"Don't look so sad, baby," her mom said.
"I'm sorry, mom. I can't help it," Phoenix said.
"I know, baby," her mom said.
Her mom reached her hand up to touch her daughter's cheek. Her hand was cold as always and Phoenix put her own hand on top of it to warm it. It broke her heart to see her once strong mother lie in a hospital bed, barely a shadow of the woman she used to be.
"What's troubling you, baby?" Her mom asked.
"You, mom," Phoenix answered.
"I know you, baby. Something else is on your mind," her mom said.
Phoenix sighed and moved her mom's hand away from her cheek. She took it in both her hands and rested them on the covers on top of her mom.
"Something happened yesterday in the woods. Something unnatural. I'm not even sure if it was real or not," she said.
"Tell me, baby," her mom spurred her on softly.
"You're gonna think I'm crazy. There was a staircase in the middle of the woods. I walked up the stairs and met a man on the top," Phoenix said.
"You liked him, didn't you?" Her mom smiled.
Phoenix let out a laughter and shook her head.
"So typical you, mom," she laughed. "You don't care about me finding a freaking staircase in the middle of the freaking woods. No, you care about the man I met."
"You know I've had my share of weird things happening in my life. Maybe you are crazy but who cares? Real or not, if you like this man, talk to him. You could use someone to help you with this heavy burden," her mom said.
"You always see the good in things," Phoenix said.
"Who knows? Maybe he's your guardian angel," her mom said.
Two hours later she found herself back at the spot, looking up the staircase. It was there again. It was just like the day before. No one was on top and yet she felt him. He was there. She just couldn't see him. With a brave little smile on her face she made her way upstairs, looking out at the woods.
"You came back," he said.
Her smile grew a little wider as she turned to face him. His dark brown eyes stared straight into hers while he smiled back at her.
"How's your mom?" He asked.
"How do you know about my mom?" She asked surprised.
"I know everything," he answered.
She took a step closer to him while searching his eyes for something, some sort of answer, but she couldn't find it.
"Who are you?" She asked.
"I told you that yesterday. I'm Roman," he answered.
"That's not what I meant," she said.
He bowed his head to get closer to her while his hand went up in her hair, sending shivers down her spine as he pulled his fingers through it.
"Once you're ready to know, you'll ask the right question," he said.
She closed her eyes and let out a little whimper as she felt his fingers run down her neck.
"Are you like some sort of angel?" She asked.
"Is that what you see me as?" He asked.
She opened her eyes and looked into his brown ones. What did she see him as? She wasn't sure. All she knew was that she liked what she saw and what she felt. She liked being near him.
"You're a sweetheart," she said.
He let out a loud laugh and let go off her.
"I've been called many things over the years but never sweetheart," he smiled widely. "I'll take it."
She blushed slightly and looked down to hide it. He didn't call her out on it and she was grateful for that. She steadied herself and looked back up at him. Her eyes were wet but she managed to keep the tears from falling.
"She's dying," she said.
"I know," he said.
"I know I'm a grown woman and I'm supposed to be able to handle losing my mom but I can't help but feel like a 5 year old kid again when I see her lying in that bed," she said.
"I can feel you burning. I felt it for a long time. Your flaming soul called for me. I just wasn't sure if you were ready to see me," he said.
"Who are you?" She asked again.
"I'm just a man willing to listen," he said and smiled.
"Like I said, you're a sweetheart," she smiled back at him. "I gotta go now though."
"I'll see you around, Phoenix," he said.
She smiled and nodded, already knowing she would come back again. This man already had a strong grip on her and she couldn't fight it. She knew she needed to see him again. Maybe her mom was right. Maybe he was her guardian angel.