One Morning in Heaven

One Morning in Heaven

The morning light gently filtered through the pale curtains of the bedroom, slowly illuminating the room and settling on Angelica's face.

The girl stirred slightly beneath the covers, annoyed by that ray of sunshine that seemed determined not to let her sleep any longer. She turned onto her other side, trying to hide her face in the pillow, but after a few seconds she gave in with a small sigh.

“All right, I get it… I'm awake.”

She sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes, still sleepy. After straightening the covers, she slowly got up and walked over to the mirror beside the wardrobe.

I was rather petite and small, with a slender body, delicate features, and long, soft, wavy blonde hair that fell over my shoulders. My eyes were light-colored and my face had harmonious features, but there was one thing about my appearance that I wasn't particularly fond of: my wings. They were white and a little too large for my small body, and sometimes I felt that they made me look even smaller and more awkward. I knew they were beautiful, but I would have preferred them to be a little more proportionate to my body. Instead, that contrast made me look sweeter than I wanted to, almost as if I were a fragile little doll.

Angelica sighed at her reflection and tried to adjust her wings, attempting to make them rest a little closer against her back.

“Can't you be at least a little smaller?” she murmured, looking at them with an annoyed expression.

Of course, her wings did not answer.

The girl shook her head, resigned, and went back to getting ready. She chose a simple, comfortable dress, suitable for a day of classes, then gathered part of her hair, allowing a few strands to fall freely along the sides of her face.

When she was ready, she picked up her bag and left the bedroom.

The house was filled with the peaceful quiet typical of the early morning hours. The smell of freshly prepared breakfast drifted from the kitchen, accompanied by the gentle clinking of dishes.

Her mother was already up, arranging a few things on the table, while her father sat nearby, finishing his breakfast before heading to work.

They both worked at the royal palace. They were not important people, nor did they hold particularly prestigious positions, but they had always been proud of their work and of the simple life they had built together.

“Good morning, sweetheart!” her mother greeted her as soon as she saw her enter. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, Mom. Well enough.”

The woman gave her a watchful look, just as she did every morning.

“And have you eaten anything? I wouldn't want you arriving at class without having breakfast.”

Angelica smiled and sat down at the table.

“I'm about to. Don't worry.”

“I always worry. It's my job.”

“I thought your job was at the royal palace,” her father interjected, with the calmness of someone who had been waiting for just the right moment to make that joke.

Her mother shot him an amused look.

“That's my official job. You, on the other hand, could at least pretend to be on my side.”

The man raised his hands in surrender.

“I'm always on your side. Especially when there's washing up to be done.”

Angelica burst out laughing, while her mother shook her head, pretending to be exasperated.

For a few minutes, the three of them stayed together, enjoying that little moment of peace before the day sent each of them off to their own responsibilities.

Angelica finished her breakfast, took one last sip, and got up to grab her bag.

“I have to go, otherwise I'll be late.”

Her mother came closer and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Make sure you eat something during your break, too.”

“I will.”

“And try not to study until the middle of the night.”

“Mom, I promise I'll try.”

Her father stood up as well and placed a hand on her head, wearing an affectionate smile.

“Have a good day, sweetheart. And try not to let anyone walk all over you.”

Angelica gave him a tender smile.

“That won't happen.”

“You say that every time.”

“And every time I try!”

After saying goodbye to them with a hug, Angelica left the house, closing the door behind her.

The morning air was fresh and pleasant. The sky above the kingdom shone with a clear light, while the streets slowly began to fill with students, workers, and residents heading towards their destinations.

Angelica set off towards the Institute of Eternal Light, where she would spend most of the day.

She didn't have to wait long before she spotted Anna waving at her from a distance.

“Angelica! Finally!”

Anna walked towards her with her usual enthusiasm, adjusting the bag on her shoulder. She was a lively and energetic girl, slightly taller than Angelica, with hair a little darker than hers and two bright green eyes.

“Finally? I'm perfectly on time!” Angelica replied, checking the time.

“Yes, but I've been here for at least five minutes.”

“Five minutes? What a tragedy. How did you manage to survive?”

“With great difficulty, I assure you.”

The two friends burst out laughing and continued walking side by side.

Anna had been Angelica's best friend for a long time. They were different in many ways, but that was precisely why they complemented each other so well. Anna was impulsive, talkative, and often unable to hold back what she was thinking; Angelica, on the other hand, tended to think before speaking and preferred to avoid attracting too much attention.

Despite their differences, being together had always felt natural to them.

As they approached the institute, Anna began telling her about a funny incident that had happened the previous day. Angelica listened with a smile, occasionally chiming in with a joke.

It was then that Anna suddenly slowed her pace.

“Oh, look who's here.”

Angelica followed her gaze.

Not far from the entrance to the institute stood Aurelio, casually leaning against a column and talking to a girl.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, and had an athletic build that easily attracted people's attention. His features were strong, his smile confident, and his manner so relaxed that it almost seemed provocative. Aurelio knew perfectly well that he was attractive and did very little to hide it.

In fact, he seemed to thoroughly enjoy seeing the effect he had on girls.

At that moment, he was smiling at the young woman in front of him, leaning slightly towards her as he said something in a low voice. The girl laughed, lightly touching his arm.

Anna looked away with an annoyed expression.

“Of course,” she muttered.

Angelica glanced sideways at her.

“What's wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Anna.”

“I said nothing.”

Angelica held back a smile. She knew her friend well enough to understand that tone meant exactly the opposite.

The two were about to continue towards the entrance when Aurelio noticed them.

“Hey, Anna!”

The girl turned around, surprised despite herself.

Aurelio gave her one of his most cheeky smiles.

“Good morning, beautiful.”

Then he winked at her, as if that little gesture were the most natural thing in the world.

Anna remained still for a moment.

“Good morning,” she replied, trying to keep her tone indifferent.

But Aurelio said nothing else. After giving her one last smile, he immediately returned his attention to the girl he had been talking to, picking up the conversation exactly where he had left off.

Anna stared at him for a few seconds, incredulous.

Then she turned sharply towards Angelica.

“Did you see that?”

Angelica bit her lip to keep from laughing.

“What? He just said hello to you.”

“He called me beautiful!”

“I heard.”

“And he winked at me!”

“I saw that too.”

Anna narrowed her eyes, looking in Aurelio's direction again.

“And now he's gone back to flirting with that girl as if I don't even exist.”

Angelica tilted her head slightly.

“Maybe he was just being nice.”

“Nice? Angelica, that man isn't nice. He's an arrogant guy who enjoys making every girl swoon!”

“And yet it seems you've noticed every single detail.”

Anna turned towards her with a scandalized expression.

“Don't start again!”

Angelica could no longer hold back and burst out laughing.

“All right, all right. I won't say anything else.”

“Good for you.”

Anna started walking again at a determined pace, her chin slightly raised. Angelica followed her, still amused by her reaction.

Knowing her, she knew she would keep complaining about Aurelio for at least another fifteen minutes.

And yet, despite all her protests, a simple greeting from that boy was enough to completely turn her day upside down.

When they finally reached the entrance of the Institute of Eternal Light, the corridor was already full of students. Some were chatting near the windows, others were hurrying towards their classrooms, while the voices of a group engaged in an animated discussion could be heard coming from a nearby doorway.

Angelica and Anna made their way through the other students and reached their classroom.

“I really hope the professor doesn't decide to quiz us today,” Anna said, dropping her bag beside her desk.

Angelica sat down next to her and began taking out her books.

“You studied, right?”

Anna looked at her with an offended expression.

“Of course I studied!”

Angelica raised an eyebrow.

“Really?”

“Well, I read the notes.”

“And the book?”

Anna remained silent for a couple of seconds.

“The details aren't important.”