Chapter 11

Reclined against a tree trunk and taking advantage of its generous shadow, Andrew cradled his dearest friend in his arms with infinite tenderness, waiting patiently until she slowly came to her senses and opened her eyes for another one of those lovely dreams. But she was so relaxed and at ease, with her head leaning over his chest, that Andrew did not have any urgency to see her waking up.

Truth to be told, he was enjoying to hold her in that beautiful angelic form. Looking at her made up for all those days he had been at her side in that lifeless ICU room. The angel of death prayed for a sign that she would recover and that his services would not be necessary any longer. So far, however, he kept on waiting for a miracle.

"Hey, beautiful..." He spoke softly in Monica's ear as she slowly came to her senses.

A sleepy smile played on her lips at the moment she heard his voice and felt his fingers gently combing her hair. Monica blinked a few times and frowned at the sudden brightness that reached her eyes, finally lifting her head to look at him. "Hullo, Andrew..." Her sweet accent was like a soft melody to his ears. "Have I been here for too long?"

Andrew shook his head with a smile. "You were so pretty sleeping in my arms that I wouldn’t mind keeping you here for as long as you wanted."

The Irish angel lowered her head slightly embarrassed with his flattering. "Sometimes I feel guilty, you see..."

"Guilty?"

"For demanding all your time and attention..." She said, eying him with tenderness and gratitude. "You could be somebody else's angel."

Andrew frowned at those words and his expression turned to be a serious one. With infinite care, he helped her to sit up straight and facing him so that he could give her a mild scold. "Monica, what you're saying isn’t fair to yourself. You are a God's daughter too and right now I am your angel. I've been assigned to you and even if I hadn't, I'd still be here at your side!"

"I know. But even so, I can't bear to see so much sorrow in your eyes." She said, touching his handsome face with her fingertips.

Andrew took her hand up to his lips and kissed its palm. "I have no doubt that soon you and I will be sitting together in our human forms and I'll buy you a double mocha latte against Tess' will and that we'll spend a lovely day off, like many others we've already spent, angel."

Lost for words and moved with emotion, Monica nodded her head. Andrew decided to risen the mood, as watching Monica's sadness caused him immense suffering as well.

"Meanwhile, I brought 'someone' who was also specially assigned to be at your side and make you some company!"

Watching as a hint of curiosity appeared in her sad doe-like eyes, Andrew reached for the teddy bear hidden behind some flowers and gave it to her. "This is Charlie. And he was sent by one of your little students, Sarah!"

A crying smile broke on Monica's beautiful face as she took the teddy bear in her hands. "Oh, wee Sarah... She's such a sweet little girl..." The angel said, placing the small toy underneath her chin.

"I know, she and I had a little talk." He winked at her, eliciting Monica's curiosity a little more.

X

"Poor wee Sarah... Although she has always been such a cheerful and smart little girl I knew that something was just not right!" Monica spoke, sadness written on her face as Andrew dutifully reported all the details of his meeting with the little girl and her mother.

"There was much regret in Mrs Stevenson's eyes, Monica, you can be sure of that. Plus, Sarah's lending you her best friend only indicates she no longer needs him for now she has her mom back." He said, with an encouraging grin that finally elicited a tearful smile from her. "I shouldn’t tell you this but I'm kinda jealous of this little buddy!" The blond angel added finally listening to her lovely giggling filling his ears.

"You should not worry, then, for as charming as this wee fellow can be, there'll always be an angel with a special place in my heart!" She replied, eyeing him with so much tenderness and love that for a moment the angel of death was lost for words. And as in a synchronised movement, they rested their foreheads together, cherishing each other's company and the feelings emanating from their hearts on that very moment.

Those feelings had gained so deep roots that not even Monica and Andrew themselves could explain their reach, nor questioned their limits.

Andrew had arranged their meeting in a park and on that sunny Saturday afternoon there were many children playing around. A group of youngsters were playing with a ball and threw it very close to where the two angels were staying. Their voices called both Andrew and Monica's attention and the little Irish angel looked at her friend with an expression of someone who could not resist to their next action: smiling, she rose to her feet and grabbed the ball, throwing it back at one of the kids. She knew they were still so innocent and pure that their ability to see and hear the angels was still intact.

"Thank you, miss!" The little boy, who would probably be around six, politely spoke. The broad smile on Monica's face and the way her eyes sparkled told Andrew that she needed to do that in order to be sure she still mattered. It was a painful discovery made through an instant of joy.

"You're very welcome, wee one!" She replied, watching with tenderness as he and his little friends returned to a spot that was closer to where their parents were.

And it was exactly one of those parents who called Andrew's attention.

"Well, this is curious." He said, standing next to Monica, whose eyes followed his look up to the solitary woman who was sitting on a picnic towel spread on the grass and who was calling out for the little boy to whom Monica had just thrown a ball. It was time for a quick snack.

"What is curious?" She wanted to know.

"Your little friend's mother is Karen, the nurse who looks after you." He informed, giving Monica more fuel for a new avalanche of questions that he knew was about to come. Better this way, Andrew thought. At lease the precious little angel had some other things to focus on rather than her uncertain future; he would carry this burden, not her.

"My nurse? Really? Do you think she could be in need of some kind of help too?"

Just as the blond angel had expected, his sweet friend's inquisitive mind was active and in full force. Andrew wrapped an arm around her shoulders and started another report on his impressions about the young nurse.

"We don't get the chance to talk much, angel, but she told me that was born and raised her in this town and that she became a nurse a year before her son was born. Michael is six and he lost his father when he was still a baby."

Monica's eyes were immediately filled with sadness. "Oh, poor family!"

"She kept on working and also with the help of her parents, Karen seems to be doing a good job raising her young son. She's also a very good professional, as I don’t miss how careful she is with...you..."

There was an inevitable pause at those words. Strange how the little angel was at the same time so far and so close to him. Monica was quick to reach for his hand and give it a light squeeze, aware of the great suffering that her condition caused him.

"...and with the other patients. Dr Richards has great trust on her." He concluded.

"Dr Richards? Is he my doctor?"

Monica's questioning about Richards caused Andrew great discomfort; something that he would be ashamed to admit even to himself.

"That is correct." He answered, feeling a lump forming in his throat at the memory of the man taking care of "his" angel girl and at the evident protectiveness and enchantment he could see in Richards' eyes while the doctor fulfilled his task.

"It's strange, you know... Knowing that there is someone watching over you, doing everything in their reach to keep you well and safe and, at the same time, not being able to thank them..." The Irish angel spoke, philosophically as she would always do.

But her words did not have the ability to soften Andrew's mood. "There are... many people who are at your side now, Monica, and they are doing their best so that your human form is healed."

The words came out of his mouth a little sharper than he had intended, and being so aware of what was going on inside his heart and soul, Monica was quick to notice something was bothering him.

"I did not forget this." She stopped their slow walk and held up a firm gaze at him. If the look in her eyes was not a hurt one, at least there seemed to be a warning sign.

Andrew lowered his head in shame. "I know you didn’t. I'm sorry, angel. It's just that... when God's timing isn’t the same as ours, the waiting becomes a little too hard sometimes."

For many times since she knew the truth about her condition, Monica noticed how hard Andrew tried to keep his sorrow away from her and perhaps from everybody else. That was one of the rare moments he could not hide his emotions and looking inside his soul became a heartbreaking experience.

With tenderness, Monica placed a hand against his face. "As much as you try to protect me and carry this burden alone, I can see what you're going through. And it breaks my heart..."

"This is not meant for you to see, angel." He kindly replied, covering her small hand with his. "You're going through a lot yourself. The physical pain, the suffering at being trapped in a sick human form... Those are a heavy burden for you to carry."

"They may be. But your being at my side makes all the difference. Your presence has always soothed the pain and filled my heart with hopes that one day this situation will be over. And until then, I can only lift my prayers of thanks for having you with me." She said, and standing on the tip of her toes, the angel placed a loving kiss against his cheek.

That sweet caress went straight to his heart and once again reached his deepest feelings. Andrew closed his eyes for a brief second, allowing himself a break from all his worries and duties, enjoying that soulful touch, feeling his love grow stronger and even dreaming with the possibility to go past that caress and tell her that besides the Father himself, he loved her deeply and for the centuries to come.

Becoming bolder, as soon as she pulled away, Andrew gazed back at her and pulled her for a tight embrace, which she welcomed with the same intensity.

"There is something else I wanted to give you..." He finally spoke, showing her a bouquet of small, delicate white verbenas. "There's another one of this resting on your bedside table, also Sarah's gift." He added, as Monica took the flowers in her hands with care and enchantment.

"Oh, Andrew, they are adorable!"

"Yes, they are." The blond angel was gazing at her as words came out of his mouth, not at the flowers, and Monica quickly realised who he was talking about, smiling back at him with slight shyness.

He then looked around the park and then back at her. "Would you care for a short walk?"

"A walk sounds lovely."

And the two angels started a pleasant stroll along the green grass and under the gentle sunrays and warm spring breeze. Although they were in angelic form, Monica and Andrew had their sensorial skills preserved and the mix of wild flowers perfume was always filling in the air, making their outing in the park a joyful one.