A miracle is granted
A week later...
"Be careful, Andrew... The doctor said you cannot do quick movements..."
Monica unlocked the door of their apartment and pulled it open, making room for her beloved Andrew to enter. He had his lower leg in plaster and a week after he woke up from a coma Monica had been treating him with extra care and was more overprotective than ever. Smiling, Andrew nodded his head as he finally stepped into their house after so many hard days. And for a moment he sighed, slowly observing the living room and each object that existed there. Each of them had a particular story, involving him and Monica and their stay on Earth; the picture on the wall that reminded them of their Home, the cuckoo clock that caused Monica to giggle with childlike joy. The small angel statue made of marble that he bought her and which filled her eyes with tears of emotion. All of them had a special story - their story.
"Andrew?"
Her soothing voice pronouncing his name in the lovely way that he treasured so much took him out of his reverie.
"It's ok, angel, I'm just fine." He said, and then made his way inside the apartment.
Monica followed him carrying a bag with his clothes and placed it on the floor by the door so that she could guide him up to the sofa. "Please, take a seat..."
Still finding her unnecessary care rather endearing, Andrew sat down on the couch and placed the crutches to the side. Monica then proceeded in gathering two cushions for him. "Here, it's for your back, it'll make you feel more comfortable, I-"
"Angel..."
Andrew gently interrupted her by taking her hand. "What is it? Is there something you need?" she was quick to worry.
"Yes..."
"And what is it? Tell me, please?"
"I need you to sit here with me, baby..."
The slight worry on her face faded away as he spoke and she slowly took a seat at the edge of the sofa. "Are... Are you sure you don't want anything? Some water or perhaps a sandwich..."
He motioned her closer to him. "Come here... All I need is to hold you..."
On the following moment, the Irish angel was in his arms, resting her head underneath his chin as he held her tightly and kissed the top of her head repeatedly.
"I'll spend the rest of my eternity thanking our Father for this moment..." he said, sighing deeply as he stroked her long auburn hair.
"So will I..." Monica replied, closing her eyes to the sound of his steady heartbeats.
"All I could think of was you, baby... I was... I was desperate when I felt the ceiling collapsing, I kept begging God to watch over you..."
"He did... I have no doubt that he sent Ella to be my angel since from the first moment we met... She took such good care of me, Andrew..."
"I know... I have so much to thank her for..." He kissed the top of her head and was going to say something else when Monica gently pulled away, just enough to look at his face. And it was sad for him to see the exhaustion still written on her lovely features; the paleness and how she had lost some weight during that ordeal. She hadn't been feeling well, it was a fact. Andrew had noticed how much she tried to hide this fact from him but the truth was that it was time he started to take care of her now – like he always did and like he had vowed to do for the rest of his existence.
"You need to rest, baby. I can see you're tired. You've been through a lot these days and it's not fair you keep worrying about me and forget about you." He caressed her face with the back of his hand. "I know this is what your selfless little heart always does but I won't allow it now that I'm back to you!"
Monica let out a small sigh with a little anxiety – she had to tell him about the baby, he needed to know that within months he would become a father. But noticing his questioning eyes, she elected to move on with her plans: such a special piece of news had to be delivered in a special way.
"Monica? Is there something you want to tell me?" he wanted to know, reading the conflict of emotions in her sweet dark brown pools.
"I... I prepared you something..." she started, measuring each word.
"And what is it you prepared, angel?" Andrew straightened his body and gazed at her with curiosity.
Monica managed a slight smile and tilted her head. "I prepared you a surprise dinner..." The way she shrugged her shoulders was particularly endearing to him. "Except that now it isn't a surprise any longer..."
Her words and the way she spoke elicited a small laughter from him. "Oh, angel..." He gently lay both hands on each side of her face and pecked her lips several times, until her soft giggling filled her ears. "You're unbelievable!"
"I'd say you have a point in there, Andrew, as I know it's a wee bit hard to believe I did prepare your dinner..." she lowered her voice as if revealing a big secret. "...But I have to confess that I didn't cook... I ordered it!"
Chuckling, Andrew gathered her in his arms and kissed her lips once again. "I love you so much, baby... So much that I'd have to spend my whole eternity telling you so and it still wouldn't be enough!"
"I love you so too... You're my entire world, Andrew..." she said, closing her eyes and enjoying the feeling of being in his arms.
X
While Andrew was in hospital, many of his colleagues went to visit him and were glad for his recovery. Ella was also a strong presence at their side, always helping out with whatever Monica or Andrew needed. During that afternoon, the couple had some other guests such as Mark and his wife, chief Davidson and Carolyn and her son, Peter. Their front door neighbour brought them a cake and returned Bear, Monica's loyal guardian who had been under Carolyn's care of while the angels were away. The animal's evident joy at seeing his owner back was moving, as he barked, wagged his tail and even cried by Andrew's feet. And much to their surprise and Carolyn's astonishment, Peter, her eight-year-old autistic son, gave two steps ahead and hugged Andrew. The woman was definitely sure that there was something special about that couple and every night she thanked God for placing them in their life.
By 7 PM Monica started an intense preparation for dinner and despite his insistence she didn't allow Andrew to help her. At around 7.30 the food was finally served – light but tasty, it had been ordered from a nice and cosy restaurant a few blocks from their house, where they would go in Andrew's days off. It smelled pleasantly and, added to the decoration of the dining table, created a lovely atmosphere for the couple.
Andrew's eyes, however, were not on the menu or on the table ornaments, but on a certain little angel who looked particularly beautiful that evening. Monica wasn't wearing anything fancy, because it was a chilly night, but the purple turtle neck sweater and the blue jeans, combined with comfortable sneakers made her look so pretty to his eyes that he could have gazed at her all night long. There was an aura around the Irish angel, a soft glow involving her body that made her look like she was back in her angelic form.
"I hope you like it, Andrew..." she spoke softly, taking him out of his reverie.
And as she took a seat opposite him, the blond angel immediately reached for her hand. "You make everything just perfect, my angel." Her shy smile nearly undid him, and he took her hand to his lips. "You're so beautiful..."
"And you are always telling me lovely words!"
"You deserve all of them!" he kissed her hand and they started their first dinner together in weeks.
The minutes that followed were filled with sweet glances and affectionate words, and Andrew wouldn't get tired of listening to her eternal chattering or admiring her meek Gaelic features as she spoke. There was definitely something special about her, something Andrew couldn't decipher at the moment, but which made her nearly ethereal and filled his heart with not only immense love but also with fierce protectiveness towards her.
At the same time, however, the blond angel could also notice some restlessness in those bright brown pools. He wondered if perhaps that was still a reflex of the last troubled days, but again, it was hard to imagine Monica being nervous at his side. Andrew's presence would always send her back to their original Home; to a place where she would always feel safe and protected, and all the moments they shared together were a blessing and proof of their eternal love.
They were finishing their meal when, little by little, she turned quiet and Andrew noticed the conflict of emotions on her face becoming more evident. "Angel..." he started, but she was quick to speak again.
"I'll bring you the dessert, Andrew, I-"
He quickly searched for her hand, stopping her from rising to her feet. "No, it's okay, Monica, I want you to stay here for a moment."
She fell silent, staring at him in suspense. Announcing good news had always been a joy to her, but it was totally different now, and although she knew how much Andrew liked children, she also wondered what it would be like for him to know that he would become a father. Due to their nature, it had always sounded like something impossible, unthinkable.
"Monica, is there something wrong?"
"N-no..."
"Then why am I under the impression you're a little nervous?"
"I... I guess I am... a wee bit..."
With a little difficulty, due to his injured foot, Andrew moved his chair closer to hers and held her other hand. "Angel, I told you once I can't imagine what you've been through these days, and although things are beginning to go back to normal for us I can still see traces of exhaustion on your beautiful face, baby... Once or twice, when we were at the hospital, I noticed you were not feeling well despite your insistence in telling me you were fine..."
"You're... You're right, Andrew, I haven't been feeling well lately, but there's an explanation for this, I-"
His jaw tensed at that piece of news. "Oh, Monica! Angel, have you been to the doctor? I'll take you tomorrow and-"
"I've been to the doctor, Andrew..." She gently interrupted him, her soothing voice now contrasting with his nervous one.
"You have?"
"I felt sick while I was helping others at St. Paul and Ella took me to the ER at the nearest hospital. It happened while you were still missing and Doctor Gibson, well, he asked for a blood test..."
As she spoke, he kept on asking questions as her words gave him a hint of the terrible moments she had been through. "And what did he say? Is there something wrong with you, angel? Please tell me, we can-"
"I'm pregnant..."
Those few words seemed to paralyse him, and on the following instant he doubted he had heard it right. "What are you telling me, Monica?"
His low voice and the serious expression on his face caused her heart to beat faster with apprehension. They had talked about the possibility of having children, and Andrew had told her that although he would love it, they had to deal with the possibility that it could never happen. Had he changed his mind now that it wasn't a mere supposition but a fact?
"I... I'm expecting a baby..." she bit her lower lip, fighting the tears that were forming in the corner of her eyes.
"A baby..." he repeated, looking at an invisible point ahead of him. He would be a father – the concrete proof of their love was now resting in Monica's womb.
"The morning sickness... my exhaustion... It's all part of it..."
A tear finally made its way down her face and she let go of his hand to wipe it away, still finding his silence incredibly disturbing. "I know you thought it would never happen but-"
"I thought... I would never be blessed with a present like this..."
His words finally put her worries to rest and as he touched her belly, fresh tears fell from her eyes. "Andrew..."
"We... we are really having a baby?" he asked, his eyes turning from her stomach to her face.
Nodding her head, Monica stroked his blond hair. "We are... I'm seven weeks pregnant..."
"Oh, Father!" he exclaimed, his eyes filled with tears of joy. "When I thought I had been blessed enough with your love then God grants us with a child! Come here, angel..." he pulled Monica to sit on his lap and once she did so, he held her tightly to him, as if she was a precious and delicate treasure. He kissed the side of her head, still processing what was happening to them. Then, he pulled away just a little and searched for her eyes, "I love you so much, angel..." The blond angel stroked her belly with tenderness, "And I already love this baby with all my heart, with all my soul..."
"Andrew..." she let out a small sob, "I was afraid..."
He frowned a bit confused. "Afraid?"
"For a moment I thought you might not adjust to this new situation because of our nature..."
"Adjust to... Baby, you've just made me the happiest creature in this world! Nothing, apart from your love itself, would make me feel as much blessed as what you're telling me, angel!" he cupped her cheek, and the power of his gaze was such that it put an end to Monica's unfounded doubts and worries. "You're my entire world, baby..." he smiled now, a broad and contented smile that reflected all his joy. "You and this little angel you're carrying here!"
"I love you too... We both love you very much, Andrew..."
"I know... I can see it in your eyes... I can always see it in your eyes, my sweet angel..."
Andrew cupped her cheek again, caressing her face with gentle fingers, drinking every bit of her meek face and wanting that moment to be etched in his memory for the years to come. Then, he crossed the small distance between them and pressed his lips against hers, silencing her crying voice with a loving soulful kiss, which she returned with the same intensity.
And once it was over, he covered her face with small kisses. "I'll watch over you... You and our little angel... I promise you that, baby..." he spoke, resting his head with hers.
"Oh, Andrew... my love... You don't have to promise me that. I know you will, you always have..." she replied, tears of emotion still falling from her doe-like eyes.
He tensed at the thought that besides his disappearing, his beloved valentine also had to deal with the possibility of having their baby all by herself. Andrew could imagine how scared and alone she must have felt, and it saddened him terribly. "My dear angel...You had to go through what you did all by yourself, baby... all this time, knowing that you were expecting a baby but not knowing where I was... how I wish I had been there with you, angel! I'm so sorry!"
"Oh, but you were, Andrew..." she pulled away, and reached out to caress his face, now even more handsome as the cuts and injuries were fading away. "I carried you in my heart and I could always feel your presence. Wherever you were, your love always filled my spirit with hope... I had no doubt that you'd be back to me... to us..."
He kissed her lips for a brief moment. "You're right there, baby, because it was my love for you that made me resist... It was for you that I fought so much, and I would have fought many other battles again just to have you right here in my arms like I do now."
A long, loving kiss sealed those love promises and the two angels held each other for dear life; now happy smiles upon their faces as they imagined the future ahead. Life couldn't be so perfect.
Despite all their happiness, however, a curious and worrying thought crossed Monica's mind: Tess' visit. What was she doing there? Why had she reappeared after all these months?
The Irish angel elected not to comment on it with Andrew right now – it would spoil such a special moment he was so happy that she ended up leaving her own worries aside. Together, they had managed to accomplish so much that now their former friend and supervisor's presence didn't represent a threat to their love story.
No. Their story was bigger and much stronger. It was perfect and, as the latest events proved, it was much blessed.
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