Fallen Angel Part 2

Monica clasped in the hot desert sand, as she rocks herself back and forth of her broken heart. Monica felt a heavy object around her neck, as she reaches the circular object around her. As Monica holds the necklace that Griffin gave to her for Christmas, all the tears started to flow once more out of Monica’s eyes.

“Monica, your back! Why are you crying?” A woman’s voice squeaked.

Monica turned her head slightly and looked at her caseworker assigned angel. Monica tried to hide her hurt feelings, but they showed through to Jenny. “It’s nothing that you will never understand. I don’t even understand myself.” Monica said bitterly.

“Monica, are you okay? You don’t sound like yourself.” Jenny asked as she came closer to Monica.

“No, I’m not alright. I just….. I just lost a man that I love okay.” Monica confessed.

“You what?” Jenny asked in shock.

“I fell in love with my assignment, Jenny,” Monica admitted, as her tear-glazed eyes look upon Jenny, then back to the desert floor.

“You, mean you are in love with a human. But, you’re an angel.” Jenny stated.

“You don’t think I know that.” Monica looks back up at her.

“But how did it happened?” Jenny asks.

Monica didn’t answer, her as she reflects on the interactions she had with Roan Griffin. It must have been that day, of Griffin showing Monica around the town, is when she first started to fall for him. It could have been his tender heart, or his dashing smile, and killer eyes. But it was his love for his daughter that made Monica fall in love with him, a family man, and a devoted father. Then Jenny asks, “Are you in trouble Monica. Will they still allow you going to be my supervisor?”

Monica closes her eyes, as she didn’t look at her training angel. “Honestly Jenny, I don’t know if I will be your supervisor anymore or not,” Monica said. Monica opens her eyes to look at Jenny, and standing behind Jenny was Sam and Gloria. Monica’s face came into a shocked look to find Sam appearing in the white abyss along with Gloria.

“Monica, I believe you know why I’m here,” Sam said not sounding please at the situation.

“Yes….” Monica slowly looks down at the ground not meeting Sam or Gloria’s eyes.

“Gloria, you will carry on with Monica’s training of Jenny. Monica come, the Angels are waiting at the council.” Sam said.

Monica looked at Jenny and then at Gloria. Gloria knew from Monica’s eyes that she had fallen in love with a human. As Sam led her into the abyss, the image of Gloria and Jenny disappeared in white light.

Griffin soon left the spot where he last held Monica in his arms and went to his secret place. Where he clasped on the bench, and more tears soon came pouring out again. He knew he had fallen for Monica, and now he wishes he hadn’t. Because once someone enters his heart, they leave a permanent mark in his soul. It has been an hour since Monica revealed herself as an angel, but in Griffin’s eyes, it felt like a lifetime ago. Griffin slowly makes his way back to his home, where his daughter is sound asleep in her bed. Griffin had no idea on how to tell his daughter that Monica is gone forever.

As soon as Griffin walks in the pain of heartache begins to set in. Everywhere he went he sees Monica’s burning brown eyes as they burn through his soul. Griffin walks slowly to his daughter’s room to check on his little girl. Sarah was sleeping with an arm around her stuff dog Wishbone that Chris gave to her when she had ammonia. Griffin lingers there seeing his daughter so in peace in her sleep. Unaware that she will never see Monica again. Griffin closes the door and then went to his room where he looked at Monica’s red scarf and held it into his hands. Then the tears soon begin to fall out of Griffin’s eyes and landed on the soft cotton fabric. Griffin started to cry once more for the loss of his love he had with Monica, and he could stop crying. He places the red material to his chest and sob continuously in his pillow.

“Monica, is it true that you are romantically involved with your assignment.” The man angel announced.

Monica squared her shoulders as she is being judged for her behavior as a human. She looked at each one of the angels before her and very boldly she replied, “Yes. I am romantically involved with my assignment.”

“You do know the consequence punishment for your actions.” The angel stated. Monica looks down at her hands and silently nods in agreement. Then the angel stated, “You are heaven bound until farther notice, your wings are clipped, and there should be no coming into contact with Roan Griffin and his daughter or any other part of the town Gracie, New York. Do you understand your punishment, Monica?” The angel gave Monica a disgraceful look.

“Yes…” Monica softly answers him, as she closes her eyes not wanting to look into the judging gazes before her.

“Good, you are dismissed.” The angel stated, and Monica slowly rose and walks out of the glass doors. Everything around Monica became a blur as the tears welled up in her eyes. Once Monica was alone in the courtyard away from all of the other angels, she uses her only angel power within her to connect to Griffin or Sarah. Monica closes her eyes as she reaches into the minds of the two of them. She wanted to reach more to Griffin to let him hold her one last time, but instead, she connected into Sarah’s dream.

Sarah was sound asleep, but something in her dream world seemed off. She was awake in the middle of her favorite spot, her secret spot that only Sarah knows, but everything around her seems fuzzy and hazy. “Sarah.” Sarah turns around at the calling of her name, by a familiar Irish voice. To her surprise she finds Monica standing there with golden light surrounding her.

“Monica is this, a dream or real life. And why are you glowing?” Sarah asked.

“This is a dream, sweetheart. It’s the only way I can speak to you.” Monica stated as she looks into Sarah’s confused eyes.

“I don’t understand. What only way to speak to me. Why are you here, in my dream?” Sarah asks sitting on her log.

Monica closes her eyes for a moment then walks over to where Sarah is and sits down to tell her the truth. “There’s something you should know about me, Sarah. I’m an angel from heaven. This glow is heaven’s light.” Monica confessed.

“You’re an angel?” Sarah asked in shock. “But how..”

Monica nods. Then Monica pulls out an old envelope containing Sarah’s letter she written to God, shortly after her mother filed for a divorce and left her and her father. Sarah looks at the letter, in Monica’s hands as she looks up at her, “Where did you get that, and how do you know about that? That is supposed to be a thing between God and me.” Sarah raises her voice a little getting a little angry.

Monica looks at the child, and she knows she is starting to get hurt. Monica then adjusts her eyes to Sarah, and spoke to her, “ You asked God to send an angel from heaven to help your dad, to fall in love with someone so you can have a mother again.” Sarah nodded to that. Then Monica stated, “I….I was the angel you prayed for in your letter, and I am also one that fell in love your father, and he fell in love with me too.” Monica sadly replied.

Sarah’s anger subsided as her eyes light up at the truth that her dad finally fell for someone, but her smile faded when Monica didn’t look happy. “But if you fell in love with him, then why aren’t you happy, don’t you want a life with him, and me?”

Monica looks into Sarah’s blue depths, “Yes, I had always wanted to fall in love with someone and share a life with a husband and a family. But I can’t. Angels can never mingle in with humans. Which is why I’m heaven bound right now.” Monica stated as she looks at Sarah’s hurt soul. “I know how much you wanted me there with you, and I wish I could.” Monica then held back her tears on her next words, “I wish I could have been your mother, Sarah. You don’t know how much this pains me to see you hurt again, and knowing I have caused this hurt once again in your life. You have grown in my heart, Sarah, and if I weren’t an angel, I would have adopted you in a heartbeat.” Monica places her hand on Sarah’s now tear stained cheeks, and stokes the little girl’s hair, “I love you so much, Sarah.”

Sarah reaches up to touch Monica’s hand and places her small hand inside Monica’s. Then her blue eyes look into Monica’s soft tear glazed eyes, “I never truly had a mother who really loves and cares for me. Then you came into my life and everything about that changed. I…..I love you….I wanted you to be my mother.” Sarah cries, as bullet-like tears came down her cheeks.

Monica now lets her tears flow also, reaches out to embrace the crying girl in her arms as she holds her. “I know sweetheart, believe me, I know.” Monica lets out her maternal instinct and holds Sarah as she holds Sarah for the last time. “I got to go, I’m not even supposed to be doing this, but I had to say goodbye. You have been hurt once by your mother bailing out on you without a goodbye. I didn’t want to make that mistake as well. “ Monica tucks Sarah’s dirty blonde hair locks behind her small ears. “Just do me one thing, Sarah.”

“What’s that?” Sarah cried when more tears came out.

“Look out for your father for me, and if he chooses someone else, I won’t be offended. I love you both so very much, and I wish I were part of your family.” Monica cries even more when she confesses her deepest desire.

Sarah is starting to feel Monica slip away from her, as Sarah desperately clings to Monica’s arms. “No Monica. Don’t go…don’t….” Sarah cries louder.

Monica knows she has to. Sarah had the same desperate plea in her eyes, as Griffin did when she disappeared from him. “Bye-bye my baby, I love you more than you know….” Monica sadly stated.

Monica closes her eyes as she turns to head out of Sarah’s dream; before she disappears she heard the cry that shattered her heart, “MONICA!!!!! COME BACK!!! MONICA!” Then with one blink of an eye, Monica disappears from Sarah’s dream. Sarah awoke at that and found she too had been crying out loud. She pulls back her covers and goes to the window where the sun was coming through the morning sky.

Sarah image fades, and Monica opens her eyes to find herself back in the courtyard, of a small city. Monica’s heart is broken between heaven and earth as the love for Griffin and Sarah grows more in her heart. She knew Sarah would be broken considered that her birth mother abandons her without a goodbye. Monica didn’t want to repeat that, so she said her goodbye to Sarah, right then and there. Monica looks off into the distance unaware that Andrew was approaching her.

“Hey, Monica, nice to see you,” Andrew stated.

Monica gave him a half smile as she looks down at the ground, “Hey yourself.”

“Got you your favorite. Coffee with cream, and a coffee cake. Thought you might be hungry.” Andrew slides the plate to her as he tries to make her smile like before.

“Thanks, but I’m not hungry or thirsty,” Monica said refusing to take a sip of her addiction.

“Monica, it’s your favorite.” Andrew looked slightly confused at his friend.

“Thanks but no. Nothing personal Andrew but I feel like being alone right now.” Monica looked at Andrew with tearful eyes, as she gets up from the table and wonders to a bench that was in the shade under a beautiful pink blossom cherry tree.

Andrew knew Monica would hate him for what he had done, but he had to tell her the truth sooner or later. Andrew walks over to her, and Monica looks up at him through her tears that she had been crying. “Monica, what’s wrong?”

“You already know, every angel thinks that I betray heaven because of my love for a human,” Monica snarled bitterly.

“Yeah, I do. Rafael told me just a few minutes ago. But Monica, you know why we can’t mingle in with humans.” Andrew said as he puts his arm around her shoulders. But Monica shrugs his arm away and moves away from him a bit.

“Andrew…I just want to be alone for right now okay. I’m heartbroken, and in no mood for your advice. I had just lost the love of my life, and I probably never see him or Sarah again, so just leave me alone.” Monica said as she walks away from him. Monica wonders down a bit from the courtyard and finds herself at walking on a dock near the river. Monica sits down near the edge of the dock, as she watches the waves crash up on the post of the pier. Monica has a fear of water, so she knows she will avoid jumping in, something about the water soothes her. She then begins to cry silently, for her wounded heart, and her silent tears soon began to escalate to a mournful cry for her broken heart.

Griffin wakes up by his alarm clock, he been tossing and turning all night and he still held Monica’s scarf in his chest. Feeling like lead, Griffin slowly pulls out of bed and tries to live life as before he ever came to know Monica, but that seemed impossible now because she had changed him for the better.

Griffin walks to the bathroom and places his navy blue robe on the hook of the door. He turns on the faucet of the shower and then pulls the blue curtain of the shower closed. Griffin stands under the water for a long time drowning his heart with all the memories of her. Just even thinking about her, made Griffin tear up in the shower, and then without warning the tears came as he continued to cry for his love for Monica.

It was 7:00 AM by the time Griffin got dress and goes down to the kitchen to make coffee. He looked at his work case and was thinking of calling in for a personal day. But he had to go to work to keep his mind off of Monica. Sarah comes out of her room and heads down to the kitchen with her pj’s still on her.

“Morning daddy,” Sarah said not her usual cheerful self.

“Morning to you too, Sarah baby what’s wrong,” Griffin said as he looked at his daughter.

“She’s never coming back is she?” Sarah asked.

Griffin looked confused as his daughter sits down across from him. “Whom are you talking about, sweetie?”

“Monica…,” Sarah said eyeing her father. When she said her name, Griffin inhaled deeply.

Griffin closes his file and strolls over to his daughter. “Listen, sweetheart, about Monica. She is not who she is….” Griffin tries to explain, but Sarah already knows.

“I know daddy. She’s an angel. She came to me in my dream last night and told me, she was in love you, and why she had to leave.” Then Sarah eyes her father, as tears started to linger in his eyes, “Are you in love with her, Daddy?” Sarah asks as she studies her father.

Griffin’s gaze shifted away from hers then he refocuses them back at his daughter, “yes.”

Sarah then clasped her arms around her father, as she begins to cry with him, “I miss her daddy, I really love her.”

“Oh, baby….I do too.” Griffin said, and he too was in tears, as he hugs his daughter, and together they both cried over Monica.

An hour later, Griffin drops Sarah off at Kathy’s, as he had to be at work. He soon found himself at his desk while all the other police detectives looked at him with gleaming hopes on their faces. The whole town knows that Griffin has found love again, and they are all so happy for him. But toady Griffin is not in the mood to talk about his love life.

“Hey Roan buddy, you wanna go to the club tonight with your new girlfriend oh what was her name oh yeah Monica…” Chris said nudging Griffin’s arm.

“Chris I’m not really in the mood right now,” Griffin said trying to keep his anger and emotions down.

“Oh come on Griff…this is Monica we are talking about, the hot sexy Irish woman that I saw you and her kissing the other night, then left with her. Man, that was one hot smoking kiss, you two shared out on the dance floor. So tell me how did it felt when her lips crashed into yours, did you tremble at her kiss?” Chris said all excited about Griffin’s new love life.

Griffin turned to look at him, and this time Chris saw the hurt in his best friend’s eyes and all the joking stopped. “Chris, I’m in no mood right now to talk about her okay so just do yourself a favor and just let it go.” Griffin pulls a file from his desk and turns his attention to the case.

“Roan, what is wrong?” Chris said now in a serious tone, and not using his last name anymore.

“Nothing is,” Griffin said trying to deny his hurt feelings.

“Roan, I have known you since high school, and I know that nothing is bothering you, but this time it is, so tell me what is wrong,” Chris said looking into Griffin’s blue eyes.

Griffin looks up from the file on his desk and eyes his best friend, “Even if I did tell you, you wouldn’t understand. No one in this damn town will understand.” Griffin then turns to leave to head for the squad cars. Chris knows something is defiantly wrong and he goes and follows his best friend to the squad cars.

Once out in the parking lot of the squad cars, Chris caught up to Griffin, before he climbs into one of the squad cars, and tries to make his escape from whatever pain he is facing. “Roan, I know you don’t think that I will understand but I know you, and you had this same attitude when Crystal left you. So talk to me Damn it!” Chris shouted as he reaches out to his best friend. “You been there when I told you all the shit that I went through with drunken asshole stepfather, I think I have the decent courtesy of having you tell me what the hell is hurting you.”

Griffin pauses by the open door of the squad car, as Chris brought up the crap he went through as a teen. Griffin then slams the door shut, and looks eye to eye with his best friend, “If I tell you, will you drop it, and let it go?”

“Depends on what it is,” Chris stated folding his arms across his chest.

Griffin took a deep breath and then refocuses his attention to Chris, “Promise me you won’t tell anyone about this, and please don’t laugh, and think I am crazy.”

“I promise I won’t, now tell me,” Chris said.

Griffin took a moment before he told Chris who Monica is. “I fell in love with an angel, Chris. Monica, she is an angel, from heaven.”

Chris just looked at Griffin, and a little laugh was about to come out, but he kept it in. “You’re serious?”

“I wish I wasn’t.” Griffin looked down at the ground as his heart felt so vulnerable like a window that was about to shatter into millions of pieces.

“Griffin, are you sure you’re not imagining it or something?” Chris said in shocked.

“Chris why would I be making this up, when the woman that I fell in love with is not even human,” Griffin said.

Chris put all joking aside and for once said nothing. He had never seen his best friend look so angry and hurt before, not even when Griffin’s ex-wife left him. Plus Griffin had no joking in his voice, and he was telling the truth. “I never knew angels existed. She really is an angel, like from the Lord Almighty, the Great I Am?” Griffin nods.

“Wow, that is, wow,” Chris stated in shock and disbelief. “How did you know, she’s an angel?”

“She told me, right after we shared our first kissed. Then after I kissed her back, she had this warm golden light around her, filled with love I never knew existed. Then after she confesses she loves me, she was gone.” Griffin told his friend everything that had happened. “You can’t tell anyone about this what I have just told you. Not even your wife. The whole town thinks she is human and I want it to stay like that. This way they don’t think I’m crazy. Now as said I don’t want to discuss it.”

Chris looks to him, “You sure about this, bud.”

Griffin nodded, “Yes. She may be an angel, but to me, she is still a woman, I fell for. Please, Chris.”

“Alright, but I don’t know how long I can keep this from my wife. She will start to ask questions, same with Kerry. You know.” Chris admitted.

“Well think of something.” Griffin stated, “Well I got to go.” And Griffin opens the car door and starts the engine to the car. Two minutes later Griffin was on his way to question the family in his file.

Monica soon settles down her crying and watches the waves from the river. There she gazes out over the horizon, looking back on her memories with both Griffin and Sarah.

The first time was meeting these two that cold November evening in the café, as she felt enchanted by the bound of father and daughter. Then the bonding of the little girl, who made Monica feel, like a mother. And then, the way Griffin, looked at her during Christmas time, as his eyes light up when he saw her true beauty as a woman in a sexy dress the night he danced with her. And then New Year’s Eve the way his lips crashed onto her own and loving her so tender that it made Monica feel so happy to be loved by someone. She wanted to be in Griffin’s life forever, but his life was not up to her. It was up to God, whether he planned it or not. Monica had fallen in love with one of God’s children, and she wanted to spend her life with him.

Suddenly footsteps were approaching her on the dock, which jerked Monica’s memories of Griffin and Sarah out of her mind. Monica turns around slightly to find Gloria standing over her. Monica gave a sad smile to her, as Gloria took that as an invitation to sit down next to. “Hey, you look like crap.”

Monica sighed that, “I feel like my heart has just been stabbed with a dagger.”

Gloria came closer to Monica, and puts her hand with hers, “You were really in love with him.”

Monica nods to that, “Is that a crime?”

“No, it’s not, people fall in love all the time, but it’s different for us. We aren’t allowed to mingle..” Gloria started but didn’t finish her sentence because she could tell Monica is getting aggravated by it. “Do you want to talk about?”

Monica stares out over the water. ”There is nothing to talk about, what is done, is done.”

“I heard that you are banned from returning to earth.” Gloria looked at Monica, and for the first time, she saw her once mentor/friend look so weak and vulnerable. “Monica….” Gloria looked at Monica, and again Monica cried for her heartache. Gloria did the next best thing and held Monica in her arms as she cried over losing her love.

“Gloria, I don’t think I will ever be the same. I know I should have kept my heart at a distance, but something about him, made me fall in love. I can’t even see myself as an angel anymore, all I want is to be in his arms….Why is my heart so broken? Why am I so angry at God, for taking me away to the place that I’m needed most?” Monica sobs even harder.

Gloria didn’t want to bring this up, but she knows why Monica was here instead of down there. “Monica….there’s something I need to tell you. And please don’t get mad. I know that you are in a great deal of pain right now, but as your friend, you need to hear this.”

Monica looks up at Gloria and moves a bit to look into Gloria’s brown eyes. ”Okay.”

“The reason you were pulled from your assignment, was because….someone was spying on you,” Gloria said.

Monica’s eyes flickered from one side to the other, “What?! Who…Who was spying on me?”

Gloria was hesitant to say his name, but looking at Monica she was about to blow a fuse, “Andrew. After Rafael saw you dancing with your assignment Griffin, he was afraid that you had fallen in love with a human, so he told Andrew, and I guess Andrew got jealous and told the highest of angels what you had done.”

Monica’s heartache vanished, and now she was extremely pissed off. Her eyes were a fiery pit of hot anger, and she felt like a volcano inside of her starting to erupt. “Why….Why would he do this?”

“You don’t know,” Gloria asks.

Monica shook her head. And Gloria stated, “Monica….Andrew has been in love with you for eight years, and after he saw you passionately kiss a human, he went just got angry.” Gloria stated.

“You knew about this!” Monica raised her voice.

“Don’t get mad. I told you I didn’t want to tell you.” Gloria said as she looked into Monica’s fury eyes.

Monica felt so much anger she had to leave. She wanted answers, she heard Gloria call out to her, but Monica paid no attention to her, she left the dock she was on, as she makes her way towards Andrew once again.

About ten minutes away she found Andrew at his favorite spot skipping rocks in the pond, and no one else was around, so it made it easier for Monica to let go of her fury. She can’t believe her one good friend for eight years would betray her like this. Andrew looked up and saw her approach. He dropped the rocks he held on to and made his way towards her.

“Hey feeling better…” Andrew asks, as he smiled but looking at Monica’s face she didn’t look too happy to see him.

“What the hell did you do?!” Monica scowled.

“What are you talking about?” Andrew asked.

“You know what…. you turned me in…. why?” Monica yelled.

Andrew’s face dropped great she knows guess he has to tell her, “I had to.”

“Why?!” Monica presses on again.

“Because I was jealous. Monica, look at me. We are the same, and he isn’t. He will never understand your life.” Andrew said now getting angry.

“So…the the fact that I love him and he loves me back is enough” Monica stated

“Really?! And how did he react to finding the truth about your life as an angel? Monica angels CAN’T BE TOGETHER with humans! You wanted to know the reason why I turned you in because I’m in love with you, I’ve been in love with you for eight years, I know you…and Roan….he is a human, and he is not for you. Because we are supposed to be together.” Andrew said out of jealousy.

Monica had hot tears running down her face, and as soon as Andrew said that Monica swung her hand at him so hard that it left a huge red mark across his face, “You Son of a Bitch! You are not going to tell me who I can and cannot love! I’m sorry that I didn’t fell in love with you and that my heart chose Griffin….But what you had done is far worse than what I did to any of us.“Monica said bitterly and storms off into the woods.

As soon as Monica was alone, she sank down beside a bolder by a small creek and begins to pour out her emotions as she sobs. Monica curls herself up into a ball by a rock near the stream and cries for her betrayal in heaven. She wishes she could take it all back. Back to before she ever came into contact with Griffin and Sarah. Monica just slapped Andrew in the face because she was so pissed and broken-hearted, for Andrew pulling her away from Roan Griffin and Sarah. “I don’t know what to do anymore…..Help me father…..why do I love Roan Griffin so much?” Monica screams out her pain. “I’m so sorry for everything, Father…..” Monica cries harder as the tears fell to the ground. Then Monica looks through her tears as she was surrounded by the warm white light that had been with her since the day she was created out of lilac blossoms in Ireland. Monica closes her eyes to feel God’s presence like she had done for ten years as an angel.

The strange angel steps forward to testify for Monica’s name in heaven. “I know my Monica very well….and the Father sent her down for a purpose so that Monica can fulfill her density. Her life as an angel had led her to her new life which is to live her life as a human and to restore lost love in a families heart, so please let her go back.”

The angels of angels looked at the angel, and said, “Are you sure she is ready to do this….because she was already planned to spend her life with Andrew.”

“I know that Andrew loves her, but Monica is needed more down on earth than her. Just look at my baby’s broken heart. How can she continue to be an angel when her heart is not in it anymore.”

The angels of angels looked at the pleading angel, and stated….“We will look into Monica’s case…as for right now, she is suspended from returning to earth.”

It has been seven weeks since Monica left Griffin’s life, every now again, he thought he saw her on the street, but when he got near, it was a different woman. The town is decorated for Valentine’s Day, with hearts everywhere, but Griffin was in no mood to deal with love right now. His love went with the woman who is in heaven. Each day felt like hell for him, but he had to move on with his life even if it means to move on from Monica. As Griffin picked up some flowers for Sarah, to say I love you when he runs into Sandy Chapmen.

“Griffin? What a surprise to see you here.” Sandy said in shock.

“Sandy…hi, just picking up flowers,” Griffin stated.

“Oh…for Monica right, the strange Irish lady? I was told now that you two are an item.” Sandy said feeling down.

“Well, we were….it’s complicated…anyways these flowers are for my daughter. I got to go…nice to see you, Sandy.” Griffin said not wanting to engage in a conversation with her.

“Oh…Griff…I’m sorry…but you know what they say here, outsiders never stick around. She must have treated you and Sarah bad with her loving you for one moment then pack the bags like Crystal. Guess she couldn’t handle it.” Sandy pressed on.

“Monica is nothing like that….and she adores Sarah, it’s just hard to explain,” Griffin said once on the snowy streets.

“I’m sure she wasn’t but why isn’t she around…look if you want I can come by sometime and maybe you and I could have a heart to heart moment. I’ll be over tomorrow.” Sandy said offering her number to him.

“Sandy….I just want to be alone with my daughter, pardon me, but I’m late.” Griffin said as he tries to get away. But Sandy caught his arm and planted the card in his breast pocket of his trench coat.

“Just think about it,” Sandy said, and then she walks off to go into her cherry red convertible.

Griffin shrugs off Sandy’s move on him and goes home. He made lasagna for Sarah’s special dinner for Valentine’s Day and gave her a small bouquet of flowers. Griffin tried his best to keep his relationship strong with his baby girl, but it was hard to manage a job and heartache. Monica had taught Griffin how to be a father again, and he didn’t want to slip back into his old habits of leaving his daughter someplace else while he worked.

“Hope you like it, sweetie,” Griffin said as he sits next to his daughter on the sofa.

“I do. Thanks” Sarah said, there was a bit of sadness in her voice.

And Griffin caught onto Sarah’s sad tone, “What’s wrong baby?”

Sarah let’s out a sigh, “Monica made this family real again. I wish she were here with us.” Sarah pointed out.

“I know honey…I do too. But we got to move on with our lives, Monica will want that.” Griffin said stroking his daughter’s soft brown hair.

“I know….but you were so happy with her here.” Sarah pointed out. “I know that you two tend to hide your little romance feelings, but I watched the way you looked at her, and she looked at you, you two fit like one, and she had changed you, daddy, in a good way. She made you a more loving dad, and you need her.”

“Sarah, where is this coming from? You mean you spied on us?” Griffin looked into his daughter’s eyes.

“Dad, face it, I’m almost 11, and I’m not stupid. I see the way your face lights up whenever Monica was in the same room as you.” Sarah stated.

“I guess I’m that transparent huh….” Griffin said.

“Just a little, but it was worth it because you truly love her and she loves you. Even though she is an angel, but she told me that she hadn’t loved anyone like that in her whole life.” Sarah smiled.

Griffin smiled at his daughter, “She said that?”

“When she came to see me in my dreams, yes.” Sarah smiled.

Griffin looked at his watch, “Okay munchkin, it’s time for you to go to sleep, you have school tomorrow.”

“Ugh…Dad, do I have to.” Sarah looked at her father.

“Yes, sweetie you do,” Griffin said.

“okay…can you read me a story then?” Sarah asked.

“You like to push it, don’t you?” Griffin asked and slightly joked.

“Well, you spoiled me to do that.” Sarah teased back.

“I guess I did didn’t I…” Griffin looked down at his daughter, and then in one swift motion, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to her bedroom. Sarah giggled all the way, as he plopped his daughter on her bed. Then Sarah jumped on her father, and they started to tickle one another until they both were laughing hard.

As soon as the laughter stopped, Sarah embraces her dad as she mummers into his chest, “I love you, daddy, you are the best father in the world, and I thank God that you love me.”

Griffin looked at his daughter and kissed her forehead, and then he lay her down by the pillows, “I love you too….angel cakes. So what story do you want to read?”

“Can you read Cloudy with A Chance of Meatballs?” Sarah asked. Griffin smiled and picked up the book and started to read out loud to his daughter, as soon as he finishes the last sentence Sarah was out. Griffin turns on the small fish aquarium light and turns the lights off as Sarah peacefully slept with her stuff dog.

Griffin stayed up until past midnight then he turns off all the lights and heads for his single empty bed. And for the first time in a long time, he prayed to God. God, I know I sound stupid right now doing this, but I am asking you to send Monica to me….I…..I don’t know what to do anymore….I’m so lost without her, and I need to see her one more time…Why am I still in love with one of your angels. Everywhere I look I see her face….. Just tell her that I still love her and that she is my world. Amen.