CHAPTER 46

Forgiveness

There was a light smile on Andrew's face as he put his firefighter uniform back at his bag. He was remembering his romantic escapade with Monica on the previous week, and how it had somewhat put an end on all those months of uncertainty about where they would fit. The two angels had been in human form for almost two years now and being around two different worlds took time to get used to. And even though they had managed to do it reasonably well, they still kept their angelic essence.

He finished to pack his bag and left the firefighters headquarters, occasionally saying goodbye to his co-workers as he walked towards the exit and glanced at his pocket watch, the only item he had brought with him from his previous life. Classes would be finishing in an hour, and he would have the time to pass by a local market and buy something to prepare dinner before picking her up at school.

Those were small things that human beings used to do almost automatically, and without any kind of emotion. To him, however, every little detail of his "human life" with Monica was something to admire and treasure. Whenever the subject "coming back to their previous life as angels" came to his mind, Andrew tried to busy himself with something else in order not to think about when that day came. He loved and honoured his duty as an angel sent by God to stay close to a human being. But the truth is that in the last couple of years, he also loved and honoured his duty as an angel sent by God to stay with the angel Monica.

Thinking about his eternal valentine, he headed to the market and bought some items and chuckled at the decaf mocha pot she had practically begged him to buy early that morning – and how she covered his face with lots of tiny kisses to show her gratitude. Yes, he did everything she asked him to. At least everything she explicitly asked him to. His thoughts were on Tess now and on the conversation he'd had with Monica at the hotel a few days earlier. He knew that Monica had already forgiven her supervisor and dear friend, and he wouldn't expect anything different from a loving and generous heart like hers. And the truth was that he too was shaken by Monica's words and ready to start a new beginning with Tess, he just didn't know how to do it.

The market attendant informed him the total of his purchase, sending some of his worries away, and he paid for the goodies and left the market carrying a bag. In 20 minutes he would arrive at the school, pick his wife and they would head back home, where a very excited dog would be waiting for them.

With long steps, he walked along the path he knew so well right now. One, two blocks, and then an alley, and then another block. But when he turned the corner in that narrow and always a bit deserted alley, a scene made him freeze: a man, probably in his early twenties, was had just knocked an old lady to the ground and grabbed her purse.

"Hey!" Andrew shouted, causing the thief to look at him and give the bag a final pull. The blond angel ran towards him and the lady but it was to late – in a matter of seconds, the guy disappeared around the corner.

Andrew turned his attention back to the woman on the ground and his expression was one of shock when he realised who it was.

"Tess..."

"Andrew... Oh, it was the Father Who sent you..."

He quickly deposited the bag on the ground and helped her up. She was still shaken from what happened, trembling both with fear and shock caused by the violent push the man had given her. And it was then that the former angel of death could feel what he needed in order to forgive her – he felt compassion for the angel in human form who had just suffered due to the actions of a disoriented human being.

"Did he hurt you?" he asked, still holding her hand once she was on her feet and truly worried about her.

"M-my arm... I fell over my arm when he... when he pushed me..."

"Was there anything important in the bag?" he said, checking her arm and placing it against her body in order to keep it still.

"Oh, no. Just some money for the time I'm here..."

"Please, come with me. Our house isn't too far."

She was surprised with that invitation, and tempted to go there so she could see her angel girl and pay them the visit she had been longing to. But Tess also knew that her presence made them feel uncomfortable and brought bitter memories from a past she would rather forget.

"I'm... I'm staying at an inn not far from here... I could-"

"There is no one staying with you." He gently interrupted. "Please, come with me."

Andrew would help anyone who was in need, it was a fact. But Tess was just a random lady who needed a hand; her fear and fragility wasn't just mere features of her personality. And his sadness and worry were much deeper than what he would feel for any other passerby. Or co-worker. Or friend.

The blond angel phoned the school and asked the secretary to let Monica know that he wasn't going to wait for her outside the school as they had arranged because he had gotten stuck with the shopping, and that although there wasn't anything to worry about, she should take a taxi and go home.

Andrew opened up the apartment door and motioned Tess to enter. "Let me get your coat. Slowly so your arm doesn't hurt." He said, placing the bag with their food on the table and helping her out with the overcoat, which he hang by the door. "Please, sit down."

"Thank you..."

"Are you sure you don't wanna check it in a hospital?" he wanted to know, bringing her some water and taking a seat in front of her.

"Oh, no. It was just the impact, the pain is already subsiding."

"Being in human form... it can be pleasant but it also reveals their fragility."

The older angel nodded her head. "I guess it's been a long time since I last felt it so closely... like now."

"I know... And I'm sorry you had to go through it."

There was a brief silence between them. It wasn't awkward, though, as there was peace in Andrew's heart; the resistance and distress he felt towards Tess had not been forgotten, and would never be, but were left aside to allow him to see things more clearly now. And the supervisor, for herself, felt joy to be able to see her dearest friends again, even if it meant to go through what she had been a couple of minutes before.

He took a seat in front of her. "You said you're staying at an inn not far from here... are you on an assignment?"

The supervisor lowered her head, looking for the best words to reply to his question. "No... No assignments."

"Then? What were you doing in that alley?"

"I took a break from my normal activities and... well, I'm spending some of my free time in here. Besides, we both know there isn't such thing as free time." She replied. "How is Monica? How is... the baby?"

The expression on his face softened. "They are both fine. She's having a calm pregnancy now, after all that's happened."

Again, there was a brief silence, but it was broken when the two angels in human form spoke at the same time.

"Tess..."

"Andrew..."

He waited for her to go on speaking. "I know I'm not in the position of asking anything from you and Monica, but... But if it's alright with you and with her, I'd... I'd like to ask your permission to come and see you... It could even be at a day and a time you're not home, I don't want to be a bother and I know you're still-"

"You're welcome here, Tess." He gently interrupted. "Anytime you want to visit us. Monica will be happy to have you here. And so will I."

A lonely tear feel from the supervisor's eye and she reached out to take his hand in both of his. "Thank you, Andrew. For this new chance... I know that what I did was..."

"Tess, I'll be honest and tell you that I was angry... very angry with you."

"You had the right to be."

"I know." He sighed. "But now... when I look at all I have since the day Monica and I got here... We've been blessed in so many ways that... I think I cannot let my anger mess up with our life now." He made a small pause and kept on talking. "Besides... I'm willing to start all over again too. It was Monica's generous and loving heart that made me realise I'd be making a mistake if I kept things the way they were. Life changes... people, or angels, they change too and deserve a chance for that, it was what our loving Father taught us."

"I'm not a tiny bit surprised that those thoughts come from our angel girl..." the older angel spoke, more tears falling freely from her eyes. "She is very special and has taught me so much..."

"That's what she did for me too."

"We're both very blessed to have her in our existence."

"I tell her that every single day, Tess."

The door knob was moved and the door was open a second later, and a slightly worried Monica appeared. But when she saw her dear friend and her eternal valentine sitting in the living room, holding each other's hands, a smile graced her beautiful face and instant tears appeared in her eyes.

"Tess..."

Andrew gently let go of Tess' hand and stood on his feet. Then, he walked up to his wife and kissed her forehead. "And here you are again, angel, so I can tell you that again..."

The adorable mix of confusion on her face, along with her crying smile nearly undid him. "Tell me again? I'm not sure if I understand..."

Andrew and Tess smiled too, and he took her hand to his lips, "Please, have a seat, sweetie. I have dinner to prepare, and we have guests."