CHAPTER 22

Great expectations

"... they have just delivered the new furniture for our bedroom and some new objects for the house decor were delivered yesterday. Andrew and I arranged them and the new cushions, and the apartment is lovely!"

Monica's eyes beamed with joy as she explained her dear friend Ella how she and Andrew had tidied up their house for the new life as a married couple. Two days from the wedding ceremony, they couple had divided their routine in between buying new house items, making new arrangements in the apartment rooms and making each other promises of eternal love.

And like a mother who would listen to a daughter's plans, Ella smiled, pleased to see happiness written all over her friend's face. "So I take it you two sweethearts have finished redecorating?" she wanted to know, as they talked during the break in between classes.

"Oh, I think we have! There are still some minor details to fix but most of the work is done now!" she happily announced, not noticing the determined and somewhat authoritarian tone in Ella's voice.

"Good! So you can start packing as soon as you get home!"

The look on Monica's eyes changed from dreamy to a confused one, and it would certainly amuse Andrew if he were there. "Packing? But... Oh, you must be talking about our old objects? We gave them to the poor so we could replace them for the new ones we received as wedding presents!"

Chuckling, Ella shook her head. "What I mean, baby, is that you will grab some clothes and stay with Frank and me tomorrow!"

Surprise appeared on the angel's face. "Staying with you and Frank? Oh, but... but what about Andrew? He-"

"Andrew is grown up enough to spend the day alone!" the old lady interrupted, "It's no fun the bride and the groom see each other just a day before their wedding!"

"Oh, but Andrew and I-" Monica weakly tried to disagree, the thought of her and her eternal valentine being away from each other, even if for just one day, made her feel a wave of uncertainty threaten her angelic heart.

"You and Andrew will kiss each other 'see you at the altar' tomorrow morning and when the day is over you'll come home with me!"

"That... that will be two days then, Ella..."

"Two days is little sacrifice as you'll have the whole eternity to stay together!"

Monica sighed with some resignation as she knew that the old teacher wouldn't give in of what she had planned. "Yes, ma'am..."

"Good!" she exclaimed, pleased to have won that small battle.

"I guess I've unlearned to stay away from Andrew, you know... And two days... they sound like an eternity too..."

The look in Monica's eyes was one of sadness and it nearly made Ella feel guilty for separating the two sweethearts despite the fact that it was for a good reason. She covered Monica's hand with her own. "Hey, baby, you and Andrew will share an entire existence next to each other! Your love... it's so evident and so beautiful!"

"I know..." Monica's lips curved into a slight smile. "I think you're right, Ella... You're perfectly right..."

x

"Remember when we used to work on different assignments and spend weeks or even months without seeing each other?" Monica spoke against Andrew's chest as he held her tightly in the living room of their apartment. There was a bag with Monica's clothes by the door and the little angel was fully dressed on that Thursday morning. Like they had previously arranged, she would spend that day and the following one at Ella's house, from where she would only get out on the wedding day.

"I do, angel." Andrew replied, tenderly caressing her long auburn hair. There was a slight smile on his face as she knew that the next time they would meet would be alt the church.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to stay away from you again..." Monica tightened the hold around his waist and closed her eyes, visibly loathing the idea of leaving him alone.

The blond angel was moved. He could feel what the idea of separation did to her, even if it was for a good cause. With patience and infinite tenderness, he pulled away from her just enough to look at her face.

"Sweetheart... We'll be just a few minutes away from each other and although I certainly prefer having you right here in my arms, I feel comfortable to know that you'll be with Ella and Frank because I know for sure that God put them in our life to help us through this journey here on Earth." He rubbed his thumb against her cheek. "You couldn't be in better hands."

The little angel frowned and in adorable pout, she replied. "What about you?"

Andrew couldn't help laughing: given her selfless and generous nature, he should have known the least of her worries would be herself. "Me? Oh, well, I guess I'll have to get used to not smelling mocha every time I enter the kitchen for the next day!"

She chuckled at that remark, but just for a couple of seconds. Not wanting to see her distress, Andrew cupped her chin and looked right inside her soft brown eyes. "I'll be fine because I'll be thinking of the day our love will be blessed by God and even by His children... our friends." He spoke, "Officially blessed, I mean, because I have no doubt that our Father has sealed our union a long time ago, when He saw what was in our hearts."

Trying to suppress a sob, Monica nodded her head. "I love you so much..."

Andrew knew that all the emotions he could see on her face were not just because they were to spread a day away from each other. Their strong connection remained intact despite the fact that they were in human form. The wedding, their love, their friends' absence and the memory that one day they were threatened by the possibility of not staying together.

But he also knew how to stop that flood of contradictory emotions for a while. When his lips met hers, Andrew felt tension leaving her body as he drew her closer to him. His left hand entangled in her soft hair and then settled against the back of her neck as she tilted her head, welcoming that loving caress. Their kiss was slow and tender, like a silent promise of eternal love. And somewhat it restored confidence and managed to put her angelic heart at ease. And when it was over, Andrew still kissed her forehead and brought her even closer for a tight embrace.

Ella had been waiting for them inside the taxi parked in front of their building and after checking her watch for the hundredth time, she sighed with relief at seeing the couple. "Oh, finally!" she exclaimed with a little impatience. But the old teacher still had to watch them exchanging one final embrace and a tiny kiss on the lips.

Monica's eyes blinked as she looked at the stars and remembered the events of the day. Sitting by the window in the guest room of Ella's house, she watched as the clock ticked 10 PM and sighed, holding on to the thought that soon she and her beloved valentine would be joined forever. It was an attempt to stop thinking about her dear friends – angels like her, and who she hadn't seen for nearly an year. It was an attempt to stop thinking about the one angel who had been the closest thing to a mother to her for all these years. How she missed Tess! And she wanted that the supervisor were there with her, to share that special moment with both her and Andrew.

A slight knock on the door took her out of her reverie, though. Hearing her Irish lilt telling her to come in, Ella opened the door. "Hey baby... I was going to bed and saw the lights on and wondered if there's anything you need."

Monica smiled as her friend entered the room. "Oh, Ella, you and Frank have been so good to me already."

Not totally convinced, the old lady gave a few steps and took the seat in front of her. "Then why do I see this hint of worry on your face?"

Monica tried to smile as Andrew's words came to her mind. Ella's presence in their existence would never be a coincidence. "I... I guess a few memories have been keeping me awake for a little longer." She said, cautious with her words.

"Not very happy ones, I'm afraid."

Monica's eyes fell and she shrugged her shoulders with resignation. "I just wish things had been different... And... those who I miss could be here... sharing this moment with Andrew and me."

Ella looked at the young lady for long instants, intrigued at her past, a past that had always been involved in a lot of mystery. A sudden thought crossed her mind and made her frown with worry.

"Monica... I need to ask you something and I want you to be honest with me..."

"What is it?" she was immediately aware of Ella's concern.

"You and Andrew... Once you told me there were people who didn't want you together..."

Monica's eyes were down again, focused on her hands. "That is correct."

"You two... You aren't married to other people, are you?"

Ella had to ask. Although she wouldn't condemn her friend, she knew nothing about the couple's previous life. Monica had confessed that their union wasn't seen with good eyes by some of their old friends or perhaps by their families, and the old teacher couldn't avoid inquiring about it right now.

But the absurdity of that question was such that Monica lifted her eyes again. "Oh, no! It's nothing like that, Ella! I can assure you!"

"I'm sorry to ask... are you relatives?"

"No! No, I promise you!" The angel in human form felt guilty to make Ella think something like that because she wouldn't tell the teacher about her true nature.

Ella reached for her hand feeling equally guilty for suspecting something like that about Monica. She had lived long enough to read what was in people's hearts, and from the moment she met Monica, she could detect an aura of kindness and compassion around her. "Please forgive me for asking you this, baby... I should know that my suspicions were not correct!"

Monica squeezed her hand tightly. "No, I am the one to apologise... You've been so good to me, to Andrew... You've been a wonderful friend... the best friend God could ever place in our existence since Andrew and I started our journey here..." she tried to smile, "Andrew said so himself!"

The old teacher looked at Monica like a mother would. "Baby... I don't know what you two have been through in the past...But I do know that when you two are together, or when you speak about each other, there's so much love written in your eyes... And as certain as the Father putting me in your existence, as you say, is the fact that He made your path cross with Andrew's and planted this love in your hearts."

"Oh, Ella... Your words... They mean so much..." Monica replied, visibly moved, "Much more than you could ever imagine."

"They're nothing but the truth, baby, and those people who were against you two together, whatever their reason might be, I'm sorry for them, and I trust that one day they'll realise how precious and intense your love is."

"I hope so... I love him so much..."

Ella smiled, wanting her friend's sad memories to go away. "Anyone can see Andrew would catch the stars up in the sky to make you happy!" Pleased to hear a small laughter mixed with a slight sob, she kept on speaking, "And when he talks about you, his eyes light up with a joy I can only see in your own eyes!"

Not trusting herself to speak, Monica let go of her hand and gave her a warm daughter embrace.