Take Me Back To Paddington (SERIES)

EPILOGUE - The Angel's Grace II

And nothing else upset him better than having to accept the fact that the same soul he had bought was what cost his brother's life. If only he didn't go down to earth just to see him, if only he had waited longer and held his yearning, Michael would have still been alive.

"Luci—"

"And please tell Father—" He stuttered as he couldn't help to squeeze his sadness out. "I love Him so much."

Lucifer brought his head down, sobbing all the heaviness out his throat while Gabriel held him tight one more time. Because not only the Heavens and the other angels could hear his heart-wrenching cries, Gabriel was feeling even greater sorrow as much as Lucifer was griefing for.

"Father knows that—" Gabriel whispered in sobs. "He always knows your heart, Luci" He paused, feeling Lucifer's hair gliding in between his fingers. "Because now, you too have loved what He loves."

Breathing out, Lucifer planted strong kisses on Gabriel's shoulder and proceeded to his face one more time. If only he could stay, he would love to feel his brother's body in his arms, kiss his face a thousand times more, talking and laughing with him for another eternity, but none of them would ever feel the same without Michael.

Michael was gone. He had lost his dear Michael.

So he pulled away, having his wrist held tight by Gabriel like the angel wasn't willing to let him go. But Lucifer's attention was now given to a human in front of him; the lovely Chae Richards, who had the purest heart like his late brother once had, who always thought of other people and not herself, who sacrificed her last prayer for someone else and not for herself. His sight might be unclear by the tears, but he knew who he was looking at.

And the greatest Lucifer, an angel who was full of pride—too proud of himself to disobey his own Father, now shattered Gabriel's heart into pieces, rumbled the entire skies of Heavens above, when he finally dropped his body, kneeling on the dirty floor in front of a human.

Tears streamed down Lucifer's face. His eyes took other seconds of look at Chae, who still had her soulmate on her lap before he closed his eyelids.

There was silence. Lucifer's voice was no longer heard, and neither did Gabriel's. The other angel only stood there, unmoving, as his hand faithfully holding Lucifer's shoulder with a slight shake that quivered his magnificent body.

Chae's eyes welled up in agony again when she watched Lucifer's wings slowly darkened, and this time, his whole body shifted colour along with it. He appeared like he was frozen, lifeless, and the darkening turned lighter every second to resemble greyish colour instead. His once strong, imperial figure now morphing into ashes. And in powdered bits, the ashes sailed high into the air like a  soft breeze stirred them and ascended before they were gone, leaving nothing but a space between the angel and the human.

"Chae Madelaine Richards..." Gabriel called for Chae's gaze, which she instantly rewarded him with. But he dragged his eyes to another direction, forcing her to follow until she found herself staring into a whirlwind of blinding white light that had materialised barely a moment ago. "It's time,"

***

It was different. Nothing in her view ever looked familiar as she continued walking into the bright white tunnel. She could see other people walking along with her with clueless faces on, just like the one she was wearing now. Chae had no idea of where she was or if this place was just a transit before she could reach her final destination. But she was feeling alright—no more fear or doubt. So she continued her steps as if she was so sure of what was waiting at the front, not even a single hesitation in her heart.

As she walked further to the end of the tunnel, the direction began to disperse. Her eyes went bigger when she saw colours that had never looked that beautiful before. The sky was no longer just blue; it spread widely in a mixture of saturated colours that brought the joy of happiness. The plants and flowers were all over the ground, surrounded by butterflies of different sizes and colouration.

Smiling, Chae's eyes sparkled as they chased every butterfly and small bird she walked past. It was the first time she had felt so hard to take her eyes off the sky, off the scenery. She was feeling the bliss of being in a place that was nothing like where she had come from. Yet, it was so welcoming and comforting like this place was where she used to live but left many years ago, until her eyes caught a bridge a few meters away from where she was at, followed by a figure of a woman she somehow recognised standing on it.

Chae continued her steps, walking slowly this time while staring at the figure. That woman was facing the other way, giving Chae only the back of her body to look at. She had one hand tucked inside her pocket, and her foot was fidgeting, looking like she was nervously waiting for something or someone. Meanwhile, other people were impatiently walking past her to cross the bridge. Why she's not crossing? Chae wondered to herself.

But the closer Chae had gotten to that woman, the more she recognised her. More questions appeared in her thoughts, such as How can someone's back look this good? Even looking at the figure from this angle, she could tell how handsome that woman must be.

Chae's eyes fell to the woman's wide shoulders, complemented by a trench coat she had on her. She made that classic style as hers, rocking in it with confidence and boldness, which Chae never saw any man wore it as she did. She looked so inviting, luring Chae into hugging her from behind and resting all the love in the whole world that she had on those shoulders; strong and safe. And it would feel like there was just the two of them, standing together.

Chae blew her cheeks out, jumping a little to get rid of the anxiousness that had gone for a battle in her heart before she placed soft taps on the woman's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry..." She let out her low voice. "I am super late."

The woman turned around, greeting Chae with a pair of doe eyes of hers.

The end
TAKE ME BACK TO PADDINGTON: Chae's Story
originally written by
KIMBERLEY EDWOOD

(12 November 2019-22 April 2021)