Episode 2 - The sweetest moment

Waves crashed upon the desert shore and the bluest of the skies was entirely reflected on the ocean water, revealing all the perfection of God’s creation. At first, the beach seemed deserted and its white sand looked like a bright carpet, but a closer look revealed a beautiful auburn lady not far from where the waves broke.

Barefoot, wearing a long white sleeveless dress, Monica walked along the sand and was suddenly distracted by a white dove that gracefully floated in the air and it was then that an unexpected gust of wind took the hat away from her head. With a startled yelp, the Irish angel turned around and was ready to go after one of her favourite accessories when she saw a tall, handsome man, with short blond hair and sparkling green eyes, walking in her direction. He was also smiling and gazing at her with tenderness, and managed to catch her hat before the wind could take it further away. In his other hand, there was a beautiful rose and Monica didn’t waste any time in rushing towards him.

“Andrew!”

Some seconds later, she wrapped her arms around his neck in a warm embrace. He held her tightly, burring his face in her auburn locks, completely intoxicated by her sweet perfume.

“I missed you so much... So badly I sometimes felt like crying...” she said, almost in a whisper while resting her head on his shoulder.

“Oh, angel... I missed you too, baby.” He ran his fingers through her soft hair and felt like never letting her go from his arms again. “And during these three months we’ve been apart, I included this moment in my prayers.”

With a crying smile, she nodded her head. “I’m so glad that our loving Father made it possible again.”

He pulled away just enough to look into her bright brown eyes. “So am I, angel. As a matter of fact, even if I had to spend the rest of eternity thanking Him for having you right here with me, it wouldn’t be enough.”

Shedding some tears of happiness, she placed her hand on his cheek, softly caressing his face, “You’re such a good friend. A friend who always brings so much joy and comfort to my heart.”

He gently lay both hands on each side of her face and brushed a long, loving kiss on her forehead. Monica closed her eyes for a minute, enjoying that sweet caress and feeling butterflies in her stomach with that tender contact. That sudden and totally unknown feeling was back again, causing her heartbeats to accelerate. Where was it coming from after all? When did it start? Or had it always been there, inside her heart?

Andrew found himself lost in the same sensation: a mix of nervousness, excitement and uncertainty. To the blond angel, holding Monica was like holding the most precious thing in the entire world, a gift he had been granted by their loving Father and for which he would be eternally grateful.

And if all those questions were like a turmoil on the angels’ minds, there was one thing they were definitely sure of: all their joy for being in each other’s arms.

Andrew finally looked down at her and smiled. “Would you care for a little walk?”

Gazing back at him she nodded in agreement. “It sounds like a lovely idea.”

x

Hand in hand, the two angels walked along the deserted beach enjoying each and every second they spent together. Monica and Andrew spent some pleasant hours talking about past assignments and the joy of having the Father’s work accomplished. The wide smile upon their contented faces was only a tiny evidence of the great peace that had filled their spirits due to their meeting.

Suddenly, Monica let go of his hand and surprisingly gave some steps ahead of him. “Andrew...”

A bit surprised, he raised his eyebrows and tilted his head with a questioning look. “Yes?”

“Let's see if I can race you until the dock?” She was already running and leaving him behind once she proposed that little challenge.

“Hey! That’s cheating!” He complained, with mock indignation, and started to run after her. But the blond angel wasn’t in a hurry to catch his dearest friend. Much on the contrary. Andrew purposefully gave her a small advantage only to watch her, enjoying the magical sound of her laughter and the radiance that emanated from her soul.

Only when they were close to an old wooden dock, overlooking the vast ocean ahead, did he grab her by the waist and lifted her in his strong arms, laughing at her startled cry. “Now, let’s see... Where did you say you would race me?”

“...that’s cheating!” she managed to say, hardly controlling her own laughter.

The expression on the blond angel’s face turned to be a mischievous one, “Look who’s talking!”

Monica wrapped her arms around his neck, snuggling close to him as he carried her along the dock.

“Should I help you jump in the water so that you can really be the first?”

“No! Please, Andrew!” she tightened her embrace and, despite her giggles, it was possible to see a trace of fear in her eyes.

Feeling somewhat guilty for his little joke, he stopped the walk and shoot her an affectionate look. “I’m just kidding, angel. I wouldn’t do it with you! Never!” Andrew heaved a sigh of relief when the smile upon her pretty face grew wider once again. “Besides, I’d much rather have you right here in my arms.” He gently placed her on the wooden floor and kissed her cheek afterwards, which caused a slight blush to rise on her face.

“I guess there’s no other place I’d rather be...” The Irish angel replied, her smile slowly fading away and giving place to a serene expression.

Her dear friend took her hand and guided her up to the edge of the dock, where they took a seat to watch the ocean waves.

Monica leaned her head over his shoulder and wrapped her arm around his, sighing with contentment gratitude for those lovely moments.

“We still have to take a day off so that I can teach you how to swim, though.” The blond angel broke the silence, gently caressing her arm.

“That would be lovely.” Came her soft reply as she turned her eyes away from the waves and observed the red rose he had given her. “It’s not that I’m afraid of the water as I used to be, you know. I can say that now I have a... a healthy respect for it.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that, angel. Actually, I think you’re right.”

Monica smiled, her emotions in check once more. “Have you noticed how you always find a way to reassure me?” She felt butterflies in her stomach at the feeling of him kissing her temple.

“It’s my pleasure!” He bent his head so that he could face her. “Besides, I guess the Father knows very well what He was doing when He put us together because, whenever I need, you’re also there to bring back my confidence and tell me the words I need to hear.”

The Irish angel also turned her head and stared at his sparkling green eyes: his reassurance was only one of the many aspects of his gentle heart that moved her deeply. Andrew’s loving presence made her feel safe, brought joy to her soul and was always a reminder of how blessed she was.

And then Monica finally understood - or simply admitted, that the feelings for her dearest friend were greater than she had ever thought they were. They were too powerful for her to fight against or have control over.

She loved Andrew.

“Sometimes I feel like you’re part of me... of who I am...” There were some tears of emotion already forming in the corner of her eyes as she spoke again; her voice low as if she was still trying to understand what was going on in her angelic heart.

Their faces were just a few inches from each other when Andrew softly stroked her cheek, lost in the innocence and sincerity that she could convey through those pretty brown eyes.

“You have no idea what’s like to hear it from you... of how blessed I feel, Monica. And you can be sure that I carry you right here in my heart, always. Whenever we’re apart and I’m feeling sad, it’s the memory of your laughter that makes me smile. Your kind words and the joy you transmit are all here, in my mind, in my soul.” He placed some strands of hair behind her ears and sighed deeply, as if gathering all his courage and feeling a lump forming in his throat with anticipation. But there was no way to return, he had to say it, he could not hide his feelings anymore, “And your kindness, your loving spirit... I love you, Monica.”

The Irish angel felt her heart pounding loudly in her chest; a mix of different emotions taking control over her soul and for a moment she even wondered if that moment really existed or was part of a dream. She had had a brief contact with dreams before and knew they could be deceiving. Some tears made their way down on her cheeks and she lowered her eyes for a second, still taking in what he had just told her.

But Andrew cupped her chin so that their eyes met once again. “I never thought that I could experience such feeling... I don’t even know how long I’ve been carrying it with me, angel. But the truth is that I love you deeply, with all my soul.”

Monica’s eyes were fixed in his own and his sincerity and exposed emotions seemed to hypnotise her, as this time she didn’t look away. All the love the blond angel had confessed to her was written on his face, deep inside his sparkling green eyes and at that moment it was all that mattered to her.

“Andrew...” she whispered, before he leaned down and his lips touched hers; a tender and sweet caress that was the evidence of the feelings the angels had been sharing maybe since they had first met.

They soon pulled away, but just a few inches from each other, still astonished with what had just happened.

“I guess... I guess I love you, too, Andrew...” she whispered, gently placing her hand on his cheek. Andrew was in a complete state of awe at hearing that as, for many times since he had found out that he loved her, he feared her rejection. But the fear vanished completely at the sound of those few words that came from her mouth.

They inched their faces forward again and their lips met one more time, now in a long, loving kiss. Both angels were sure there could not be anything sweeter in this entire world. Monica felt one of his arms encircling her waist, bringing her even closer to him, while he ran his fingers through her auburn locks. And Andrew was also grateful when she wrapped her arm around his neck, while still stroking his face with her other hand, openly accepting that sweet caress.

They felt like frozen in time, and secretly wished that sweet moment would never end.

To be continued.