PART seven

 PART 7

 “... Peter’s room is at the end of the corridor...” Clara spoke. With her big and resistant toll truck, Tess had managed to bring the whole family, along with Monica and Andrew, to the city hospital in half an hour and now Mr Richardson was only a few steps away from his son.

 “What... what if he doesn’t want to see me?”

“Are you willing to apologise and start all over again?” the woman asked, now feeling sorry for him, as she could see how much he regretted his past actions.

“Yes... I am... I want to have my son back to me more than everything!”

“Then you have to try... And... don’t be afraid. Pete is a wonderful man, that's why I fell in love with him and chose him to be my children's father.”

The old man walked along the corridor and knocked softly on the door. From inside, he heard a weak but very familiar voice, “Come in...”

As he opened the door, father and son looked at each other with surprise and amazement – they hadn’t seen each other for almost ten years and a reunion in a day like that and especially in an occasion like that was unexpected and full of emotion.

“Peter... son... I’ve finally found you...” the old man spoke, his voice hoarse with emotion.

“Father... God, is it some kind of miracle?” his son replied, sitting on his bed, also with tears of emotion ready to fall from his eyes.

“I believe it is, Peter... When I left home this night I never, in a thousand years, would’ve imagined that I’d end up here, in a hospital, with my son...” Mr Richardson gave trembling steps towards the bed, wanting so much to hold his son, but still afraid that he would reject him.

“Last night, I prayed to God to see you again... I asked Him to, someway, send you here so that I could look at your face and ask you if... if we could be a family... if you accepted to be part of the family I raised...”

Crying, the old man nodded, “That’s what I’ve been praying for for a long time, Peter!”

“Hold me, father...”

Clara was standing at the door and watched, with her eyes full of emotion, the reconciliation between father and son, certain that God, somehow, had performed a miracle on that night. She had left the children at the entrance hall, as only two people at a time were allowed to visit the patients, but after kissing her husband, she excused herself and returned to the hall. She wanted so much to thank Monica, Andrew and Tess, the toll truck woman, for the little help that night.

But what nobody could see was that, inside that same bedroom, standing next to the window, three angels watched how that sad story had a beautiful ending. And being such a sensitive creature, Monica stifled a small sob, trying to hold the tears that were ready to fall from her soft brown eyes at any moment. With a smile on the corner of his lips, Andrew wrapped his arm around her shoulders and brought her closer to him. The Irish angel gladly returned his warm hold by wrapping her arms around his waist while Andrew kissed the top of her head repeatedly.

“You know in all those years the Father never ceases to amaze me at the wonders He performs on this miraculous night!” Tess exclaimed, with a pleased expression on her face.

“When Monica and I read that letter and decided to help the children we would never imagine that we would be part of something greater...”

“Well, isn’t it the way it’s supposed to be?” the supervisor replied.

“Yes, I suppose you’re right, Tess...” he agreed, tenderly wiping Monica’s tears with gentle fingers.

“I am always right, mister!”

“Andrew and I were feeling guilty for taking your car without your consent, you know...” the Irish angel finally spoke, “... Little did we know that it would lead us to bring a family together again!”

Tess raised her eyebrows and shot her an inquisitive look, “What do you mean you were feeling guilty? You should be feeling guilty cause I don’t remember allowing two angels to take my baby for a ride in a snow storm!”

Monica looked at Andrew without knowing what to do and very worriedly, but the blond angel winked at her. “But, as you said, the Father has always a greater plan in His mind and He sent an angel with a toll truck to help this family and you could pull your car out of the snow! It’s parked outside the hospital!”

“No, I said that it’s the night of miracles! And one of these miracles involves my baby safe and sound and waiting for me at the cabin! And that’s where we were supposed to be going right now too. Angel girl here could finish her assignment so we're off to spend the Christmas night together!”

“But I wouldn’t have done it without you both... You’re always there for me, helping me out when I most need it...” Monica replied, now shooting them a tearful and grateful smile, “You’re the best Christmas present an angel could ever get!”

While Andrew brushed a kiss on her temple, Tess took her hand and squeezed it – both of them deeply touched by their beloved friend’s loving words. “Oh, Father, look who’s talking! You are the best blessing an angel could ever get too, baby!” she said.

“The best and the most beautiful one!” the blond angel added.

Slowly, their glowing forms started to fade and they left the hospital bedroom a minute later.

x

Clara came back to the entrance hall searching for the three strangers who helped her to put her family together again and was surprised when she didn’t find anybody. “Excuse me,” she said, to the attendant at the counter, “I’m looking for three people – two women and a man, they arrived here together with my children and me a few minutes ago...”

The attendant looked at her and frowned a little, “I’m sorry ma’am, but there’s nobody here at the hall, just your children who are playing near the Christmas tree over there...” he pointed out at Matthew and Mary.

“But... these people, they were together with me and the oldest woman had a toll truck, it must be still parked outside...”

The man remained staring at her with a confused face, “I’m sorry, Mrs Smith, but the only people together with you were the old gentleman and the two children... And... there is no toll truck parked outside...”

“What?” now it was Clara’s face which was a confused one – she did get out of the truck together with Mr Richardson and the children, and she saw it when Andrew, Monica and Tess followed her inside the hall. Not believing in what the man was telling her, she gave a few steps up to the entrance door and looked through the glass: the parking lot was completely empty.

“Oh, my God... Oh, my God...” she whispered, covering her mouth with her hand as tears fell from her eyes.

“Mommy?” a little girl’s voice draw her attention and she looked at her daughter, who was holding a pretty doll in her hands, “Look what I what I got!”

“Yeah, and I got this car too!” Matthew showed her, as happy as his little sister.

Wiping her tears away, the woman shook her head, “Oh children, I’m sorry but it must belong to another person, you...”

“No, Andrew and Monica put them here under the Christmas tree and the packages had our names.” The boy explained.

“Monica and Andrew?” his mother spoke, with her heart full of emotion. Mary’s innocent face was all lit up with a broad smile, “Yes! And they waved at us when we saw them! They were different, you know, wearing white clothes and with a glow around them!”

“But they went away before we could thank them... They were fast!” the boy concluded, “I guess they were Santa’s helpers! You see, everything I asked in my letter happened, Santa really came to help us!”

Clara knelt on the floor and held her two children tightly, “Thank you, Father... thank you so much...”

"Why are you crying, mommy?" the little girl caressed her face, feeling sorry for her mother.

"Oh, sweetie, these are happy tears, you know..."

Mathew tilted his head in a questioning way. "And you're happy because of Monica and Andrew?"

"Yes, honey. Monica and Andrew weren't sent by Santa, you see..." she explained, wiping away her tears.

"Oh, no?"

"No... They were sent by God... They are His angels and came to us to help us go through this difficult moment..."

"You mean like the angels in the Christmas tree?"

"Yes, Mary. But they were real angels... the living proof that God is always watching over us... over your daddy."

Mathew, being the older son, nodded his head in agreement. "So what we  received tonight was a miracle, right mommy?"

"Oh, yes! A wonderful miracle!" Grinning, she held her two beautiful and smiling children with emotion evident in her eyes, the trio aware of the blessing they had been granted on that special night.