Melancholic and rather confused eyes scanned the horizon searching for something that seemed far from reach. The hot and dry wind that blew constantly through the canyons and valleys of Utah, combined with the blinding sunrays that shone intensely at that time of the day, would make any living creature look for a shelter. That inhospitable region had no vegetation apart from the few cactus that spread here and there along the only road that crossed the area and the red rock formations made a contrast with the deep blue sky and with Monica's white dress, which swayed in synchrony with her auburn locks.
There Irish angel had been there for some long minutes, but differently from her other "dreams," Andrew was not there to greet her. Confusion clouded her lovely features as she had no memory of how she had gotten there in the first place, nor why her beloved friend was not with her.
This fact and also the strange sensation that there was something wrong filled her soul with anguish and fear, and as she realised that, Monica closed her eyes and asked the Creator for help.
"Please, Father... I don't know why I'm here or the reason for the anguish that is consuming my spirit right now, but please soothe my heart..." She whispered, with her hands conjoined. The silence that followed was broken by a familiar voice coming from behind her and when she heard it, it seemed that her prayer had just been answered.
"Angel..."
Relieved, she turned around an instant later. "Andrew..."
His name came out of her lips at the same time she shortened the distance between them, soon falling in his tight, gentle embrace.
"Hey, baby..." He managed to say, trying to hide his great concern at what had just happened: for a few seconds, the little angel diverted from her initial destination and was no longer at his side.
"I'm so afraid..." Her next words caused a worried frown to appear on his handsome face. Had she finally remembered the fire at the school and how she got trapped in the building in order to save those three children?
The angel of death ran his hand over her hair, still not facing her back. "Why?"
"I don't know... but I feel something is wrong. I feel... I feel... as if I needed to do something but I can't... And then you were not here..."
Andrew dared to tighten the hold around her small form just a little more, guilt tearing him inside for another mistake.
"I'm terribly sorry, angel. I... for a moment, I lost you... I looked around and you were not with me any longer." He finally pulled away to look at her in the eyes. "But it won't happen again, I promise you that."
"So this is another dream?"
"Yes, but you and I need to go somewhere else so that it can be called 'a dream'."
Her eyebrows knitted together with slight confusion. "I don't understand..."
Andrew placed both hands on each side of her face, still holding her gaze. "I need you to close your eyes, baby." He said, caressing her temples with his thumbs. "Would you do that for me?"
Those green pools inspired her so much trust that the little angel started to feel her spirit calm down. Nodding her head, she obliged him, and in a matter of seconds the smell of the sand and the dry air of the desert were quickly replaced by a humid atmosphere, where one could smell the green leaves mixed with wooden logs.
Monica knew where she was even before she opened her eyes.
"The cabin..." She said, gazing back at him an instant later.
The small porch overlooking the forest had always been the perfect observation spot for the two angels to sit and admire mother Nature's beautiful scenario.
