Author's ramblings: Here's chapter seven, coming closely on the heels of
AngieBaby's *fantastic* chapter six! I don't know if I can top that, but
I've got to write something.
Chapter Seven (by AJ)
Monica skipped down the stairs and into the kitchen where Andrew was putting the ingredients for his pancakes away. He had a stack of the fluffy circles on a plate on the table, and a bottle of maple syrup next to it. He'd also found a jar each of blueberry and strawberry preserves, and had placed them right in front of Monica's plate.
"'Morning again, Angel Girl!" Andrew called as Monica whirled into the kitchen/dining room.
"Hi, hi!" Monica replied with a grin and, as she gazed at Andrew, suddenly had to stop and stare. She'd never seen him look as good as he did that morning. He wasn't dressed up or even *trying* to attract attention, but he had hers right then. His hair was ruggedly mussed, and he was wearing simple blue jeans and a dark jade tee-shirt. But his green eyes were lit up and twinkling, and his smile was so warm and happy. And he was smiling at her. For her.
"Sit down, sit down! The pancakes are getting cold!" Andrew ordered good- naturedly, flashing Monica a confused glance complete with a raised eyebrow. He had successfully shaken Monica out of her reverie; she shook her head and slipped into the chair behind the fruit preserves. She started making idle conversation, hoping to steer his mind away from her enamored stare,
"These look wonderful, Andy!" Oops. She'd called him "Andy"! She hurried on, "I just love pancakes with fruit!" Monica forked two of the pancakes onto her plate, avoiding Andrew's glance, and popped open the jar of strawberry preserves. She scooped some of the berries and juice onto her cakes. "Now I wonder if there's any."
"Whipped cream?" Andrew anticipated her thought and pulled a can out from behind his back. He hadn't missed her stare, nor was he going to forget it, but he decided not to mention it right now, especially when he had the advantage of being armed with whipped cream. He made a mental note to ask her about it later. His conversation with Tess last night had made Andrew decide that he and Monica would need to have a heart-to-heart talk soon.
"Ooh! Yes! How'd you know?" Monica exclaimed, particularly happy that Andrew didn't mention her look a second ago. After her talk with Estelle the night before, Monica knew that she needed to sit down with her best friend for a heart-to-heart, but she was too nervous for it right now. She hadn't planned yet what to say.
"I know *you*, Monica," Andrew replied tenderly before squirting whipped cream on her nose, a naughty-boy sparkle in his eye.
Monica gasped her surprise at Andrew's ruthless "attack". "Andrew! Why, you." she laughed, wiping the cream from her nose and flinging it back at him.
"You two are far too old to be having childish food-fights! Now give me that," Tess admonished, suddenly appearing next to Andrew and swiping the bottle of whipped cream from his hand as he was about to squirt Monica again.
"Tess!" Monica exclaimed, rushing around the table to envelope her mentor in a big hug.
"It's nice to see you too, Angel Baby," Tess replied in a maternal tone, hugging Monica back.
"We were just about to have breakfast, Tess," Andrew diverted the subject away from the food-fight. "Do you want to join us?"
"If I'd've known we were going to have company, I would have done my hair," Estelle's teasing voice came from the entryway to the kitchen. "I'm glad to see you again, Tess. I was hoping you'd drop by for another visit." Leaning on her cane, Estelle made her way to the table, smiling at the oldest angel through her obvious muscle stiffness.
"I just couldn't stay away; I love visiting with you, Estelle," Tess answered kindly, untangling herself from Monica's hug and asking Andrew with her eyes to aid Estelle in getting seated at the table. Andrew complied smoothly. "And I had to check to see if my young friends here have been behaving themselves," Tess added, glancing from Andrew to Monica and back.
"They've certainly brought some life back into this house," Estelle replied with a wink.
"Mmm-hmm," was Tess' simple reaction. She was still holding the whipped cream bottle and held it up for exaggerated examination. Andrew had cream on his shirt; the cream that Monica had worn on her nose before she threw it his way. A bit of it still decorated her cheek. The young "angels" snuck peeks at each other and then dissolved into giggles.
"Will you join us for breakfast, Tess? It looks like these kids made some lovely pancakes that are quickly getting cold," Estelle repeated Andrew's offer.
"Yes, thank you. I think I will," Tess answered, pulling up the chair across the table from Estelle. Thinking quickly, Andrew turned to the cupboards for dishes to set a place for Tess.
"Andrew made the pancakes," Monica clarified, her smile bright at Tess' acceptance. She took her own seat and cut a bite out of her breakfast. Estelle was busy helping herself to the pile of flapjacks and toppings. Andrew finished putting a place setting out for Tess, and then sat down in his own chair.
"Thank the good Lord for that," Tess teased. Monica was not known for her culinary talents.
"Yes, let us thank the Lord," Estelle spoke up. "I thank Him for bringing the three of you into my life. You know, Tess, I was just telling these kids last night that I truly believe they're Heaven-sent. And you too. I don't know how I would have gotten through Walter's heart attack and the funeral without you. Praise the Lord for watching over His flock. I was so afraid of what I'd do here alone, especially when I have my attacks, but I don't worry now. The Lord provides for those who ask Him."
Estelle's short speech touched Monica's very heart. She had to thank the Father too, for the chance to have a life. A *human* life. The chance to feel love. Yes, love. But could it be? Was she truly in love with Andrew? Her eyes teared up.
Andrew noticed right away. "Don't cry, Moni," he said gently. Moni. He'd called her "Moni," something he'd never done before. And earlier, she had called him "Andy"! Her teary eyes looked at him with surprise, a surprise he shared when he realized that he'd called his best friend "Moni." His best friend. Wasn't she? They sat there, across the table from one another, staring into each other's eyes - into each other's souls. Yes, Monica and Andrew were best friends, but now.there was something more. Though they had been thinking about it non-stop for the past day, the realization came on suddenly. They were in love. He knew it and she knew it, all at once, separately and yet together. For a second, it was as though they were the only two in the room. The only two in the world! Monica's heart leapt into her throat.
"Excuse me," she whispered, and rushed from the table. The tears flowed freely as she sprinted up the stairs, down the hall, and into her bedroom. Collapsing on her bed, Monica cried tears of joy, relief, and.fear. She loved him so much, and knew he shared those feelings for her, but they were entering uncharted territory now, and it frightened her.
At the table, Tess felt a pang of worry for her Angel Girl, but the Father told her not to hurry to Monica's side. The job was Andrew's, and he knew it.
"Excuse me," Andrew echoed, fighting back tears of his own. Leaving the table, he ran up the stairs, two by two, and made his way down the hallway to Monica's door. She had slammed it shut behind her, and he found himself stalling at the closed door. He knew he loved her, and that she loved him. But how would they proceed from here?
******
"I knew it," Estelle announced happily, pulling Tess' attention away from her "angels" and back to the here-and-now.
"You knew what?" Tess was confused.
"Oh, come on, Tess. You mean you didn't see it coming? I knew from the moment those two walked in here yesterday that they were meant for each other, but even they didn't realize it. Now, they just figured it out - right here in front of us! We just witnessed a lovely young couple fall in love!" Estelle was ecstatic for her new friends.
"Oh, Lord, give me strength," was all Tess could say.
Chapter Seven (by AJ)
Monica skipped down the stairs and into the kitchen where Andrew was putting the ingredients for his pancakes away. He had a stack of the fluffy circles on a plate on the table, and a bottle of maple syrup next to it. He'd also found a jar each of blueberry and strawberry preserves, and had placed them right in front of Monica's plate.
"'Morning again, Angel Girl!" Andrew called as Monica whirled into the kitchen/dining room.
"Hi, hi!" Monica replied with a grin and, as she gazed at Andrew, suddenly had to stop and stare. She'd never seen him look as good as he did that morning. He wasn't dressed up or even *trying* to attract attention, but he had hers right then. His hair was ruggedly mussed, and he was wearing simple blue jeans and a dark jade tee-shirt. But his green eyes were lit up and twinkling, and his smile was so warm and happy. And he was smiling at her. For her.
"Sit down, sit down! The pancakes are getting cold!" Andrew ordered good- naturedly, flashing Monica a confused glance complete with a raised eyebrow. He had successfully shaken Monica out of her reverie; she shook her head and slipped into the chair behind the fruit preserves. She started making idle conversation, hoping to steer his mind away from her enamored stare,
"These look wonderful, Andy!" Oops. She'd called him "Andy"! She hurried on, "I just love pancakes with fruit!" Monica forked two of the pancakes onto her plate, avoiding Andrew's glance, and popped open the jar of strawberry preserves. She scooped some of the berries and juice onto her cakes. "Now I wonder if there's any."
"Whipped cream?" Andrew anticipated her thought and pulled a can out from behind his back. He hadn't missed her stare, nor was he going to forget it, but he decided not to mention it right now, especially when he had the advantage of being armed with whipped cream. He made a mental note to ask her about it later. His conversation with Tess last night had made Andrew decide that he and Monica would need to have a heart-to-heart talk soon.
"Ooh! Yes! How'd you know?" Monica exclaimed, particularly happy that Andrew didn't mention her look a second ago. After her talk with Estelle the night before, Monica knew that she needed to sit down with her best friend for a heart-to-heart, but she was too nervous for it right now. She hadn't planned yet what to say.
"I know *you*, Monica," Andrew replied tenderly before squirting whipped cream on her nose, a naughty-boy sparkle in his eye.
Monica gasped her surprise at Andrew's ruthless "attack". "Andrew! Why, you." she laughed, wiping the cream from her nose and flinging it back at him.
"You two are far too old to be having childish food-fights! Now give me that," Tess admonished, suddenly appearing next to Andrew and swiping the bottle of whipped cream from his hand as he was about to squirt Monica again.
"Tess!" Monica exclaimed, rushing around the table to envelope her mentor in a big hug.
"It's nice to see you too, Angel Baby," Tess replied in a maternal tone, hugging Monica back.
"We were just about to have breakfast, Tess," Andrew diverted the subject away from the food-fight. "Do you want to join us?"
"If I'd've known we were going to have company, I would have done my hair," Estelle's teasing voice came from the entryway to the kitchen. "I'm glad to see you again, Tess. I was hoping you'd drop by for another visit." Leaning on her cane, Estelle made her way to the table, smiling at the oldest angel through her obvious muscle stiffness.
"I just couldn't stay away; I love visiting with you, Estelle," Tess answered kindly, untangling herself from Monica's hug and asking Andrew with her eyes to aid Estelle in getting seated at the table. Andrew complied smoothly. "And I had to check to see if my young friends here have been behaving themselves," Tess added, glancing from Andrew to Monica and back.
"They've certainly brought some life back into this house," Estelle replied with a wink.
"Mmm-hmm," was Tess' simple reaction. She was still holding the whipped cream bottle and held it up for exaggerated examination. Andrew had cream on his shirt; the cream that Monica had worn on her nose before she threw it his way. A bit of it still decorated her cheek. The young "angels" snuck peeks at each other and then dissolved into giggles.
"Will you join us for breakfast, Tess? It looks like these kids made some lovely pancakes that are quickly getting cold," Estelle repeated Andrew's offer.
"Yes, thank you. I think I will," Tess answered, pulling up the chair across the table from Estelle. Thinking quickly, Andrew turned to the cupboards for dishes to set a place for Tess.
"Andrew made the pancakes," Monica clarified, her smile bright at Tess' acceptance. She took her own seat and cut a bite out of her breakfast. Estelle was busy helping herself to the pile of flapjacks and toppings. Andrew finished putting a place setting out for Tess, and then sat down in his own chair.
"Thank the good Lord for that," Tess teased. Monica was not known for her culinary talents.
"Yes, let us thank the Lord," Estelle spoke up. "I thank Him for bringing the three of you into my life. You know, Tess, I was just telling these kids last night that I truly believe they're Heaven-sent. And you too. I don't know how I would have gotten through Walter's heart attack and the funeral without you. Praise the Lord for watching over His flock. I was so afraid of what I'd do here alone, especially when I have my attacks, but I don't worry now. The Lord provides for those who ask Him."
Estelle's short speech touched Monica's very heart. She had to thank the Father too, for the chance to have a life. A *human* life. The chance to feel love. Yes, love. But could it be? Was she truly in love with Andrew? Her eyes teared up.
Andrew noticed right away. "Don't cry, Moni," he said gently. Moni. He'd called her "Moni," something he'd never done before. And earlier, she had called him "Andy"! Her teary eyes looked at him with surprise, a surprise he shared when he realized that he'd called his best friend "Moni." His best friend. Wasn't she? They sat there, across the table from one another, staring into each other's eyes - into each other's souls. Yes, Monica and Andrew were best friends, but now.there was something more. Though they had been thinking about it non-stop for the past day, the realization came on suddenly. They were in love. He knew it and she knew it, all at once, separately and yet together. For a second, it was as though they were the only two in the room. The only two in the world! Monica's heart leapt into her throat.
"Excuse me," she whispered, and rushed from the table. The tears flowed freely as she sprinted up the stairs, down the hall, and into her bedroom. Collapsing on her bed, Monica cried tears of joy, relief, and.fear. She loved him so much, and knew he shared those feelings for her, but they were entering uncharted territory now, and it frightened her.
At the table, Tess felt a pang of worry for her Angel Girl, but the Father told her not to hurry to Monica's side. The job was Andrew's, and he knew it.
"Excuse me," Andrew echoed, fighting back tears of his own. Leaving the table, he ran up the stairs, two by two, and made his way down the hallway to Monica's door. She had slammed it shut behind her, and he found himself stalling at the closed door. He knew he loved her, and that she loved him. But how would they proceed from here?
******
"I knew it," Estelle announced happily, pulling Tess' attention away from her "angels" and back to the here-and-now.
"You knew what?" Tess was confused.
"Oh, come on, Tess. You mean you didn't see it coming? I knew from the moment those two walked in here yesterday that they were meant for each other, but even they didn't realize it. Now, they just figured it out - right here in front of us! We just witnessed a lovely young couple fall in love!" Estelle was ecstatic for her new friends.
"Oh, Lord, give me strength," was all Tess could say.