PART 1

The angel in human form pressed the cappuccino machine button and watched with marvelled eyes as the fresh and creamy liquid was carefully poured in her large purple mug. After the last drop of hot foam fell from the machine, she smelled its particular aroma and finally took it to her lips. The angel closed her eyes with a slight hint of a smile in the corner of her mouth, tasting her favourite drink with a pleasure she only knew whenever she was in human form. Although being in that situation meant many drawbacks: the possibility of catching a cold, getting hurt or being exposed to any other physical danger, there were some advantages she could not imagine herself without any longer.

Her long auburn hair was tied up in a ponytail, emphasising the meekness of the perfect Gaelic features on her face. Bright brown eyes watched the movement of people coming in and leaving the beautiful eighteenth century building that sheltered the charming café she had been temporarily assigned to manage.

And she could not have asked for a better mission.

“With all this much coffee I wonder if it’s getting difficult to focus on your assignment...”

The familiar voice that took her out of her reverie made her slight smile grow wider despite the evident criticism that came along with it.

“Oh, hullo, Tess!” Monica cheerfully greeted her friend and supervisor, who kept on staring at her with eyebrows raised and a serious expression on her face.

“And I also wonder if there is some of it left after two entire weeks of angelic intervention...” she replied, refusing with a smirk the cup that her charge gently offered.

Monica grinned shyly and slightly blushed. “It’s not every day one gets free coffee granted along with their assignment, you know?”

The mischievous tone in her voice only made the supervisor more annoyed. “Well, it appears to me that coffee is the only thing that has been touched by an angel around here! Your assignment, a lady named Juliet Reyes, is still unhappy about a past we don’t clearly know yet, and I can see no progress on this matter...”

The Irish angel’s smile slightly faded and she looked at her attendant with worry. “I know... I’ve tried to bond with Juliet many times, Tess, but the truth is that she’s not the kind of person who trusts people that easily. There are moments when I can feel her at ease and then when she talks about her wee son, Jimmy, are the only moments when there is a genuine smile on her face. I can still see much pain in her eyes, however.”

Tess’ face softened a little, as she knew that there wasn’t a better angel for that job other than her dearest friend, and if Monica hadn’t been able to help Juliet Reyes it meant that they were confronted with a rather complex assignment. “Well, the fact is that time is running out for her and you need to find out what has hurt her so badly in the past and deliver the message she needs to hear in order to move on with her life.”

“I’ll make a new attempt in the next opportunity I have...” Monica let out a tired sigh. “The problem is that Juliet and I have been working almost nonstop from the moment we open until the last customer leaves and there’s little time for us to talk... I’ve placed an advertisement for a second waiter but so far nobody has applied.” The angel explained.

The older angel frowned. “Yeah, I can see things are rather busy around here... I’m surprised at how tidied up this place is, though!”

“I’ve been doing the decoration at night, after we close.” Monica proudly informed.

“After you close? And in this human form, what time do you go to bed, may I ask?”

“Oh, I confess that despite being in human form I seldom feel sleepy.”

Tess threw another sharp look at her now half empty mocha mug. “Humph... no wonder if we consider some human habits of yours...”

Monica looked at her mug too and let out another sigh, shrugging her shoulders slightly. “If at least Andrew was here we could keep ourselves busy at night by-”

“Oh, please, for Heaven’s sake!” she mumbled with another smirk, “I better go cause I have a little angel to look after and a choir to rehearse!” Tess disappeared a second later, leaving a rather confused Monica behind.

“...playing Scrabbles... I didn’t know Tess isn’t a Scrabbles fan... It’s such a lovely game to play in an insomnia night...” she spoke, more to herself, and then smiled at a sweet memory. “And Andrew always lets me win...”

“Monica?”

Juliet’s voice took her out of her reverie.

“Oh, Juliet, I’ll help you in a second...” she quickly drank what was left of her mocha and joined the employee to assist the customers that had just arrived.

X

“Phew! It was a busy morning!” Juliet spoke, taking a seat next to her temporary boss at an empty table. It was two in the afternoon and they had finally managed to take a break as there were very few people in the café right now. Just a couple with a young daughter and an old gentleman who was now reading a newspaper.

“No wonder! I was beginning to consider offering a job to the clients!” the angel joked, watching as her assignment smiled.

“But I don’t complain, you see. The most important is that I have a job to afford my son’s needs, the rent and all the rest that a person needs to live a decent life. And truth to be told, you pay a lot more than the other cafés around here.”

“Well, I just hope that despite being so busy here you still have time to take Ian to the park and enjoy his company!” Monica replied, happy to see how her eyes lit up as she spoke about her son.

“We do. Ian is... he’s the best present I could ever receive and seeing him happy makes me equally happy.”

“You said he turns four next week?”

“Yes, and is already starting to write his first words!” she quickly informed. “I just wish...”

Her voice faded away and so did her smile. Not missing the sudden change, Monica saw in it an opportunity to try another approach. “You wish?”

Juliet let out a sad sigh. “That things had been different... Arguing with those you love... I wish that this kind of thing never happened...”

“This is a wish that all of us have, Juliet, but it seems to me that disagreements will always happen at a certain point. We shouldn’t allow so much time pass before trying to clear things up, though. ”

The woman pondered about those words carefully. “You are right... You’re so perfectly right, Monica...”

Monica was about to make another question when the little girl sitting together with the couple spilled some milk over her table. Juliet was ready to rise to her feet but the angel stopped her.

“I’ll take care of it. You take a break.”

“Okay... thanks, Monica.” She politely spoke, watching as her kind boss helped the family.

It took Monica just a couple of minutes to go to the café dependencies and return with a clean table cloth, but when she did, Juliet walked over up to her with a smile and a surprised expression.

“Monica, guess what! We have a candidate for the waiter vacancy!” Juliet happily announced, brining in the newcomer. “This is Andrew!” she concluded, a split second after Monica saw who had just entered through the door – their looks crossed, and Andrew’s broad smile was certainly the most beautiful image she had seen on that day. Not a word was necessary – they knew their being there was not a coincidence. “Andrew, this is Monica, the manager!”

“Hullo, Andrew...” she finally spoke, not managing to hide her smile at seeing her soul mate standing in front of her after a two week absence. During this time, he had just showed up in his angelic form a couple of times, in between assignments, either to kiss her goodnight or to tell her how much he loved her.

Her Irish lilt was a constant that he could not exist without anymore, as well as her smile and the sweet perfume that immediately filled his lungs when she was around. After so many days of painful separation, he wished he could just take her into his arms right there and press his lips against hers, surprising his sweet valentine in a way that would always bring a beautiful smile on her face. But he knew better – all that could wait for an appropriate moment.

“Good afternoon...” he greeted, controlling his natural impulse but smiling and gazing at her lovingly.

“I’ll leave you two talk because there three more customers coming through the door!” Juliet spoke, heading towards the group of friends that had just entered.

“I didn’t know you...” the Irish angel tentatively spoke, still visibly surprised at his presence.

“I guess it’s a surprise for both of us... boss!” he joked, eliciting a small giggle from her.

“You got here at the right time... You always do, actually, but now more than ever as I urgently need another waiter.”

Keeping a mock serious expression, he nodded. “Well, you’re my master, you tell me what you want me to do and I’ll do it!”

Her eyes lit up with his words, as if suddenly they gained a new meaning to her. “What a lovely way to put things... I wonder if this is a permanent agreement?”

Now chuckling, Andrew gave two steps closer and winked at her. “Always!” he spoke, in a low voice.

“Hum... Alright then... So you and I will have to talk later, mister!” She said, turning around and leaving an amused Andrew behind. “But for a while...” Monica kept on talking, as she crossed the counter and started to look for something. She finally found a new apron and handed it to him. “You can start by helping Juliet serve table number four!”

“Yes, ma’am!”