PART 3

A car was parked in front of Mrs Kelly's house. The old lady had given up dialling her long gone daughter's number, as there was nobody called "Jasmine" living there any longer. She was sure she had lost her only family for good now.

But a knock on the door took her sadness away for a while and when she opened it up, Mrs Kelly placed her hand against her heart, feeling it racing from surprise and shock. "Jasmine?"

"H-hi, mom..." the young lady was unsure of what to do or say.

"I... I wasn't expecting to see you again..."

"If... if I'm bothering, I'll leave, I'll..."

"I'm just saying this because I phoned you and there's another family living in there..."

"Mike and I moved years ago." She said, feeling awkward.

"I see... And why would you let me know where you were? After all, we practically said each other everything we had to. There was nothing else left." The woman didn't have the intention to reply like that, with a bitter tone in her voice, but she couldn't avoid the words that had come out of her mouth.

Jasmine felt like turning around and going away. She wouldn't allow her mother to remind painful moments. "I... I guess it was a mistake to come here..."

Mrs Kelly raised a hand and, feeling terribly guilty, she tried to stop her daughter. "No, please, wait..."

"I'm sorry I bothered you, I-" The cell phone inside her bag interrupted her. "Mike?"

The voice on the other side of the line was an anguished, desperate one, and moments later, the expression on the young woman's face changed drastically. "Oh, my God! When?!"

As she listened to what her husband was telling her, Mrs Kelly noticed the immediate tears in Jasmine's eyes, and the way her entire body trembled with fear and despair. What could have caused such a change?"

"Jasmine? A-are you alright?" the old lady asked, and then quickly rushed to support her as Jasmine felt suddenly dizzy. "Oh, my God, Jasmine? Dear, what's wrong?"

"My daughter... Jade... She... she disappeared!" was all that she managed to say.

Mrs Kelly's face also changed: that piece of news caused her to be surprised, shocked and terribly anguished.

X

Andrew heaved a sigh of relief as he saw their cabin amidst the trees and bushes on the top of the mountain. By the end of the afternoon the snow started to fall along with the temperature, and the angels in human form were glad they would have a shelter to spend the next two days. Besides this, it was Christmas evening, Monica was eager to decorate it, just like she always did whenever they spent this special day on earth.

"I hope Tess doesn't take too long to get here. I love the way she keeps singing while she cooks, you know, Andrew."

The angel of death smiled and nodded his head as he parked their car. "I sure know what you mean, angel. Tess' singing, your joy and now this cute little angel's smile are already part of my Christmas... Actually, they're the best Christmas presents I could ever get!" he said as he turned the motor off, and Monica wasted no time in grabbing his face with both hands and placing a smack on his lips. "... well, along with that!"

Giggling, Monica got out of their car and felt how cold it was outside. When Andrew reached for little Angela, she threw a warm blanket over the baby's back, and the couple quickly climbed up the steps up to the cabin door. Moments later, they were already inside the house: it was warm and cozy, and the vision of the so familiar wooden walls and the pretty living room filled their hearts with great peace.

"Here we are now, wee one! See? Now you, daddy, auntie Tess and mommy will have the best Christmas ya ever had!" Monica ticked her daughter's belly and both angels were rewarded with a cheerful baby smile.

"She'll be here at any moment!" he said, checking his pocket watch.

"I'll get Angela changed and then we'll start the decoration!"

"Ok, I'll get our bags inside."

He watched as his two angel girls went upstairs. His eyes were shining and one certainly could see his joy at having them close to him on that special time of the year. As they disappeared on the top of the stairs he headed outside to take their bags.

Permanently speaking to Angela, and enjoying the way the little one gazed back at her, Monica walked along the corridor and opened the door that was right next to her and Andrew's bedroom. That room used to be Andrew's and now it was prepared to receive the little angel she was carrying in her arms.

"Here we are, wee one! Let's get you inside and change these clothes and these diapers, will ya?" she spoke, and pushed the door open. It had been left ajar and before the Irish angel turned on the light, she heard a noise coming from inside the bedroom.

Monica's heart skipped a beat and she nearly jumped at the small noise, protectively holding Angela close to her chest. "Who is in there?" she said, and then spoke in a louder voice. "Andrew! Come here!"

She gave two steps behind and returned to the corridor, but before she made it down the stairs, the angel of death was already with her. "Monica? What is it?"

"I heard a noise inside Angela's bedroom!" she told him. Frowning with great concern, he looked at the door at the end of the corridor and ordered. "Stay here!"

"Okay..." she was hardly controlling her breathing. With anguished eyes, she watched as Andrew approached the bedroom.

"Is anybody in there?" he said, and hearing the noise again, he stepped inside and turned the light on. Then, the tense expression on his face softened immediately. "Monica... come here..."

Noticing that she was still scared, he nodded his head in reassurance. "It's okay, angel, come here..."

As Monica joined him, her mouth dropped open and she felt immediate compassion for what she saw: a little girl, which would be around six, was sitting on a corner of Angela's bedroom. She was blond and had big blue eyes, which were now wide open and staring at them with nothing but utmost fear. With her knees drawn up to her chest, her little body was trembling.

Little Angela, however, raised her little arms and pointed at the girl, with curiosity and a friendly expression on her face, as if reassuring her little friend that everything would be alright.

Monica handed the baby back to Andrew and looked at the girl. "I'm sorry, sweetie, we didn't want to scare you!" the Irish angel said, coming closer to her. Watching as the girl retreated even more, she knelt on the floor, to be on the same level with hers. "It's okay. We won't do you any harm."

There was so much trust in the angel's words and especially in her brown eyes that the girl seemed to put herself at ease a little. Monica smiled at her and kept on speaking. "My name is Monica. This is my husband Andrew. And this is our wee Angela, whose bedroom you liked so much!"

"And I'm sure she doesn't mind sharing it with you!" Andrew added, winking at the girl and with a friendly smile.

The little girl's breathing seemed to be coming back to normal and she looked around her.

"What's your name, honey?"

"J-Jade..." she finally spoke, her voice still holding much insecurity and fear.

"This is a lovely name!"

She looked at Andrew, Angela and then back at Monica, as if making sure those were good people. "Thanks..."

Little Angela moved her arms again and smiled, trying to get some attention from their unexpected guest. And that gesture caused a tiny smile to appear on the little girl's face.

"She's cute..." she said, "I like her bedroom..."

"She's glad that you liked it, Jade. And we're glad that you used our cabin as a shelter, it's very cold outside." Andrew spoke, and now that the girl seemed a bit calmer he finally moved, sitting on the armchair nearby the window, and placing Angela on his lap.

"I know..."

"How did you get here, sweetie?" Monica wanted to know.

"I was playing in the backyard and daddy was inside the house... Then I saw a fawn and followed her, but I didn't know how to come back..." she told them, "... I walked and walked... but I didn't remember the right way. Then I saw your house and I saw the funny curtains on this window..."

They soon understood what she was talking about. The last time she had been there, Monica had placed new curtains on the little baby's bedroom, with many funny looking animals, such as wide eyed frogs, elegantly dressed turtles and cute ladybirds. She still smiled remembering how Tess frowned at the new decoration.

"The door was open and I noticed there was nobody home... and I was cold and tired..."

"Your mom and dad might be very worried about you, sweetie..." Andrew said, as now he could perfectly imagine what it felt like for a parent.

The girl bit her lower lip and lowered her head. "I know..."

Monica and Andrew exchanged a glance and the Irish angel offered her hand. "Are you hungry?" Watching as she nodded, the angel invited. "What about having a snack, huh? I'm sure that your parents will end up looking for you here."

The little girl gladly accepted Monica's proffered hand. "Is she coming too?" she pointed at Angela, and Andrew winked at them.

"Oh, yeah, she won't miss the party! Just some diapers change and she'll be right there with you ladies!"

"Will you do that, Andrew?" Monica asked, and he looked at little Angela, who was smiling cheerfully at him. "Well, husband, dad, diapers changer... one has to know how to do everything in life, right, little angel?"

Angela replied with a baby laughter and grabbed her father's chin.

Highly amused, Monica held Jade's hand and both left the room.