Chapter 7

The sound of crashing waves was the first thing that came to Monica's ears on that morning. On the following moment, she could smell the salty water and the cold breeze that was characteristic of the ocean; the mix of smells and sensations was responsible for her slowly awakening, eyelashes fluttering open and her typically confused gaze that amused a very dear friend.

Andrew had been sitting on a chair nearby her bed for the last hour and waited patiently for her to come to her senses as the first sunrays greeted the new day. The two angels were not inside the hospital bedroom any longer, as once again he had arranged for Monica to be freed from pain for a little while.

Now, the scenario that would still be revealed to the Irish angel was composed of a much brighter and fresher room, with white walls and beige cotton curtains that swayed gracefully with the breeze that came through the window. The cute lamp that rested over the bedside table had been turned off an hour before as now the morning sun had finally come out.

When she opened her eyes a small frown appeared on her forehead, and her dearest friend took the opportunity to stroke her hair with tenderness. "Good morning, 'Miss Monica'!"

Her sleepy grin and the way she looked at the blond angel only served to melt his heart for the thousandth times since they first met. It had been in a wedding, some years earlier.

"Is it another dream?" She asked, rubbing her eyes due to the natural light that came through the window.

"Yes, it is, baby. Just now I thought about taking you somewhere different..."

Slowly and with his help, she sat down in bed and closed her eyes again, now feeling the particular smell coming from outside.

"Are we near the ocean?"

"Yes. And I thought that although you have a... 'healthy respect' for the water, you'd like to visit this particular place..."

With a questioning expression, Monica stood up from her bed and allowed Andrew to guide her out of the small cozy house they were standing. When they reached the door, Monica lifted her hand up to her eyes to protect them from the sunlight, despite the fact that it was still very early in the morning. But those soft brown pools were quickly accustomed to the view and once she realised where they were, the Irish angel felt her heart filled with emotion.

"This is Morriscatle Beach... We are in my beloved Ireland..."

Resting his hands over her small shoulders, he gave her a gentle squeeze. "See? And you say you're 'geographically challenged'!"

Monica returned his smile for a moment and then focused her eyes at the calm ocean waters. "It's been such a long time since I last came here..."

"I suppose you and I had not met then, because I don’t recall you telling me about it."

"We hadn't. That is why I'm twice happy to be here, you see."

"Well, in that case I consider that my assignment of the day finishes here, because now..." He kissed the back of her hand."...you'll be my host and show me the region around!"

Monica's eyes were momentarily obfuscated by so much beauty right before her.  A never-ending deep blue sea that met the equally infinite sky still tinted with shades of yellow and orange while the morning sun slowly appeared from behind a few clouds that would soon disappear in the horizon, leaving it to be a gorgeous and blessed day, crafted by the Creator himself as a gift for His children.

The little angel looked at her dearest friend and gave a small smile. "You trust me to be your guide? You must really like me!"

Andrew could not help laughing at that mischievous remark. Didn't she know that he would gladly agree to follow her wherever she headed, no matter if their destination was an exotic beach, a breathtaking range of mountains or a mere break by a local café?

"Yeah, let's say I have an adventurous spirit!" He spoke, kissing the top of her head and wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"This beach was the very first beach I ever saw in my whole existence, you know, Andrew?" Monica's chattering mood was at the maximum once they started their stroll on the beach.

Andrew did not say anything about that statement, just nodded with a slight smile, which made her realise something else. "You already knew that, didn’t you?" Her question came with an extra dosage of admiration.

"Let's say I did some research with Tess!" He winked at her, causing Monica to wrap her arms around his waist in a brief but tender hug.

But the mention of her dear friend and supervisor made a small frown appear on Monica's face. "Tess... why do I miss her so much, Andrew? I'm under the impression I haven’t seen her for such a long time..."

The blond angel's sudden silence was not left unnoticed by his sweet mannered friend. But noticing her questioning gaze, Andrew managed to think about the right words to answer her question.

"She's actually not working with you in your current assignment."

That piece of information was not new to Monica. The Irish angel could actually remember her little students and the people who worked at St. Patrick's Elementary. She also remembered her dear friend and supervisor telling her about the new assignment that she would fulfil in the next few weeks.

"I supposed so..." She said, with a small nod, much to Andrew's relief.

"Even so, she usually pops up once in a while to see how things are going. But as far as I can remember, she hasn't."

Her statement was not a complaint, but held some sadness.

"I understand what you're saying, angel. But I know Tess herself was assigned to be somewhere else."

"That is true. A shelter for elderly people in Salt Lake city."

"That and the fact that you've been doing your job so brilliantly allowed her to draw some more of her attention to her assignments. And I'm sure that right now, she is very proud of your latest actions."

His words elicited a slight smile from her and he took the opportunity to change the subject. "I heard there is a dock not far from here from where you can have a view of the whole shore."

"It's a lovely view as the beach sort of 'bends' and meets another beautiful beach not far from here!"

Monica's enthusiasm at being back to such a treasured place was contagious and had the ability to divert even Andrew's dark thoughts about what the future held for him and his dearest friend. Listening to her eternal chattering, he allowed her to take him up to an old wooden structure that was built over some rocks. There, the couple of angels sat next to each other and spent some pleasant moments chatting and admiring the view.

Despite her declared fear of water, Monica did not show any fear during their joyful tour, especially know that they were sitting on the edge of the pier, allowing the waves to splash their bare feet once in a while. Perhaps her confidence had grown over the years, Andrew thought. But one could clearly notice that during all the time they remained there, Monica kept her arms wrapped around his.

"Back at a day, even before God sent me to Earth to deliver His message in annunciations, this place used to be even quieter than it is now. You see, Andrew, Ireland has this interesting mix of vegetation and ocean quite close to each other  and if one listened carefully, they could hear adorable sounds such as the tlot tlot of the horses hoofs and the rustle of the leaves. But not too far, at the seashore, there is this constant crashing of the waves at the same time."

"I believe that this is still possible in some parts of the country just like this one."

"Oh, it is." The smile that was constantly playing on her lips grew wider as she turned her eyes up to him. "And what a blessing it is to be able to share all these sounds and sensations with such a dear friend."

As Andrew's green pools met hers, the little angel kept on talking. "I'm so grateful you brought me here... I'll never forget this beautiful moment."

Andrew lifted one of his hands up to her face and touched her porcelain skin with deep tenderness. "Please do not thank me, angel. Being able to see all this joy written in your eyes is far more than a reward. It's an image I'll always treasure to look. And I'll gladly do anything to see it again and again throughout the years."

Monica leaned her face against his palm and briefly closed her eyes as if registering that beautiful moment; a multitude of loving emotions taking over her spirit. When she looked at him again, their eyes were frozen in a loving gaze through which a silent conversation seemed to take place. And despite the fact that such connection had never showed itself so strong and so deep, neither of them seemed surprised for even unconsciously they knew where the depths of their feelings could take them.

Their tender gaze was then complemented by a slight smile as it was clear that both angels were enjoying that special moment. A playful splash of a sudden wave finally caused them to blink and Monica's subsequent giggling only amused Andrew.

"I didn’t know we could feel these water sprinkles even in angelic form!"

"Well, apparently we can, and as the tide is coming up I believe that it's our clue to get back at the beach house!"

"I believe you are perfectly right, Andrew!"

She took Andrew's proffered hand and allowed him to help her to her feet. Then, still with their hands conjoined, they climbed down the steps of the pier and Monica was already restarting their stroll when she felt Andrew's gentle tug.

"Angel... I believe it's that way..." He said, pointing to the exactly opposite way she was heading.

Slightly embarrassed, she nodded her head and followed her dear friend along the shore back to the little house where she had woken up a few hours before. Some time later, they were back at the cosy little house, the only construction in that secluded part of the land.

"It seems more distant now, doesn’t it, Andrew?" The Irish angel spoke, frowning with slight concern.

"Why do you say so, baby?"

"I'm not sure... I'm... suddenly slightly tired..."

That statement was enough to leave him terribly worried. Andrew placed his hand over her shoulders and helped her climb up the small porch steps. "Come with me, angel I think you should rest for a while."

The entrance door had been left ajar and Andrew guided her up to the interior of the house up to the bedroom. "Here, Monica. Let's get yourself comfortable." He helped her lie down and straightened a pillow under her head, waiting until she was totally settled.

"Why am I feeling this way? I thought that being in angelic form would spare me from these sensations…" She was clearly confused with her present condition.

"I think that's due to the fact that you still have your human form materialised while your angelic soul is here with me. You end up making a double effort…" Andrew explained, now hating himself for not having thought of that before.

"I understand…" She managed a tired smile. "And I guess I might have exaggerated just a wee bit in our morning stroll!"

Andrew could not smile back at her, his guilt was too intense to allow it. Instead, he sat down at the edge of her bed, taking her hand in his, and bent down to kiss her forehead. "I promise it won't happen again."

Monica closed her eyes, although her mischievous grin still remained. "Please, don’t promise me that… It was worth every second."

Her words managed to bring him just a tiny bit of comfort and once they escaped from her lips, the little angel fell into deep sleep.

Moments later, she and her dearest friend were not at the beach house anymore, but back at an ICU room, where the constant beep of the heart monitor was the only sound that broke the agonising silence.