Chapter Six
Angelo woke with the sudden urge to go outside. Michael and Gabriel, they were summoning him. Glancing over at Alexa, he saw that she was fast asleep, curled around her pillow and Teddy. Slipping out of bed, he dressed quickly and went out the sliding door that led to the backyard.
Michael and Gabriel both stood in the snow waiting for him. He stopped and stood before them, reaching out to clasp both of their hands in greeting. It was strange looking at them from his almost human eyes as they stood in all their angelic glory. Their wings, however, were tucked carefully against their backs.
“I know that I owe the both of you a huge amount of gratitude.”
They grinned but didn’t say anything.
“If it weren’t for you both giving me a part of myself back, I wouldn’t have been able to help her with Tessa.”
“Yes, Tessa needed to be free to go home,” Michael said.
“Though no through any fault of her own, Alexa has been holding on to Tessa and keeping her earthbound. That not only hindered growth for Alexa, but it kept her child here,” Gabriel finished.
Angelo nodded and he asked the burning question that was on his mind.
“Are you here to make me go back?”
“No.” They both spoke together, as if it had been scripted. “If we were here to take you back it would be done already. We are here for you to make a choice. Meaning you can go back with us, or you can stay here as a mortal. But know this: if she turns you away, you will still be earthbound and can’t return. Your choice would have been made. What do you choose, Angelo?”
Angelo glanced back at where Alexa lay in bed then turned back to look at the other angels. He knew now the true reason he’d felt the urge to come to Alexa’s aid. Not only because he loved her but because Tessa needed to be guided home.
“I choose to stay.”
Michael and Gabriel both nodded, though it was Michael who spoke up. “You still wish to stay even if she chooses not to be with you?”
“Yes, that is my choice. Even though I now realize that I was brought here for more than I thought.”
Michael nodded “Yes, it wasn’t the only reason you were brought here. As of course you were led to believe. But we wanted it to happen naturally.”
“I understand. I do have to say that it was quite a wakeup call. To come to an awareness that I am not a human who couldn’t remember anything, but an angel basically trapped in a human’s body. One minute I couldn’t remember anything but my name and then I finally discerned I was an angel. I recognized quite quickly that it was with your help.”
Gabriel chuckled and placed his finger at his lips and said, “Shh…”
“Your secret is safe with me,” Angelo said with a wink.
Michael looked over Angelo’s shoulder and then back to Angelo. Angelo glanced back as well, and Alexa was indeed starting to move a bit more in the bed, seemingly searching for him. “Your Alexa stirs. We need to go. For the last time, we will ask, are you sure you don’t wish to go with us?”
“Even if I am not sure that she will want me, I wouldn’t leave here and not be able to say goodbye. Thank you, brothers, for all that you’ve done for me. It will never be forgotten.”
“We know, brother,” Gabriel said. “The one thing about this is, you will no longer be an angel, but you will remember that you were. You will also bear the mark.”
“The mark?” Angelo asked.
“Yes, your wings will be gone. But we will impart that memory on your body. The remnants of your wings will be tattooed there.”
Both angels moved forward and hugged Angelo in turn. When they let him go he felt a searing pain run through his body, almost bringing him to his knees. A flash of white light hit him between his shoulder blades, knocking him to his knees before he blanked out.
***
Alexa didn’t know what woke her up. She reached for Angelo but he wasn’t in bed with her anymore. The room was lit by a small night light. She got out of the bed and picked up her robe, which had been lying over the chair next to the bed and then slipped on her slippers. She was about to leave the room and go down the hall when something caught her attention out on the patio. Flipping on the light switch for the backyard, she gasped. There was Angelo, face down in the snow. Again.
“Not again!”
Quickly, she made her way out to him, kneeling beside him. She was about to touch his back and frowned. There, on his back, was what looked like a freshly made tattoo of angel’s wings. His shirt lay torn on the ground and had a burned look to it. Hell, how would she have missed that? She wouldn’t have. He groaned and rolled to his back, opening his beautiful gray eyes and looking at her.
“Angelo, what happened? Why are you out here again? And where, on God’s green earth, did you get the tattoo?” She started shivering as the cold hit her. Standing in her robe and slippers in the bare elements, a white vapor billowed from her lips and nose as she exhaled.
“Let’s get out of the cold and I will explain.”
She didn’t protest. It was a very good idea to get out of the cold. Besides, she wanted to know what he was going to say. This time he got up on his own and helped her back into the house, closing the sliding glass door behind them and rubbing her arms to warm her. He settled her on the bed and sat in the empty chair. What came out of his mouth next wasn’t what she’d expected.
“You’ll find that I love simple things.”
He gave the impression that he belonged there with her. In fact, it he looked like he belonged in every space in the house. The more time she spent with him, the more comfortable she became around him. She bit her bottom lip to try to stop what she would say but she didn’t succeed.
“And what else do you love?” There, she’d said it. It had been on the tip of her tongue longer than she cared to even think about it.
“I love it when you smile. I love it when you have your legs wrapped around me and you’re crying out your pleasure. But most of all, Alexa you’ve made me happy even in such a short span of time. We feel right together.”
“Angelo, how can you know something as important as being in love with me? I mean this is so quick, how can it be possible?”
“Because love is abstract and not always something you can put your hand on, and it is different for others. It can take a long time or it can be quick. Everyone is different. Do you doubt that your feelings are just as strong?”
He was right. She felt everything that he did, and in fact it was like she’d always known him. But if she loved him, wouldn’t that dim the love she’d had for Terrance and Tessa? Could she fall in love again and not feel as if she were betraying them?
“I have to think, Angelo, and I find I can’t do that if we’re touching.”
“Well we aren’t touching right now.” His grin was impish as he said, “And for that I am sorry.”
She shook her head. “You’re incorrigible.”
“Most likely, but if it gets you to see me—truly see me—then I guess I will be incorrigible.”
There was that tinkling sound again and when she looked at Angelo she could have sworn she saw black wings stretching out from his back. Then she blinked and the wings were gone. Then all at once, it hit her. He was an angel, or at least he had been.
“Angelo, tell me about the wings on your back.”
“Do you really want to know, Alexa?”
“Yes, I really want to know. I think I know already, but I want you to confirm my suspicions.”
He took a deep breath and swallowed, then turned his gray eyes to her. “I am an angel. I mean, I was an angel. I came here because of the love I have for you. I wanted to help you. To show you that you are worthy of love and that life is worth living. I found out as well that I was sent here to help you with Tessa. With that, at least I know I succeeded.”
“Tomorrow’s Christmas.”
She didn’t know why she said that, but she had. He dipped his head in acknowledgment.
“Y
es, tomorrow’s Christmas. Is there anything special you’d like to do?”
“I thought I’d be spending it alone, again.”
“Well you won’t be this year or any other year if I have my way, Alexa.”
She smiled at those words. “I have a feeling that you will keep that promise. I do know what I want to do. You’ve inspired me. I want to remember Terrance and Tessa. Do you think we can do that in the morning?”
“Of course we can. Does that mean I am allowed to stay?”
“Mhmm, you can stay, now and forever. I want to put up a tree and decorations this year. I have an artificial one that I brought after Terry and Tessa died. There are also decorations that I kept up in the attic.” She stood and moved to settle in his lap. “I am allowed to keep you forever, aren’t I?”
His arms slid around her and he held her close. “Yes, you’re allowed. I’ve given up my wings. I won’t be going anywhere, unless you’re kicking me out on the street in the cold.”
“Uh huh, you seem to have a penchant for falling down in the snow. I won’t be accused of sending the man I love out in the snow.”
He placed his hand under her chin and brought her face up to his, his eyes searching hers. “The man you love?”
“Yes, the man I love. I love you, Angelo.” She leaned up and pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss.
“I love you too, my sweet Alexa.”
“Are you sure you won’t regret giving up your wings?”
“I’m sure. I’d give them up in a heartbeat over and over if I had to. I have loved you from afar way too long. Now that I have you, I will never willingly give you up.”
“My angel…my Angelo, I’m yours.”
They hugged each other close, and she closed her eyes as she was enveloped in his strength. She knew then that everything would be okay. She heard the distinctive chime of two bells off in the distance, looked up and nodded. Her angels Terrance and Tessa had given their blessing and gotten their wings.
The End
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On Angel's Wings Page 5