Chapter 16
~.~
April 2017
The Thorston twins, Becky and Penny head out to the lobby, get the appointment card and leave.
"What do you wanna do, sis?" Tuffnut asks.
Before Becky can answer, an ambulance blares past them. At the same time, Becky's phone vibrates.
"Hello? Becky, it's Amalie.Amalie? Is everything okay? No, it's Eret. He went into cardiac arrest.Oh, gods. We're on our way." Becky hangs up.
"Sweetie? Everything okay?"
"No...it's Eret. He went into cardiac arrest."
"We'll take you over there. We'll get through this. Let's go get to him, okay?" Becky nods, starting to lean on her brother. She and Tuffnut and Penny get into the backseat of Ruffnut's car while Ruffnut drives.
They arrive at Eret and Amalie's bookshop, where the ambulance is.
They go inside the bookshop, seeing Eret on the ground, lifeless.
The paramedics start using the defibrillator. Becky clings to her siblings, starting to sob, one hand on her belly.
"Clear!"
...
"No pulse. Next voltage. Clear!"
...
"No pulse. Next voltage. Clear!"
...
"No pulse. Next voltage. Clear!"
...
"No pulse. Last voltage. Clear!"
"Please...please. Please." Ruffnut says.
...
"No pulse. Time is 2:34PM on April 20."
It's then it hits the Thorston siblings and Amalie.
Becky's birthday.
"We're so sorry, sweetheart. We are so so sorry." Tuffnut says as his adoptive sister sobs into his shoulder. Penny whines, seeing her mom in distress.
~.~
The Thorston siblings and Amalie head to the Thorston apartment.
"There's our birthday girl. We were wondering when you'd get here. Is Eret on his way?" Becky's legs suddenly buckle, but Tuffnut catches her, slowly leading her to the couch.
"I've got you. I've got you."
"Sweetheart? What is it? What's wrong?" Lily asks, kneeling in front of her distraught daughter.
"Mom...Eret's...Eret's dead."
"Oh, sweetheart. I am so so sorry."
"I wasn't even able to tell him."
"Tell him what, sweetie?"
"About...about the baby."
"Oh, my sweetheart. I am so so sorry."
Becky breaks down, and her mom wraps her arms around the young widow.
"We'll get through this. I promise. We won't leave you."
~.~
A few weeks later, Becky stands on the roof of the apartment complex. She feels she has nothing to live for now that Eret's gone. Not even for Penny.
"Don't."
Becky turns and sees a kind-looking redheaded woman. She notes the woman's Irish accent.
"Who-who are you?"
"God sent me to you."
"He – He did?"
"Yes. He sees you're struggling, so He sent me to help you."
"Why would He do that? I've done nothing good. I've bargained with Him, which I know I'm not supposed to do, but I just can't see another way."
"Becky, God loves you. He sees you're in pain, and at such a young age."
"I can't...I can't lose this baby. I've already lost two, and now Eret...he was my entire world."
"You won't lose this baby."
"I-I won't?"
"No. This baby will grow up healthy and happy. Just like their mother."
"I'm neither healthy nor happy."
"You're carrying a baby. You're doing very well so far."
"Why would God send you to me? He doesn't love me."
"Oh, but of course He does. He loves you, no matter what, and He will always love you. He sent me because you needed someone. I'm your guardian angel."
"Guardian angel? I don't deserve to have a guardian angel."
"But you do. You've gone through so much, and yet you're still here."
"But...but without Eret. How am I supposed to go on without him? He was my true love."
"You will find love again someday."
"Does God care what gender they are?"
"No, He doesn't. As long as they love God and love you for who you are, it doesn't matter what gender they are. I will be there for you whenever you need me."
"What-what's your name?"
"Monica. I've watched over you your entire life. From the moment you were conceived, and the moment you were born, to now, until you're called home."
"Why am I suffering so much? This is too much for me to handle."
"God knows that you're suffering. He loves you and He hates that you're in pain."
"I thought He didn't hate anything."
"He doesn't hate anyone.Not anything."
"So why doesn't He take my pain away? Can't He do that?"
"He can. He wants you to learn that you are not your pain. Your pain will pass someday, and when it does, you'll be free from pain forever. But now is not the time to be thinking about that. You've got your child to look after."
"It hurts...to be living without Eret..."
"I'm sure it does."
Monica walks over to Becky and holds her as she breaks down.
~.~
Becky bolts up in bed, sobbing.
"My darling? Are you all right?"
Becky doesn't answer.
Penny jumps up on the bed, pawing at her mom.
"I'm okay, Penny. Mama's okay."
"I'm here, my sweetie. I'm here. Eret's here." Eret wraps his arms around his wife as she sobs into his chest.
"Shhh. It was just a nightmare. It's okay, love. I've got you. I promise."
"Don't leave me. Please don't leave me. I can't lose you...I can't..."
"Shhh. I've got you. I promise I won't leave you."
Becky is practically inconsolable. Eret holds her close, not knowing what else to do.
Minutes pass before they're interrupted by a knock on their front door. Penny, obediently, stays silent.
Eret helps Becky up, knowing she needs him, and they walk to the door together, Penny heeling at Becky's side.
Eret opens it, and a redheaded woman is at the door.
"Can we help you?"
"I'm sorry to bother you. My car broke down further down the road, and the battery on my phone died." Both Eret and Becky note her Irish accent.
"It's a bit late to call a mechanic, so why don't you come on in? You can call the mechanic in the morning."
"Thank you. I'm Monica."
"M-Monica?" Becky looks up, clinging to her husband.
"Yes. Are you all right?"
"Really bad nightmare...I can't talk about it right now."
"Which is fine, my love."
The three sit on the couch.
"Can we get you anything?"
"No, thank you. I'd ask for coffee, but I've been told to switch to decaf for a while. And it's one in the morning."
"I'd better try to get Becky to bed so she can try to get more sleep."
"You can head to bed as well. I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
"Okay. There are blankets in the hall closet."
"All right. I can get them. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Good night, Monica."
"Good night, Eret."
Eret and Becky head to bed.
Later that morning, Eret, Becky and Penny head into the living room, finding Monica in the kitchen, having just fixed pancakes with turkey bacon.
"Good morning."
"Good morning." Becky and Eret say.
"I hope you don't mind, but I fixed breakfast. It's the least I could do."
"Oh, well, thank you, Monica." Eret says.
"You're welcome."
The four soon sit down to breakfast, Penny near Becky while she eats.
"Monica, this is going to sound very strange, but...you were in my nightmare last night, but as a force of good."
"What made it a nightmare then, my love?" Eret asks.
"You...you died of cardiac arrest...before I could tell you about the baby. And it was my birthday."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"No wonder you woke up like you did and clung to me."
"How was I in the nightmare, if you don't mind my asking?" Monica asks.
"That's the strange bit...you were my guardian angel. Can you imagine me having a guardian angel?"
"Well, my darling, you've gone through some pretty hard times in your life. And I know you're terrified about having this baby. I am, too. But we'll get through it. And I'd be surprised if you didn'thave a guardian angel."
"True."
"Well, this was probably the least amount of time I've had between meeting my charge and revealing myself."
"Monica?"
Monica stands up. Eret and Becky glance at each other.
"I am an angel. And I am, indeed, your guardian angel, Becky."
"God sent you to me?"
"He did."
"So, your car...?" Eret asks.
"There was no car. I had to make that story up so I could come in. I know that you've had a hard life, Becky, with your alcoholic father and what you went through in high school, and now as a young adult."
"Why did God send you to me now?"
"Well, you're about to start a new chapter in your life in about nine months' time. He wanted me to be with you every step of the way, as your guardian angel."