PART 2

"... I wish I had done more for her, you know, Andrew..." Monica spoke, a pensive look in her eyes while she and Angela played with a stuffed little turtle. The little angel was sitting on her chair and looked really happy with her favourite toy.

"You did what you had to do, angel. I can see now why we were told to go to the cabin in this form. We've been in that woman's life for just a few minutes, but I'm sure that our presence and especially what you told her might have touched her heart exactly the way the Father intended it to be."

The Irish angel sighed deeply, and then nodded her head. "You're right. I just hope she finds peace... she seemed to be such a sad woman..."

A baby's giggle draw their attention and placed a smile back on their faces. "Looks like somebody is having a lot of fun during her little trip!"

"You know how much wee ones get excited at this time of the year!"

Andrew chuckled under his breath: it wasn't only the youngest ones who were thrilled at Christmas time. He knew a beautiful angel, with a warm heart and childlike manners, whose beautiful brown eyes sparkled with joy at Christmas time.

They chatted a little more and at a certain point, they saw a car standing in the middle of the road not to far ahead. And its driver, a young woman, was standing next to it with a very worried expression on her face.

"Oh, dear... she seems she could use some help, Andrew..." the Irish angel spoke, immediately feeling sorry for the stranger.

Andrew nodded his head and pulled over right behind the other car. "You stay here with Angela. It's pretty cold outside." He said, opening the driver's door. As he approached the young woman he could see she looked rather apprehensive about him and the fact that it was a deserted road. It was obvious that her vehicle didn't work and she seemed ready to run away from any stranger who came closer to her.

But the young lady let out a sigh of relief when she saw that that tall blond man coming towards her was not alone, and inside his car there were a woman and a little baby. A family had stopped to help her.

"Hey, something wrong with your car?" Andrew offered, with his always so kind smile.

"Yes... it just stopped and I really don't understand anything about engines..." she said, rubbing her own arms as it was quite cold outside.

Andrew came closer to the car and, as she had already opened the hood, he checked its motor. "Hum... I think I can fix it for you..."

Her eyes shone with hope. "Really?"

"Yes. It'll take just a few minutes."

"Oh, thank you so much, sir! I've been here for over an hour and the few cars that passed by me didn't stop..." she explained, "... and I'm feeling so hungry!"

"My name is Andrew. And my wife Monica is in our car with our daughter. You can wait there, and we have some food for the trip."

"Thank you very much, Andrew..."

The young lady was in her early twenties and on her face it was still possible to see a hint of fear and insecurity. She walked towards the red Cadillac with quick steps but as she approached the car, the stranger felt a little ashamed. Nevertheless, Monica's friendly smile and her soothing voice inviting her to come inside for a while seemed to send her shyness away.

"Hullo, I'm Monica!" the angel greeted as she opened up the door. "Please, do come in!"

The girl sat at the passenger's seat and smiled shyly. "Nice to meet you Monica, I'm Jasmine. I'm sorry I have made you guys stop..."

"Andrew and I are glad we could help you." The auburn-haired lady said, holding a cute smiling baby in her lap. "And this is wee Angela."

The baby's cheerful expression soon melted the girl's heart, and she reached out to take her tiny hand. "Hey... hello, Angela! You're a very beautiful little lady!"

A baby sound was a reply to that compliment, amusing Jasmine even more. "She's lovely! You're a very blessed family, I can see!"

"Thank you, Jasmine." Monica reached out for the pack with sandwiches she and Andrew had bought at the café, and offered her. "Would you like one?"

"I... I hope I'm not bothering..."

"You're definitely not."

They spent the following minutes talking and Monica noticed that despite the smile on her face, there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. The Irish angel noticed she was also heading to the mountains judging by the way her car was going.

"I live in one of the few cabins that exist up in the mountains. My husband, my little daughter and me. It's a very small family, you see."

"Ah, a small and blessed family!" the Irish angel spoke, happy to know about it.

"Well, yes. My little Jade is six and looking at this little one I remembered the days when she was a baby!" her smile faded just a little, "They were... hard days for both my husband and me, but every time we saw her smile our hopes were renewed almost immediately."

"Babies have the power to inspire love wherever they go, as they are a blessing from God."

"I do believe that. I just wish..." now she was serious again and sighed.

"Is there something wrong?" Monica wanted to know.

"Well... I... I do have a family. A bigger family but... I guess my husband and I are not welcome..." she confessed, feeling surprisingly at ease to talk to that stranger.

"Please, forgive me for asking, but have you ever tried to make any contact with them?" Monica wanted to know.

"There... there were many harsh words spoken... they were too many and too painful..."

"And are those same hateful words taking away the courage to make the first attempt towards reconciliation?"

The young lady nodded, not aware of that fact until then. "I... I had never thought about it but I guess so..." Monica eyed at that young woman as if trying to solve a puzzle, as she kept on talking. "I got pregnant very soon and my boyfriend and I didn't expect it, but... the truth is that Jade made us realise how much we loved each other. More than we did." she said, and then her expression softened a little. "And to think that my mother even doubted Mike could make me happy..."

Monica noticed that Andrew was closing the hood of Jasmine's car and in a couple of minutes they would bid the young lady goodbye. She placed a gentle hand over the girl's shoulder. "Jasmine, each day of anger and hate is one day less in a person's life. Each day of love and compassion is one more day in our existence. If you truly want to try again, and give the first step to reconcile with your family, then trust the God's love that comes with your little daughter. Hold on to that instead of fear and uncertainty. They will not lead you anywhere."

"D-do you think so? D-do you think... my mother would be happy to know that..."

"That she's a grandmother? What mother wouldn't be?"

Andrew knocked at the window on the passenger's seat. "I guess it's all set!"

Jasmine smiled and nodded at him. Then, she turned to Monica and searched for the angel's hand. "Thank you so much, Monica... I guess it was God who put you and your family in my way..."

Monica returned the squeeze. "He's always watching over us all, Jasmine, because He loves His children very much."

The girl thanked both angels and after she started her car, Andrew returned to the red Cadillac, taking the driver's seat. Monica was now sitting by his side, as little Angela was back to her chair and had dozed off to a slight sleep. On the Irish angel's face, there was a contented smile and a distant look, as if her thoughts were miles away. He couldn't help chuckling.

The angel of death inched closer and leaned to the right, "You know there's a song called 'Beautiful dreamer'?" he spoke in her ear, and was glad when she turned to look at him, as their faces became only inches away from each other.

"Really?"

"Yep!" he was looking deep inside her brown eyes, flirting with her and enjoying to see how much she enjoyed that. "And 'someone' certainly reminds me of it!"

Monica tilted her head and felt her heart beat stronger at the power of his tender gaze. On the following second, their eyes closed and their lips met in a loving kiss. The blond angel cupped her cheek and caressed her soft skin as that loving caress went on, and it soon became tiny kisses.

"... this is better than a dream, though!" she said, giggling softly.

"Well, thank you, I'm glad to know it!"

"Isn't it wonderful when the Father uses his angels to fulfil such a perfect plan, Andrew?"

Smiling, he turned the car keys and looked back at her. "Well, it sure is, angel. But I guess your comment has a greater meaning, doesn't it?"

"Actually, yes!" she replied, smiling as if he had guessed a big secret.

"And I'm sure you'll tell me what's in this pretty little head of yours, right?" he said, highly amused.

Monica inched closer and brushed a loving kiss on his cheek. He knew there was at least one hour of endless chatter on the way, but he would never get tired of hearing her soothing voice and lovely accent. Actually, he could spend the rest of the eternity doing so.

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