CHAPTER 16

The smile on your face

"Andrew is the lucky guy! A whole weekend off this time!"

"Yeah, tell us, Andrew, what will it be? Rangers and Buffalo Sabres?"

Two of Andrew's firefighter colleagues spoke, as the group picked up their personal belongings inside their lockers, after one working day. Andrew laughed at his friends' jokes. Jeff and Mark were two brave men who didn't think twice before risking their own lives to save others.'

Mark was married and his wife was expecting their second child, a boy. Religious and a loving father and husband, He was a great example to his friends and family. Jeff, on the other hand, didn't have any family of his own but a long list of ex-girlfriends. His adventurous and loving spirit was perhaps what attracted women and what sent them away at the same time. Yet, he had a huge loving heart like his friends and was always willing to offer help and support for those in need.

"Oh, c'mon, the man isn't worried about a hockey match! Judging by his hurry in packing things up I bet there's a pretty lady named Monica waiting for him somewhere!" Jeff's words made them laugh.

Andrew shook his head and rolled his eyes. "You guys don't have anything better to do?" The blond angel spoke, still chuckling at his co-workers teasing. They were walking along the corridor towards the exit door, but only Andrew would go home. A week before Christmas and he and Monica hadn't bought the necessary items for the supper. They didn't need much, it was true, but he knew how her eyes would glow at the Christmas lights, and after the episode with Rose's father only a month earlier, Andrew was trying his best to cheer her up. That time of the year somehow helped him.

And when Andrew reached the exit, an image standing by the steps outside the fire-fighter's headquarter caused his laughter to subside, and be replaced by an expression of contentment. Monica was wearing a pink turtle-neck sweater and a beige overcoat that went down to her knees. An equally pink beret was framing her meek face and her auburn hair cascaded over her shoulders. Blue jeans and brown leather boots completed her look, and once she saw her beloved angel, she smiled broadly.

A matching smile, along with a surprised expression, appeared on his face. Andrew didn't see it when his two friends looked at each other quite amused. "Angel..." he spoke, once he had descended the steps and was now face to face with her. Fortunately, a month was enough for the purple mark against her face to fade away, and now she was smiling again; her cheerfulness was coming back.

"Hullo, Andrew, I'm glad I got here on time to meet you still leaving work... I was a wee bit worried our paths wouldn't cross, you know!"

Her Irish lilt was like music to his ears and the blond angel took both of her hands and kissed each of them. "You didn't tell me you'd meet me here, angel..."

"I guess this is what makes the surprise element so interesting!" she replied, and judging by the way he looked at her, Monica could tell her it was a very wise idea to go to the fire-fighter's headquarter instead of just going home, after leaving school. Andrew held her loving gaze for a few seconds until he heard his friends approaching them. The Irish angel turned her eyes to look at Jeff and Mark with curiosity although she knew who they were, as Andrew had mentioned them a few times before.

He let go of one of her hands to turn to his friends, and chuckled, aware that they would later tease him for being so evidently in love. "Monica, these are my friends, Mark and Jeff. We've been working together on the same shifts. Guys, this is Monica."

"It's very nice to meet you!" she said, shaking hands with them, and genuinely glad to meet such courageous men.

"It's very nice to meet you too, Monica!" Mark spoke.

"Yes, we've heard a lot about you!" Jeff added, and both of them understood why their friend was so in love.

"Oh, Andrew also speaks a lot about you two, and how you put your lives at risk everyday in order to save others."

"We're a team and our friend here makes a lot of difference!" Mark added.

They chatted for some more minutes and then Monica and Andrew bid them goodbye. It was nearly six o'clock in the afternoon and they would not head home, according to the Irish angel's plans.

"Since it's only a week for Christmas I thought about us doing our shopping for Christmas's eve supper and maybe decorating our house, Andrew. It's... it's a time to spend with the family and as you are my family now, I thought we could prepare our little home and make it beautiful for this special occasion."

With a tender smile, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they walked along the street. "I may be the only family you have for a while, angel. But this is only temporary."

The way she looked at him, with hopeful and bright eyes, was moving. "Do you really think so, Andrew? Do you think that the others... Tess, Sam... Do you think we'll see them again?"

He had to ponder about how to answer that question. The truth was that he didn't know if one day they would see their friends again – all Andrew could count on was the feeling that someday their angelic friends would realise the mistake they had made by sending him and Monica away. And Andrew didn't want to give his beloved angel girl false hopes. "I think, angel, that this is the time of the year when hopes are renewed and when miracles happen. You and I know that better than anyone!" He gave her a wink and tried to smile, and was glad to see a matching smile on her meek face. It wasn't the answer she was expecting to hear, but it was fair and Monica knew that. Her shy smile told him that she had understood the message.

They walked a little and soon, the doors of a big shopping center were open to them and Andrew new exactly the first place he would take her.

"Are you sure you don't want to taste just a wee bit of mocha, Andrew?" Monica asked him, holding an extra large size cup with both hands and with the excitement of a five-year-old. Sitting on the same booth, right next to her, he couldn't help but laugh at her image. "We should come back to this lovely cafeteria, you know? I didn't know there could be such good mocha so close to our house! Plus, they have those packages so people can make their coffee at home! Isn't it wonderful?"

Andrew fidgeted with his much smaller cup of hot chocolate and nodded, still highly amused. "I'm glad you like it, baby. Here's the deal: whenever I can, I'll pass by to get you a cup on my way home, is that alright?"

"Well... it's a tempting offer... but I'm afraid I might have to refuse it..."

The smile never faded from her face as she said that, and Andrew frowned, a little confused. "Refuse it?"

"It would mean you'd take more time to come home, and then I'd spend more time without you beside me, and this... cannot happen!" she spoke, cheerfully, to his amusement.

Shaking his head, he cupped her cheek with tenderness. "Monica... angel, I..." he started, but stopped in the middle of the sentence, somewhat hypnotised by the glow in her brown eyes.

"What is it?" she wanted to know, with curiosity written on her face.

"I think I'll accept your offer..."

"Oh, you'll love it, it's-"

She had moved to offer him the cup of mocha she was holding but was surprised by his unexpected movement: in a matter of seconds, he shortened the distance between them and brought his face closer to hers. When his lips touched hers it took her just a split second to adapt to that new situation. Monica covered his hand with hers and welcomed that sweet caress with the same love and tenderness. Andrew could feel she was smiling, though, and their kiss turned into smaller ones, leaving to those who were nearby to smile – glad to see a young couple so in love.

They left the coffee shop a while later and Andrew's amusement continued as they passed by the shops all beautifully decorated with Christmas ornaments. There was a comment for each and every detail that she laid her eyes on, leaving the blond angel to wonder if his love for her could be stronger than it already was. From small pine cone trees to ornaments such as snowmen, elves and mini-Santas, everything called her attention. And Andrew saw Monica's eyes shine, perhaps with some tears, when the salesperson in one of those stores showed them a glass angel. It had long hair that went down to its waist and a long dress covered its crystal body.

"Look at this, Andrew..." she said, trying hard not to show the emotions that the small object brought out in her. But her beloved companion knew it – during the years they had known each other, he had developed the ability to read her heart.

"It'll look beautiful on the top of the pine tree that we bought at the other shop, angel." He said, already picking up his wallet and then looking at the saleswoman. "We'll take this one, please."

"Thank you..." Monica said, as the lady took the angel away to wrap it up.

"Not for that, baby." He said, cupping her cheek and brushing his thumb against her skin. Monica didn't think twice before wrapping her arms around his neck, in a warm grateful hug.

It was past 9 o'clock when they returned home, carrying lots of bags and happy that they had managed to buy not only some pretty decoration for their small home but also some food. And as Andrew was exactly keeping the rice and beans in the kitchen, he caught Monica alone in the living room, making plans on how to decorate it with the new items.

"I believe we can do this tomorrow morning, angel..." he said, as he entered the room.

"Well... yes..." She placed her index finger on the small dimple under her chin, still considering in which corner of the room the Christmas tree would be placed.

Shaking his head, Andrew gave two steps towards her and Monica was surprised with a pair of strong arms wrapped around her shoulders. He kissed her cheek and spoke again. "I know how much you love it and I promise you that tomorrow I'll help you with the decorating, is that alright?"

The Irish angel rested the back of her head against his chest and nodded, with a sigh and smile. "It's perfect, Andrew..." She turned a little to face him. "You are my best Christmas present, you know?"

Overwhelmed with tenderness due to her loving words, the blond angel gently made her turn around so that they were now facing each other. "I love you so much, angel... And this Christmas is the happiest one of my existence and it's because of you. You make it special, my angel..." He watched as her cheeks went slightly blushed. "... but then again, it's your presence that makes every day of my existence a special one."

"I love you, Andrew..."

Their eye contact only broke when their faces became closer. As Andrew brushed his lips against hers he could feel her body limp in his arms and he dared to tighten the hold around her a bit more. Their romantic kiss went on, with Monica's hands roaming from his strong chest up to his shoulders, and then resting on the back of his head. Andrew's fingers entangled in her long auburn hair, stroking and causing a contented sigh to escape from her.

Only when air became an issue did that loving kiss stop, and it was then that she heard him speaking against her ear. "I love you so much, little angel..."

"You never let me forget it, Andrew... Never."