The Irish angel wandered the trail, not even realizing the physical pain she was in. Instead, her mind was drowning in the mental pain that she was suffering. Now her heart ached instead of her body. She couldn't think straight and her vision was getting worse as the minutes passed. Tess would be looking for her any minute. What would she do when she found her? Monica didn't want to deal with the world around her. She was in her own little world, oblivious to her surroundings.
She stumbled along, trying to keep from falling onto the forest floor. She guessed that the trail was taking her to the lake, for the lapping water grew louder. Her eyes looked up into the sky and turned dark.
"Father! Why are you doing this?" she asked again. "Don't you care? Don't you love us?" her Irish voice squeaked.
Monica suddenly tripped on a root that stuck out of the ground and fell to her knees. She put her head in her muddy hands and wept. She absentmindedly sat down, even though her mind was aware of the dirt and mud that lay beneath her. She didn't care. She was so confused. She was falling apart.
"Father," she prayed, this time in a quiet voice. "Why have you forsaken me? Why don't you pick me back up? Why, why, why?"
She was so frustrated that the tears flowed down her cheeks like a stream. Her red eyes slowly opened and she saw the waters before her. She had wandered to the lake. The Irish angel stood up and shakily walked over to the waves that calmly rolled to shore. She cupped her hands and scooped up a bit of water. She splashed it onto her flushed face and stood in silence for a moment. Suddenly she jumped. A hand lay on her shoulder and soothed it softly. Monica didn't have to turn around to know who it was. The dark skin and the touch gave it away. Anyway, she could sense whenever her supervisor was near.
"Angel Girl, oh, Angel Girl," Tess said through tears. "I knew you'd take this the worst. Andrew handled it like a man, though he did break out crying, Gloria has hardly left my side since, and you," Tess paused and managed a smile. "Your little Irish brogue goes up a few tones and then you break down. I know you. I knew you'd handle it this way. I handled it almost like this when Sam told me. I don't like it any more than you do, Monica, but it's the way it has to be."
Monica turned around and looked her supervisor straight in the eye, her insides almost smiling. She suddenly burst forward into the strong, welcoming arms. They held her there for a long time.
"Oh, Tess," Monica cried. "I just love you so much. I don't want to let you go…I just can't!"
"With that attitude, you won't be able to live. You have to think positive, Miss Wings," Tess said lovingly. "One day, though a long time from here in your case, you'll be able to join me. I had a supervisor once, long ago. I had to let him go, and now it's your turn. One day, Gloria will have to accept yours and Andrew's leave and she'll take on a caseworker. It's the way of life, sweetheart, it's the way things are."
"But, I don't know if I'll ever be happy again!" Monica sobbed. She leaned her face into Tess' shoulder. "I'm in so much physical pain right now, and now I'm hurting inside too. I can't stand to go on like this. Why do you have to leave me all alone like this?" the Irish angel asked.
"You're not alone, Baby," Tess said, her voice now serious. "You have Andrew and Gloria and most important, you have God. He will never leave you. And you know that. He is everywhere at anytime. He sees your every action, knows your every though. He knows how much pain you're in and will help you bear it if you'll only ask Him to," Tess explained.
"I know, but you're different than anyone else. You're different than God. God can't…"
"God can do anything that I can, 'cause He made me. Now God might not be able to hug you in physical form, but He'll comfort you and that's just as good as a hug."
"No one gives hugs and well as you do, Tess," Monica said. She managed a slight giggle that made Tess' spirits lift.
"Come here my Angel Girl," Tess joked. She pulled her charge into a huge embrace, squeezing her tightly. "I love you, Baby," she said in a soft voice. Suddenly Monica winced.
"Tess…" she whimpered. Tess looked at her curiously and then suddenly released.
"Sorry, Angel Girl," she said abruptly. "Let's say we go back to the hotel and get your wounds treated. Then we'll get a bite to eat."
"That sounds like a good idea," Monica said, rubbing her back. Tess put an arm around her angel girl for support and the two, through tears, made their way back through the thick green.
Andrew smiled as he saw the red Cadillac pull up in the hotel parking lot. It brought music to his heart to see the two angels laughing (and crying) as they walked up the steps. A few minutes later he heard the knock at the door and jokingly peeked through the peek hole in the door. To his surprise, both Monica and Tess were sticking their tongues out at him. He rolled his eyes and opened the door.
"Forget your card?" he joked, holding up the room key. "You two are not a sight for sore eyes. You make the eyes sore," Andrew commented as he thought of the faces he had got when he peered through the hole.
"Angel Boy," Tess said. She glanced at him with a worried look. "Monica isn't doing so well. Please go down to the desk and ask for the first aid kit. We need to fix her cuts and bruises."
"She looked fine a minute ago," Andrew sighed.
"Just get it!" Tess ordered. She shot a stern glance at her angel boy.
"Of course," Andrew said. He gave his supervisor a knowing expression.
"I'm fine," Monica complained. "Don't bother." But just then, she took a fall, Andrew luckily catching her.
"Hey, I think you need to rest those legs of yours, sweetie, you've been walking in human form a lot." He scooped her up and set her down on the bed. "Just rest and I'll be right back. I'll pick up Gloria from the dining room while I'm down stairs."
"Okay, Baby," Tess said. "Just hurry." Andrew nodded and shut the door quietly behind him.
"Tess?" Monica asked in a weak voice. "I feel lightheaded."
"Just shut your eyes, Angel Girl," Tess suggested. "I think it's from that spill you took. Don't worry, Andrew's getting the first aid."
"I believe you ordered this," Andrew said as he entered the room, Gloria tagging right behind him. He handed Tess the white box and sat down on the bed next to his friend. Gloria sighed and kneeled on the floor beside the bed. She peered at the Irish angel and found it impossible to imagine how much pain her supervisor was in.
"Thank you, Baby," Tess said. She carefully turned Monica over on the bed so she could first treat her back wounds. She carefully dabbed Monica's back, trying not to cause sting. Monica whimpered and Andrew took her hand in his. He soothed her arm until she relaxed.
"Tess," he said. "Maybe I should take care of the ones on her arms," the angel of death suggested. Tess nodded and he took up a cloth and anointed it with medicine. He cautiously laid it over a large bruise on her lower arm. She squealed with pain and Andrew winced at the blood that slowly used out. "I'm sorry, Angel Girl," he said. He soothed a brilliant lock of her auburn hair and put it behind her ear. "This will only take a minute."
Monica awoke, realizing she had again fallen asleep. She hadn't meant to, but the pain had been so terrible that she blacked out.
"Hey, sleepy head," Gloria said. She came up along side of her supervisor and touched her cheek. Gloria let out a sigh of relief when she felt no fever. Monica was finally beginning to heal.
"What day is it?" Monica abruptly asked. She leaped up and looked all around.
"Saturday," Gloria replied sadly. "It's the next day, Monica."
Monica looked all around, the person that she searched for not there.
"Where's Tess?" Monica asked. "Where is she?"
"She's down in the dining room. Don't worry, you've got all day with her," Gloria said.
Monica leaped out of bed a threw a T-shirt and jeans on. She stared in horror at her hair that was tangled into a rat's nest.
"Yuck!" she exclaimed. She quickly grabbed a comb and began to flatten the big snarl. "There," she said minutes later. You coming?" she asked her friend. Gloria nodded and grabbed Monica's hand.
"You sure look better," Gloria declared. "Your bruises are almost all gone."
Monica glanced at her arm and sighed, "You're right, Gloria." Monica looked down and forced to keep her tears from coming out. "I can't believe today is the day," she said.
"Me either. Time sure has whizzed by," Gloria agreed.
"You're talking different," the Irish angel noticed. "You aren't so…"
"Elaborate…I mean complicated?" Gloria asked, catching herself. "I thought through what Andrew told me and I realized I don't fit in as good when I talk like I used to. It makes me too…"
"Unique?" Monica asked. "It's okay to be unique, it is just that sometimes no one can understand what you're trying to say 'cause you're so smart."
"Hey, look." Gloria pointed to their friends. "There's Andrew and Tess."
The two angels joined the rest of their group, Monica embracing Tess first. She knew what day it was and knew what would happen later on today. She then bent over and received a small kiss from Andrew on the nose.
"Good morning," Andrew said. "I though you were going to sleep in all day."
"I almost did," Monica said. "But then I remembered…" She stopped. She didn't want to mention it yet. "Come on, Gloria, let's get something to eat. Tess and I were going to get supper last night, but I fell asleep. Now I'm even more starved."
The two angels observed the variety of fruits, cereals, and bread. They all enjoyed a nice breakfast, not bringing up the subject of Tess' leave.