CHAPTER 48

Sent from Heaven

"Andrew?"

The blond angel was getting ready to go out on shopping on that bright Saturday morning and as he emerged from the bedroom, he heard a soft voice calling his name. A happy eight-month pregnant Monica was sitting at the table as they had finished breakfast minutes before and he was quickly by her side, stroking her hair as he took a seat next to her, gazing at her beautiful form.

"Yes, angel?"

"I guess I finished!" she finally announced, grinning at him and holding a pencil and a piece of paper in her hands.

"Really? Let me take a look at this list of yours then..."

She handed him the paper and kept on observing him as he read. And Andrew was not able to hide a worried frown as he ran his eyes on what she had just written.

"...mango with pepper, avocados in the sausage dressing and peach pudding with fish? Are you really sure about this, Monica?"

"I certainly am! Oh, Andrew, I've been wanting to eat those so much lately! I guess the last time I felt what mango with chilli pepper taste like I was still in annunciations!" she spoke, with a dreamy eyed expression that amused him, in spite of the strangeness of her supermarket list.

Sighing deeply, he nodded his head without much choice. "Alright..."

The Irish angel inched closer to him and grabbed his hand. "I'll let you taste a wee bit of it, I promise!"

What was so funny about those words was that she was not joking. Clearing his throat, he tried to remain serious. "Erm... on second thoughts, angel, I'll buy it just for you. It'll be... something special."

A broad smile was the reward for his attentiveness. Monica brushed a loving kiss against his lips and placed his hand over her roundish belly. "This wee one and I are so blessed to have you! Who else would help us to keep our taste for all those special food combinations?"

Andrew went from highly amused to deeply moved as the little baby inside her belly kicked against his hand, as if greeting him and sending a message that she would be in his arms very soon.

"Hey, sweetie! Your daddy is right here, my little angel! And he can hardly wait to hold you in his arms!" he spoke, and Monica was moved to see him bend down to kiss her belly.

"I have no doubt that she can hardly wait to be in her daddy's arms!" she spoke, stroking his short blond hair with tenderness.

Andrew looked at her and took her hand in both of his. "Will you be alright?"

"I promise we will behave!"

"I won't take long, okay?"

He pressed his lips against hers in a tender kiss and Monica did not miss the opportunity to stroke his handsome face once again. As he walked out of the kitchen, the Irish angel also rose to her feet and took the two empty breakfast dishes up to the sink. But as she opened up the faucet a sharp pain ran through her body and she let the dishes fall to place her both hands against her belly.

"Andrew!"

He was about to open the entrance door when he heard the crashing noise coming from the kitchen and her crying out his name. Andrew was by her side a second later.

"Angel? Monica, what is it?" he wanted to know, with a supportive hold around her body.

The expression on her face was one of pain. She smiled, however, and looked at him with some tears in her eyes. "I'm under the impression that our wee one is not going to wait any longer..."

X

Andrew did not know how he managed to throw a few pieces of clothes inside a bag, call a cab and phone Monica's doctor in a matter of just a few minutes. Much to his relief, everything seemed to be cooperating, even the always chaotic New York traffic. Monica was soon at the hospital and taken to a room where they would prepare her to give birth to their child.

A miracle child, Andrew thought, as he ran his hands through is blond hair in the waiting room. He would soon be there with his beloved angel girl but while they got her ready, a film of their journey on Earth passed in his mind, and he was certain that the 18 months they lived as humans were worthier than his whole eternity.

"Andrew..."

Even though her soothing voice was filled with pain, she had a smile on her beautiful face.

"I'm here, angel... I'll be with you all the time!"

Her eternal valentine was soon next to her, holding her hand and speaking to her ear, trying to calm her. Monica was in labour and it would be soon until she gave birth to their baby.

"Everything will be just fine, angel, you'll see... I'll be with you and you and I know who else is in charge here..."

"I know..." she breathed hard, as her pain increased, "...and this is what makes me calm... and confident..."

Monica let out a cry and her doctor announced. "Another contraction!"

Andrew knew that would have to happen – his precious soul mate was in female form and despite the fact that he would eternally be grateful for that, now he wished she did not have to suffer that much. Her pain was so latent that he felt it right through his heart too.

"Please, Father, keep her and our baby safe... They're my greatest blessings..." he prayed in silence. Monica dropped her head against the pillow and breathed in trying to recover.

"You're doing fine, Monica! Keep up the pace and your baby will be here soon!" Doctor Sarah Edwards spoke, with an encouraging smile.

Smiling, she nodded her head as Andrew kissed her temple lovingly. "See, angel? You're both doing just great!"

"We are, aren't we, Andrew?"

He removed her sweaty hair from her forehead, never letting go of her hand. "Yes, baby..."

"Please, hold my hand..." she asked, pleadingly, even though she did not need to. Another wave of pain started to run through her body, followed by another cry and Andrew wondered if he had ever felt so nervous in his existence.

Meanwhile, some very important people in the angels' life started to arrive at the hospital: Mark and his wife Amber were the first ones. Then Ella crossed the hospital gate in a hurry.

"Have you two spoken to the doctor yet? What happened? How is Monica?" she wanted to know, visibly nervous.

"The doctors are with her now. She is in labour and it seems that soon we'll have a little angel in this world!" Amber happily announced.

"Andrew phoned me on the way to the hospital..." Mark spoke, with a worried expression on his face. "I still don't know how he managed to get everything ready in just a few minutes!"

But his wife smiled and rolled her eyes. "I wonder if their true nature has something to do with it!"

"Yes, but they are in human form now and... Oh, dear Father... I do hope and pray that everything goes well!" The old teacher took a seat next to them and showed them the small package she was carrying. "I had just finished this for the baby but I didn't know I'd give it so soon!"

Before anyone could reply, they saw it as Tess came along the corridor, with the same worried expression of the others. "Is it true? Monica is really here?"

"Yes, Tess. She felt bad in the morning." Mark informed.

"Andrew is with her. They're about to become parents very soon!" Amber spoke, as she seemed the only one who was calm about it.

"Oh, dear Father..." the supervisor spoke, sitting next to Ella and also holding a small package. "I'm glad I had time to finish this for the little baby!"

The two old ladies looked at each other and it was possible to see some slight annoyance on their faces. Mark and Amber also exchanged a secret glance, amused at the jealousy they could witness as the two women were near to become "grandmothers."

Inside the surgery room, Monica let her head fall against the pillow once again, breathing hard as the tears fell from her eyes. Andrew's heart was beating wildly in his chest as he did everything to calm her down and not let her see how nervous he was.

"You're almost there, angel..." he spoke, stroking her hair. "You're such a wonderful mother already... And I'll be forever proud of you, honey..."

"I love you so much..." he heard her whisper.

Summoning every fiber in her being, Monica pushed one more time, and now her crying was mixed with the one of her baby.

"It's here, Monica! Your baby is here!" the doctor happily announced as she took the little one in her arms.

With a broad smile on his face, Andrew turned to look at an exhausted Monica, never stopping to caress her hair. "You've done it, angel! And I knew you would! You do so many wonderful things, my angel..."

She closed her eyes for a moment, whispering a silent prayer of thanks for that wonderful miracle. Then, her lips turned into a tired smile and she looked at him. "You were here with me... this is what gave me strength..."

Moved with emotion, Andrew brushed his lips against hers in a tender kiss, and it was then that the doctor removed the umbilical cord and took the baby up to the new parents.

"Congratulations, you both... Monica, you gave birth to a beautiful baby girl!"

The little angel was crying and still dirty with blood, but it was the most beautiful thing Monica ever saw. She had her mother skin complexion and dark reddish hair. A cute dimple underneath her chin was already visible and the other ones on her cheek would soon be noticed by the two marvelled parents. Andrew never noticed there were tears in his eyes when the nurse deposited the baby in Monica's arms, and as she was still too week, he too helped to hold the child.

"Look at her, angel... she's just so beautiful... just as beautiful as her mom..." the blond angel spoke, taking the baby's tiny little hand.

"She is... perfect... because she's yours..." she spoke, tears falling from her eyes. "... and I'm just so happy not just because she's here but also because I can see so much joy in your face..."

"Oh, angel... You two will always be responsible for so much happiness... always."

"I love you..." she spoke, and then turned her eyes to the crying little angel. "And you, wee one!"

"I love you too, baby... both of you are my entire world..."