PARTS 1 AND 2

PART 1 – Another assignment ends well

“Thank you so much, Monica, for everything...” a woman holding a cute two year-old little boy said to the angel who was now leaving her house. The trio was standing by the gate and one could notice that they were bidding each other farewell. Monica smiled warmly and with contentment: another assignment had come to an end. A happy ending for the family she had been with for some weeks.

“Don’t thank me, Karen, thank God. He is the one who performs the miracles in His children’s life...”

“I know, but I’m also thankful for the angel He sent to help me,” the woman replied, winking at her. “We’ll miss you a lot, Monica... These days you spent here, together with us were... Well, we’ll never forget them, especially now that we know our nanny was in fact a real angel.”

“I also enjoyed these days... And I especially enjoyed staying together with this cute wee boy here!” Monica tickled the boy’s belly and he smiled broadly at her – an evidence of how attached he had become to her during those weeks.

His mother turned to him, “Monica is leaving, sweetie, why don’t you give her a kiss, huh?”

The boy stretched his chubby little arms and the Irish angel couldn’t resist in taking him in her own arms one last time, “Oh, wee Danny... You behave yourself and be a good boy to your mommy and daddy, ok?”

“K...” he replied, gazing at her with his sparkling green eyes; the sunrays making his blond hair even brighter.

She kissed his cheek and smiled at his own smile at her. “He reminds me of someone, you know... A very dear friend.” Then, after tickling his belly one more time, Monica returned him to his mother, and added, “Live in God’s teachings and you’ll be a very happy family, Karen, believe me.”

“I know... We all know that now, Monica, thanks to God and thanks to you.”

The Irish angel bid them goodbye one more time and turned around, leaving the beautiful blue house behind. Not far from there, two other angels had been watching her with smiling faces and as she came closer to them, Monica wrapped her arms around Andrew’s and Tess’ arms.

“Judging by this pretty smile on your pretty face, it seems that another successful assignment has just finished, right angel?” he said, glad to see his dearest friend so happy.

“Oh yes... Though I’m gonna miss them, ya know? Especially wee Danny, he’s such an adorable little boy!”

“And it seems that the feeling is mutual, that little boy really likes you, angel girl!” Tess added.

Andrew squeezed the youngest angel’s hand. “Well I don’t blame him! Who wouldn’t love to be under the care of this precious little angel?” he said, as she shot him a tender gaze.

“Well, I could come here once in a while to check on him, couldn’t I, Tess?”

“Of course, baby! But now let’s get going, we have the rest of the day and the night free and I could use a little rest at the cabin!”

“Oh really? We’re going to the cabin?”

“That is correct, angel girl!”

The three angels got on the red Cadillac, which was parked not far from there, and headed towards the mountain, where the beautiful and cosy cabin they used as a free time refuge was located.

*

“... yes, in fact, I would love to go back at The sign of the Dove to check out on the Mason family! I heard that Ben’s wife, Rebecca, is expecting a baby!” Andrew spoke. He, Tess and Monica were sitting on the comfortable sofa in front of a warm fireplace and had spent the last couple of hours drinking some tea (and mocha) and talking about past assignments.

The blond angel was standing right between his two friends and watched as Tess nodded her head, “Yes, I know how important this family is to you, angel boy. I too have a couple of families I’d like to see again and I’m glad that our angel girl here gave us the idea to visit them!” Tess spoke, but when the two angels turned to their left, they saw that Monica was peacefully sleeping right next to Andrew, resting her head over his shoulder.

“Well, it seems that our angel girl here has already said goodnight!” he spoke, in a low voice.

“I don’t blame her, poor baby has been dealing with a whole family and a little boy for weeks!”

“Yes... but you know how she’s always happy when she’s working. Besides, she loved taking care of that smiling little buddy...” Andrew moved slowly not to wake his dearest friend up and with extreme care and infinite tenderness, he lifted her in his arms and he and Tess headed to the Irish angel’s bedroom.

The supervisor entered first and turned on the light on the nightstand so that she could arrange the bed sheets and the pillows. Then, the blond angel lay his dearest friend on her bed and Tess covered Monica’s small form.

“When are you two leaving, Tess?” he asked, tenderly removing some strands of hair from Monica’s face.

“Tomorrow, by morning.”

Andrew sighed with some frustration, “I wish it weren’t so soon...”

“We’ll have some more time to bond, angel boy, I’m sure that the Father will grant us some days off eventually.”

“I know... Can’t wait for that...”

“And right now I guess I’ll follow angel girl’s suggestion and go to bed; being in human form can be tiring sometimes!” the oldest angel exclaimed, causing him to smile. “I couldn’t agree more, Tess!”

The two angels brushed a goodnight kiss on Monica’s forehead and left the bedroom in silence. Then, they bid each other goodnight and headed to their rooms.

PART 2 – A terrible surprise

On the following morning, Tess was the first one to wake up. She changed her clothes and prepared breakfast and only after setting the table did she go upstairs to call Monica. But, as she was coming closer, the supervisor heard a frightened cry coming from her charge’s room. Scared, she rushed towards the bedroom and knocked on the door, “Angel girl? What’s happening?”

“Oh, Tess...” she said, from inside the room.

“Baby, open the door!”

“I can’t!”

“Why? What’s happening to you? Why are you crying?”

“Something happened...”

“What?”

“I ... something happened to me...”

“Monica, please, open the door, you’re scaring me here!”

After a few seconds of agonising silence, Monica slowly opened her bedroom door. And when Tess saw her angel girl, her eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open: Monica’s body was all covered with tiny red spots and she had some tears in her eyes. “Tess... I... I don’t know what happened...”

“Angel girl... you... you got chickenpox!” she exclaimed, not believing in what she was seeing.

“Chickenpox? But... but, how come?” she said, giving a step closer to the supervisor, who gave a quick step back, somewhat scared. “You... You must’ve caught it...”

“But from whom?”

“I... I don’t know but the fact is that you have them now!”

“What... what am I going to do? What about our assignment?”

“Oh baby, I guess it’s not gonna be ‘ours’ anymore!” the supervisor said, shaking her head and still looking at Monica from head to toe. “You can’t go out in this condition! Somebody... human or angel... may catch it from you...”

“And what do I do then?” she came closer to Tess, who raised her hand and gave another step back, “You stay right here! Don’t leave your room until I come back, you hear me?”

“But Tess, I...”

“No, don’t ‘but-Tess-me’! Just trust me and... Whatever you do, don’t leave your room!”

Scared, the supervisor closed the door and climbed down the stairs in a hurry. Then, she grabbed the car keys and headed to the nearest town.

*

One hour later, the oldest angel came back carrying some supermarket packets and an extra pack with lots of medicine. She placed everything on the kitchen table and climbed the stairs, knocking on Monica’s bedroom door once again. “Angel girl?”

The old angel opened the door a little and saw her dear charge sitting on her bed, holding a pillow and with a worried and sad expression on her face. “Tess...”

“I’ve just come back from town. I paid a visit to that sweet little boy you took care of and found out that he’s covered with red spots just like you.”

“Oh no! Poor wee Danny!”

“Yes... poor him... well, I also went to the supermarket and to the drugstore and bought you everything you’ll need for the entire week, including the proper medicine and some vitamin, as you’re in human form and have to take good care of your organism. You’ve been granted a ‘special vacation’!”

“What about you?”

“I’m leaving now because the assignment is waiting for us, but I’ll be back in a week!”

“I’m terribly sorry for that...” the Irish angel spoke, extremely guilty for leaving her beloved friend to take care of the assignment all by herself.

The old angel frowned a little, moved with the evident sorrow she could see in Monica’s eyes, “Oh, baby, you don’t have anything to be sorry for, it’s not your fault! These things happen!”

“I’m gonna miss you so much, Tess.”

“I’m gonna miss you too, baby,” Tess was going to hold the younger angel but another look at Monica’s appearance stopped her from coming closer, “Stay in bed and rest as much as you can! And remember that I love you!”

“I love you, too...” she nodded, understandingly.

The supervisor closed the door and was already leaving when Andrew opened his bedroom door with a questioning look upon his face, “Tess?”

“Oh, good morning, angel boy. I’m glad you woke up!”

“What’s going on?” he walked up to her scratching his head, his short blond hair still disarrayed, and with a confused expression on his face.

“Well... some little changes have happened, baby. You’ve been reassigned.”

“Reassigned?”

“Yes, you’ll stay here for a week with a special mission...” she replied, in a visible hurry to leave the cabin.

“What mission, Tess?” he asked, even more confused.

The supervisor looked at Monica’s bedroom door and then back at him, “Well... you’ll see... Now, if you excuse me, I have to go, baby. I’m already late. There’s more food in the kitchen and... Some other things that you may find useful. And... little Joy is coming with me, she’s in the car already. Bye.”

Tess quickly climbed down the stairs, disappearing as she reached the bottom, leaving a very confused Andrew behind. Without any other option, he walked up to Monica’s door and knocked slowly, “Monica? You’re awake?”

“Go away, Andrew!” her voice had a defensive and dramatic tone.

“Away? Why?” the blond angel’s face became even more worried and he frowned with concern.

“Just go, Andrew, please!”

“Monica, can you tell me what’s going on here? Tess has just left in a hurry, she seemed to be running away from something!”

“You should do the same, run away!” this time, he noticed that Monica seemed to be crying, “No, I won’t go until you open that door and tell me what happened! Did you and Tess argue?”

“No...”

“Then, why didn’t you go with her?”

“I can’t...”

Sighing deeply, and really worried about his dearest friend, Andrew leaned against the door, “Angel, please, open the door and tell me what happened, I know there’s something wrong with you... please let me help you!”

“I can’t do that!”

“Why not?”

“Because... Because I am ashamed!”

“Ashamed? Ashamed of what?”

“I can’t let you see me the way I am! It would be too embarrassing!”

“Monica, it’s me, Andrew! You have nothing to hide from me!”

After a short silence (which was making Andrew nearly insane with anxiety) the doorknob moved and the door was left ajar. Worried, he pushed it open and saw, at a safe distance from him, his dearest friend. She was wearing her pink pyjamas and her hair was tied up in a ponytail. And his mouth dropped open when he saw the tiny red spots all over her face and arms.

“Monica? You... you got chickenpox!”

“Yes...” she said, lowering her head and with some tears in her eyes, “Wee Danny has it too, Tess has just seen him... this is so embarrassing!”

Then he finally understood her reluctance in letting him see her. Sighing with some relief (as he was expecting something worse), he shook his head, “No, angel, it’s not embarrassing, it could’ve happened to any angel!”

“I’m all covered with red spots now and... I can’t help Tess with our assignment and I’ll have to be here all alone...”

Hearing this, he rolled his eyes and chuckled, “Well, yes, you’re all covered with red spots and yes, Tess will have to handle the assignment all by herself, but you’re not going to stay all alone, angel. I’ll be here with you!”

Now the little angel raised her head with worried teary eyes, “You can’t! You may catch it too!”

Andrew shortened the distance between them and, before she could protest again, he opened his arms and held her tightly, in a big, bear hug. “Oh, angel... Nothing in this whole wide world could stop me from taking care of you,” he said, kissing the top of her head.

“But you’ll be putting yourself at risk because of me!” she spoke, still reluctant in allowing him to stay with her. With a smile on his face, the blond angel stroked her hair with tenderness, “And is there anything more worthwhile than risking myself for you?” as she raised her face to look at him, he wiped away her tears and added, “... I can’t think of anything!”

“I love you...” she spoke, new tears falling form her eyes, ‘ruining’ Andrew’s work.

“I love you too, angel. With all my heart!” he said, brushing a gentle kiss on her forehead, “Besides, I have just been reassigned, you know?”

“Reassigned?”

“Yes, I’ve been officially requested to stay here with you until you recover!” he explained, “But of course I’d do it even if nobody had asked me to!”

“But you might get ill too!”

“Hum... I don’t think so, since this is my assignment, I don’t think there is a risk of my catching your chickenpox!”

“Really?”

“Yes...” his smile grew wider to see that that last piece of information seemed to put her heart at ease. Andrew placed some strands that had fallen from her ponytail behind her ear, and added, “And as I told you before, I’d take care of you anyway, even it that meant being all covered with red spots!”

Overwhelmed with tenderness and with gratitude, she rested her head on his chest and held him tightly, “Thank you so much, Andrew!”

“You’re more than welcome, Monica.” He felt that her skin was slightly warm and gently pulled away from their embrace. “You’re running a low fever, angel.”

“Yes... I guess you’re right...”

“Come, lie down here on your bed.” The blond angel waited until she was leaning against her pillows and covered her body with a blanket. “You stay here until I come back with your breakfast, ok?”

“Okay...”

After brushing a quick kiss on her temple, he left the bedroom.