CHAPTERS 1 AND 2

Chapter 1

The first sunrays crossed the blue sky and reached the deep green fields that lay across that beautiful and peaceful land. The windswept hills were vivid with the yellow bloom of gorse, and those sparse lands and lush river valleys gave that secluded place a special charm. Indeed, it was a blessed land, where there was no end of beautiful sights to camp, and visiting those fields made walkers be under the impression to be closer to heaven. The gentle contours of those hills were threaded by small country roads and tracks offering walkers an excellent opportunity to experience a landscape shaped by geological processes and rich in flora and fauna.

Many people visited the fields of Ireland, either briefly or for longer periods of time, and had always been enchanted with its beauty and solitude. But that land had also been in the heart of a certain little angel; it had been her first reference of Earth, and despite the fact that she was a heavenly creature, much of her personality had been shaped according to the characteristics of that lovely country: her wording and particular accent, her meek Gaelic features and the joy reflected in those beautiful doe-like eyes.

When Andrew woke up on that Sunday morning, though, she was not lying by his side. Their campsite was placed nearby the few tall trees that grew on that green field. There, with his dearest friend’s (somewhat clumsy) help, he had pitched their tent up and lit up a fireplace, which burned all through the night. But now a worried frown crossed his face at the troubling absence of the little angel so fond and dear to his heart. Quickly, he left the tent and, running his hand over his blond hair, he scanned his surroundings, wondering where she could be at that time of the morning.

The angels had arrived there on the previous day and spent some time arranging their campsite, preparing their food and drink, and building up the fireplace – useful at night, both to warm up and to send away the darkness of the moors. They had been granted a week vacation and decided to spend one day on each small city or location they found, whether it was inhabited or not.

But having no sign of his friend, Andrew put on his shoes and started a walk through the trees and along the moor that lay right ahead of him. “Angel... where are you?” the blond angel whispered, sighing deeply.

His worry didn’t last too long, though: after a few minutes of intensive search, he spotted her not far from the campsite. Wearing a white woollen coat (knitted by Tess herself) over her equally white dress, she was kneeling on the soft green grass, with conjoined hands and bowed head. The morning sunrays bathed her skin, accentuating her auburn hair, tied up in a haphazard ponytail, and despite the fact that she was in human form she was the true vision of a heavenly creature.

When Andrew came closer, the little angel raised her head and opened her eyes, with a slight smile playing on her lips even though she still didn't look directly at him.

“You were sleeping... I didn’t want to wake you up...” she spoke, and the fact that she could feel his presence so immediately didn’t cease to amaze him and to make him incredibly proud.

Monica turned to look at him once he was standing by her side and the spark of joy reflected in those sweet brown pools made his own heart ache with love and tenderness.

“I’m quite a lazy tourist, right?” he joked, kneeling right beside her and gently tucking a curl of hair behind her ear. The smile on her face grew wider and she gently shook her head in disagreement. “Not really. You practically did everything since the moment we arrived here...”

“That’s not true. I had a very pretty assistant to help me out!”

“Well, I don’t feel like I did that much, but I promise I’ll be a good guide!” she replied, turning her gaze back to the horizon, “I was offering a prayer of thanks both for being here and for being with you...”

“I should have known that...” he spoke, a lot calmer now that he’d found her. Monica looked at him once again with a mischievous expression, “But I’ve finished my prayer and if you ask me... being in human form makes an angel quite hungry at this time of the morning, you know?”

Chuckling, he was the one to shake his head, always amused with her usual cheerfulness and funny manners. Then, he stood up and offered his hand to her. “Come on then, Angel. Breakfast will be ready soon, I can assure you!”

The Irish angel took his proffered hand and stood up, still facing him with her usual inquisitiveness, “Did you bring coffee?”

Laughing, he wrapped his arm around her small shoulders and kissed her temple, bringing her closer to him. Both returned to the campsite and Andrew prepared a delicious breakfast with the help of his beloved friend, who gladly prepared mocha latte for her and hot chocolate for him.

***

After that, when the sun was already high up in the sky, she changed into a lighter flowered dress and both started a pleasant walk along the fields, crossing valleys and breathing the sweet smell of jasmine and honeysuckle spread along the way, a soft perfume that resembled Monica’s. There, among the vast acres of woodland and green meadows where rhododendrons blossomed, the Irish angel was at home, as that land was part of her own nature. Andrew stood quiet for some time, but intently listening to her endless chatting and happily contemplating her joy for being there - truth to be told, her happiness caused him great contentment. Monica had never been fond of shoes and there, amidst the nature, she walked barefoot across the soft grass, her long dark hair blowing in the breeze while her dearest friend carried her sandals in his hand.

"Oh, come with me, Andrew, there's a lovely view of the valley from that rock!" she hurried him, taking his free hand and dragging him with her. They climbed up the slope and finally arrived at the spot, from where they could see a green carpet sprinkled with coloured flowers and green trees laying until the horizon.

"Wow! It's very beautiful, Angel! Really beautiful!" the blond angel exclaimed, amazed with the breathtaking scenery before his eyes.

Monica squeezed his hand and pulled it down, motioning him to sit down next to her on the soft grass. They remained in silence for a couple of minutes, lost in loving thoughts and in the beauty of the place but the talkative little angel spoke again. "In the beginning of my existence, when I didn't have any assignments and lived only to glorify the Lord, I used to walk along those meadows we've just crossed, breathing the smell of the flowers and watching as the birds flew with the wind and down in the valley. It always made me feel so happy... Then, I would visit this exact same place, you know, Andrew. I always felt at peace here..."

Feeling an inch of sadness inside her heart, she turned to look at him and saw the melancholy in his dark green pools. "Andrew?"

The blond angel lowered his head and sighed with some frustration. Then, he reached for her much smaller and delicate hand and entwined his fingers with hers. "It hurts to imagine that we've spent so much time away from each other, Angel... You were here while I was in some other part of the world and didn't know that I had a soul mate... I didn't know that this precious little angel was alone right here in the middle of those fields and valleys..."

Her lips curved in a slight smile and she felt a wave of tenderness and deep compassion invading her heart - Andrew was such a wonderful, dearest friend that she felt surprisingly lost for words to tell him how much he meant to her; how much she felt his protectiveness and endless love embracing her very soul in the moments of happiness, sorrow, confusion and danger. She covered his hand with her other hand and looked deep inside his eyes, seeing her own image reflected in them.

"I would always offer my prayers of thanks to the Father for allowing me the privilege of knowing those lands... But now... Now there's something else I must thank the Father for every single day of my existence..." she looked at their entwined hands, "... your friendship, Andrew. It's so precious to me that... even if I hadn't been here before, it wouldn't matter once I'll always have you by my side."

"Oh, Angel..." he couldn't help but to bring her closer to him and held her tightly against his body, as if for a few moments, she was really a present sent from God and belonged only to him. He kissed the top of her head. "I just wish I had spent more time by your side..."

"Don't be sad for the time that's gone... Rejoice for the years to come instead, because in the Father's perfect plan, we were meant to meet as well as we are meant to stay together..." she frowned a little and the slight smile on her lips disappeared for some instants, "... as I cannot imagine existing without you..."

"You don't have to, cause this is never gonna happen!" he spoke, tightening the hold on her a bit more.

Chapter 2

After a sunny and joyful day spent in the green valleys of Ireland, Monica and Andrew lit up a fireplace in front of the tent and the blond angel prepared them a delicious dinner, including marshmallows baked in the fire - and which she loved.

"I'm so glad the night is clear and that we have a full moon! It's perfect for..." realising that she was saying too much, Monica looked at the marshmallow in her hand and cleared her throat, "I mean, it's a perfect night tonight..."

Amused, Andrew turned to face her and raised his eyebrows, "Oh, I see... Am I scheduled to give an Astronomy class?"

But the little angel seemed strangely not so enthusiastic about that. "Oh... well... actually, I'm quite tired, you know, Andrew? We've walked so much today that I'm sleepy now... I guess I should go to bed soon..."

His amusement practically vanished completely as she said that, "Why? Aren't you feeling alright?" he asked, frowning a little and with worry in his eyes.

"Oh, no, I'm fine, Andrew! I couldn't be happier!" she quickly replied, looking deep inside his green pools, reassuring him through her gaze and through their connection that everything was alright.

"You sure?" he insisted, still with a serious expression on his face.

Smiling cheerfully, Monica reached for his hand and squeezed it, "I promise I am!" Then, after a quick look at the sky, she kept on talking, "But I think it's time for us to say goodnight... it'll soon be chilly out here..."

Anything that could represent the smallest threat to his dearest friend's human form was enough to convince Andrew that they should go inside the tent and call it a night. "You're right, Angel, we had quite a busy day. You can go inside and change into your pyjamas, I'll tidy up this little mess and keep the food; then I'll join you."

"Okay!" She happily replied, and rushed to inside the tent. With intrigued eyes, the blond angel watched as she disappeared through the tent entrance. The smile on her face was adorable, that was for sure, but there was something in there that he couldn't exactly figure out. Chuckling, Andrew shook his head and started to collect the objects spread on the towel on the grass.

***

The silence of the green fields was only broken by the noise of a lonely cricket or the flight of an owl in between the huge canopies of the nearby trees. It was past two in the morning and the summer night sky was perfectly clean, and a beautiful full moon illuminated the moors and valleys down on earth. Inside the tent pitched by the angels, though, Andrew was the only one sleeping. Carefully, Monica stood on her knees right beside her beloved friend and a few strands of her long auburn hair covered her left cheek as she tilted her head to watch him sleep. Her lips curved into a slight smile and her eyes were filled with tenderness at the vision of her eternal protector in one of the rare moments when he was not keeping an attentive eye on her.

Tentatively, she reached out and caressed his dishevelled short blond hair and sighed, still unsure of how she would do what she had planned to do. Carefully, she placed her other hand over his shoulder and whispered his name. "Andrew..." But her touch was even so light that he made no move nor other reaction to the calling. A bit hesitatingly, and feeling a little guilty, she shook him gently. "Andrew? Please, wake up..."

This time, he stirred a little and Monica smiled thinking that he'd heard her, but once again the blond angel made no other move and continued to sleep peacefully. She let out a frustrated sigh and checked his pocket watch, left near the pillow. Frowning a little, she placed the gold object back at its place and inched closer to her angelic friend. As Monica bent her head a few strands of hair ticked his handsome face and now she spoke close to his ear. "Andrew, I need you to wake up... There's something you have to see!"

Slowly and a bit confusedly, the blond angel finally opened his eyes and as he saw Monica his confused expression turned into a worried one. "Monica? Angel, what is it?"

"I want you to see something!" she announced, with urgency in her voice. But that tone only worried him even more and he sat up a second later, "What is it? Did something happen? Are you alright?" came the sequel of exasperated questions, and the little angel felt even more guilty to wake him up like that.

"No, I'm fine, everything is fine, Andrew! I just want you to see something!" she quickly replied, and then reached out for his hand, "Come with me, please?"

"Monica... what time is it?" he looked around him even more confused.

"Two a.m., and we'll be late!" She stood on her feet and made him stand up as well.

"Wait, are we going outside?" the distressed look in his eyes was in fact quite amusing.

"Yes! Now c'mon, we have everything arranged already!"

Having no other option - and aware that she had a plan in her mind and that she wouldn't give up on it that easily, the blond angel let out a resigned sigh and ran his free hand over his face and dishevelled hair. "Alright, alright... let me get a quilt for you! I don't want anybody here catching a cold!"

Holding a flashlight, and determined to fulfil her plan, the little Irish angel guided her friend along the moor with quick steps. Andrew was even surprised with the fact that she was so at ease there that the darkness of the night didn't scare her. Finally, they arrived at the spot carefully selected by Monica: it was the same place where he'd found her in the beginning of the day. With childlike excitement, she squeezed his hand to get his attention and pointed at the sky. "It'll start at any moment!"

"What will start, Monica? Angel, can you explain what this is all about? I-"

An excited yelp made him follow her look and then his mouth dropped open with amazement: a meteor shower started at that very second and the two angels watched with wonder as the drops of light crossed the night sky.

"A meteor shower!" Andrew spoke, smiling with surprise.

"And this is the best place for us to see it, ya know? I was afraid I couldn't remember where it was, it's been a couple of centuries since I last saw one like this!"

Her words were the only thing that could draw his attention from the spectacle happening up in the sky. With tenderness, he covered her small shoulders with the quilt he was carrying and then wrapped his arms around her shoulders, brining her closer to him. "Have you any idea how adorable you are and how much I love you, little Angel?"

She tilted her head to look at him as he kissed her temple, "I love you, too, Andrew. And you are adorable too! That's why I prepared this little surprise for you..." Then she quickly corrected herself, "... well, the Father and mother nature also helped me out!"

Laughing and finding her manners adorable, he kissed the top of her head, and the two angels remained there, watching the beautiful show in the sky.