Alan stared at Monica and Gloria like they were crazy. He laughed slightly.
"You're angels?" he asked in disbelief. Gloria nodded.
"Yes. And we've been sent here by God to help you through this tough time," Gloria responded.
"Oh yeah? Where was God when this was happening?" Alan countered.
"Just where he has always been...everywhere," Monica answered.
"Then why didn't he stop it instead of having hundreds of people killed?" Alan asked, near tears.
"Because people have free will," Monica said. Alan was quiet for a minute before lowering his eyes to the ground.
"What about Chloe? Is she okay?" Alan asked, keeping his eyes on the ground. Monica opened her mouth to say something when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned quickly and caught the sight of Andrew. She noticed Alan was also staring at Andrew.
"Let me guess, another angel, right?" Alan asked. Andrew nodded.
"Yes Alan. My name is Andrew. I'm the one who took Chloe Home," he said, sadly. Alan nodded, but finally the words sunk in.
"Home? You mean she..." Alan said, not being able to say the last word.
"Yes Alan, she died...but from asphyxiation, not the building collapsing," he said, hoping to provide a little comfort. Alan nodded.
"Alan, your wife is here along with a friend of ours, also an angel," Monica said to Alan.
"I can't face her Monica, not after what I've done," Alan said, ashamed.
"She needs to hear the truth," Monica said, pausing as she watched Alan nod, "Gloria would you help Alan find Dawn and Tess?" Andrew asked. Monica looked at Andrew, who gave her a look that clearly said he wanted to talk.
"What about you two?" Gloria asked.
"We'll be along shortly," Andrew answered. Gloria nodded and walked off to find Tess and Dawn. When they were out of sight, Andrew turned to Monica.
"Are you okay?" he asked, seeing tears in her eyes. Monica nodded quickly, averting her eyes to the ground.
"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" she said. Andrew looked at her carefully. He placed one finger under her chin and lifted her face up so their eyes met.
"Monica," he said quietly, "I know you're not fine. You're thinking that this is a repeat of what happened with Madeline," he finished, watching as tears made their way down her cheeks. He brushed them away and looked into her brown eyes, awaiting an answer. She nodded and broke down into tears, not being able to hold them in anymore.
"You're right. I know this time I have to stay, but I hate seeing it happen again, and to so many people," Monica finally confessed. Andrew nodded and pulled Monica close. She wrapped her arms around his neck, while he held tightly onto her waist.
"Oh baby girl, let it all out. I'm right here," he whispered, kissing the top of her head as she broke out into sobs once more.
~ ~ ~
Gloria sighed as they looked through the streets for Tess and Dawn. Sirens still filled the air as they continued to look. Family members and friends stood on the streets hoping their loved ones were still alive, while injured victims were being tended to. She jumped when Alan called her name. She looked over at him and wondered if he had finally found them.
"Look," he said, pointing to a white pick-up truck, "that's Dawn's car." Gloria nodded.
"Well, that means that they're here," Gloria announced. They walked around a few more moments until Alan heard a familiar voice.
"Alan?"
"You're angels?" he asked in disbelief. Gloria nodded.
"Yes. And we've been sent here by God to help you through this tough time," Gloria responded.
"Oh yeah? Where was God when this was happening?" Alan countered.
"Just where he has always been...everywhere," Monica answered.
"Then why didn't he stop it instead of having hundreds of people killed?" Alan asked, near tears.
"Because people have free will," Monica said. Alan was quiet for a minute before lowering his eyes to the ground.
"What about Chloe? Is she okay?" Alan asked, keeping his eyes on the ground. Monica opened her mouth to say something when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned quickly and caught the sight of Andrew. She noticed Alan was also staring at Andrew.
"Let me guess, another angel, right?" Alan asked. Andrew nodded.
"Yes Alan. My name is Andrew. I'm the one who took Chloe Home," he said, sadly. Alan nodded, but finally the words sunk in.
"Home? You mean she..." Alan said, not being able to say the last word.
"Yes Alan, she died...but from asphyxiation, not the building collapsing," he said, hoping to provide a little comfort. Alan nodded.
"Alan, your wife is here along with a friend of ours, also an angel," Monica said to Alan.
"I can't face her Monica, not after what I've done," Alan said, ashamed.
"She needs to hear the truth," Monica said, pausing as she watched Alan nod, "Gloria would you help Alan find Dawn and Tess?" Andrew asked. Monica looked at Andrew, who gave her a look that clearly said he wanted to talk.
"What about you two?" Gloria asked.
"We'll be along shortly," Andrew answered. Gloria nodded and walked off to find Tess and Dawn. When they were out of sight, Andrew turned to Monica.
"Are you okay?" he asked, seeing tears in her eyes. Monica nodded quickly, averting her eyes to the ground.
"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" she said. Andrew looked at her carefully. He placed one finger under her chin and lifted her face up so their eyes met.
"Monica," he said quietly, "I know you're not fine. You're thinking that this is a repeat of what happened with Madeline," he finished, watching as tears made their way down her cheeks. He brushed them away and looked into her brown eyes, awaiting an answer. She nodded and broke down into tears, not being able to hold them in anymore.
"You're right. I know this time I have to stay, but I hate seeing it happen again, and to so many people," Monica finally confessed. Andrew nodded and pulled Monica close. She wrapped her arms around his neck, while he held tightly onto her waist.
"Oh baby girl, let it all out. I'm right here," he whispered, kissing the top of her head as she broke out into sobs once more.
~ ~ ~
Gloria sighed as they looked through the streets for Tess and Dawn. Sirens still filled the air as they continued to look. Family members and friends stood on the streets hoping their loved ones were still alive, while injured victims were being tended to. She jumped when Alan called her name. She looked over at him and wondered if he had finally found them.
"Look," he said, pointing to a white pick-up truck, "that's Dawn's car." Gloria nodded.
"Well, that means that they're here," Gloria announced. They walked around a few more moments until Alan heard a familiar voice.
"Alan?"