Chapter 2

        "Who would have thought that the time would come for me to be a

        supervisor this quickly, Tess?" Monica whispered, gazing thoughtfully

        down at the beautiful collage sitting on a table in the corner of the

        ballroom. A steaming cup of coffee sat in the palm of her hand as she

        leaned forward slightly, smiling brightly at a colorful picture of her,

        Andrew and Tess, taken several years ago after an assignment: Tess'

        driver's license photo.

        Shaking her head at the memory, the angel turned and faced her

        supervisor, a twinge of sadness already tugging at her heart,

        "Time sure has flown by, hasn't it? It just seems like yesterday when I

        became a caseworker...seven years ago, though..."

        "And you succeeded well, Angel Girl," Tess lovingly acknowledged her

        charge, wrapping an arm around her shoulders,

        "I wasn't surprised when the Father told Andrew and I that you had been

        promoted to supervisor...you have come such a long way, Baby, and I'm

        more than happy for you."

        Touched deeply by her supervisor and friend's compliments to her, Monica

        carefully set her coffee cup down on the table next to the colorful

        collage and threw her arms around Tess, hugging her tightly to herself.

        Tears of happiness welling up in her eyes, the Irish angel softly

        whispered in her friend's ear,

        "Thank you, Tess...you don't know how much that means to me to hear you

        say that..."

        Lovingly stroking the young angel's curled, auburn hair, the older

        supervisor whispered back,

        "You know I love you, Monica...right?"

        Closing her eyes for a brief moment, Monica gently pulled away from the

        hug and met Tess' chocolate-brown eyes, which were filled with full-time

        seriousness.

        "I know you do, Tess..." she replied, grasping the angel's hands in her

        own and squeezing them tightly. "I know..."

        Just as the Irish angel felt like she was going to start crying for good

        at the love displayed between her and Tess, she glanced over the older

        angel's shoulder and spotted Andrew heading towards them, a friendly grin

        on his handsome face.

        "Monica? Tess?"

        Returning her friend's smile, Monica released on of Tess' hands and

        reached for one of Andrew's, gripping it in her own.

        "Hey, Andrew!" she greeted the Angel of Death, feeling her heart and soul

        become more touched now that both of her best friends were by her side

        for the time being,

        "What's up?"

        Glancing between his two friends, Andrew slightly raised a dark eyebrow

        and hesitantly opened his mouth.

        "Uh...am I interrupting you two?" he asked nervously, looking at Tess for

        an answer.

        "Of course not, Baby," she gently replied, wrapping an arm around her

        friend's waist and giving him a loving squeeze,

        "We're your friends and we always have time to talk to you, Angel Boy, or

        available whenever you need us."

        Giving a sigh of relief, the Angel of Death smiled thankfully at Tess

        before turning to Monica, who still held onto his hand.

        "I really need to talk to you, Monica," he gently requested, once more

        looking back from her and Tess,

        "If it's all right with you, Tess...can I steal her away for a couple of

        minutes?"

        Lightly chuckling at her friend's nervousness, Tess lightly patted her

        "Angel Boy" on the back and grinned at him,

        "Of course you can talk to her, Baby," she answered, leaning down to pick

        up the flowered paper plate on the wooden table that held small tuna

        sandwiches, fruit salad and several angel cookies,

        "I'll talk to you two later when you return, okay, Angel Babies?"

        Giving them each a peck on the cheek, the supervisor turned around and

        walked away, heading over to where Sam, Adam and Raphael sat at a long

        table, covered with a white, flowered sheet. Just as she neared the

        table, the angel allowed the tears she had been trying so desperately to

        hold in trail down her dark skin. She knew that she still had tonight

        left with her friends--her precious "Angel Babies"-- but, after that,

        nothing would be the same...

        And it looks like Andrew has a similar announcement to make, she thought

        sadly to herself as she finally neared her fellow angel's table. How will

        the three of us take all of this news once it comes out? Will there be

        hurt feelings of abandonment?

        Sighing quietly, Tess raised her eyes to the ceiling, staring at the

        colorful balloons that had floated to the high ceiling.

        Either way...I never knew how hard it would be to say farewell to your

        best friends...