By Deyse Magalhães
Tess, Monica and Andrew are given the Christmas holiday off: the angels are allowed to spend it together on earth and celebrate it like humans do. But what can happen when Monica and Andrew decide to prepare a surprise for Tess on that special occasion?
PART 1
Snow spread all over Utah mountains like a white blanket covering all the area around a cosy and beautiful cabin, and the whiteness of the mountains contrasted with the evergreen pine trees and the bluest of the skies, forming a lovely winter scenario. And all this beauty became even more special due to the fact that Christmas was coming soon, and families where preparing themselves to celebrate such an important and meaningful day.
But that year humans were not the only ones who were busy making plans for the forthcoming holidays, as a closer look at the cabin revealed a tall blond man putting all his efforts into dragging a small fallen pine tree towards the house, and being attentively watched by a beautiful auburn lady and by a chubby black spaniel puppy (who was wearing a light blue sweater to protect her from the cold).
“You’re going to have the best Christmas ya ever had, wee one! I promise!” she said, holding the animal close to her chest and immediately receiving lots of tiny kisses on her face.
“Monica, if we’re spending Christmas like humans do, don’t you think that it would be a better idea if we bought a Christmas tree, in a store, just like humans would do?” Andrew asked, exhaustion evident on his face.
“But it wouldn’t be as beautiful as this one! Besides, the wind knocked down this wee pine tree last night and it would be a shame to leave such a beautiful and green little tree outside, useless to everything else. We can give it a new purpose by placing it by the window and hanging many ornaments and small lamps on it!”
Hearing that (and also the tiny puppy bark that followed her words, as if agreeing with the Irish angel), Andrew rolled his eyes to the sky, visibly bothered with the little task his dearest friend had assigned him. But Monica’s enthusiasm was so great that she didn’t even notice his superficial distress and kept on talking. “Besides, you will have to drag it along just a wee bit more, we’re almost at the cabin!” her voice was a mix of excitement and anxiety, “C’mon, I’ll help you!”
“Good! You can...”
Andrew was going to give her one of the ropes he was using to drag the tree all the way up to the cabin, but before he could finish his sentence, Monica left him behind and ran towards the house. Some seconds later, she reappeared bringing a huge vase, which she placed on the porch.
“See? We already have where to place it! Now you just have to bring it up!”
Sighing deeply, the blond angel had no other choice but to keep on dragging the small but rather heavy tree until the cabin, having to make a little extra effort to drag it up the seven steps of the porch.
x
The two angels spent over an hour to arrange the tree and to place it nearby the window like Monica wanted. Little Joy was trotting around them and watched with curious tiny black eyes as they worked.
“Look at her! Our wee baby is so excited about Christmas! I guess it’s children’s favourite time of the year!”
Chucking at her association, Andrew nodded his head and scooped the little dog. “Yeah, I bet this little one can’t wait dinner time!” he said, tickling Joy’s roundish belly.
Giggling, Monica agreed. “Yes, she loves parties, you know!”
“Yes, I know our little one loves movement!”
Some minutes later, they finally finished their task. And, indeed, the small pine tree they had picked outside was far more beautiful than the one sold at a store, giving the cosy living room a special touch and a charming look, which would be complete as soon as they finished to decorate it.
”I can’t wait to hang the all those little balls and ribbons and little angels! It’ll be lovely, don’t you think?” the Irish angel said, with a broad smile on her face.
Seeing all the excitement and contentment in her sparkling brown eyes, Andrew couldn’t help but smile too. “Yes, it’s gonna be very beautiful, Monica, really!” he glanced at his pocket watch: it was past 9 o’clock, and by that time the shops were already open, “But we have to hurry if we want everything ready for tonight’s dinner! I’ll go change and we’ll set off to town, okay?”
“Ok...” she replied, still straightening the tiniest branches of the pine tree and not really giving him much attention.
Andrew took some minutes to change his clothes and when he came back he found the Irish angel on the top of a chair, placing some little red ribbons on the tree. He rolled his eyes, even though her childlike manners always amused him. “Let’s go, Monica!”
“J-Just a minute, Andrew... I’m coming...” was her feeble reply.
Noticing that she had no intention to go before finishing that task, and sensing that they would be later than they already were, the blond angel looked down at the ground, where a chubby puppy watched the Irish angel working, and took her in his arms for a few instants. “Hey little one, we promise we’re not gonna be late, ok? You’ll take care of the house and behave yourself while we’re out, won’t you?”
He received a bark and lots of wet kisses in reply and, laughing, he stroked the dog’s soft black fur. “I love you too, sweetie! And I’ll tell you a secret: there’s a bowl full of food at the kitchen waiting for a certain little puppy…”
He carefully placed Joy on the ground and the smart little dog wasted no time in rushing (always clumsily) to the kitchen. Then, the blond angel looked at Monica, who was still busy with their new Christmas tree, and had no other choice but to grab his dearest friend by the waist.
“Andrew!” she squealed, as his attitude caught her completely off-guard.
“C’mon, angel! We can finish it later!” he replied, carrying her along the way outside the house, up to where Tess’ Cadillac was. Only there, he placed the squealing angel on the ground.
“I wouldn’t say that this kind of behaviour is appropriate to the Christmas spirit!” she complained, crossing her arms in front of her chest and not pleased at all.
And he couldn’t help chuckling at her slightly upset expression on her face, which he found completely adorable. “I wouldn’t mind carrying you along a little bit more. Let’s say, for the next hundred years!” he said, smiling mischievously at her. And, try as she might, the Irish angel wasn’t able to hold the upset pout for more than a few seconds. She rolled her eyes and smiled broadly at him.
“Now, let’s go, ‘cause we’ll have a pretty busy day!”
They got into the car and set off to the town located in the foot of the mountains.
PART 2
The trip from the mountains to the city lasted nearly an hour. When they arrived there, Andrew drove up to the biggest shopping center in town and after parking the Cadillac, the two angels held each other’s hands and started to walk along the corridors, in search of presents to give their angelic friend.
“It was a good idea to make a list of things that Tess would like to get and I think we didn’t forget anything. And this way we won’t waste much time trying to remember...”
Andrew was holding the paper in his hand but his voice trailed off when he realised that his dearest friend’s attention was completely turned to the beautiful windows displays of the many stores that lay ahead of them, and it was impossible not to notice all her enchantment with such a wonderful Christmas decoration. Andrew chuckled at her childlike enthusiasm and she dragged him along with her to every ornamented shop they passed by.
Eventually, that wasn’t a bad idea, as the two angels ended up buying some presents in their list in some of these shops.
When they were walking along the shopping center corridor, Monica spotted, not far away from where they were, a huge toy store, with the biggest and most beautiful window display in the entire place, all set with dozens of angels.
“Oh Andrew! Take a look over there!” she exclaimed, in surprise.
“Monica, we still have to finish our shopping and go to the supermarket to buy the food for the dinner...” he remembered, but, unable to resist the pleading look she shot him, he smiled and nodded his head. “... but I guess there won’t be any problem if we go in there for a couple of minutes...”
Smiling gratefully, she grabbed his hand and they headed to the store.
But what was meant to be some minutes, turned to be over an hour, as the Irish angel was simply astonished by the many toys she laid her eyes upon. And, after looking around the entire shop, she was fascinated with a little porcelain doll, with long curly brown hair and bright green eyes, dressed up in a fancy flowered dress and wearing delicate white shoes.
“She’s so beautiful!...” Monica said, with her own eyes sparkling as if she was a little girl. Andrew gazed at her with all the love in his heart evident on his handsome face and, slowly, he backed away from her, disappearing for a few minutes. The Irish angel was so absorbed in shop seeing that she didn’t even notice his absence.
A few minutes later, she felt his gentle hand on her shoulder. “Monica, we have to go, we haven’t finished yet, there are more presents to buy.”
She sighed deeply. “Yes, you’re right...” and both left the shop.
*
They finished to buy the presents for their dear supervisor and friend (and Monica didn’t miss the opportunity to buy a beautiful coat for Andrew), and, carrying lots of bags, they were leaving the shop when the blond angel suddenly changed his direction.
“Andrew, the exit is that way...” Monica spoke.
“I know that, Angel Girl, but I have to do one more thing...”
With her eyebrows raised and a curious expression on her face, she followed him, and, in some minutes, they were back at the toy shop. “But... We’ve already been here, don’t you remember?...”
“Oh yes, I do!” he replied, smiling mysteriously and heading to the counter. The shop attendant immediately recognised him and grabbed a package decorated with many little angels.
“Here it is, sir! Have a Merry Christmas!”
“Thank you! And Merry Christmas to you, too!” the angel said, and turned to his best friend, who was burning with curiosity right beside him.
“Andrew, what is it?”
“Well, if this year we’re going to spend Christmas like humans do, I guess that pretty little doll will be my Christmas present to you, Angel Girl!” he was delighted to see her contentment and joy.
“Andrew...” was the only word that the Irish angel could utter.
“You know what’s the only problem in shopping together with you? It’ll spoil all the surprise!” he joked, not missing all the emotion in her eyes.
And, at that moment, Monica let go of the bags she was carrying with her and wrapped her arms around his neck, in a tight hug. “I love you so much!”
“I’d say that, by coincidence, I love you too, but, as we know there’s no such thing as a coincidence, I guess the Father knew exactly what he was doing when He put us together!”
Smiling, he held her for some time. Then, the Irish angel finally pulled away and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, “Thank you...”
“You’re more than welcome! Now, we’d better get going cause we still have to buy the food for tonight’s dinner!”
*
At the entrance of the shopping center, there were a man and a woman, each one of them holding a big basket full of home made sweets and chocolate bars. On the baskets, as well as in the wrapping paper of the candies, it was written: “Thank you for helping the St. George Orphanage”.
The couple was unsuccessfully trying to call people’s attention, but nobody stopped to listen to what they were saying, as people seemed to be in a big hurry, and some of them even looked at them in an unfriendly way, mumbling something under their breath whenever they tried to come closer. Andrew and Monica were leaving the mall and noticed their feeble attempt to talk to the passers by.
“Excuse us... Could you give us a minute?...”
“Could you buy a candy and help the St. George Orphanage?...” they spoke, unsuccessfully.
Seeing that, the angels looked at each other and walked over to the couple.
“Excuse us, could you give us a minute, please?” the woman asked, for the 100th time on that day.
Monica nodded her head. “Sure. As a matter of fact, we were just observing you!” the angel’s soothing voice causing them to smile.
“Is there anything we can do for you?” Andrew asked, in a friendly way.
“Yes... We, my wife and I, we run the St. George Orphanage, not far away from here. The address and phone number are here, in the wrapping paper of the candies and the chocolate bars.”
“We keep the orphanage with our money and donations, made by some good people who live in this town. They’re not much, but help us to keep the institution.”
“Every year, on Christmas eve, we give the children a special dinner; they get together around the Christmas tree and “Santa” shows up and gives them presents!” the man said, with a wink, and Monica and Andrew smiled at the image he had just described.
“We gather the money for the presents by selling home made candies...” the lady explained.
“What a lovely idea!” the Irish angel said, “Have you sold many candies already?”
Deception was evident on their faces. “Not a single one...” the woman lamented, looking at the full baskets she and her husband held, “It seems that people are out of money this year or just too busy to stop and give us a little help... But... if you could buy a candy, it would mean a lot...”
“Of course we can buy, can’t we, Andrew?!”
“Sure!” the blond angel was pensive for some seconds and smiled. “In fact, we can buy all the candies you have!”
The couple’s eyes widened in surprise at what they had just heard. “I beg your pardon?”
“Yes! Andrew is right!” Monica agreed. But the man and the woman still didn’t believe in what those two strangers were saying.
“We came here to buy some presents for our friend, and we still have plenty of money left; it won’t be a problem if we give some for people who need it. Besides, we’re going to the supermarket, to buy food for tonight’s supper, and, of course, desert would be included. But, now, we already have it!”
The happiness in the couple’s faces was indescribable; the two were so grateful that they helped the angels with their bags all the way up to the car. Andrew paid for the sweets and made an extra donation to the orphanage.
“You can buy the children some candies!” he joked.
“We can’t even begin to thank you for what you’re doing for us!” the man said.
“I can hardly believe it!”
“It seems that God put you two right in our way...”
“Well, I guess He actually did, as He is always placing signs of hope and reassurance in our way; we just have to pay attention to them!” Monica remarked.
The man and the woman shook hands with them, “Thank you very much!”
“Merry Christmas to you!” the angels said.
“Merry Christmas to you both!”
Then, the two angels got into the car and left the shopping center.
PART 3
Andrew and Monica left the parking lot of the shopping center and headed to the supermarket, a few blocks from there. On their way, the two angels had to face some traffic jam, as everybody seemed to have decided to buy their presents on Christmas Eve.
“It’ll take more time than we expected...” Andrew said.
“It seems that all the inhabitants in the city have had the same idea...”
“Yes... I hope it doesn’t take too long...”
Suddenly, Monica spotted, not far away from where they were, a little girl, of about 9 years old, with long straight black hair and big black eyes, poorly dressed with a thin cardigan, an old grey cotton dress and a par of old tennis shoes. She was crouching near the steps of a restaurant, her arms crossed in front of her chest, and it was possible to notice that she was trembling with cold, as the temperature was low, and it was expected snow at the end of the afternoon.
“Oh my goodness! Andrew, look!” she pointed out.
He frowned with worry at what he saw, “...Father!...”
That image was like a sharp pain into the angels’ hearts, and Andrew immediately stopped the car. They got off and walked over to the little girl. And, although one could tell she was terribly frightened, the child was unable to move and ran away when she saw the two strangers coming closer to her.
“Hullo sweetheart... It’s very cold out here, you should be wearing something warmer...” Monica said, looking straight into the girl’s eyes and noticing all the fear evident in them.
“Where’s your mom? Andrew asked, kneeling right in front of her. But the girl moved backwards, still in panic.
“We’re not gonna hurt you, dear. We just want to help you...” the Irish angel reached out to brush back the small strand of hair that fell onto her tiny face and smiled, “My name is Monica. This is my friend Andrew. What’s your name?”
Her big black eyes surveyed both angels cautiously, and, a minute later, she finally spoke. “...M-Madeleine...” her voice trembling because of the cold.
“That’s a lovely name,” the smile never disappeared from Monica’s face.
“So, Madeleine, what is a pretty young lady like you doing out here, without any coat or warm clothes to protect herself from the cold?” Andrew asked, as kindly as he could.
“M-My aunt t-told me to go to the streets and... and ask for money... But... I-I couldn’t make much so... She s-said that I should come back and keep on asking... She s-said that sh-she won’t let me get in our house until I f-find some more...” she stammered.
Tears instantaneously filled Monica’s eyes and she looked at Andrew, who had an equally distressed expression on his face. “Where are your parents, sweetie?” he asked, feeling a bit of anger rise inside his heart, together with all the sadness caused by the girl’s words.
“They... They died... s-some years a-ago...”
“Come with us, Madeleine! We have warm clothes for you in the car!” Monica offered her hand, which she didn’t take immediately.
“Are you gonna take me home?”
“Oh no! No, sweetie! You don’t have to go back there, ok?” Andrew said, stroking the little girl’s hair. Hearing that, she accepted Monica’s proffered hand and they stood on their feet, ready to go back to the Cadillac.
But, all of a sudden, Madeleine’s thin legs failed and she nearly fell on the ground if it hadn’t been for the Irish angel’s firm grasp in her hand. “Andrew!”
The blond angel immediately took the child in his arms and they ran towards the car, “Let’s take her to the hospital!”
They got into the vehicle and Monica took the back seat, together with Madeleine, “I’m cold... Very cold...” she whispered, her small body trembling.
“I’ll get you some warm clothes...”
While Andrew started the car and drove all the way to the hospital, Monica searched inside the shop bags and found a blue woollen coat, some pairs of coloured socks and a pair of pink mittens. She wrapped the coat around the girl’s small body and, although it was quite big for her, it certainly kept her warmer. Monica replaced the girl’s old tennis shoes for 3 pairs of long socks (which were even longer, considering her short legs), and, finally, put on the mittens. Then, the Irish angel gathered her in her arms and, gently, soothed her hair. “We’ll take care of you, dear,” she said, with some tears rolling down her cheeks and feeling how cold the child’s skin was.
*
Some minutes later, the angels arrived at the ER of the city hospital:
“Please, we need help!” Andrew nervously spoke, in a loud voice, carrying Madeleine in his arms and followed by his anguished best friend.
Quickly, the nurses placed her on a stretcher and carried her through the corridor, one of the doctors joining them. Monica and Andrew tried to go together with her, but, as soon as they passed by a huge door, one of the nurses stopped them:
“Let the doctor take control from now on!”
With no other choice, they could do nothing but to wait and pray for Madeleine’s condition. Monica had found, in the pocket of her dress, an old school identity card, in which it was possible to find some information about the girl. Immediately, the police started to work on locating any other member of her family, and soon found out that her parents were really dead, and that, other than her aunt, the child had no more relatives.
The angels took a seat and, side by side, waited for over an hour, when, finally, the doctor who assisted Madeleine came back and walked over to them.
“How is she doctor?”
“Now the girl is fine!” the man answered, equally distressed to see a child in such conditions, while they heaved a sigh of relief to hear that good news, “You two have saved her life bringing her here, because, if she stayed outside any longer, exposed to the cold weather, she would’ve died of hypothermia.”
They looked at each other in amazement, and, after, back to the doctor.
“Can we see her?” the Irish angel asked.
“Yes, follow me.”
Madeleine was lying on the bed, her eyes slightly open, when Monica and Andrew came in. Immediately turning her attention to them, the girl watched as they came closer to her and smiled.
“Hey, Madeleine! Looks like we have a big sleepyhead around here!” the blond angel joked, causing a feeble smile to appear on her face.
“They will keep you warm here, sweetheart. And the doctors and the nurses will take a good care of you!” Monica took her tiny hand into both of hers.
“Won’t my aunt come and get me?”
“No, dear. She will never come close to you again!”
“So... Am I going to stay here forever and ever?”
At that moment, the angels looked at each other, without knowing what to say, as they hadn’t thought about that. But, suddenly, the smile reappeared on Andrew’s handsome face.
“No, you won’t stay here forever and ever. But I know a place for you to stay, with many other children of your age for you to play and with good people to take care of you!”
“Really?” Madeleine’s eyes grew wide.
*
The couple who ran the St. George Orphanage soon arrived at the hospital and were both enchanted to meet Madeleine and sad to know about her story:
“Of course there’s a place for her in our home, Andrew!
“Thank you so much for phoning us!”
“Madeleine is gonna love to live there with us and the other children!”
They watched delighted as the child’s eyes sparkled with that piece of news:
“Other children?”
“Yes, dear, many others, and Charlie and I will take good care of you, we promise!” the woman said, loving the slight smile on the girl’s face.
“It was a good idea to put your phone number in the wrapping paper of your candies!” Monica said, equally pleased with her dearest friend’s idea. The blond angel glanced at his watch and, after, at her, who nodded her head understandingly and came closer to the bed:
“I’m afraid Andrew and I will have to go now, sweetheart.”
The girl reached out and her tiny fingers stroked Monica’s cheek. “Pity...”
“We would like to stay too, but we can’t, dear... I’m glad to know that now you have a new home, though, and will grow up surrounded by much love. Be a good girl, ok?”
Madeleine smiled once more, “Yes... Thank you Monica, thank you Andrew. I guess that’s the best Christmas present God could give me...”
Tears filled the Irish angel’s brown eyes, and, suddenly, a pensive expression appeared on her face. Then, she looked at her best friend and he smiled reassuringly, “That’s a beautiful idea, Angel Girl!”
Some minutes later, Monica returned to the bedroom carrying a present box and placed it right beside the girl’s bed.
“What is it?”
“Well, I guess you deserve one more little Christmas present...”
She unwrapped the paper and a broad smile appeared on the child’s face, “A doll! It’s the most beautiful doll I’ve ever seen!!!”
“I’m glad you like her, sweetheart...”
“Thank you so much!”
Monica leaned down to hug her and kiss her cheek, “You’re more than welcome!”
“Stay with God, sweetie...” Andrew said, stroking her dark hair.
“Can you two come and visit me sometimes?”
They looked at each other and smiled, “Yes, wee one, we promise we will!”
“Ok... I’ll wait then...”
“Bye for a while, honey.”
“Bye...”
And holding each other, Monica and Andrew finally left the hospital, with a moved but also content look on their faces.
PART 4
On their way to the supermarket, Andrew noticed how quiet and somewhat melancholic Monica was and he knew her well enough to know what was causing her sadness: Madeleine’s story had moved the Irish angel to tears and her kind and compassionate heart was still hurting to know that a child had been living under terrible conditions for such a long time.
But he was decided to erase the sorrow he could feel in her soul and replace it for her usual joy: all of a sudden, he turned left and stopped Tess’ Cadillac in front of a shop that sold Christmas articles.
“Andrew? What are you doing? I thought we were going to the supermarket...” Monica spoke, the change in the course of their direction finally took her out of her reverie.
Happy to have called her attention, the blond angel smiled, “Remember we still have to buy the rest of the ornaments for the house? That pine tree we caught in the morning deserves more than the few ribbons you hung on it!”
“Yes... that’s true, I had forgotten about it for a minute...” she spoke, observing the beautiful little shop in front of them.
“Well, we can buy what’s missing here and then go to the supermarket to buy the food!”
They came out of the vehicle and headed straight to the beautiful little store. There was a bell placed on the top of the door and it rang as the angels opened it, and they soon began to choose the ornaments to hang on their Christmas tree and around the house.
Watching Monica’s excitement coming back with tender eyes full of love, Andrew let her go ahead and decide which articles she wanted to take, resigning himself to give his opinion only when she asked him – though the talkative little angel made him tell her what he thought about each and every ornament she picked.
“Look at this Andrew!” she exclaimed, pointing to a gorgeous crystal angel, with long hair and wearing a long dress, at the top of a shelf, “We can place it on the top of our tree, Tess is gonna love it, don’t you think?”
“Of course she will; though she and I already have another angel, a priceless one, that cannot be compared to anything else in this entire world or Heaven...” he whispered into her ear, smiling at her.
Monica turned her head to shoot him a tender look, also with a warm smile upon her face, “I love you...”
“Really?” he replied, with a mock surprised face, causing her to giggle.
Then, she took the angel in her hands, “Isn’t it beautiful?”
“It’s gorgeous!”
With their goods inside the packages, they got out of the shop and were coming back to the car when an old lady, who had also come out of the same shop and who was carrying a full package in her hands, stumbled and fell on the side walk.
“Oh my goodness!” Monica exclaimed; she and Andrew were quick to help her.
“Ma’am, are you ok?” Andrew held her arm and helped her to stand up.
“Oh my... I guess I should follow my dear Winston’s advice and change my glasses!” she exclaimed.
“Did you get hurt? Does anything ache?” Monica asked, really worried about the old lady.
“No... I guess not...”
“Are you sure? You fell on your knees...”
“Oh yes, yes... I’m sure, my dear, thank you!”
“I’ll help you with your things...”
Andrew gathered all her goods from the ground and replaced them inside the package.
“Thank you so much, my dear; that was lovely of you to help such an old lady!”
And noticing how old the woman seemed to be, Monica was quick to ask, “Where are you going?”
“I’m going home, young lady. My husband is waiting for me; we have to decorate the house and wait for our children!”
“And is it far from here?”
“Hum... about 7 blocks... or are they 8? Well, I’d better get going, I’ll find the house when I see it...” she lowered her voice, “And just between you two and me: I know he’s hidden my Christmas present somewhere in the house, he does that every year, while I go out to buy something!”
They smiled and then the blond angel said what his dearest friend was already thinking, “We could drive you to your house, our car is right here...”
“Why, thank you! You’re really a gentleman! I’ll accept your offer, I’m in a great hurry today!” Andrew opened the door for her and she and Monica got into the vehicle. A second later, Andrew also got in and started the car. “And I tell you something, my dear, if I were 50 years younger, this young lady and I would get into a serious dispute over your heart!”
Monica looked at Andrew’s blushing face and both angels couldn’t help but laugh at the old lady’s words, and she herself found it funny, “Well, I’m joking, you know. I can see how much you love this pretty friend of yours!”
Twice blushed, Andrew continued to laugh and glanced at Monica, who couldn’t hold her giggling. “Yes, I do. Very much!” he spoke, winking at her.
“Yes, any fool can see it! Besides, I’ve already found my soul mate: Winston won my heart when we were teenagers; that was 59 years ago!”
“Being married for such a long time must be a such a joy! A real blessing!” Monica said, happy to notice the love in the old lady’s eyes.
“Oh yes, it really is! And I love him more than when we first met, you know.”
The talkative old lady told them she and her husband were waiting for their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to arrive to spend Christmas with them, as they did every year. Some minutes later, they arrived at her house and she insisted they should enter to see their pictures.
“You have a lovely family, Mrs Atwood, and your great grandchildren are cute little ones!” Monica said, holding the photo frame.
“Oh yes, they really are. But I that’s because they have so much of my dear Winston, he was really handsome when he was young! Here, take a look!”
She showed the angels other 2 photos, one taken a long time ago and a recent one. But, when Andrew saw the man in the picture, he frowned with concern. “Is this Mr Atwood?”
“Oh yes, that’s my Winston! I wonder where he is now, the children must be coming already! We need to have everything ready for tonight! Monica, Andrew, please, excuse me just for a second, I’ll see if he’s upstairs, trying to hide my present...”
As the old lady left the living room, Monica turned to face her angelic friend, not missing the concern in his eyes, “Andrew? Is there something wrong?”
“I’ve seen this old man before...” he said, with a bit of sadness in his eyes, “She’s not gonna find him upstairs, Monica, because Winston Atwood died on the last Thanksgiving.”
The Irish angel stared at him slightly confused to hear that piece of news, “But... she told us...” then, realising what Andrew was trying to say, she covered her mouth with her hand; her eyes immediately filled with sorrow, “Oh dear... she doesn’t accept it...”
“I took him home and I remember that Mr Atwood was really sad and worried for his wife and sorry for not being able to spend this Christmas with her.” A slight smile appeared on his face, “He said that he would buy her a hat and a pair of gloves, as he had done in their first anniversary. And he also wanted to tell her not to be afraid because he loved her very much and he would be waiting for her when her time came.”
The old lady returned at that exact moment, “I don’t understand... he’s not upstairs either...” she said, with a rather puzzled expression on her face.
Andrew and Monica exchanged a look and the blond angel took the woman’s hand. “Mrs Atwood, when was the last time you saw your husband?”
After a long minute of silence, she finally answered to his question, “He was sleeping... in the bedroom... I thought he had stayed up until late on the other night, watching TV, so I didn’t want to wake him up...” it was possible to notice a bit of hesitance in her voice as she spoke.
“And was it your bedroom? The bedroom in this house?” Andrew insisted. Some tears started to form in the corner of Mrs Atwood’s eyes and she bit her lower lip.
“No... it... it was a hospital bedroom...”
“And do you know what happened after that, Mrs Atwood?” Monica asked, also holding the old woman’s hand with compassion in her look.
Tears finally fell from Mrs Atwood’s eyes and the two angels made her sit on the couch, “Oh, my dear Winston... he’s gone, isn’t he? He didn’t leave the hospital on that Thanksgiving...”
“No, he didn’t...” Andrew replied, “Your husband was very ill and in a lot of pain while he was in hospital... but he is with the Father now, Mrs Atwood.”
“I miss him so much...”
“I know you do... but Mr Atwood had a message of you...”
“A message?”
“Yes...” at that moment, a beautiful glow involved Monica and Andrew and the old woman’s eyes grew wide in surprise.
“Please, don’t be afraid, Mrs Atwood... We’re angels.” Monica spoke.
“Angels? Were you with my Winston when he died?”
“I was,” Andrew replied, “Mr Atwood is now in God’s arms, where there’s no pain and no suffering. And, although he is happy to be Home, your husband was also worried about you...”
“Oh my Winston... he was always worrying about me...”
“Yes, and he wanted you to know that he’s carrying you and your love in his heart forever and that he’ll be holding on to this love until you two meet again.” More tears fell from her eyes, as the blond angel kept on talking, “And he also told you not to be afraid, ok? Because he and God will be watching over you, always.”
“It’s so difficult to be without him...”
“God knows that, Mrs Atwood. But the best way to spend the time that you still have on this Earth is with your children, grandchildren and great grandchildren; with the beautiful family you and your husband raised during all these years and who loves you very much too.” Monica spoke, “Never forget you both will live through them...”
“And Mr Atwood also said he loves you, very, very much; that he’s loved you through all these decades and he was grateful that God gave you both so much time together with each other.”
“Me too... Winston was the best present I could ever receive... And I’ll always keep him inside my heart...” she looked at them with all her gratitude evident in her eyes, “Thank you so much... I’m also so grateful that God sent you both to tell me this... to tell me the truth I needed to hear...”
Monica held the old lady for some instants and, as she did so, a pensive expression appeared on Andrew’s face. He stared at the Irish angel and she smiled understandingly, nodding her head. A minute later, he came back into the house holding 2 present boxes and placed them in the woman’s hands, “Mr Atwood wanted to give you these...”
“He did?” she asked, opening the boxes and finding a beautiful green hat that matched an equally beautiful pair of gloves. Those, along with the other clothes Monica had used to cover little Madeleine, where the presents they had bought for Tess in the shopping center, but the 2 angels knew the supervisor well enough to know how pleased she would be with the different destination they gave them.
“Winston... I love you so much, my dear...”
“He knows that... And God loves you too, Mrs Atwood. Whenever you feel alone and sad, turn to Him, ask for His reassurance and never forget that He is taking care of Mr Atwood and of you.”
“I won’t!” she replied, now with a trace of courage in her eyes.
A second later, they heard a knock on the door and a child’s voice from outside the house, “Granny! We’re here!!!”
PART 5
After leaving Mrs Atwood’s home, the two angels headed to the local huge supermarket and started to shop the food for the Christmas dinner. Andrew was trying to decide between 2 types of turkey when Monica came from another corner and the blond angel was going to ask for her opinion when something else called his attention: his dearest friend was carrying 10 pots of coffee, each one with a different flavour. Trying an extra effort not to laugh at that image, he crossed his arms in front of his chest with a totally mock serious expression on his handsome face as she finally placed the pots on the trolley. “Monica... What’s this?!”
“Coffee pots...” she replied, with an innocent face and not fully understanding his concern.
“Ten?!”
She smiled sheepishly, “Well... they are all of different flavours and I couldn’t decide which one to take, so...”
“We cannot take 10 pots, Monica! We have to buy the rest of the food and don’t forget there isn’t much money left.”
“But...”
“We’ll take only 1!” he said, with a solemn tone of voice, as if talking to a little girl.
Her mouth dropped open, as she didn’t believe he was denying her such thing. “Andrew!” she exclaimed, indignantly and deeply shocked.
“Monica...” the blond angel replied, secretly finding her annoyance adorable.
Sensing that she was going to be the one to give in this time, Monica gathered 9 pots and stared at him really upset, “I can’t believe you’re gonna make me do such thing!”
“I’ll be waiting right here!” was all he could say.
She turned around and returned through the same corridor to put the pots back on their shelves. Andrew watched her until she turned the corner and finally a tender smile formed on his lips, “I love you so much, my angel...”
When she came back, still with a very upset expression on her face, they continued to pick the food to prepare the Christmas dinner and, fortunately, the amount of money they had was enough to pay for everything.
“Tess will be so happy when she sees the table set and everything ready! I can even imagine her face!” Monica said, she and Andrew putting the bags in the car trunk.
Smiling, Andrew nodded his head, “Yes, the money we had was enough, we managed to buy food for the 2 days and I’m sure Tess is gonna love the surprise! Besides, there are a few dollars left to pay for the parking lot and to buy you a cup of mocha...”
Monica’s eyes lit up with his last words; of course she had let go of her previous annoyance but, playfully, she placed her hands on her hips and stared at him with a serious face, “Well, I thought you were the one to control my amount of coffee today...”
Smiling, Andrew gently stroked her cheek, “You know Monica, you look adorable when you get mad at me!”
“That’s not funny!” she replied, though she was visibly enjoying his teasing her.
Still laughing, Andrew placed a tiny kiss on the tip of her nose and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, “Come, I won’t leave my Angel Girl without her coffee!”
“You’d better not!” she spoke, with a smile on her face, and also encircled his waist.
“But you’ll have to drink it in the car, we have to go back to the cabin to get things ready for tonight!”
“Oh yes, we have too many things to arrange and cook dinner! And I won’t mind drinking my coffee in the car!”
*
Andrew was leaving the parking lot and steering the car in a low speed with Monica sitting right beside him, happily drinking her mocha. Their hearts were filled with joy for helping the children at the orphanage, little Madeleine and Mrs. Atwood, and also for giving Tess a special Christmas dinner.
“It’s delicious!” the Irish angel exclaimed, savouring her favourite drink, and Andrew couldn’t help but chuckle at her childlike excitement.
“Promise you won’t tell Tess, ok?”
“I won’t, though she hasn’t been picking on me because of my affection for coffee lately...”
Andrew nodded his head smiling, “ ‘Affection’, right? Ok...”
But he didn’t tease her any longer, and was suddenly quiet for some seconds; he knew why the supervisor’s behaviour had changed lately: with the possibility of losing Monica, almost 2 months before, everything seemed to have taken a new dimension, especially their love for the little Irish angel. Having Monica by their side again, after all that they had been through was the greatest blessing they could ever receive and picking on her because of coffee cups or other trivial matters certainly wasn’t more important than saying ‘I love you’ or any other loving word that would come up on their mind.
Andrew steered the car slowly through the street when suddenly, a boy, of about 17 years old, wearing rather old and worn out clothes, came running in front of them.
“Andrew!” Monica cried and, fortunately, the blond angel’s reflex was quick and he managed to brake the car in time.
Deeply scared, though, the boy stumbled and fell on the ground and Andrew took the opportunity to get out of the Cadillac, “Hey you could’ve died here, what’s going on?”
The boy was carrying 3 packages of cookies and quickly stood up. “It’s... it’s nothing, I’m sorry sir...” he was going to run away again but the blond angel grabbed his arm, “Whoa... wait a minute, buddy! Where are you going in such a hurry after all?”
“They’re gonna get me! Please, let me go sir!”
“Who is going to get you?” Monica asked, joining them.
“I... I took these cookies... my brothers and sisters wanted some but we don’t have any money so I... borrowed them from that grocery store...”
Monica and Andrew looked at each other understandingly. Some moments later, 2 visibly angry men came running from the same direction the boy had come, “Hey, you two! Have you seen a damn boy wearing a cap and carrying some packages of cookies?”
“Yes.” Andrew replied, and showed them the packages, “He dropped these on the way...”
“Damn little thief!” one of the man said, taking the packages back, “The streets are full of them at this time of the year!”
Grumbling, they went away back to where they had come from. Only then, Monica and Andrew got into the Cadillac, “You can come out now, they already left!” the blond angel said.
The boy, still with an extremely frightened expression on his face, finally stood up from the back seat and heaved a sigh of relief, “Phew... that was close! Thank you!”
“What’s your name?”
“Richard, miss.”
“And why did you take those cookies, Richard? Why didn’t you ask those men to give them to you?”
“They would never do it, lady! They’d rather throw them away!”
“You said they were for your brothers and sisters...”
“Yes... We don’t have much, you know. Christmas is gonna be a hard one this year. Mom and dad are out of job so there isn’t much money left. I thought that maybe nobody would notice if I borrowed some packages...”
“Borrow, huh?” Andrew said, with some mischief, and the boy lowered his head a bit ashamed, “Where do you live?”
“Down town...”
“It’s not that far... I’ll tell you what: we’ll give you a ride back home, ok?
Andrew drove until they crossed an invisible line in the city, which set the limits between the poor and the rich. There, houses were deteriorated, there was dirt in the streets and a visible state of abandonment.
“Where is your house, Richard?” Andrew asked; he and Monica didn’t miss the conditions of the place.
“Turn left after the next block...”
The boy’s house wasn’t different from the rest of the others. Small and withered, it had only small 4 rooms. At the moment Richard’s parents saw their son at the doorstep together with 2 strangers, a puzzled expression appeared on their faces. “Richard? What... what happened?”
“Did you do anything wrong?” they asked, immediately worried.
The boy lowered his head quite ashamed and embarrassed but it was Andrew who spoke first, “Richard was crossing the street and he ran in front of our car, Mrs. But fortunately, I was able to pull the brakes in time.”
Hearing that, the woman wasted no time in holding her son tightly in her arms, “Oh thank God you’re alright!”
“It was all my fault...” he said, feeling really guilty, “I wasn’t paying attention...”
“Richard, son, why did you do that? God! I’m so thankful that nothing happened!” his father gently admonished him, ruffling the boy’s hair. Then he looked at Andrew, “Thank you sir. And I’m really sorry...”
“You don’t have to be sorry, Mr. And I think Richard will never do it again. I can imagine how frightening it must have been...” Monica replied, looking deep inside the boy’s eyes.
And, due to such an inquisitive look, the teenager couldn’t help but tell his parents the whole story, “Andrew and Monica saved me... I... I took some packages of cookies from a grocery store and those 2 men came after me...”
“What?” his parents stared at the boy in shock.
“I know it was wrong... please, forgive me...”
“You should never have done that, Richard! We’re poor but we would never steal anything!” His mother scolded him.
“Your mother is right! We’re going through bad moments but God gave me good health to work and we’ll go over this honestly!”
“I know... I’m so very sorry...”
“Sir, madam, Richard is really ashamed of what he’s done and I’m sure he regrets it, right Richard?” Monica intervened, sensing the boy’s remorse was totally genuine.
“Monica is right, I won’t. I promise... I’m so... ashamed... please, forgive me...”
“Oh God!... I can’t imagine what could’ve happened to you if...” his mother hugged him tightly again, while his father lifted a silent prayer of thanks.
“Monica and Andrew saved me... If it hadn’t been for them, I would’ve been caught...”
“Oh please, do come in, I can’t thank you two enough for what you did!” the woman said.
“We appreciate it madam, but we’re a wee bit late you know...”
“Yes, we need to hurry...” Monica and Andrew respectively spoke.
But Richard’s mother insisted, “Oh no, please, do come in, I insist! We don’t have much but would you like some coffee?”
At that moment, Andrew had to control himself not to laugh at the pleading look Monica shot him and the blond angel nodded his head, “It’s ok, we would love to.”
The angels entered the poor small house and their hearts were immediately filled with sorrow for that family. Richard had 6 siblings, 3 brothers and 3 sisters, and the accommodations were very poor. They were wearing worn out clothes and their toys were old and broken, probably second hand too. The boy’s father had been unemployed for nearly a year and all the little money he got was from temporary and poorly paid jobs. And his wife couldn’t get a job either, as nobody wanted to employ the mother of 7 kids.
The children soon befriended those 2 strangers that came into their house, and, during the time Monica and Andrew stood there, they could notice how loving their parents were. After they had drunk the coffee that Richard’s mother kindly offered them, the angels stood up and Andrew glanced at his watch, “We enjoyed the coffee, thank you so much but we have to go now,” Monica spoke.
Andrew nodded his head, “Yes, there’s a dear friend we’re going to meet in some hours.”
“We have to thank you two for bringing our son back and for what you did for him.
“I learned my lesson dad. I’ve never felt so ashamed.”
His father placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “We know that, Richard. We won’t have a fancy Christmas this year but we’re all together and I’m sure that God will help us.”
The 2 angels looked around them, observing once more the poor little house, and then they stared at each other with the familiar and usual complicity in their eyes – no words had to be spoken, as they knew they were thinking exactly the same.
*
Half hour later, before the children's and the couple's haunted eyes, Andrew and Monica finished to bring the last package of food to the house. Everything they had bought at the supermarket, together with the candies they had bought to help St. George orphanage, was now spread in the kitchen and in the living room of the poor home.
“God I can’t believe it... I... I can’t believe this is happening to us...” Richard’s mother said, she and her husband holding hands and with shocked expression on their faces. Richard and his little brothers and sisters stood in a corner, equally surprised and with a shy but curious look on their faces.
When they finished with the supermarket bags, Monica handed the children a package containing the Christmas ornaments she had bought a couple of hours earlier. “I know you’re gonna do a great work with these, wee ones!” she said, winking at their smiling little faces.
“Well, I believe that’s all.” Andrew said, he and Monica now truly ready to leave. But before they did, the blond angel gave Richard another package, “It’s been pretty cold these days, I’m sure you’ll need it...”
The boy unwrapped the package and saw the jacket that Monica had bought for Andrew in the shopping center. “Oh... It’s... It’s cool! I... I don’t know what to say, Andrew... Thank you! Thank you so much!”
Richard’s parents walked over to them with all the gratitude in the world reflected in their tearful eyes. The woman took Monica’s hand in her own, “I will thank God for the rest of my existence for the miracle He performed in our lives on this Christmas eve! And I’ll thank Him for sending you two to make it possible...”
“She’s right,” Richard’s father spoke, “God knows how difficult things have been but we’ll never lose our faith and we know He’s taking care of us.”
“He is, Mr. And holding onto your faith especially in these difficult hours, will help you to go through all this.” Monica spoke.
Andrew nodded his head. “This is a very much blessed family, you can be sure of it.”
*
They left the poor little house and were walking back to the Cadillac hand in hand when suddenly Monica made him stop, “Andrew...”
“Yes?” as he stopped walking, she wrapped her arms around his neck in a warm and silent hug.
“I love your sudden demonstrations of love, my angel!” Andrew said, also hugging her tightly, “Can you tell me the reason of such a warm hug?”
“Well, first because I love you. Second because I’m happy! It may sound strange but after all the presents we bought were scattered, I guess that this has been such a wonderful Christmas!”
“I couldn’t agree more! Besides, having you here with me is already enough to make it wonderful!”
She giggled, “Well I guess I can say exactly the same!”
He kissed the top of her head repeatedly; then he brushed a tender kiss on her forehead, “We have to go now. By this time, Tess must’ve arrived already and we can’t leave her and our little one waiting for us!”
“Oh no! Let’s go! They’ll be worried if we take too long!”
“Yes, besides, it’s getting dark already and I guess it’ll snow tonight!”
Before Monica got into the car, Andrew was quick to open the door for her, “Come in, my angel!”
“Thank you, sir!” she happily replied, kissing his cheek before getting into.
PART 6
Monica and Andrew were driving along the mountains back to the cabin and the night quickly fell upon earth, bringing not only darkness but also much cold. Andrew insisted that Monica should put on another coat and she was now rubbing her gloved hands and looking anxiously at the completely desert road up ahead of them. Even paying attention to the road, Andrew took one of Monica’s hands into his and squeezed it, “We’ll be there in some minutes.”
“I know. And I can’t wait to be in front of a warm fireplace, hugging our wee Joy and with you and Tess by my side!” she replied, a warm smile playing on her lips. The blond angel also smiled: the fact that he would spend Christmas together with his 2 beloved friends was responsible for the constant joy in his heart, especially after the accident with Monica during the earthquake some months earlier. Since then, he and Tess had learned to treasure even more every single moment together with the little Irish angel, if that was even possible.
With all the darkness and silence that surrounded them, they didn’t expect to meet another soul in their way, but, suddenly, the 2 angels saw, some meters ahead of them, a van stopped in the middle of the road.
“But what’s that?” Andrew spoke, immediately reducing the velocity.
“Goodness gracious! Why would someone stop a car up here in the mountains?” the little Irish angel exclaimed. And her kind and compassionate heart was immediately filled with worry. “Maybe they need help, Andrew!”
But her dearest friend wasn’t as trustful as she was. Being an angel of death for so many years meant witnessing the most cruel and ugliest side of human beings and that had caused Andrew to be always careful when approaching strangers. He stopped the car at a safe distance from the other vehicle, but didn’t turn off the motor. “Now, I want you to listen to me: I’ll go there to see if they need any help and you stay here, ok?”
Hearing those words, Monica’s heart started to pound loudly in her chest, as only then she realised the danger that could be hidden a few steps from them, “Oh, Andrew, please be careful...”
“I’ll be right back, ok?”
Praying for his safety, Monica watched as Andrew left the Cadillac and walked over to the mysterious van. The blond angel approached the vehicle and slowed down his pace. Now, a thin lay of snow was falling, covering the windshield, and he couldn’t see the interior. Andrew knocked on the glass, “Hello? Is anybody there?”
No answer was heard but the blond angel insisted, “Is there any problem with your car?” once again, there was silence. “Please, I’m here to help you; if you have any problem just tell me...”
Slowly, the door window was half opened and surprisingly, an old lady, with blond hair and blue eyes, was sitting on the driver’s seat. The blond angel couldn’t help but to heave a sigh of relief to see such a inoffensive human being and didn’t miss the fear that was evident on her face. “Madam, is there a problem with your car?”
“It... it broke down...”
“Well I think I can help you.”
But the woman didn’t reply to him, instead, she kept on staring at the angel with rather scared eyes.
“Madam, I won’t hurt you, I came here to help you; please don’t be scared!”
“Andrew?”
Monica’s soothing voice immediately called his attention, as well as the old woman’s. “Monica, angel, I told you to wait in the car, it’s cold here...” he said, now his fear had been replaced by worry due to the weather condition.
“It’s ok, Andrew, I... I knew it wasn’t dangerous...” she spoke, looking deep inside his green eyes; her own eyes telling him Someone had sent her to join him. The blond angel smiled and nodded his head understandingly. Then, they both turned their attention back to the old lady.
“There’s no need to be afraid, madam. My name is Monica, this is my friend, Andrew; we were passing by when we saw your car... we just want to help you.” Monica spoke, and the kind and trustful expression on that beautiful lady’s face made the old woman let go of her initial fear.
“We were going to the cathedral, in the neighbour town, but our car broke down...”
“We?” Monica asked, she and Andrew confused for a moment. Then, the woman lowered the window glass completely and the 2 angels saw, inside the van, a group of 10 children. All of them were wearing their choir costumes and had a very scared expression on their faces.
The angels exchanged another look, now fully understanding the small assignments they had been working on during that day. From the couple who owned an orphanage to those poor people in the van, God had managed to perform small miracles on that special day, using His 2 angels as instruments of his wisdom.
“I’ll try to fix it, lady. We’ll take you and the children out of here, don’t worry.” The blond angel finally spoke, and started to work in order to fix the van.
In this meantime, the old woman, Mrs Edwards, explained the angels that she and those children were going to make a choir presentation in the cathedral located in the same town Monica and Andrew had just come from, but the van had broken down in that desert road. And, besides missing the presentation, they couldn’t call for help, as her cell phone didn’t work in that place and it was a long distance until the city. To worsen the situation, not a single car used to pass by since they had stopped there, nearly 3 hours before.
Half hour later, the van was finally ready. “I guess it’s all set, Mrs Edwards!” Andrew said, closing the hood of the vehicle. Monica and the old woman had been on his side, holding a flashlight and assisting him with some tools and now there was a look of gratitude in the old woman’s face, “I don’t even know how to thank you 2 for this...”
“Please, you don’t have to. We did nothing more than our duty,” he replied.
Suddenly, a little girl, who seemed to be the youngest of the group, poked her head out of the van window, “Mrs Edwards, are we going back home? I have to go to the bathroom!” she spoke, with a tearful expression on her meek face, causing the old woman and the angels to be really sorry for her.
“Oh Karen, dear, I’m so sorry but I don’t think we’ll be able to come back home with this weather, it’s too dark and it’s too distant. I’ll drive you up to the church, we’ll stay there until tomorrow.” She spoke, and turned to the angels again, “Monica, Andrew, once again, thank you so much...”
“Wait, I have an idea!” the Irish angel interrupted her, “Andrew and I are going to our cabin, in the top of the mountain, to meet our friend, Tess. We planned to spend Christmas together and, well, its not gonna be a fancy party but you can stay there and spend the night with us!”
The old lady’s eyes grew wide in surprise, “Are you offering your house as shelter?”
“Yes! It’s not that big but of course there’s enough space for all of you. you can follow us along the road, we’re close now.” Andrew said.
“God did put you 2 in our way today...” Mrs Edwards spoke, with a mix of gratitude and awe.
Monica and Andrew returned to the Cadillac and the blond angel drove ahead, followed by Mrs Edwards in the van.
PART 7 – FINALE
Some time later, the children and the woman spotted a wooden house in between the trees. But, contrary to what the angels had left it, now the cabin was all lit up with hundreds of small lamps blinking into the night. “Andrew, look!”
“I don’t understand it... when we left we hadn’t even had those things in the house!” he exclaimed, as intrigued as Monica, who started to feel a bit guilty.
“Tess must have done it all by herself! Poor her!”
“Yes, but it was for a good reason!” he replied, winking at her and making her smile again. In the van, the children were all impressed by how beautiful the cabin was, as if it had been taken out of a Christmas tale.
“Are you sure that Santa doesn’t live there, Mrs Edwards?” Karen, the little girl who had complained, spoke, with haunted eyes.
“No sweetheart, he doesn’t. but I can assure you there are very good people there.”
The vehicles were parked and Monica was the first one to run up to the door, “Tess? We’re here!”
A second later, the door flung open and the supervisor, together with Adam, Rafael, Sam, Phil, Emma, Ronald and Gabriel, greeted the two angels.
“Babies! You’re finally here!” Tess exclaimed, immediately receiving a warm hug from her two dearest friends.
“Oh Tess, I’m so glad we made it!” Monica spoke and then looked at her other angelic friends, “But... I didn’t expect you all here and...”
Now she and Andrew saw that the interior of the house was fully decorated, with all the ornaments the Irish angel intended to use, and there was a big table full of food in the dinning room.
“Tess, how did you do all of this?!” she asked really surprised.
“Oh she had some help!” Rafael spoke, winking at her.
“It was a surprise, baby... Andrew had told me you 2 would go up to the town to buy something and then I invited everybody to come along and stay with us; they helped me to get everything ready and to prepare a surprise for you two!” she explained, “But of course we all had Another help, if you know what I mean...”
“Tess, have you got any idea of how much we love you?” Andrew spoke, kissing her cheek. Monica held the supervisor’s arm, “Very, very much!”
“I love you too, babies!”
Mrs Edwards had taken all the children out of the van by now and the Irish angel turned her attention to her unexpected guests.
“Mrs Edwards, this is our friend, Tess. Tess, this is Mrs Edwards, she was taking the children to sing in a choir presentation in town but their car broke down in the middle of the road. Fortunately Andrew and I were passing by and, as they don’t have any place to stay we thought...”
“Oh don’t say one more word, baby!” Tess shook hands with the old woman and invited the group to come inside. The children were immediately relieved to change the cold and the snow for the cosy and warm atmosphere of the cabin.
Still thinking that Monica and Andrew passing by the road at the exact minute she was praying for help was a miracle, Mrs Edwards could phone the children’s parents and explain them what had happened, and the teacher found it really strange that a cell phone (offered by Tess) could work in such a secluded place.
The house was full of happiness and laugher and, as soon as Joy saw the children, she joined the group, as everybody wanted to play with the chubby little puppy, causing a little mess in the living room.
From some distance, Andrew and Tess watched as Mrs Edwards and Monica gently tried to put some order in it and smiled.
“I guess it’s the best Christmas our little one ever had!” the blond angel said, wrapping his arm around the supervisor’s shoulder.
“Oh yes, though she missed you two very much all day long!”
Andrew sighed a bit frustrated. “Tess, in fact, Monica and I wanted to make a surprise for you. We went to the city to buy you some presents, food for the supper and the rest of ornaments to decorate the house.”
“Oh baby... you didn’t have to...”
“During our journey, though, lots of things happened and we met so many people in need that everything we had bought ended up being scattered among these people.”
“You did well, angel boy. I’m happy to hear that you wanted to prepare a surprise for me, but I’m happier that you managed to help so many people; I’m sure the Father placed you in their way. And knowing that is also a present, you know.”
“We know that. But, even so, we would like to give you a present...”
The supervisor turned her head to face him with a half smile, “You and I know that the best present we could ever receive this Christmas is right there, in the living room, trying to keep a little dog and a group of rather noisy little children in the same place for more than 10 seconds.”
They both looked at Monica, who had finally managed to control the “eleven” kids by offering them candies and hot chocolate.
“Yes... I know... Especially after the accident, I can’t seem to thank Him enough for placing her at our side, Tess...” the blond angel said.
*
Some time later, Tess announced that the supper would be served soon. Mrs Edwards came over to Monica and took her hands. “I don’t know what to say other than thank you. I guess all of this must be part of a miracle: you and Andrew showing up in the middle of a desert road exactly when we most needed help, and all of you sheltering us in your house as if we were members of your family... I could even say you’re angels God sent us!”
“I told you already Mrs Edwards, there’s no need to thank us. In fact, the children brought even more happiness to the house.” Monica said, with a broad smile upon her face.
“Still, if there’s anything I can do in retribution please, tell me, I wanted so much to do something for you.”
Monica was going to say that it wasn’t necessary but, suddenly, an idea crossed her mind and her eyes lit up, “Well... in fact, there’s something you could do... and I’m sure that Tess will love it...”
Soon, the children were gathered in the living room and took their places wearing their choir costumes. Monica went to the kitchen, where Tess was, and insisted that she should stop what she was doing to see “something”.
“I don’t know if you noticed, but there’s an entire dinner to be served and the food isn’t gonna fly from the kitchen and land up on the dinner table, Miss Wings!” the oldest angel grumbled.
“It’s just for a few minutes, Tess, c’mon, you’ll love it!”
The supervisor and the other angels were led to the living room and gathered on the couch, armchairs or on the carpeted floor, and Monica stood right in front of them, together with Mrs Edwards and the children.
“Well... I’m so glad that you’re all here... Adam, Rafael, Sam, Phil, Emma, Gabriel, it’s such a joy that you’re spending Christmas with Tess, Andrew and me. Today Andrew and I wanted to surprise you Tess, by buying food for the supper, presents for you and ornaments to decorate the house... But the Father gave everything we bought another destination, with which we were very pleased too. And, instead, it was you who prepared us a wonderful surprise... But I just found out, a few minutes ago, that there’s still a present we want to give you. Something that I’m sure you’ll love...” she looked at Mrs Edwards and the children and concluded, “... Mrs Edwards, children, thank you so much for doing this extra presentation! Merry Christmas to ya all! Be sure that our loving Father sending His blessings upon earth to all of His dearest children. And Tess... we love you very, very much!”
The Irish angel joined Tess and Andrew and the other angels, and the children, conducted by their teacher, started to sing lots of Christmas carols. With her eyes full of love, the supervisor took Monica’s and Andrew’s hands into both of hers and squeezed them.
“It’s the most beautiful Christmas surprise I could ever receive, babies; other than having you two by my side, of course!”
*
The angelic audience watched with joy in their eyes as the children sang famous songs and, for some moments, it was as if they were all little angels too, and those beautiful voices transported all of them to Heaven.
In the last song, Tess couldn’t resist and finally joined the children. Andrew wrapped his arm around Monica’s shoulder, bringing her closer to him, “I guess you couldn’t have found a better present for Tess!”
The Irish angel smiled, “She’s so happy! The Father always has a plan, and it’s always wonderful, isn’t t it?”
“Oh yes, it really is!” he spoke, giving her a light squeeze and kissing the top of her head.
Some time later, everybody lifted a prayer of thanks and the supper was served. The food provided by the Father was more than enough for all of them and what seemed a disastrous Christmas eve, ended up becoming a beautiful celebration.
As the night fell, the children and the angels (as these were in human form) started to feel sleepy and Tess was quick to set accommodations for everybody. And soon, they fell into a deep sleep.
Andrew, Monica, Tess and little Joy were going to share the same bedroom and, seeing that the Irish angel hadn’t joined them, Andrew went to look for her in the living room. Monica was standing close to the Christmas tree, with her hands conjoined, and the many little lamps hanging on the tree added an extra glow to her auburn locks. If Mrs Edwards or one of the children saw her they would sure confirm that they had been surrounded by angels all the time.
Andrew came closer to her and placed his hand over her shoulder. “Monica?”
“Hi...” she replied, turning her head to look at him.
“Aren’t you sleepy? It’s late already and we had a busy day...”
“Yes, we really did, right?” she asked, a content smile on her pretty face.
Also smiling, Andrew nodded his head, “Nothing like unexpected assignments to break the routine!”
They smiled and, as he held her, she rested her head on his shoulder. “I was thanking the Father for everything, you know. For this day, for our friends, for helping the ones who needed...”
If there was something that always enchanted Andrew it was Monica’s kindness and her affectionate heart. The blond angel softly stroked her hair, “I guess grateful is a great word to describe what I feel right now too...” he looked inside his jacket pocket and took a small square box, “Right before I came here, I had bought you an extra present...”
Her eyes grew wide in surprise, “Andrew! you didn’t have to...”
“Of course I did!” he spoke, taking her hand into both of his and placing the box in her palm.
“I hope you like it...”
With her eyes full of gratitude and deep love, she gave a tearful smile, “I do... I love it already!”
“But you didn’t even open it!” he replied, chuckling and at the same time moved with her tears, which soon made their way down her cheeks.
“I don’t have to... If it comes from you, I love it anyway...”
Smiling and with all his affection evident in his green eyes, he gently wiped the tears from her face. Slowly, she unwrapped the paper and found a velvet box. Monica looked at her dearest friend again and smiled.
“Monica you have to open the box too, you know...” he joked, not missing the childlike excitement as she did so.
“Andrew!” the Irish angel exclaimed, now holding a gold chain with a little gold angel pendant linked to it. “It’s... it’s...”
As she didn’t find the rest of the words, Monica suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight hug, which he immediately returned.
“So... Did you like it?” the blond angel asked, with a playful tone in his voice.
Shedding more tears, Monica pulled away and placed a tender kiss on his cheek, “Yes... I love it; it’s gorgeous! Thank you so much!”
“Here, allow me...”
Monica turned around and he placed the gold chain around her neck and fastened the clasp. Then, he made her turn around again so that he could see it. “That’s what you are to my existence, Monica. An angel who is always closer to me, either in the happy or difficult moments. And there are a lot more happy moments, I must say, as your presence alone is enough to fill my heart with joy!”
Still crying, but also with a broad smile upon her face, she placed her hand upon her chest, over the small pendant, “I’ll keep it close to my heart forever, Andrew, the same way I keep you...” the Irish angel held him tightly once again and, as he lay some kisses on the top of her head, she whispered, “I’m sorry I don’t have anything to give you...”
Although her voice was filled with guilty and a bit of sadness, Andrew gave a short laugh and tightened his hold on her, “You’re kidding me, right? You gave me a wonderful day and doing the Father’s work together with you is a blessing alone! Besides...” Andrew pulled away to lift her head so that their eyes could meet, “The best Christmas present I could ever receive is right here, in my arms... You’re the most precious gift I could ever get, Monica. And I’d be a less happy angel without your friendship and love.”
“Oh Andrew...”
Monica was going to say something else but a sob and more tears didn’t let her to. She tightened her hold on him again and buried her face in his chest.
“Hey... it wasn’t my intention to make you cry!”
“I’m sorry... you know that I feel the same for you, that I love you very much, with all my heart, don’t you?
“Well, let’s say I suspected that...”
Hearing her giggles, the blond angel pulled away again and, smiling, he wiped the tears on her face with gentle fingers. “Yes, that’s what I want to see... If you cry one more time I’ll start tickling you, Angel Girl!”
She laughed even more and at that moment, snow started to fall more intensely. Holding each other, the 2 angels came closer to the window to see it. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Yes... And I guess that this Christmas was perfect... not counting the first one!” Andrew replied, and, as he bent his head to look better at the falling snow, he hit an ornament made with mistletoe, which probably Tess had hung there.
They looked at the little plant and then at each other and, while Monica couldn’t help but chuckling, Andrew’s face became all red in a matter of seconds. But even being embarrassed, this time the blond angel smiled and nodded his head. Then, he gently grabbed Monica’s face with both hands and placed a tender kiss on her forehead and another tiny kiss on the tip of her nose; and they held each other once more; their hearts filled with happiness, peace and deep love.
“Merry Christmas, my angel...”
“Merry Christmas, Andrew... I love you... Forever...”
The end
(2nd version)
They looked at the little plant and then at each other and, while Monica couldn’t help but chuckling, Andrew’s face became all red in a matter of seconds. But even being embarrassed, this time the blond angel smiled and nodded his head. He cupped her chin and lifted her head up so that their eyes could meet. Slowly, Andrew bent his head down and brushed a gentle kiss on her forehead and another tiny kiss on the tip of her nose.
Then, he looked at her a bit hesitant, but the smile upon her pretty face and the spark in her eyes were so encouraging that he too smiled. Once again, he bent his head and their faces inched closer until their lips met in a small but tender kiss. When they pulled away both held each other once more; their hearts filled with happiness, peace and deep love.
“Merry Christmas, my angel...”
“Merry Christmas, Andrew... I love you... Forever...”
The end
