CHAPTER 9 AND EPILOGUE

Chapter 9

The rain that insisted on falling during the last two days started to cease by the end of the morning. And some time later some shy sunrays managed to break through the dark clouds and reach the country side, revealing all its beauty, hidden behind the bad weather conditions. And the shining sun seemed to have lifted the spirits at the small castle where Monica and Andrew were staying at. Breakfast was served by 8 a.m. and the blond angel even joined them (yet, being permanently watched by his dearest friend), almost completely recovered from the cold.

Later on, while little Marie was playing with her dolls, Rose went up to take a walk in the garden, watching with a shy smile as the flowers she'd planted there were starting to bloom. She was exactly in the middle of the flowers when she heard footsteps behind her, even though John was quick to make some noise so as not to scare her. When the beautiful Irish woman turned around, she saw him smiling back at her, holding a bouquet with bluebells in his hand.

"Looks like the sun has really cheered you up!" he said, giving her the small flowers.

"I guess its rays are more shiny today..." she replied, taking the little bouquet, "...they can reach inside my heart, you know."

Narrowing his eyes, he looked deep inside her brown ones, trying to decipher the sudden spark he could see in them. "Did something happen, Rose?"

She looked at him for long moments, with a beautiful smile on her face, and then blushed a little. "Yes... something did happen..."

Wanting to find out what was causing that sudden change, he kept on talking. "And... judging by this pretty face of yours, it must be something good..."

Still smiling, she smelled the tiny flowers in her hands, "They're so delicate... Thank you, John..."

"You're more than welcome... And if you promise me you'll keep on smiling like this every time I bring you flowers I promise I'll come here everyday with a new bouquet for you!" he joked, even though deep inside he really meant it.

"I just realised how many times I've told you the words 'thank you.' It's much more than I can count..."

"You didn't have to thank me, Rose. Not even once." He turned serious again, and somewhat unsure of her reaction, he reached out and caressed her cheek.

"It's impossible not to be thankful... for all that you've done for me since our paths crossed..."

"Then let's make a deal: I just need this pretty smile... Whenever you feel like thanking me, let me see this pretty smile of yours, and I'll have my best reward!"

It seemed John was looking deep inside her soul. Words ceased from that moment on, and the couple remained locked up in each other's gaze for long minutes. Rose felt a surge of emotions deep inside her heart and suddenly, unexpectedly, a lonely tear fell from her eye. John reached out and wiped it away, taking the chance to cup her cheek, even though he feared her running away from him once again. But to his surprise and great joy, she didn't. Much on the contrary: the woman he'd been in love with for the past two years was returning his loving gaze with the same intensity, and that fact alone only encouraged him to inch his face a bit closer, allowing her to feel his warm breath against her delicate skin.

Slowly, their eyes closed and John finally crossed the small distance between them, brushing her lips with his in a loving, affectionate kiss. Suddenly all of her senses seemed to be heightened, the soft feel of his lips on hers, the musky smell of his cologne and the easy way his arms wrapped around her waist as their kiss went on. Her hands automatically went up his arms to his chest, then travelled to his neck and then back up to his face.

John held her firmly and yet so gently, as if was holding the most precious treasure in all the universe – which was exactly what she was to him. He made her feel like she was in the loving, protective arms of an angel, where no harm would happen to her, and his loving kiss caused pleasant butterflies in the pitch of her stomach; a set of wonderful sensations she would never forget.

As their lips parted and they paused for breath, the couple gazed into one another's eyes. She had taken her hands away from his face and settled them back down to his chest but he took one of them and then placed it to his cheek, brushing his sweet lips to her fingertips, trailing soft kisses over her palm.

"I love you, Rose... You’ve made me the happiest man in this whole wide world... you always have..."

“I love you so much, John... but I was so afraid...”

“Afraid? Afraid of what, sweetie?”

“I thought that... that maybe I could disappoint you... and then you'd go away from my life, and that I wouldn't bear...”

He frowned a little and shook his head in disbelief, as that statement sounded way too absurd, “Rose... baby... Nothing could be farther from the truth. I’ve been loving you in secret for all these years.” John gently admonished her, tenderly caressing her cheek, “You’re my everything, my eternal angel. I don’t think I’d be able to tell you everything that I feel for you, baby, but if you give me this honour, I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to do so... I’ll spend the rest of my life loving you more every single day.”

“That would be the best present I could ever receive... And you’ve given me so many already...”

All the love in his heart was reflected in the way he looked at her. Overwhelmed with tenderness, John cupped her face in his hand and ran his thumb across her cheek. Rose smiled up at him and on the following second, their lips met once again.

Not far from them, in the living room, Monica walked away from the window with a pleased smile upon her face. The extra spark in her eyes and the fact that she was so lost in deep thought only served to amuse Andrew even more, and he came closer to her from behind without being noticed.

"Monica? Is there something on your mind?" he spoke, almost in a whisper, in her ear.

Surprised, the Irish angel turned on her feet and looked at him with the same enthusiasm, "Andrew! You're getting better every minute, aren't you?"

Chuckling, he placed a gentle hand over her shoulder and nodded, "Yes, I guess so... And that means we'll be leaving this inn very soon, angel..."

As he pulled her a little closer, Monica leaned on his chest and sighed with visible contentment. "It's alright... Something tells me our free time assignment is finished, and it was very well succeeded, you know, Andrew?"

"Well, in that case I think the honours are all yours, angel, as I stayed in bed practically all the time!"

"No... if you hadn't made me a surprise and brought me here in the first place, none of this would have happened!" she kindly objected.

Laughing, he blushed a little and nodded, taking her hand and kissing its back.

X

"It's a pity you two have to leave, Monica. I was starting to get used to you around, even though you spent only a few days here," Rose said; she, John and little Marie were standing in front of the small castle, where they said their goodbyes to the two unexpected guests.

"Andrew and I will be forever thankful for your help, Rose... Both you and John appeared when we most needed!" the Irish angel replied.

"And it seems we've been friends for years..." the Irish woman spoke, with a grateful expression on her face.

"Will you and Andrew get back to visit us someday, Monica?" little Marie wanted to know, visibly sad that her "guests" were leaving.

The Irish angel knelt in front of her so that they were at the same level, "Who knows, wee Marie? I love this place so much that I intend to come back soon, once I have the chance to!" she blinked at the little girl, who giggled with some complicity in her eyes. They held each other and then Rose held Monica herself, "Thank you for everything, Monica..."

The new-formed family watched as the angels walked away from the small castle, and even only little Marie knew about their real nature, they all felt like something was different, and that, somehow, Heaven had been presented them with joy and hope.

"I was starting to get used to them already!" Rose said, as John wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "They are such nice people!"

"They sure are! I guess I felt it from the start, when I met them on the road..."

Little Marie giggled again, watching with sparkling eyes as the couple held each other naturally. Rose and John exchanged an amused look and he took the little girl in his arms, as both started tickling her.

"Let's see what's so funny here, missy!"

Her happy and excited yelling was like music to their ears, and as Monica and Andrew started to disappear on the road, they walked back to inside the castle. "You're not leaving too, are you, uncle Johnny?"

"Well, I got a ceiling to fix, and Andrew warned me that the problem might be in the attic, so I'll stay around a bit more... if you two ladies don't mind."

"Oh, we don't! Right, mommy? Uncle Johnny can stay with us, can't he?"

Rose looked at him with so much love and tenderness that he was sure, at that very moment, that she was the woman with whom he would spend the rest of his life.

Chapter 10 - Finale

After they left Rose's inn, Monica and Andrew walked along a beautiful scenario, admiring the valleys and the rich fauna and flora of that part of the country. In their hearts, there was extra joy to know that the family they'd left behind would be very happy together, and that their presence had certainly had some influence in all this. Soon, the couple of angels arrived in the nearest town and saw that there was a festival going on. Highly amused at seeing Monica stumping her feet lightly on the ground, following the rhythm of the folk songs a local band was playing, Andrew looked around them and took her bag, "Something tells me you're not in the mood of looking for a place to stay right now. So here's the deal: you stay here and I'll go see if they have a vacancy at that inn just across the street, alright?"

Smiling, she nodded her head; bright brown eyes fixed on the festival, "Alright, then! I'll be waiting for you here, Andrew!"

"Okay..." he kissed her cheek and left, pleased with the fact that she was having such a good time.

When the blond angel returned, he couldn't help chuckling at the scene he just saw: Monica was dancing with a "gentleman" who seemed to be around 10. As he approached, she spoke something with the boy and they stopped dancing.

"Hey... I can see you've got a new friend!" he joked.

"Andrew, this Tim; Tim, this is my friend, Andrew..."

Still chuckling, Andrew offered his hand. "Hey, nice to meet you, Tim!"

"Nice to meet you too, Andrew. But Monica isn't my friend, she's my girlfriend!" the little boy said, proudly.

"Oh! I see!"

"And it's good you arrived, cuz I gotta go look for my mom, so I'll let ya take care of her for me!"

As the little boy bid them goodbye, Andrew turned an amused face at her. "Should I be jealous?"

Smiling, she took his hand and made the invitation she'd been long for. "May I have this dance?"

"Sure!"

In the evening of the same day, after checking in at a local inn, they joined the happy human beings, who led a simple but happy life and danced, ate local food and walked around at the park, chatting about the events of the day and the peaceful atmosphere of that part of the country. Their following two days were greatly enjoyed.

X

When Monica woke up the sunrays were bathing the interior of her bedroom gently. Frowning about the time, she saw that the clock on the shelf was setting 9.10 in the morning, and she sighed with some frustration, imagining that Andrew would already be awake for some time, patiently waiting for her. It was the last day of their trip and she wanted to take him to one more place before they left.

And as she descended the stairs there he was, sitting at the table of the small café in the hall of the inn, holding a cup with warm chocolate. As he saw her, he could immediately notice her embarrassment for sleeping too much.

"I'm so sorry, Andrew! I didn't realise it was so late, but-"

"I felt it when you woke up and ordered something you might enjoy!" he interrupted her, gently placing his hand over hers as she sat down in front of him. And before she could reply, the waiter brought her a cup with double mochalatte.

"Thank you..." she looked at her dearest friend and grinned, "It's a blessing having friends who know exactly what we like!"

As she took the first sip, he grabbed the newspaper and showed her the first page. "And I know you'll enjoy reading this even more than drinking your mocha!"

With curiosity, she read the headlines and her mouth dropped open with surprise, "Andrew!"

The blond angel nodded his head, equally surprised and quite happy with what was written there. "You were right, angel. We did have an assignment back there at Rose's inn!"

In the first page, there was a picture of the small castle turned into an inn and an article about the recent discovery there.

"A treasure has been found in Rose's Dowell's inn, known as the old little castle, located in the countryside of Ireland. The discovery of a chest full of gold coins and precious stones, dating from the fifteenth century. It was hidden in the attic and it was Professor John Dysart, a close friend of the family, the one who found it, after breaking a false wall to fix a leak caused by the rain. The treasure now belongs to the lady and her little daughter, Marie, and it couldn't have been found in a better time: the lady was about to sell the inn as she's been facing a difficult financial situation. Once asked about the amazing story, she thanked God and said that He had sent His angels to show her the way to happiness."

"Oh, Andrew, this is the best news I've ever had since we got here!" Monica exclaimed, excited as a five-year-old.

"I knew you'd say that..." he spoke, squeezing her hand.

"Isn't it wonderful when the Father uses us to help the ones in need?"

"I'd say it's one of the greatest benefits of being an angel!" he blinked at her, and then changed the subject, "Well... talking about our 'jobs,' we're coming back to work tomorrow, and you told me you'd like to visit some other place before we left... Is it far from here?"

The distant look in her eyes, and the way her lovely smile faded little by little didn't escape him. Frowning, he searched for her eyes, "Angel? Is there something wrong?"

The long instants she spent in silence, trying to put her thoughts in order, were like hours to him. But he waited patiently until she could process her own feelings, and after a long sigh she spoke again. "Well... It is a place I haven't been to for a long time, you know, Andrew... It's beautiful, but... at the same time, I feel sad whenever I visit it..."

He covered her much smaller hand with his own and shook his head, "You don't have to go in there just because of me, Angel... You see, I'm happy to be here and there's no doubt this place is amazing, but the best of it is you, Monica... Without you here, something would certainly be missing... This place... those fields... they wouldn't be as beautiful."

Her eyes finally met his, and a melancholic smile appeared on her face, "You're always telling me the most beautiful things, Andrew..."

There was a trace of sadness in the expression on his face as she said that: there were times when he'd been unfair and rude to her, and even if those moments had been merely to protect her, he still felt terrible that one day he had hurt her feelings. But the blond angel elected not to bring that subject up again. There was something bothering his gentle friend, and he had to find what it was, no matter what.

"Tell me, what's troubling you, Angel?"

"Well... I don't know exactly... it's something I feel whenever I go in there..." another long sigh escaped her, and then she decided to put her worries aside, "... But I want to go there for a while, Andrew, and you're coming with me!"

"I sure will, Angel, but only if you really want it."

"I do want it!" she stated, with determination, and putting an end to the discussion.

x

"... I used to come here many centuries ago, you know, Andrew. By that time, I was just an angel... I mean, I didn't have any assignments..." Monica told her dearest friend, while they walked along the green grass towards a part of the valley that they hadn't visited before. The town was, once again, left behind and only a green veil covered the lands where they'd been walking for the last hour. The vegetation there grew high, and at a certain moment, they could hear the noise of running water not so far from them.

"A river?" he wanted to know, and it immediately came down on him what could make her feel so apprehensive about that place.

"Yes... it's so beautiful... The water is crystalline and when the sunlight reflects on it, it seems there are lots of tiny crystals over its surface. And you can see your face on it like a mirror." Despite her previous worry, there was a spark of joy in her eyes as she described it to him.

"It sounds great, Monica..." he said, never releasing her hand while they walked in between the vegetation. In his other hand, he carried her sandals, but she refused to put them on even though he insisted for her to do so, afraid of seeing her hurt her delicate feet.

"We're close now!" the little angel announced, and rushed ahead of him, releasing his hand. They passed through a few bushes spread along the way and finally arrived at a clearing, surrounded by small wild flowers. As Monica said, the wide river that cut the forest was made of crystalline water, which flowed quickly along the green valley until where one could no longer see it.

There were a few rocks at the banks and a visitor could lean over the biggest one and see the bottom of the river, where small fishes would swim peacefully.

The little Irish angel contemplated the scenery for a few seconds, suddenly feeling a few tears in the corner of her eyes - tears that had no specific reason to be there. "Whenever I come here, I remember Home... It really feels like we're back in Heaven, doesn't it, Andrew?"

It was when she turned to face her friend, though, that Monica noticed the surprised and somewhat shocked expression on his face. Andrew stared at that place with amazement and frowning with great concern, as if not believing what his eyes could see. Worried, Monica gave a few steps back towards him and held his hand, "Andrew? Is... Is  there something wrong? You didn't like it here?" she immediately wanted to know, afraid that something on her beloved Ireland would not please him.

Without saying a word, Andrew gave a few steps closer to the river and the few seconds he spent just looking at it only increased Monica's apprehension. What could be wrong? What could cause such reaction if just a minute ago he was joking and acting like he was enjoying everything around him?

"Andrew? Please, talk to me... If... If you want, we can go back to the town, I-"

"I've been here before..." he finally spoke; his eyes transfixed by the image of the crystalline running waters right ahead of him.

The Irish angel followed his steps, once again standing in front of him, her eyes searching for his green pools and pleading for them to look at her again, "You have?"

"Yes... a long... long time ago..."

"I-I didn't know you... you never told me..."

Finally, the blond angel turned to face her again, with a perplexed and puzzled expression on his face. "I... didn't know where I was..."

Carefully, as if he was looking at Monica for the first time, Andrew gently lay both hands over her cheeks, his green eyes studying every little detail of her pretty face. "I've been here once, Monica... To this very place... but it was centuries ago and everything happened very fast..."

"I... I don't understand..." the anguish in her soft brown pools was such that it made Andrew realise it was time to share the flashback playing on his mind over and over again.

He let out a long sigh and took her both hands in his own, motioning her to sit down with him on the soft green grass. Once they did so, he started his report. "Many, many centuries ago, when these valleys were probably unknown to human beings, I visited this very place, even though it was just for a few minutes."

Monica tilted her head, looking at him questioningly, "But... why? Were you assigned to be here?"

"No... I had an assignment to fulfil somewhere else. By that time, I was beginning as a caseworker, and I was close to reveal myself as a messenger of God to my assignment, when... suddenly, I felt... an urgency to be in some other place... it was as if something had dragged me from the city where I was and brought me to this very clearing... to this very river, Angel..."

"But... What brought you here?"

He let go of one of her hands and caressed her cheek, "A young lady... With reddish brown hair that came up to her shoulders... She was wearing a long white dress and no shoes... I could barely see her face, though, as when I arrived here..." after a short pause, as if gathering all his courage, Andrew went on talking, "...she was drowning in this same river..."

A tear escaped from her doe-like eyes as she heard it. "Drowning?"

"Yes..." he said, his own green pools filled with tears of emotion, "...s-she might have leaned on that big stone to see the sunlight reflected on the water and fell..."

Monica looked at the river for a brief second, trying to process the important and surprising revelation he was making. "Are you sure this was the place, Andrew? There were no people living here..."

"Yes, I'm sure, Angel... And I know these lands weren't inhabited by humans by that time..." Monica let out a sob and more tears rolled down her cheeks while he spoke, and the blond angel cupped her chin and made her turn her face again. "... in the last few days I've been here, I learned that the only one who would visit these fields was a pretty little angel... innocent and pure, who used to turn into her human form so that she could enjoy the soft green grass on her small feet and smell the perfume of the wild flowers..."

(Flashback)

When he disappeared from the small village in the south of France and suddenly appeared on that clearing, in a place completely unknown to him, the blond angel wondered what had brought him there. His assignment should be hearing the truth in a few moments and, yet, an unexplained need to be somewhere else took control of him in such a way that all his senses were now turned to that very place. 

His doubts, though, didn't last for long. The noise coming from the water alerted him that he was not alone, and he soon saw the young lady drowning in the river water. She splashed her arms in a desperate search for air and it wouldn’t take too long before she submerged. But in a split second, Andrew was standing there, by her side, with his arms firmly wrapped around her waist and dragging her out of the water.

"Be calm... You're safe now..." he said, carrying her to the bank of the river. With all his care, he gently deposited on the soft green grass and despite the danger she had been exposed to, the young lady he had just saved was breathing. Andrew felt his heart being flooded by a wave of deep love and compassion, like he had never experienced before. Her wet reddish brown hair had covered most of her face, and feeling extremely protective about that poor little creature, he reached out to caress her face, motioning to remove the many strands of hair from her cheek.

But before he could do it, the blond angel heard the calling to go back at the place where he had come from. His assignment needed him urgently, and he was certified that that pretty young lady in his arms would be just fine. Feeling sorry to leave but at the same time, happy to hear that she would be alright, Andrew whispered softly against her hear. "Don't be afraid, you're safe now."

On the following instant, he was gone. But the lady didn't remain on that same place for a long time. Slowly, her small form started to fade, until that clearing was completely deserted once again.

She reappeared in Heaven, next to a dark skinned male angel who looked at her with compassionate eyes, "Monica... Dear, be calm. You're back at Home..." Sam spoke, looking at the young angel with compassionate eyes.

(End of the flashback)

With tears rolling freely down her eyes, she looked at her dearest friend as if she was seeing him for the first time. Feeling tears in the corner of his eyes too, Andrew reached for her hands, now finally understanding the familiar sensation that he'd known Monica for centuries. The bond they shared had indeed started a long time ago, maybe even before that event, as their loving Creator had a greater plan when He put them together.

"Your fear of water, angel... that's the cause... When I took you out of the lake you were shivering with cold and panic..." he let go of one of her hands to caress her cheek for a moment. "So scared... so defenceless... I wished I could've stayed with you for a long time, and the only reason why I didn't was the Father's voice whispering in my heart that you'd be alright, that I had saved you."

Monica gently covered his hand with hers. "You were there for me... once again..." She bit her lower lip and looked deep inside his green pools, "... and I've come to realise it was actually the first time we met..."

Chuckling with emotion, he nodded his head, "Yes, that's true! And now you don't need to beat yourself up because you were in a bad mood when Tess introduced us all those years ago!" he joked.

The little Irish angel also tried to smile, but it ended up turning into a sob, and she suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck, in a tight embrace.

"I love you..." were the only words she managed to say.

"Oh, Monica... I love you so much, angel... And today I just had one more proof of how strong this connection... this bond we share is..." he replied, caressing her hair.

She cried over his shoulder for some moments, and then pulled away, eyeing him with uncertainty and a hint of fear. "Andrew... Promise me something?"

He smiled and placed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Anything..."

"If someday we have to work on a long assignment... would you promise me that you'll find a way to come and see me?"

Chuckling at that request, he nodded his head, "Monica, you don't even have to ask me that, angel... We've been apart some times, haven't we?" watching as she nodded, he wiped her tears with gentle fingers and continued to talk, "And yet I paid you a visit in between an assignment and another. I'll always find a way to be close to you, angel. And I guess the Father will always allow this to happen because He made us this way."

"He did, didn't He? This bond we share is... Tess told me it's very rare between angels..."

"Well... then I'm honoured I was chosen to share it with you..." he took her hand to his lips, "... because you are rare yourself, Monica. A rare present I received and which I promise I'll treasure for the rest of my existence."

She tried to smile at his words, but ended up crying instead, "So are you to me, Andrew... A part of me..."

After she caressed his handsome face, he gently lay both hands on her cheeks and brushed a loving kiss on her forehead and a tiny one on her nose. "You're the best part of me, angel... always..."

They held each other in a long loving embrace and a white dove cooed and flew by. Slowly, their human forms started to fade and, never releasing each other, the angels headed back Home, where their dearest friend Tess was already waiting to greet them with a mother embrace, and they were also warmly greeted by a cute little dog. The holidays spent in Monica's beloved Ireland and the surprising discovery about the very first time they'd met had certainly straightened the fine connection they had with each other, and that moment would certainly be etched in their memories for the rest of the eternity.

The end.