hand over his one, treasuring his gentle touch, “Every day I spent with you is special, Andrew. And so is the place you have here inside my heart.”
He bent his head and their lips met in a loving, sweet kiss, full of emotion, affection and the purest love. “I love you forever, angel.”
“I love you too, Andrew, for the rest of eternity.”
He could see there were tears in the corner of her eyes, and that they soon rolled down her cheeks. Andrew was quick to wipe them away with gentle fingers and after he took the bouquet from her hands to place it on a nearby table. Then, he grabbed her face with both hands and kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose and her lips.
“So, let’s continue to enjoy our time together?”
“Ok...” she replied, smiling cheerfully despite her previous tears.
“Good,” the blond angel took her both hands and kissed their back, “May I have this dance, my pretty valentine?”
Her smile grew wider and she nodded her head with contentment, “Yes, my dear, sweet valentine!”
Keeping one of her hands in his one, and placing it against his heart, he wrapped his other arm around her waist, bringing her closer to him. Monica, for herself, placed her arm around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, letting out a contented sigh as they both started to dance.
There was romantic music playing and filling the air, making that one a pleasant and happy night for the inhabitants of that small town; especially for some of them, who had been touched by angels that had sowed a seed of love in their hearts on that special day.
To be continued.