Monica sat up straight in bed. Something somewhere was wrong. And
what she needed right now was coffee and a conversation with Tess.
"Hi Tess. What are you watching?" She asked as she came into the living room.
"I Dream of Jeannie."
"Oh, I love that show!"
"Can't you sleep?" She asked as she turned the television off.
"No, I haven't been able to, plus I really needed to talk to you."
"What's wrong?"
"Well," she said as she sat next to Tess. "Zoë has been really scared lately. She has been having nightmares about Monique and Kathleen and all that sort of thing. And then, Felicity suddenly just became a, well you know. I thought that something else was bothering me, but when I thought about it in depth I realized that that something is actually something that I am not very anxious about, just excited about. Tess I just can't get it out of my mind now that something somewhere is about to happen."
"I've had that same feeling lately. I think you're right. But there is nothing we can do but pray and wait. Don't only pray for protection, but also pray for wisdom, and to know what to look for and what to stay away from. And keep an eye on the children too. I don't feel like doing what we did with Tessa last summer."
"Neither do I."
"So, what have you thought that you were worried about but now you're looking forward to? I really want to know."
"Well, you'll find out soon enough." Monica smiled.
A half an hour later Monica went back to bed. She looked at the clock. It was almost five o'clock in the morning. She wasn't tired but decided that she should try and get some rest anyway. When she got into bed she felt arms wrap around her and she turned over to see that Andrew was awake. They kissed.
"Good morning." She said. "Would you be interested in joining me on a morning walk?"
"Now?"
"Yes, now."
"I would be delighted."
So hand in hand they walked through central park and they finally stopped on a bridge overlooking a small stream. The full moon shone brightly over them. The sounds and smells of night were soothing and provided Monica with at least a temporary zone of comfort. It was warm for that time of year and the snow covered the ground like a thin but beautiful bed sheet. It took Monica a minute, but she soon realized that she was in the middle of a kiss. They both smiled.
"Andrew we have to talk."
"Is something the matter?"
"No. No, not at all." She said caressing his check and laughing.
"Then what is it Moni?"
"We're going to have a baby." She said as she began to tear up a bit.
"Oh Moni..." He said as he kissed her.
"Are you happy?"
"More than anyone Angel Girl."
"I am too. I just had to tell you now. I couldn't stand to keep it a secret any longer."
"How long have you known?"
"A week for sure. I do have a problem though, and that's another reason that I told you now, I think you can help me."
"Is it anything with the baby?"
"No, no the baby's quite fine. This is something else all together. I'm very worried Andre. You know about Zoë's nightmares and about what happened to Felicity. But I have this feeling. This horrible feeling." He put his arm around her as she looked into the water below. "I thought that, for a while it was the pregnancy and all of that. But now I'm not so sure, Tess says she's been feeling to. I figured, however that I should consult you about all of this as well."
"Well, I think that we should be praying, and watching and ready for anything, but that we should try to have a nice holiday. Enjoy Christmas it's self, enjoy being together, enjoy the house, the weather, the city and especially the girls."
"That's a great idea. And that is just what we need to do."
During the course of their conversation, the sun had come up. And by the time that they left the little bridge in the park it was seven o'clock in the morning. They went to Starbucks and walked around the city for a little while before returning home. When they got there they found Tessa and Zoë sitting on the front porch.
"What are you girls doing out here?"
"Waiting for you Mommy." Zoë said as her father picked her up.
"Where have you been all morning?" Tessa asked.
"Walking darling."
"Did you have fun?"
"Yes we did."
"What are you doing for the rest of the day?"
"We," came a voice, "are going to get our Christmas tree."
"We are?" Zoë asked excitedly.
"Yes we are."
"Where, it doesn't seem like there would be a Christmas tree lot in the city." Monica asked.
"Well sure there is, in Central Park."
"Where are Gloria and Adam?"
"Adam went shopping and Gloria is still asleep."
"Ah, good she needs her sleep."
And so Monica, Andrew, Tess and the girls went to central park to get their Christmas tree and then carried it home and decorated it. And I must say that they thought the tree looked rather spectacular. They were quite proud of and amazed by their accomplishment. When they were finished with the tree they just stood there and looked at it for a moment's time. That is until Zoë noticed something.
"Daddy." Zoë said, tapping his arm.
"Yes sweetie."
"There's no Angel."
"Oh, yes we forgot her, didn't we?"
"How ever could we've forgotten the angel?" Monica laughed.
"I agree," Tessa replied, "that is somewhat bizarre."
"Would you like to put it on the top of the tree?" Andrew asked. Zoë nodded eagerly and her Dad lifted her to put the Angel on top of the tree, and then gently placed her back on the ground.
"I can't wait to be an Angel!" Zoë sighed.
"You already are one." Tessa said.
"No, I mean in the school play!"
"Oh, I see what you mean, you are in the school play, and may I come?"
"Of course, it's tomorrow night by the way. You Dad and I were hoping that you might come with us."
"Of course I am going to come with you!"
"Wow, it's beautiful." Everyone turned to see Gloria standing on the staircase.
"It sure is, how long have you been awake Gloria?"
"About fifteen minutes or so, just long enough to make myself look decent."
"Decent? Ha! Your gorgeous, who are you trying to kid?!" Adam asked as he came in the front door. Gloria smiled as she descended the staircase.
"Dinner is served." Tess called from the kitchen.
"I swear, that woman has eyes in the back of her head!" Adam declared of Tess, everyone laughed and silently concurred with his theory.
"Hi Tess. What are you watching?" She asked as she came into the living room.
"I Dream of Jeannie."
"Oh, I love that show!"
"Can't you sleep?" She asked as she turned the television off.
"No, I haven't been able to, plus I really needed to talk to you."
"What's wrong?"
"Well," she said as she sat next to Tess. "Zoë has been really scared lately. She has been having nightmares about Monique and Kathleen and all that sort of thing. And then, Felicity suddenly just became a, well you know. I thought that something else was bothering me, but when I thought about it in depth I realized that that something is actually something that I am not very anxious about, just excited about. Tess I just can't get it out of my mind now that something somewhere is about to happen."
"I've had that same feeling lately. I think you're right. But there is nothing we can do but pray and wait. Don't only pray for protection, but also pray for wisdom, and to know what to look for and what to stay away from. And keep an eye on the children too. I don't feel like doing what we did with Tessa last summer."
"Neither do I."
"So, what have you thought that you were worried about but now you're looking forward to? I really want to know."
"Well, you'll find out soon enough." Monica smiled.
A half an hour later Monica went back to bed. She looked at the clock. It was almost five o'clock in the morning. She wasn't tired but decided that she should try and get some rest anyway. When she got into bed she felt arms wrap around her and she turned over to see that Andrew was awake. They kissed.
"Good morning." She said. "Would you be interested in joining me on a morning walk?"
"Now?"
"Yes, now."
"I would be delighted."
So hand in hand they walked through central park and they finally stopped on a bridge overlooking a small stream. The full moon shone brightly over them. The sounds and smells of night were soothing and provided Monica with at least a temporary zone of comfort. It was warm for that time of year and the snow covered the ground like a thin but beautiful bed sheet. It took Monica a minute, but she soon realized that she was in the middle of a kiss. They both smiled.
"Andrew we have to talk."
"Is something the matter?"
"No. No, not at all." She said caressing his check and laughing.
"Then what is it Moni?"
"We're going to have a baby." She said as she began to tear up a bit.
"Oh Moni..." He said as he kissed her.
"Are you happy?"
"More than anyone Angel Girl."
"I am too. I just had to tell you now. I couldn't stand to keep it a secret any longer."
"How long have you known?"
"A week for sure. I do have a problem though, and that's another reason that I told you now, I think you can help me."
"Is it anything with the baby?"
"No, no the baby's quite fine. This is something else all together. I'm very worried Andre. You know about Zoë's nightmares and about what happened to Felicity. But I have this feeling. This horrible feeling." He put his arm around her as she looked into the water below. "I thought that, for a while it was the pregnancy and all of that. But now I'm not so sure, Tess says she's been feeling to. I figured, however that I should consult you about all of this as well."
"Well, I think that we should be praying, and watching and ready for anything, but that we should try to have a nice holiday. Enjoy Christmas it's self, enjoy being together, enjoy the house, the weather, the city and especially the girls."
"That's a great idea. And that is just what we need to do."
During the course of their conversation, the sun had come up. And by the time that they left the little bridge in the park it was seven o'clock in the morning. They went to Starbucks and walked around the city for a little while before returning home. When they got there they found Tessa and Zoë sitting on the front porch.
"What are you girls doing out here?"
"Waiting for you Mommy." Zoë said as her father picked her up.
"Where have you been all morning?" Tessa asked.
"Walking darling."
"Did you have fun?"
"Yes we did."
"What are you doing for the rest of the day?"
"We," came a voice, "are going to get our Christmas tree."
"We are?" Zoë asked excitedly.
"Yes we are."
"Where, it doesn't seem like there would be a Christmas tree lot in the city." Monica asked.
"Well sure there is, in Central Park."
"Where are Gloria and Adam?"
"Adam went shopping and Gloria is still asleep."
"Ah, good she needs her sleep."
And so Monica, Andrew, Tess and the girls went to central park to get their Christmas tree and then carried it home and decorated it. And I must say that they thought the tree looked rather spectacular. They were quite proud of and amazed by their accomplishment. When they were finished with the tree they just stood there and looked at it for a moment's time. That is until Zoë noticed something.
"Daddy." Zoë said, tapping his arm.
"Yes sweetie."
"There's no Angel."
"Oh, yes we forgot her, didn't we?"
"How ever could we've forgotten the angel?" Monica laughed.
"I agree," Tessa replied, "that is somewhat bizarre."
"Would you like to put it on the top of the tree?" Andrew asked. Zoë nodded eagerly and her Dad lifted her to put the Angel on top of the tree, and then gently placed her back on the ground.
"I can't wait to be an Angel!" Zoë sighed.
"You already are one." Tessa said.
"No, I mean in the school play!"
"Oh, I see what you mean, you are in the school play, and may I come?"
"Of course, it's tomorrow night by the way. You Dad and I were hoping that you might come with us."
"Of course I am going to come with you!"
"Wow, it's beautiful." Everyone turned to see Gloria standing on the staircase.
"It sure is, how long have you been awake Gloria?"
"About fifteen minutes or so, just long enough to make myself look decent."
"Decent? Ha! Your gorgeous, who are you trying to kid?!" Adam asked as he came in the front door. Gloria smiled as she descended the staircase.
"Dinner is served." Tess called from the kitchen.
"I swear, that woman has eyes in the back of her head!" Adam declared of Tess, everyone laughed and silently concurred with his theory.