17. Chapter 16 (1/2)

chapter 16

if monica and andrew considered

themselves the most blessed people in the world and thanked god every

single day for their love, the news about their baby made them sure

life couldn't be happier. the little child was the ultimate proof

that their loving father could transform a tragedy into something so

wonderful that even the angels turned into humans couldn't have

dreamed of.

five months later, monica and

andrew were busy preparing the spare bedroom in the house to receive

the little one who was on the way, always with judith's help. they

usually did the decoration work in the evenings, after dinner, and

monica had always something new to add or to change in the baby's

room, frequently catching andrew chuckling at her indecision.

"do you think our wee one

will like this stuffed donkey we bought last week andrew?" she

wanted to know, with a pensive (and rather worried) expression on her

face. the blond angel couldn't avoid a small laugher, as he wrapped

his arms around her waist from behind and looked at the huge donkey

that rested in a corner of the bedroom. "of course he or she

will, angel. and... wasn't it you who said it was the 'cutest donkey

you'd ever seen'? what's wrong with it now?"

"oh, well... i think its size

can be a little bit intimidating and i'm afraid our little angel is

scared with it..."

laughing even more, he shook his

head and then kissed her cheek lovingly, "monica, you're

unbelievable, you know? adorably unbelievable!"

"we have to ponder and think

about everything before the baby is born, andrew!"

"well, okay... answering to

your question: no, the donkey is not scary. and i bet this little one

will have lots of fun riding it!"

she bit her lower lips still

unsure, "you think so?"

"i do! and i also think it's

high time for you both went to bed!" he exclaimed, now with an

authoritarian tone in his voice, "it's late!"

"okay..." she replied,

playfully rolling her eyes.

"i'll go there in a minute,

i'll turn the lights off first."

when he finally entered their

bedroom, monica was already lying and he even thought she had fallen

asleep. but as he climbed in bed, she opened her eyes. "hey... i

thought my sleeping beauty was sleeping already..." he said,

lying right next to her.

smiling, she let go of her pillow

and inched closer to him, so that she was resting her head over his

chest. "it wasn't comfortable enough... but now it is..."

came her sleepy reply.

a small laughter escaped him, and

he immediately started to caress her hair. "oh, so you mean i'm

your pillow?"

giggling, she raised her head and

looked at him. her words, however, died in her mouth as their eyes

met and monica spent the last minute just staring at him, trying to

see beyond his handsome face.

"angel? what is it?" he

asked, frowning with curiosity.

"i... i'm not sure..."

she kept on looking at him for a few seconds more, and he

oke the

silence again, "are you remembering anything?"

"i don't know for sure...

your eyes..." she took her hand up to his face and touched his

cheek and then his lips with her fingertips, "... your smile...

and the way you look and smile at me... it's all so familiar... but

then... i'm not sure if i'm remembering them before the accident, or

if this is just a recent memory..."

he took her hand and kissed its

palm, and then placed it close to his heart, "you know what i

think, angel? that the way i look and smile at you has never changed

because i loved you long before the accident."

her

oad and meek smile let him

overwhelmed with tenderness. "judith always says that!"

he inched even closer to his wife,

"well, she's the wisest person i know then!" and then he

kissed her lips softly and tenderly like he always did before they

fell asleep.

"you should rest, my angel...

going to work and then getting busy with the house stuff is making

you twice tired because of your condition. and remember you want to

go to the mall tomorrow." he said, tenderly caressing her hair.

"i know..." she said,

that monotonous caress he was performing in her hair making her

eyelids getting heavier with sleep.

"sleep now, baby... and have

only good dreams..."

"since you're holding me like

this, i'm sure i will..."

"i love you..."

"i love you, too."

x

on that saturday morning, andrew

had to go up to the office, and they had also arranged to go to the

shopping mall and see some more baby clothes and other items. the

blond angel was the first one to wake up and, being so protective of

his beloved monica, he decided to let her sleep for some more time.

he took a shower, got dressed and prepared

eakfast, but when he

returned to the bedroom the irish angel was still asleep.

frowning a little, but still

gazing at her with tenderness, he sat down at the edge of the bed and

caressed her cheek. "my angel..." his whispered voice and

the light contact of his fingertips with her delicate skin caused

monica to open her eyes slowly, and his loving face was the first

thing she saw. "good morning, my beautiful dreamer..."

the sleepy smile on her face was

probably one of the thousand things that made his heart beat faster

whenever he saw her.

"good morning, andrew..."

she spoke, with an equally sleepy voice.

he leaned over and kissed her

cheek lovingly, and then lay his hand over her belly. "how did

you both sleep, huh?"

with a permanent smile, monica

looked at her growing belly, which was still small due to her own

petite form. "very well..." but the expression on her meek

face turned into a questioning one when she saw his clothes, and she

frowned a little. "where are you going so early?"

chuckling, he shook his head. "for

your information, angel, it's almost 10 o'clock!"

"all that?" the

amazement in her voice caused him to be twice amused.

"yes, and i had to go up to

the office to give in the papers i've been working on this week. and

later on you wanted to go to the mall to see some things for the

baby..."

"oh, yes... that's true..."

andrew gazed at her for a few

instants and put a few strands away from her face, "what is it,

sweetie?"

"i guess i'm not coming,

andrew... you see, i'm a wee bit tired..."

hearing that was enough to fill

his heart with worry, "tired? monica, is there something wrong?"

"no, andrew, no... i guess i

just got a bit tired... i spent the day at work yesterday and when we

got back i took some time to tidy up the baby's room..."

he sighed deeply, visibly not

happy with that, "yes, and you shouldn't have done that, monica.

resting is essential in your condition, i could have tidied it up

later."

but she closed her eyes

iefly

and let out a small giggle, "you wouldn't... this was a girl's

job!"

he narrowed his eyes with mock

annoyance, which amused her even more. "i'll sleep a little

more, andrew. we can go to the mall some other day..."

"okay, angel. i'll take the

opportunity to get my pocket watch at the watchmaker then, they

phoned me saying that they had fixed it yesterday." he leaned

over again and kissed her lips softly. "you rest as much as you

can, ok? when i get back i'll prepare lunch."

"ok..."

"i love you."

"i love you, too, andrew."

he stood up from their bed and was

leaving the bedroom, when monica called him again. "andrew?"

"yes?"

she sat up straight. "could

you hold me?"

"you don't have to ask twice,

baby..." he said, involving her small form in his strong arms.

"is there any special reason for that?"

she rested her head over his