Chapter 25

The blond angel carried his beloved one in his arms through the trees and the flowers that bordered the path to the nearest cliff, from where it was possible to watch a beautiful sunrise. The sky was turning from dark to lilac on the brink of the dawning, and once they finally arrived there, the stars were beginning to fade.

Monica was holding an oil burning lamp to lighten the way, even though its own use was to cast away the slight darkness that still surrounded the place so that she didn't feel uncomfortable. Andrew knew the way to the cliff by heart and would never get lost in those woods, especially carrying such a precious cargo. Once they arrived at the right site, he gently placed the Irish angel sitting over a rock and spread the towel he had brought on the soft grass.

Then the two heavenly beings sat down under an oak tree and leaned against its trunk, facing the horizon before their eyes. Andrew pulled her into his strong arms and kissed her forehead repeatedly.

"We'll have to wait for a few more minutes. But it'll be a beautiful sunrise, as the weather has been very good lately."

The weak smile that played on her lips made his heart ache. "Yes... And I love watching it with you."

He cupped her chin and lifted her head up. "Sharing it with you is what makes it beautiful, angel." Andrew bent down a little and the light kiss against her lips came as a sweet and tender reminder of a love that would never end, no matter what their destinies could be.

"I wish I could give you more comfortable accommodations..." he said, as she settled against his loving embrace once again.

"The accommodations couldn't be better, you know..." she replied, closing her eyes against his chest.

"Rest for a while, sweet angel... We still have some time before the sunrise..." he said, stroking her hair.

Silent and long minutes passed by.

Slow and sad changes happened to Monica while she was facing the treatment, and one of them was her becoming more and more silent. It happened for two different reasons, both of them very painful for her dearest friends to accept: the treatment caused her human organism to be weak and she got tired easily, spending most of the time dozing off to some light sleep. And the other reason was the sadness that had settled in her heart for she didn't know where all that was leading her.

Noticing that she was too quiet, and not yet used to this, Andrew watched her with worried eyes. She was too weak now and he was eager to take her back to the cabin.

"Angel? Did you fall asleep?" he wanted to know, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

But Monica wasn't sleeping.

"I feel so tired..." she let out a sigh, and gently grabbed his shirt. "... so tired, Andrew..."

The blond angel suddenly felt his heart aching and pounding loudly in his chest. Nearly in tears, he cupped her face and searched for her eyes, begging to see them opening for him once again. "Angel? Monica? Monica, talk to me!"

"I'm so sorry..." she whispered, as her body started to become limp.

With trembling hands and anguish flooding his soul, Andrew gathered the Irish angel in his arms and placed her on his lap, cradling her like a small defenceless child who needed all his care and attention.

"Angel?" he called, his eyes filled with pain and tears. "Please, resist... I'm just a selfish soul who wouldn't know how to exist without your sweet presence, baby... Because your presence is the greatest blessing God has ever given me..."

His tears finally made their way down his face and he rested his forehead against hers, allowing them to moister her own face. Shades of orange and yellow covered the sky and the sun was ready to burst from behind the mountains when Monica muttered something that broke Andrew's heart for the hundredth time.

"You'll always be in my heart, Andrew..."

He pressed her tightly against his human body, like a stubborn child who refused to let anybody take her from him. Then, Andrew turned his tear-filled eyes to the sky above them. "Father... of all Your creations, the one I love the most... the one that I find the most precious and dearest to my heart is the angel that is lying in my arms right now... And it's in the name of this love that I pray... it's in the name of my love for Monica that I use all the forces of my being to ask for her healing..."

Along with the first sunray that crossed the sky, a beautiful glow involved the blond angel. But his greatest fear proved to be wrong when his clothes didn't change into the usual white suit he would wear to take God's children Home.

His outfits remained the same. His human form remained the same.

Still surprised, he noticed that now the glow around him was spreading to involve Monica's ill body. And gradually, the little angel's form started to change.

With all the forces in his being, Andrew's eyes remained on her; his strong and permanent gaze combined with the intensity of his loving feelings seemed to increase the warmth and the glow that involved the ill angel's body. Soon, Monica's human form was wrapped in the same shelter of love, and she was glowing like her angelic friend. But she too continued in human form.

And only then the angel of death understood.

Angels were made by a whisper of God, a sigh of life granted by their loving Father at the moment they were created. And now, by a miracle of this same loving Father, Andrew was sharing this breath of life that God had given him centuries ago with Monica.

Her human form, so fragile and so ill, slowly started to change. Colour came back to her cheeks and her scarce auburn strands were suddenly becoming longer. A minute later, her hair was full again and cascading over Andrew's arm. Her extremely thin body started to regain weight and the blond angel could not only feel it but also see the drastic change in her appearance moments later.

The slow rising and falling of her chest gave place to a steady and clear breathing and her heart, which was beating so slow, now pounded stronger, as if she was ready to start an exciting journey all over again.

Overwhelmed with emotion and awe, Andrew didn't know if he should laugh or if he should cry. A miracle healed his Monica and loving words whispered to his heart by their loving Father told him that this miracle had been possible because of him.

Because of Andrew's love for Monica.

He gazed at the Irish angel intently, carefully committing every feature of her beautiful human form to his heart. Some auburn strands over her forehead and others a bit longer framing her beautiful face and hiding behind small ears. Andrew noticed her well-traced eyebrows and the long eyelashes, and cheered to remember the spark of her soft brown eyes whenever she observed God's wonderful creations.

Her perfectly shaped nose, her rosy cheeks and equally rosy lips matched the outline of her jaw. The pretty dimple underneath her chin and those on her cheek, which became visible whenever she smiled, had always looked adorable to him. The blond angel had memorised all her Gaelic traits by heart and now, thanks to a miracle, he would have the opportunity to see them again - and for the centuries to come.

What was happening was so amazing to him that he didn't even notice the realm of angels surrounding them and witnessing astounded the miracle before their eyes. They were obviously moved with emotion and rejoicing that an angel had been healed in such a spectacular way.

But on the other hand, a veil of shame and guilt had covered their hearts too. How could they speak in the name of God if they hadn't even heard their loving Father's true words? How could they judge and condemn two angels like them in such a cruel way if God Himself had taught them to deliver a message of tolerance and acceptance? The scene before their eyes was the answer to their hurtful words and attitudes. And they seemed to understand it. They knew there were apologies to offer and, which made them even more embarrassed, they knew Monica and Andrew would accept those apologies.

When the first sunray touched the two angels, Monica drew in a deep breath and suddenly opened her eyes, desperately searching for air as if she was coming back to the surface after almost drowning in the deep ocean. As if she had just woken up from a terrible nightmare.

And Andrew's loving face was the first thing she saw with the dawning of that new day.

"Andrew?"

"Angel? Monica?" he cupped her cheek and searched for her eyes, wanting her to calm down even though he himself was extremely nervous, perhaps still doubting it was happening. "Angel, talk to me! Is there anything you're feeling? Are you in any pain?"

"N-no... no... I'm..." She was extremely confused and grabbed his T-shirt trying to find an explanation to the drastic changes in her human form. The little angel looked at his green eyes, not yet fully understanding what was going on. "Andrew..."

"I'm here, baby!" he said, stroking her face and not sure of what to say either. "Tell me, are you feeling alright?"

She looked around them trying to understand what had just happened to her. "I...Yes... All of a sudden something happened before the dawn... It was as if I was falling but then I felt your arms around me and I felt your presence so intense right here in my heart..." she explained, "I felt the Father's presence as well... I... I heard your prayers, Andrew..." an instant tear fell from her eye as she added. "...and I heard His answer..."

He let a small laughter, which was also a sob, and stroked her cheek as she straightened her body. "Oh, Monica... Angel... Look at yourself, baby... look what happened to you..."

Monica turned her eyes from his just to look at her human form. She ran a hand through her long hair and then placed her palms against her cheeks, feeling the drastic changes that happened on the latest minutes.

He searched for her hand and kissed her palm. Now the intense and warm glow that touched their faces was also coming from the sun that had just burst from behind the green mountains. "You were right. It was a beautiful dawning..." The Irish angel spoke, for some moments looking at the horizon with enchantment.

"The most beautiful I've ever witnessed!"