Monica put her head against the cold glass. Her eyes studied the trees as the whizzed by. She was still in terrible condition and she still ached. Why was Tess taking her somewhere at a time like this? She turned to look at her supervisor her kept her eyes attached to the road.
"Tess?" Monica asked in her weary Irish accent. "Where are you taking us?" When there was no reply, Monica assumed that Tess had no expectations of revealing their destination. The younger angel saw a single tear run down her supervisor's dark cheek. "Are you okay?" she asked by instinct. Tess quickly wiped it away, still not giving her charge an answer.
A few moments of silence went by until Tess pulled the Cadillac to a halt. Monica listened intently as the engine died down and left only the sounds of nature to break the silence.
"Tess?" Monica asked again. Tess only stepped out of the car and started walking away. Monica guessed that she wanted her to follow so tagged after her supervisor who was walking at a fast pace.
Whatever she wants to tell me, she sure wants to get it over with, Monica thought to herself.
Tess motioned for the auburn to sit down on a wood bench that had suddenly appeared in front of them. She did so and waited for her supervisor to begin the conversation that would sooner or later take place.
The sound of lapping water filled the angel's ears and Monica concluded that around the thick wood in front of them, the lake sat. The birds chirped and sang their morning song, the squirrel and other rodents gnawing on tree branches, and the wind rustled the tall trees back and forth.
"Angel Girl," Tess said after a moment. "I don't know how I can tell you this. You are going to be the hardest of them all. You're my angel girl and I love you so much," the supervisor wept. "I can't let you go…"
"Does this have to do with the way you had been acting: your mind wandering off, and sudden stages of unexpected anger?" the Irish angel asked. She laid a hand on Tess' arm and gave her a caring look. Tess nodded.
"Monica," she said seriously, her tears withdrawing. The older angel reached over and embraced her angel girl tightly. She then released from the hug and looked her charge deep in the eye. "I'm leaving," she said at once. Monica stared at her with a misunderstood look.
"Excuse me?" she asked. "Are you going on an assignment on the other side of the country or something?" Monica gave her supervisor an understanding expression, as if she wasn't much worried about being separated from Tess for a little while. "This has happened before…"
"No, Monica, I'm leaving…for good." Tess looked away, the tear welling at the bottom of her eyes. "God has called me to…to join the elders."
"But you're not that old yet, aren't you Tess?" Monica asked, thinking that her supervisor was joking. But no, she wouldn't joke so seriously.
"Angel Girl, I am at that age. I have completed that much work. It's my time. I have to leave you and the others and so will Sam," Tess explained.
Monica leaned back, realizing that her supervisor was being honest. She shook her head and began to choke on her tears. She wasn't going to believe it.
"Sweetheart, you know about the elders in Heaven. And now, I get to join them," Tess cried. She leaned forward to hold Monica's hand. But the Irish angel refused. She backed up and jumped off the bench, still shaking her head. "Baby, you have to understand that…"
"What's there to understand?" Monica asked with an angry voice. "After all these years of working together, you are just going to leave me like this? You're going and never coming back? Oh, I understand. You probably are taking on another caseworker to train. I'm just not your type anymore, huh?" Monica asked. Tess shook her head.
"No, Monica, I wouldn't lie to you. You know that. I have to go. This is not by choice. Remember that day when I was late because I was signing the papers that said I was rightfully your supervisor? Well, those papers also contained the form to fill out, stating that I would accept the fact that I would be leaving in a week."
"A week?" Monica asked. "That week will be up tomorrow and it's already nine o' clock tonight! Why didn't you tell me before, so I could prepare for this? I can't deal with this right now! No! I won't!" Monica screamed. She ran off, down the trail, not even knowing where it led. All she wanted was to get away, far away. This world was just too much for her right now. How could she accept the fact that her supervisor was leaving forever?