CHAPTER 15

"Angel?" Andrew called her name out worriedly as he sat up in bed. She had been in the bathroom for nearly twenty minutes and he was starting to get worried, "Baby? Are you okay?"

A second later, the bathroom door opened and the little angel emerged, and Andrew had to squelch a chuckle, but he dared not laugh judging by her expression which bordered on highly upset. It didn't take words for him to piece together what had happened beings her nightgown had been discarded for one of his shirts that came down to her knees. He wisely elected to allow her to speak first.

"Nothing fits," Monica murmured, the color high in her cheeks with embarrassment as she slid into bed and crossed her arms self consciously, "My entire existence my human form has been the same and suddenly it is all different!"

Andrew smiled as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders to pull her close, though she resisted… but only slightly. Over the last month, her pregnancy had really begun to show and though Andrew found the changes beautiful, Monica was less than pleased in some ways, "If it is any consolation, you look positively adorable in my shirt."

The way he was looking at her caused her blush to deepen, "Andrew…"

"It's true, Angel. You have always been the most beautiful of the Father's creations and now is no exception. It's true what humans say about expectant mothers glowing, because you do." He accentuated his words with a kiss to the side of her head.

Despite her best attempts to pout, she reached for his free hand and linked her fingers through his, "I love you. Even if you are delusional."

Now he knew he had permission to laugh and she giggled along with him. The sound warmed his heart, "How about tomorrow, we do a little shopping? Though I am perfectly happy to have you live in my shirts, they may not be the best for you going out in public."

"Really?"

She was looking up at him with little girl demureness, and he could not resist cupping her cheek and bringing his lips to hers in a sweet kiss, "Really." Andrew replied once their lips had parted.

Feeling more content, Monica snuggled deeper into his embrace and brought their joined hands to her stomach, "I can't believe how much she is growing."

"Mmm," He stroked her belly affectionately, "Still sure it's a girl?"

She gave a tiny shrug, "No, but I don't like calling her 'it'."

"Have you made your next doctor appointment?"

"Not yet…but I will." She was not surprised to see a stern expression cross his handsome face.

"Monica…you were supposed to do it this week.."

"I know, I know. I just forgot, but first thing Monday. I promise," Dark eyes looked up at him pleading for forgiveness.

"See that you do," His expression relaxed as he looked into her eyes, "I don't want us taking any chances, Angel. That's all. You're still getting sick a few times a week…and I don't want anything to happen to you or to our baby." He brought her hand to his lips, "You are both infinitely precious to me."

"Well, we are both very blessed to have you watching over us."

Hugging her tightly, he wondered how she did it. Her sweet nature never allowed him to even scold her without feeling guilty about it a moment later though he only ever mildly scolded her out of love and concern, "I will always be watching over both of you and that is my promise."

XX

"You don't think we overspent, do you?" Monica bit her lip worriedly as Andrew laid all the packages down on and around the empty chair at their table. He had taken her to the maternity shop in town and though she had tried to be frugal, Andrew was much more insistent that she have the things she liked.

"We're fine, Angel," Andrew reassured her as he pulled out her chair for her. Waiting until she sat down, he leaned down and kissed her cheek before taking his own chair, "Today is about spoiling you a bit."

"Andrew, you spoil me all the time," She smiled at him, and gave a little shake of her head.

"No less than you deserve, baby," He handed her a menu, "You took your pill?"

"I did and I'm quite hungry, you know. All that shopping."

"Glad to hear it. You don't eat enough half the time." He raised an eyebrow in her direction.

"I'm always so afraid of getting sick. The pills help, just not all the time." Monica gave a slight shrug of her shoulders.

Reaching across the table, Andrew took her hands into his own, "I wish that this pregnancy has been easier on you than it has, Monica. I hate seeing you so sick when it happens."

Brown eyes warmed at his honest words and she squeezed his hands, "I know you do. You get more upset about it than I do."

"I hate to see you suffering at all, Angel, and there has been far too much of that for you in the last several months."

"But life has been so much sweeter the last eight weeks," She replied with a little grin as she gazed into his emerald green eyes.

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, "I'm glad you think so, as so do I." Her happy expression nearly melted his heart.

Dinner was filled with animated conversation as Monica's innate curiosity about human nature made her all the more in tune with the changes in her own body and she was eager to share them all with him. She had yet to feel the baby kick but was so hopeful it would happen soon and she was already positive the baby would be a blonde haired, green eyed beauty, carrying her father's physical features and she dismissed Andrew's arguments that he hoped she looked just like her mother.

But dinner for Andrew was perfect. He delighted in seeing her happy, in seeing the joyful spark in her dark eyes and the way she used her hands to accentuate a point she was making. She was a far cry now from of the little, pale angel he had found eight weeks ago and for that he was constantly whispering prayers of thanks to the One who had created them both.

"It's such a lovely night," Monica smiled happily as they finally arrived in front of Allie's house, "Maybe spring is finally here." She looked at him, his hands full of her shopping bags, "I wish you would have let me carry some of that."

"Nope," Andrew replied firmly, "Besides, clothes are not that heavy." He looked undecided for a moment, ""Hey, are you tired? The night is so nice, and there is that little park just down the street…I was just wondering if…"

"I would love to," She looked at him affectionately. The day and evening had been so perfect and she was in no hurry to bring the day to a close.

He grinned, "Great. Let me put this stuff inside. I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere."

She laughed at his stern expression that was accompanied by a playful wink and watched him disappear down the walk to drop the packages off in their apartment. Crossing her arms in front of her, Monica gazed up at the starry night, "Father, thank you for this blessing of our being able to be together and bless this wee one you have entrusted us with. Guide our steps and our decisions and help us to know what is good and true in your eyes. Love, Monica."

As soon as she had finished her prayer, she heard Andrew hurrying back up the walk and she smiled at him, "See? I didn't move an inch."

Chuckling, he stretched his arms over his head, "Feels good to be rid of all those bags. They were a bit cumbersome."

"But Andrew…you said…I offered…"

"Oh no, Angel…they weren't' heavy, but they prevented me from doing this," Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he pulled her close as they started walking towards the park, "Much better."

Happily, she wrapped her arms around his waist as they walked, delighting in the warm night and the feeling of his body up against her own. After a day like today her heart felt as if it would burst from its fullness.

"You're happy," Andrew observed as they turned off the main road and started down the path through the park.

"Oh Andrew, of course, I am! Today was wonderful."

He laughed at her enthusiasm, "But Angel, we didn't do anything special."

She cocked her head as she looked up at him, startling him when she stopped walking to give him her full attention, "Andrew, don't you know by now that every minute I spend with you is special? It doesn't matter what we are doing; if we both at the diner or if you are reading to me before we go to sleep at night or just shopping. All those moments are special and perfect and so precious."

Emotion welled up inside of him for a moment, rendering him speechless. While words failed him, he took her face in his hands and met her lips in a long, sensuous kiss that left Monica reluctant for it to end. But once it did, he took her hands firmly into his own, "Come with me, Angel."

He led her down the path to the little gazebo that sat amongst the trees. Having never been by the park at night, Monica gasped softly at seeing the white lights that outlined the wooden gazebo, their white glow against the white paint making it look festive and elegant.

"It's so lovely," She breathed out the words as Andrew led her up the few steps and into the structure.

He waited until she sat down to sit down beside of her, taking her hands into his own. He brought each of her hands to his lips, kissing each one tenderly, "I brought you here to talk to you, Monica. I didn't really plan on having this conversation tonight, but it just felt like the right time."

The perceptive little angel could clearly see he was nervous, "Andrew?"

A tender finger against her lips silenced her, "Just listen for a minute…I've been thinking a lot about us and about the baby and about the fact that we are angels and trying so hard to make sense out of things that maybe aren't supposed to make any sense. I'm not sure of how to reconcile two angels falling in love with each other, yet alone one of them getting pregnant." He watched as she bit her lower lip, a sure sign that she was nervous and unsure of where he was going with this, "But then I wondered if I really needed to reconcile it at all. Maybe it was just for me to accept as something that simply IS. I don't want to change it. I can't imagine feeling any other way about you other than being completely in love with you. If God told me tomorrow that He could take away these feelings, Angel, I would beg Him not to do it."

As he paused for a breath, Monica released hers that she felt as if she had been holding in forever, "I would too. I always want to feel the way I do right this second about you."

Andrew nodded his head, gathering his thoughts once more, "And then I got to thinking about something you said a few weeks ago…about how you were trying to exist in the moment and baby, it made so much sense to me. We don't know what tomorrow or next week, or next month is going to hold for us. Only the Father knows that, but I have to believe with all my heart that He is blessing us…that He is allowing us to be together because nothing else makes any sense…well, almost nothing else."

Monica's heart was about to pound out of her chest, she was sure, but when Andrew got up and knelt down in front of her, the tears rushed to her eyes, barely able to comprehend what was about to happen.

"Angel…my beautiful, precious angel, if we are living in the moment then I want it to be right…and there is only one other thing that makes sense to me and that is how I feel about you; how I have felt about you for as long as I can remember, Monica. Maybe I'm tired of wondering what is going to happen because what matters to me is what is happening now, between us, with our baby. I love you so much; I love both of you so much and maybe it is far too human of me, but I don't care anymore. Say you'll marry me, baby. I want to make everything I feel for you official, both here and in the heavenly realm," His fingers trembled as he pulled a red velvet box out of the pocket of his jacket and slowly opened it.

Andrew was sure he couldn't breathe and that he had never been so terrified in his existence; as if her answer was what would give him impossible happiness or absolute despair.

Monica could barely make out the diamond in the Celtic setting through the tears that continued to fall from her eyes. Her fingers moved to touch the ring in the box, but then she drew them back to cover her mouth and the soft sobs shook through her. There were tears in Andrew's eyes as well and she hated feeling so conflicted, "I…I don't want us to do…anything wrong….Andrew…" His name was a plea for him to make this all right.

A tearful smile and he reach up to wipe at the tears on her face, "I didn't buy the ring, baby. I talked to the Father about wanting to marry you and I found this the next morning under my pillow."

Her tears came in earnest then and it was all she could do to speak around them, "I love you…I love you…"

"Say yes, Angel. Please say yes and make me happier than I can ever deserve to be,"

As a tear escaped his eye, Monica moved from the bench to fling herself into his arms, burying her face against the nape of his neck, "Yes…yes, Andrew…I love you so…"

He held her tightly against him, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair, "I love you too, baby. So incredibly much. Monica, there are no words…" After a moment, he pulled away a little and took the ring from the box. Taking her left hand, he slipped the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly. She was still crying, but he quieted her by touching his lips to hers in a multitude of kisses and whispered words of love.

XX

Their wedding was a small affair with only their friends at the little church they had been attending. What the ceremony lacked in attendance it made up for in joy as their friends from the diner and the church could testify, as none of them had ever seen Monica or Andrew so happy. When the pastor pronounced them husband and wife, Monica started to cry and there was not a dry eye in the church at that point.

There was no honeymoon due to funds and work, but when the angelic couple returned to their apartment they were deeply touched to find that dinner had been prepared for them and that their bed was made up with a fresh satin comforter and rose petals, compliments of Misha.

As evening fell, they enjoyed the dinner together and spent long hours talking before they finally moved to the bed. Monica was feeling undeniably shy at first but Andrew was ever patient with her and never pressured her in any way and it wasn't long before her love for him took over and she lost herself in all that he was.

Later, as they lay wrapped up in each other's arms, Monica turned her head and kissed his shoulder, before snuggling closer to him, "I missed this part of us." She admitted, blushing slightly at her own words.

"Me too," Andrew whispered, running his fingers lightly up and down her shoulder, watching as her dark eyes closed sleepily, an expression of what could only be called absolute contentment on her face. He was certain he would never want for more, "I saw Allie talking to you before we left.."

"Mmm hmmm," Her eyes remained closed, feeling his warm skin beneath her cheek, "She told me we had become like her kids and that she was so happy we made this official," She emitted a small sigh and opened her eyes, "I detected that she was feeling a wee bit sad though. I wish she would talk to me about her family."

"Be patient, Angel. Look how far Misha has come since having you entered her life. Allie will confide in you eventually; I'm sure of it."

"Misha," Monica smiled sleepily, "She is such a sweet girl and I think those piercings rather become her in some way."

"Thinking of getting your lip pierced?" Andrew teased, doubly amused when she opened her eyes in horror.

"No!" Seeing the mischief in his eyes, she appeared thoughtful, "Unless…would you like that, Andrew?"

Grinning, he captured her lips in a long, passion-filled kiss, "Nah, don't need a piercing getting in the way of kissing you, not when such an act is perfect just as it is."

"So you don't think it could add a whole new dimension to the kissing, I take it.?"

He loved this side of her personality that emerged most often when her heart was at great peace, "There is no new dimension needed for this beautiful face."

"Andrew…" Monica was blushing again, though she supposed she should be used to his compliments and the way he looked at her as if she were the most desirable creature on earth or in heaven.

"Only the truth, baby," Kissing the side of her head, he settled back in bed again, content to hold her in his arms, "I wish we could have done this right, you know. Humans celebrate marriage with a honeymoon and I wish I could have given you that."

Rolling over onto her stomach, her hands resting on his chest, she looked at him seriously, "But it isn't something I need. I have everything I need right here. With you. Where we are doesn't matter, Andrew; this," Inching up, she kissed his neck, working her way up to his strong jaw, "is the only geography I need."

Emitting a low growl, Andrew moved to draw her back down onto the bed and brought his lips to hers once again in a deep, loving kiss that lasted a small eternity, "I love you so much," He murmured when he pulled away just enough to speak the words.

Blinking back happy tears, Monica stroked his handsome face, "You're all I need, Andrew." She whispered in return before their lips and souls collided once more.