Monica and Andrew sat in the back of Tess's red Cadillac, tears streaming down their cheeks. Gloria was seated in the front in the passenger's seat. Tess stood outside the Cadillac talking to a man and woman.
"Congratulations," they heard Tess say. Tess hugged them both and got into the Cadillac, starting the engine. The man and woman had retreated back into the house. Tess pulled into the middle of the road, glancing into her mirror to see Monica and Andrew, who were holding tightly to each other crying. She glanced over at Gloria, who also had tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Babies, what's wrong?" Tess asked, alarmed.
"It's just that Bill and Cassandra's wedding was so beautiful, especially on Fourth of July," Monica managed to say before a fresh batch of tears came to her eyes. Andrew and Gloria nodded their agreement.
"That's one assignment I wouldn't mind checking up on later in a few years," Andrew said. Gloria nodded.
"I know. That's the first wedding I've been to and it was wonderful," Gloria said, removing her glasses and wiping at her eyes to try to stop the tears. Tess laughed lightly.
"It was a beautiful wedding, but you three are the most emotional angels I've ever known," Tess teased, causing laughter from the three young angels.
"I learned from the best," Gloria said, sending a sly grin in Monica's direction. Monica glared at her, and then smiled. Andrew laughed at their actions.
"Angel babies, I have a surprise for you," Tess said, getting their attention.
"What is it?" Andrew asked, excited.
"You'll see," Tess said simply, causing groans from the three angels. They gave up trying, knowing Tess would never tell them. The ride continued smoothly without talk. The angels' crying had stopped. Gloria had picked up a book about weddings and began to read. Monica lied across Andrew while his hands absent-mindedly toyed with her hair. After about fifteen minutes, Tess stopped the car. She looked back at Andrew and Monica. Monica was asleep on Andrew's lap, while Andrew was leaning against the side of the car, his head on his arm. Tess smiled and looked at Gloria, who was still reading. Tess tapped Gloria on the shoulder, making her raise her head from reading.
"C'mon baby, let's get those two up," Tess said. Gloria looked confused until she looked in the back seat. She looked back at Tess and tried to hide a grin. She opened the door and got out, bringing the seat forward. She smiled at them. They looked so cute she didn't want to bother them, but they had to get out. She gently shook Andrew until he woke up.
"What is it Gloria?" he asked, sleepily.
"We're here," Gloria said. Andrew nodded, but was still confused.
"Where is here?" he asked. Gloria shrugged and looked around. She noticed Tess had wandered off to a grassy area and laid out a quilt on the ground.
"Looks like a park. Can you wake Monica up and meet us over there?" she asked, pointing to where Tess was. Andrew nodded and watched as Gloria ran over to help Tess. Andrew turned back to Monica. He shook her lightly. She began to stir as her eyes fluttered open. When she finally focused, she looked up at Andrew. He smiled down at her, chuckling softly as she yawned.
"Good morning Angel girl," he said, watching as she glared at him, but ended up grinning.
"Where are we?" Monica asked. Andrew shrugged as he looked out of the window, surveying the surroundings.
"I don't know, but Gloria said it was a park. And it looks like Tess brought a picnic lunch," he said as he glanced at his watch, "make that a picnic dinner." Monica nodded as she lifted herself off Andrew and got out of the driver's side door while Andrew got out of the opposite side. Since it looked like Tess had everything she needed, they closed and locked all of the doors. They headed over to Tess and Gloria, where they had everything set up. When Tess saw them, she smiled.
"About time you two woke up," she said teasing, grinning widely.
"Very funny Tess," Andrew said, smiling before turning serious once more, "what is all this?"
"Well, it's a mixture of two things. One, because it's Fourth of July and two, because I love you three so much," she said.
"Ah Tess, we love you too," Monica said as the three angels hugged Tess. They all settled down to eat. Once they had eaten, they laid back onto the blanket that was on the cool grass.
"One more surprise babies. They're having fireworks," Tess said. Gloria, Monica, and Andrew looked at each other and smiled. At the same moment, they sent up a firework, which illuminated the dark sky. Monica jumped and looked up, smiling at the beautiful sight. She looked over at Andrew, who was lying down. He noticed her glance and motioned for her to come over. She made herself comfortable on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her waist to keep her in place. They looked over at Gloria, who had her head in Tess's lap and Tess was playing with her hair while she stared at the fireworks. Monica smiled and turned her attention back to the fireworks, sighing contently. The fireworks lasted for another forty-five minutes before they sent up more fireworks than usual for the finale. After another five minutes, they had ended. Andrew glanced at his watch and noticed it read 10:00. They packed up their things and put it all in the trunk of the Cadillac. They piled into the car and drove off. Tess noticed Gloria had fallen into a peaceful slumber.
Monica turned to Andrew smiling. His face was a mask of confusion, wondering what she was smiling about.
"What?" Andrew asked, now smiling himself.
"Happy Fourth of July," she said, grinning. Andrew smiled and kissed the tip of her nose as she leaned back to lie on his shoulder. He circled his arm around her shoulders as he leaned back against the seat.
"Right back at you, baby girl," Andrew whispered into her ear. Tess smiled at the two as a white dove flew by the Cadillac cooing.
"Congratulations," they heard Tess say. Tess hugged them both and got into the Cadillac, starting the engine. The man and woman had retreated back into the house. Tess pulled into the middle of the road, glancing into her mirror to see Monica and Andrew, who were holding tightly to each other crying. She glanced over at Gloria, who also had tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Babies, what's wrong?" Tess asked, alarmed.
"It's just that Bill and Cassandra's wedding was so beautiful, especially on Fourth of July," Monica managed to say before a fresh batch of tears came to her eyes. Andrew and Gloria nodded their agreement.
"That's one assignment I wouldn't mind checking up on later in a few years," Andrew said. Gloria nodded.
"I know. That's the first wedding I've been to and it was wonderful," Gloria said, removing her glasses and wiping at her eyes to try to stop the tears. Tess laughed lightly.
"It was a beautiful wedding, but you three are the most emotional angels I've ever known," Tess teased, causing laughter from the three young angels.
"I learned from the best," Gloria said, sending a sly grin in Monica's direction. Monica glared at her, and then smiled. Andrew laughed at their actions.
"Angel babies, I have a surprise for you," Tess said, getting their attention.
"What is it?" Andrew asked, excited.
"You'll see," Tess said simply, causing groans from the three angels. They gave up trying, knowing Tess would never tell them. The ride continued smoothly without talk. The angels' crying had stopped. Gloria had picked up a book about weddings and began to read. Monica lied across Andrew while his hands absent-mindedly toyed with her hair. After about fifteen minutes, Tess stopped the car. She looked back at Andrew and Monica. Monica was asleep on Andrew's lap, while Andrew was leaning against the side of the car, his head on his arm. Tess smiled and looked at Gloria, who was still reading. Tess tapped Gloria on the shoulder, making her raise her head from reading.
"C'mon baby, let's get those two up," Tess said. Gloria looked confused until she looked in the back seat. She looked back at Tess and tried to hide a grin. She opened the door and got out, bringing the seat forward. She smiled at them. They looked so cute she didn't want to bother them, but they had to get out. She gently shook Andrew until he woke up.
"What is it Gloria?" he asked, sleepily.
"We're here," Gloria said. Andrew nodded, but was still confused.
"Where is here?" he asked. Gloria shrugged and looked around. She noticed Tess had wandered off to a grassy area and laid out a quilt on the ground.
"Looks like a park. Can you wake Monica up and meet us over there?" she asked, pointing to where Tess was. Andrew nodded and watched as Gloria ran over to help Tess. Andrew turned back to Monica. He shook her lightly. She began to stir as her eyes fluttered open. When she finally focused, she looked up at Andrew. He smiled down at her, chuckling softly as she yawned.
"Good morning Angel girl," he said, watching as she glared at him, but ended up grinning.
"Where are we?" Monica asked. Andrew shrugged as he looked out of the window, surveying the surroundings.
"I don't know, but Gloria said it was a park. And it looks like Tess brought a picnic lunch," he said as he glanced at his watch, "make that a picnic dinner." Monica nodded as she lifted herself off Andrew and got out of the driver's side door while Andrew got out of the opposite side. Since it looked like Tess had everything she needed, they closed and locked all of the doors. They headed over to Tess and Gloria, where they had everything set up. When Tess saw them, she smiled.
"About time you two woke up," she said teasing, grinning widely.
"Very funny Tess," Andrew said, smiling before turning serious once more, "what is all this?"
"Well, it's a mixture of two things. One, because it's Fourth of July and two, because I love you three so much," she said.
"Ah Tess, we love you too," Monica said as the three angels hugged Tess. They all settled down to eat. Once they had eaten, they laid back onto the blanket that was on the cool grass.
"One more surprise babies. They're having fireworks," Tess said. Gloria, Monica, and Andrew looked at each other and smiled. At the same moment, they sent up a firework, which illuminated the dark sky. Monica jumped and looked up, smiling at the beautiful sight. She looked over at Andrew, who was lying down. He noticed her glance and motioned for her to come over. She made herself comfortable on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her waist to keep her in place. They looked over at Gloria, who had her head in Tess's lap and Tess was playing with her hair while she stared at the fireworks. Monica smiled and turned her attention back to the fireworks, sighing contently. The fireworks lasted for another forty-five minutes before they sent up more fireworks than usual for the finale. After another five minutes, they had ended. Andrew glanced at his watch and noticed it read 10:00. They packed up their things and put it all in the trunk of the Cadillac. They piled into the car and drove off. Tess noticed Gloria had fallen into a peaceful slumber.
Monica turned to Andrew smiling. His face was a mask of confusion, wondering what she was smiling about.
"What?" Andrew asked, now smiling himself.
"Happy Fourth of July," she said, grinning. Andrew smiled and kissed the tip of her nose as she leaned back to lie on his shoulder. He circled his arm around her shoulders as he leaned back against the seat.
"Right back at you, baby girl," Andrew whispered into her ear. Tess smiled at the two as a white dove flew by the Cadillac cooing.