PART 4

On the following morning, Monica opened her eyes slowly and looked around her. The first sun rays were now entering through her window. For some instants, a puzzled expression appeared on her face, as she didn't remember going to her room on the night before. But, then, a second later, a tender smile formed on her lips: Andrew surely had carried and put her in bed. Memories of the previous day immediately filled her heart with tenderness and joy, and, God forbid, with the purest and greatest love she had ever felt.

The Irish angel stood up from her bed and, still sleepy, she left her room. "Andrew..." she called, crossing the living room, "Where are you?"

Monica also looked for him in the dining room and in the kitchen but frowned with concern: there wasn't any reply to her callings and the blond angel wasn't anywhere around. Deeply worried, she climbed up the stairs and knocked on his bedroom door, "Andrew?"

The Irish angel opened the door slowly and confirmed what she already feared: the room was empty. Andrew had gone, probably an emergency had taken him away in the middle of the night and now it could take months or even years for them to meet again.

"Oh Andrew..." she whispered, tears already forming in her eyes. Quietly and miserably, she left the bedroom and went downstairs. The porch swing was the last place they had been together and, as she sat down, tears of sadness finally made their way down her cheeks.

Crying helplessly, Monica closed her eyes, despair visible on her face. "Andrew... Oh, Andrew... I missed you so much... You went away and I didn't have the chance... Once again, I didn't have the chance to tell you how much I love you..." she whispered, holding the pocket watch he had given her close to her heart.

What she didn't notice was when Andrew approached the beach house, carrying a package with some food for breakfast, including coffee powder. But when he saw his beloved friend crying desperately, Andrew was quick to cross the fence and climb the porch steps, "Monica!"

The Irish angel's heart nearly jumped at the sound of his voice and she finally opened her eyes, watching through blurred vision, as he climbed the steps. She immediately stood up and held him as tightly as she could, still hardly believing he was there.

The blond angel dropped the package on the floor returned her embrace, with a mix of joy for having her in his arms, and great worry to see her crying so much. "What happened, Monica?" he asked, suddenly feeling fiercely protective about her.

"You didn't go..."

"Go? Go where?" Andrew gently pulled away just a few inches and placed his hand on her cheek, feeling sorry to see so much sadness on her meek face.

"I thought I had lost you... I thought you had left..."

"I... I went to buy some food for breakfast..." he spoke, a bit taken aback by her words.

Monica kept on talking, looking deep inside his green eyes. "I thought you had gone... without knowing the truth..."

"What truth, Monica?"

"That... that I don't want you to leave... not again... without knowing that... That I love you, Andrew!"

Andrew felt his heart pounding loudly in his chest; a turmoil of different thoughts running on his mind and a flood of happiness invading his soul. She was opening her heart to him and confronting his fears with all her sincerity.

"I love you so much... so deeply... When I saw you walking away from me, six months ago, I wanted to tell you to stop, I wanted to tell you to stay with me but, before I could say so, you were gone!"

"Monica..." he whispered, some tears forming on the corner of his eyes.

"I've been suffering so much... I spent the last six months wanting to know where you were... wondering if... if you were still thinking of me..."

"Oh angel... God, I can't believe it I'm hearing this from you! I prayed every single day to see you again; every sunrise I asked the Father to give me this blessing, even if it was just for a few minutes..." he grabbed her face with both hands, "I love you, Monica!" As he said that, a spark of happiness shone in Monica's eyes as her voice came out as a whisper, "What?"

That tiny reaction only encouraged him to continue to talk, "Yes, that's my truth too! The truth I fought to hide from you and from everybody else, even the Father Himself!" he said, "... as if I could..."

She let out a mix of laugher and sob, and he wiped away some tears from her cheeks and kept on talking, "When we separated I felt that a part of me had gone... I felt I had lost so much that I wouldn't even be able to smile again."

"Really?" hope, joy and surprise were evident in her face.

"Last night, after you slept, I prayed and asked the Father to give me an answer... to tell me if this love was wrong or if..." he smiled, contemplating her still tearful face, "... or if I should tell you how much I love you, angel. And I guess He's just did it..."

Practically hypnotised with each other's loving gaze, Monica and Andrew inched their faces close together and their lips finally touched; at first in a light caress, and after, in a slow, sweet kiss, full of affection and great love. Andrew wrapped one arm around her waist and moved his other hand from her cheek to the back of her head.

And, for some instants, the two angels felt as if they were the only living creatures in the world. All the suffering and pain caused by their separation, six months earlier, had been replaced by the most absolute happiness.

When they finally pulled away it was just for a few moments, to look at each other's faces and see, once more, the love written in their eyes.

"Am I still sleeping? Is this a dream, Andrew?" she spoke, placing her hand on his handsome face, fingertips tenderly touching his skin.

"I don't believe there can be a dream sweeter than this..."

He kissed the palm of her hand and then pulled her closer, to a tight, warm embrace that lasted for long minutes. They remained in a pleasant silence for long minutes, just listening to each other's heartbeats and the loving feelings flowing from their soul.

"Let's go inside, I bought food to prepare breakfast... including your coffee..." the blond angel finally spoke again, gently pulling away and winking at her. But Monica remained where she was and wrapped her arms around his neck one more time, giving him a tight hug.

"I thought you had gone away... I was so desperate, Andrew..."

He returned her embrace and buried his face on her shoulder, smelling her sweet perfume, "Wherever I go, Monica, be sure that I'm always carrying you in my heart..." He pulled away and stroked her hair, "Now come, angel, we're in human form and I don't want to see you crying and hungry any longer!"

"Ok..."

Andrew prepared breakfast and, in that case, Monica's help was really effective, as she made the coffee and. Some time later, the two angels in human form snuggled close together on the couch, taking the opportunity to enjoy those moments at the maximum.

"When Tess found out my true feelings; when she found out how much I love you, I told her I'd never say a word to you..." Andrew spoke, running his fingers through her hair.

Monica was resting her head against his chest and raised her eyes to face him, "Tess knew it?" she exclaimed, with surprise.

"Yes. I was so angry because I wasn't allowed to give my testimony about you before you were promoted..."

"You're telling me they didn't hear you?"

"No... they said I wouldn't be impartial... considering what I felt for you."

Impressed to have ignored that fact, the Irish angel shook her head, "I didn't know this... How could I be such a fool?"

"Hey! You're not a fool!"

"Yes, I am! I spent so many years not only unaware of your feelings but also incapable of realising my own feelings; to realise how much I love you!"

Those words caused a pleased smile to appear on his face, "Well, hearing this from you now made every minute count!" he brushed a gentle kiss on her forehead, "Besides, we'll have the rest of eternity to enjoy each other's company!"

"You know what also makes me happy?"

"Besides drinking gallons of coffee without Tess around to scold you?"

Giggling at his joke, Monica reached up and stroked his face with tenderness, "Knowing that both of us being granted a day off at the same time wasn't a coincidence... neither was the fact that we decided to come back here after so many years..."

"Yes... I prayed yesterday night and asked our loving Father to show me a sign; to tell me what I should do. And He just did it."

They felt a soft message gently whispered to their hearts. A positive message. Yes, their love was blessed.

They closed their eyes and felt it in its plenitude, and then looked at each other again; emotion on their faces. "I'll spend the rest of my eternity just thanking Him." The blond angel said, watching as Monica nodded and shed some tears.

"Me too, Andrew..."

Their faces inched closer and as their eyes closed another loving caress started; sweet, delicate and precious moment that would certainly be etched in their mind for the centuries to come. But when they finally pulled away, Andrew noticed a trace of worry in her eyes. "Monica? What is it?"

"I'm afraid, you know... Soon, we'll have to leave and, with me being a supervisor and you being an angel of death, especially now that you're going through an evaluation, when will I see you again? I... I don't think I could bear to stay away from you another six months, Andrew..."

The blond angel sat up straight and took her both hands into his own, looking deep inside her eyes. "Let me tell you something: our love has been blessed. And if the Father was the greatest responsible for putting us together, if He knows how much we love each other, do you think He'll keep us apart now?"

"No..." she whispered, looking at him with tenderness.

"There'll be days we won't see each other, as we're angels and we have a mission to fulfil. But something tells me that every now and then, I'll end up in a place like this, holding you in my arms and telling you how much I love you!"

Monica let go one of his hands and touched his face once again, "I missed your reassurance... You have such a special way to put my heart at ease." Her smile was a hopeful one.

Andrew nodded his head, pleased to see the hope in her bright eyes, "Yes! That's what I want to hear! And now, let's enjoy this time together, as it hasn't finished yet and... I still want to hold you and tell you how much I love you a couple of times more!"

Smiling even more, Monica shed a tear of joy, "I love you too, Andrew. Very much. And forever!"

The end