CHAPTER 1

The two days spent at the cabin up in the mountains were somewhat peaceful for the angels in human form. They certainly felt their anguish rising whenever they thought about what the future held for both of them but at the same time they were comforted by each other's presence and by the strong connection that brought them together.

But when Monica woke up on the third day and saw her beloved valentine standing by the window in the living room, she knew that the moment she had been dreading had finally arrived. Andrew was wearing his beige suit and had his hands tugged in his pockets, green eyes lost in an invisible point ahead of them.

"It's time, isn't it?" Although she knew the answer, Monica still held on to a tiny bit of hope that he would tell her what she truly wanted to hear.

As her soothing voice reached his ears, Andrew turned around; a serious expression on his face. "I just got the call."

"Was that all you heard? The call to return to work?" The fear in her voice was palpable.

"That's all I heard, angel." He walked up to her and gently lay both hands on each side of her face. "And to be honest… I was relieved."

She frowned a little confused. "Relieved?"

"Yes, baby. I… I just don't know what the repercussions of our love will be and I confess that right now I prefer not to deal with them. All I want to carry with me from this cabin is this memory…"

He bent down and kissed her lips; slowly and longingly, as if treasuring every second of that caress. Soon the blond angel felt Monica's tears rolling down her cheek and his heart broke at the fact that he would have to leave her alone for a while. Of course Andrew knew that she would always be under God's care but he was also aware of her sensitive nature and the turmoil of different thoughts that were running through her head due to the latest events. Staying away from her at that very moment did not sound like a wise idea, but on the other hand he was a an angel of God and had a mission to fulfill.

"Just a few days, baby. We will meet again soon." He stroked her cheek, once he reluctantly pulled away from her lips.

"I know… but it doesn't make goodbyes any easier." She said, leaning on the palm of his hand.

"I promise you'll get my call. But before this, if anything bothers you or makes you feel sad, please let me know. I'll come to you immediately, no matter where I am."

She let out a small sob and forced a bittersweet smile. "Well… Something is bothering me and making me sad right now…" She said, kissing his palm.

"You'll always be in my thoughts, angel. I love you."

"I love you too…" she whispered back, and knowing that the moment was only filling both their hearts with anguish, Andrew searched for her lips once more time, and then kissed her both hands before finally his image faded away a second later.

X

With the warm wind blowing against her face and making her long auburn strands dance up in the air, the lonely angel with the remarkable Irish accent observed the canyon and the vast desert ahead of her. It was a dry, red scenario, which contrasted to the deep blue sky above, where the constant sun spread its warmth over the land at the same time it bathed her porcelain skin. It was a hot day and for that reason Monica had left her light blue sweater over a small rock nearby. She wanted to remove the sandals as well, but the rocky, dry soil would certainly hurt her delicate feet and she would probably receive a mild scold from her beloved Andrew once he saw it.

The tense expression on her face softened just at the mere thought of the angel of death and at the joy he would always bring to her heart. It had been a while since she had gotten the call to meet him there, on neutral territory, and where they at least felt isolated from the rest of the world. It was so peaceful and quiet there. One could offer their prayers and reflect upon their latest actions while they contemplated the vast land, as if solitude was actually a friend who would help them see the recent events with more clearness.

To Monica, however, it was clear that she loved Andrew with all her heart and soul and this fact alone was enough to put her soul at ease. "God never created anything stronger than the power of real love. It lives forever. And you never know where it's gonna come from next." Remembering her own words on the exact assignment where she and Andrew first met, she smiled. Now she knew the power of real love for another living creature other than the One who had created her. Now she was aware that what she felt for Andrew would last for the eternity. And a while ago, she was both excited and surprised that their long time friendship could still turn into something even more powerful.

All of a sudden, the familiar sensation of being observed by a pair of dark green eyes took her out of her reverie: she was not the only heavenly being standing in there anymore. It did not take Monica too long to make out a familiar silhouette coming towards her. Wearing a green t-shirt and blue jeans, he carried his leather jacket in his hands due to the effect of the slightly hot weather. And on the following instant the angel of death was holding her in his arms; tightly and for long pleasant moments that are proper of those who have long been kept apart.

"I'm sorry you had to wait." He said, still not releasing her, enjoying her perfume and the way her auburn strands tickled his handsome face.

She rested her head over his strong shoulder, closing her eyes for a moment, lost in the comfort of that loving embrace. "Well... It is true that every second we are apart is a small loss but waiting here was not a huge sacrifice. It's so quiet and peaceful. It makes me think." Came her soft reply.

Only then did Andrew pull away enough to look at her face, those bright brown eyes immediately holding his gaze as if he was hypnotized by so much beauty. "Is there anything that is bothering you? Did something different happen while we were away?"

The Irish angel shook her head slowly, and with a slight smile playing on her lips, she reached out to stroke his face. "Everything remains the same. Especially my last words to you."

Also smiling, and secretly relieved that things had remained under a certain normalcy meanwhile, Andrew stared into her eyes for a little longer and then broke their gaze to search for her lips. The kiss that followed lasted for a small eternity and had been on their thoughts since the day they had gone separate ways. It was at the same time a small prayer and also a valuable gift. Andrew took his time savoring her sweet lips, keeping the balance between urgency and delicacy, feeling her soft sigh and the silent permission to go on delivering such a loving caress.

When their kiss was finally over, they still pulled away slowly, cherishing that proximity. "There isn't a moment that goes by and that I don't remember the last time we spoke." He spoke, kissing her temple and then taking her into his arms once again.

"I never thought being away from you would hurt so much…"

"I'm afraid it won't be any easier from now on, angel. Being in love… it has some consequences."

His words placed a slight smile back on her face and she gently pulled away again to search for his eyes. "Fortunately I came to the conclusion that it has more good consequences than bad ones."

Andrew returned her smile and was going to say something else when something drew his attention and made him look away from her. Someone was also standing in the desert and Monica could sense their presence. Feeling a chill running down her spine, the angel in human form released herself from Andrew's arms and turned around to see another angel standing before them. Sam was serious, nearly bureaucratic, as he faced his two co-workers.

"I have been informed that you two have issues to discuss with me." He said, eying them in a slightly judgmental way.

"You're right, Sam. Monica and I do have something very important to communicate." Andrew's reply was equally serious and firm in his words and on the way he looked at his superior.

"I'm here to listen." The older angel replied, not missing his interlocutor's challenging gaze.

The Irish angel looked at her beloved companion and saw in his eyes some of the reassurance he knew she was searching for.

"Many things happened during our latest assignment together. Some of them are still too painful to remember. But as angels we know that our loving Father has the power to turn the saddest events in a creature's life into something new and sometimes nothing less than wonderful." Andrew started, placing his hands over Monica's small shoulders. "And to us, it happened unexpectedly. Not Monica or myself were aware that what brought us together was much more than just a strong friendship. We did not know that the love we felt for each other could reach another level, but it actually did."

Andrew could feel the tension inside Monica's heart, her slight trembling as he voiced his thoughts to Sam, who did not emit any reaction.

"So what you're saying is that…"

"What Andrew is telling you, Sam, is that we love each other." Monica spoke, feeling suddenly brave enough to fight for their feelings. "We fell in love long ago and it happened so naturally that even Andrew and I did not realize it until…" She remembered the time they exchanged their first kiss and how it felt so normal to be in his arms and loving him the way she did. "…until our hearts led us to find that out. And despite the fact that we are angels, there is nothing in this world that can show us that what we feel is wrong."

"What Monica is saying is right, Sam. Even thought what we feel is strange to angels, we still feel it."

"Well, you both have already informed me what is going on between the two of you, stated your opinion about it and seem firm on your purpose on not allowing anyone to tell you anything different from what you've already taken as your truth. In short, you seem to have things pretty established here. I doubt if my presence was really necessary." The older angel spoke, in a solemn tone of voice.

"Please don't make it all sound so trivial." Andrew was quick to reply. "What Monica and I are trying to present to you is rare and we are not only surprised but also scared at its implications. We are here looking for guidance, Sam. Not for judgment."

"I take your point, Andrew, but what I have to say you might not be willing to hear. Angels were created to be messengers of God and accomplish His work. Human love was created to be given to humans and only to them. You're right when you say that what you feel is strange to angels and it should be. 'You shall not covet thy neighbor's house.' Heavenly creatures were not made to get what does not belong to them."

The Irish angel was totally broken-hearted by those harsh words and the fact that they had come from a superior only added more distress to a situation that was already too delicate to be dealt with. Sam's point of view had met another reaction besides sadness: it also raised Andrew's anger and made him give a step forward ready to keep on fighting for what he thought was right.

"And what do you suggest us to do, Sam? Erase this love from our hearts? Rip it out like you do with the weeds that spread in a garden?"

The older angel let out a tired sigh and shook his head with visible disappointment at his two co-workers. "Let it go. It does not belong to you."

"I just can't believe you're saying that…" The angel of death spoke, in a low voice.

"What you will get from all this is suffering – you already are suffering, I can see it in your eyes."

"It's not our love that is causing us to suffer, Sam…" Monica's crying voice echoed in the desert like a sad song. "We are suffering because we were afraid to be faced with lack of compassion and intolerance once we revealed how we felt about each other, and this is exactly what happened."

"Sam is being honest and speaking what is in his heart."

They heard another voice brought by the wind that constantly blew in those dry lands: Ruth walked towards them with a serious expression on her face.

"No… Not you, Ruth… You opened your heart to a great change a few years ago, we witnessed how you turned from an insensitive and bureaucratic angel to a loving and merciful creature, willing to learn about compassion and forgiveness!" Monica spoke, both surprised and disappointed at the older angel.

"I'm sorry, Monica. You are right when you say I opened my heart to some of the Father's teachings that I had forgotten, but angels being romantically in love isn't, in my view, included in those teachings."

"How can you say that? Have you asked the Father about this?" Andrew placed a supportive hand over Monica's shoulders as he could sense her distress at the fact that now there were two of his co-workers condemning their love.

"And have you?" She replied, dryly.

"We did, Ruth. We prayed for his compassion and for wisdom so that we could understand what was going on in our hearts." Andrew spoke, not missing as his dearest companion lowered her eyes. "Our questionings were met with silence, though."

"And what does it tell you, Andrew? Why do you think you did not have an answer?"

"I think, Sam, that this answer is for us to find. I think that the truth that we are looking for is inside our hearts and if you ask me, I already got my answer, I already got my truth."

"And what truth is it you found, Andrew?" Sam wanted to know.

"My truth is that I love Monica. I love her so much that I'm not even able to put into words. But I am able to tell you that this angel of God standing right before you is my soul mate, my best reminder of what love is. And I'm not giving up on this love." The angel of death replied, and his words caused shock and disappointment to his superiors and some tears to be shed from Monica's eyes.

But the older angels were not touched by what he said. Shaking his head in disagreement, Sam spoke again. "Andrew, the fact that you took that as your truth does not mean it is right. It does not mean you are allowed to cultivate human feelings for another angel."

"I'm not talking about human feelings, I'm talking about love. Pure and simple."

"Sorry, Andrew, but if we are so wrong as you're saying, you will need a lot more than a mere statement to convince us otherwise." Ruth said, making a short pause as if pondering her words. "And while you try to do it, I'm afraid you will have to be suspended from your duties."

Monica finally raised her head and stared at Andrew in fear, and felt his hand squeezing hers gently at the same time. "Andrew does not deserve to be punished! He has always done impeccable work as an angel!"

"Ruth is right, Monica. And besides this, I have to tell you that you won't be able to return to your angelic status."

Now it was Andrew who frowned with annoyance and worry. "What are you saying, Sam?"

"What is happening between you two is a very serious issue. You and Monica will remain humans while this situation is discussed and evaluated. This will also be a chance for you to reflect on the latest events in your existence."

The blond angel let go of Monica's hand and gave two steps forward. "No! You cannot forbid us from coming back Home! You cannot leave Monica out here! Leave me, but not her, Sam!"

The little angel looked at her beloved Andrew and shook her head in disagreement. "No, this is not right." She said, and then turned to her superiors. "Please, Sam, punish me, but allow Andrew to continue to work as a messenger of God, don't take this away from him! I've made so many mistakes already, I can be punished, but-"

"The decision has been made." The older angel interrupted Monica. "From now on, you are in your human forms. It does not mean that God is turning His back on you, but it does mean that you have to take this time to reflect upon what's been going on between the two of you."

Andrew lowered his head for a moment, his green eyes shining with resentment. "You cannot abandon this angel out here in the desert…"

"You will not be left in the desert, babies."

Another voice, this one so familiar and so dear to them, reached their ears, causing Monica and Andrew to turn around to see Tess walking towards them.

"Tess…" Monica's crying voice nearly undid Andrew and he tightened the hold around Monica's arms, fearing that the supervisor would also speak against them. He knew it would break Monica's heart forever.

Fortunately his suspicions were shattered an instant later, when Tess opened her arms and held the little angel in a motherly embrace. "Come here, baby…"