Michael would sometimes look at Jessie as he sat in the living room watching the film on the screen. He heard her giggle when a humorous scene was played in the movie. He turned his head to look at her and saw the fantastic smile playing on her lips. He averted his eyes from her.
‘There is simply something in me that desires her to smile often. But why?’ he asked himself.
He mentally shook his head when he could no longer arrive at any sensible conclusion. He later gave his full attention to the movie.
When the film ended, Jessie returned to her room. She sat on the bed, and her thoughts drifted to her sister. A tear slipped down her face.
“I cannot believe I was so careless about your safety. I should have never left you alone. It is all my fault you were taken away.”
More tears slipped down her face. She wiped her face, stood up from the mattress, and paced around the room for a few minutes before she stopped by the window. Jessie saw Grey and Ariel standing outside, and she remembered when Grey's eyes had flashed red.
“I have never seen anything like that before. Is it common with angels when they are angry?” She queried.
*****
Michael was seated in the living room, staring into space, when Raguel approached him.
“Hey,” Raguel said as he sat down next to Michael.
“Hi,” Michael replied with a smile.
Raguel was quiet for some time, studying his friend, which Michael noticed.
“What is it, Raguel?” Michael asked.
“I wanted to ask… forget it,” Raguel muttered.
“Spill it out, Raguel,” Michael said as he turned to face his friend.
“At the dining table, you asked Jessie to eat more. Why?”
“She needs it,” Michael said. He did not desire to tell Raguel the actual reason behind it. He knew Jessie would not like people to know that beneath those garments of hers, she was skinny.
Raguel looked at his friend; he could tell that Michael wasn’t telling him everything, but he didn’t persuade him further. “Okay,” Raguel later said.
Michael was grateful that Raguel didn’t push him for more. He mentally sighed as he rested his lower back on the couch.
“Michael?” Raguel called out after a few minutes.
“Yes?”
“Is something troubling you?” Raguel asked.
Michael wanted to say ‘yes’ but he couldn’t. “No,” he eventually said.
“I’ll be here when you want to talk,” Raguel said. He didn’t believe Michael's words.
“Okay,” Michael said as he watched Raguel leave.
Michael stood up from the sofa and made his way upstairs. He passed through the corridor and stopped at Jessie's door. He almost brought his hand to knock on the door, but he stopped midway. He shoved his hand in his pocket and walked away. He made his way downstairs. He walked to the front door and noticed Grey and Ariel standing outside with their hands locked together. He smiled softly at them.
“Hey,” Michael said as he moved closer to them.
“Hi, Uncle Michael,” Ariel said with a smile.
“How’s your face, Grey?” Michael asked.
“Fine,” Grey mumbled.
“He’s still angry,” Ariel said, looking at Grey, who had his arms crossed in front of his chest.
“Really?” Michael asked.
“I'm not,” Grey said bluntly. “I cannot believe she punched me. My face still hurts. I didn't know she had the power to throw such a strong punch,” Grey added.
Michael laughed, and Ariel joined in the laughter.
“It's not a laughing matter. I simply underestimated her,” Grey muttered.
“Well, she apologized to you, so I think you should let it go,” Michael advised.
“Yes, I will.”
Ariel leaned down and planted a kiss on Grey's lips, making Michael avert his gaze.
“I’ll go inside,” Michael said.
“We’ll join you,” Ariel said as she pulled Grey towards the door.
Michael watched Ariel and Grey leave for their room.
“How would it feel to love a person like that?” His thought drifted to Jessie for a few seconds.
He shook the thought from his head and went upstairs. He stopped at Jessie's door, and this time he got the courage to knock on her door. He waited patiently for Jessie to open the door.
“Hey,” Michael said softly.
“Hi. Do you want something?” Jessie asked.
“Not really. “I just wanted to check on you. And apologize for my behavior when you first arrived.” He looked up to see Jessie watching him
“Do you want to come inside?” Jessie asked.
Michael glanced at the corridor before he nodded his head. Jessie shut the door behind him. Michael glanced around the room, refusing to make eye contact with her.
He cleared his throat before he said, “Raguel and I ran into a demon who pissed me off. I didn't mean to be rude to you. I'm sorry I emptied the aggression on you.”
“Alright,” Jessie responded.
Michael had no reason to be in the room. He turned and was about to leave before Jessie stopped him.
“I have a question to ask,” Jessie said
“Okay.”
“Do all angels' eyes flash red when they’re angry?”
“Why did you ask that?”
“Grey's eyes flashed red after I punched him. He was angry, so I just assumed it's common with angels. But perhaps not all,” Jessie added. “I remembered when I punched that angel outside. He was irritated. However, his eyes didn’t flash red.”
“His name is Samael,” Michael said. “And the answer is no,” Michael added. Before he could continue with his explanation, Jessie cut him off.
“I knew it. Do your eyes flash red when you are angry?” Jessie asked.
“Jessie,” Michael called out softly, gaining her attention. “Angel's eyes do not flash red when they are angry,” Michael said
“What are you saying? But I saw Grey's eyes. Or did I not see clearly?”
“You did see it clearly. Grey isn’t an angel,” Michael said.
“Then, what is he?”
“A demon.”
“What?” Jessie shouted.
“Calm down, Jessie.”
“Don't tell me to calm down,” Jessie muttered angrily. “He is one of them. His kind took my sister,” Jessie added as she walked to the door.
Michael quickly blocked the door. “Jessie, sit down, and I’ll explain everything.” Michael led her to the bed.
Jessie sat down and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I thought angels have angel soulmates, so why is Grey Ariel's soulmate?” she asked.
“How do you know that?”
“I just assumed, and it makes sense that your soulmate would need to be of the same species as you.”
Michael shook his head and took a deep breath. “Ariel and Grey are special. Nobody has ever connected the soulmate bond they share. It's a very strong bond. They were brought together for a reason,” Michael explained. “Grey is different from every other demon. He is special. His Mom, Anna, is human, and also a seer.”
Jessie nodded her head in understanding. She had a question, but she decided against asking it.
“How are you holding up?” Michael asked after a few minutes of burdened silence between them.
Jessie knew precisely what Michael was referring to. “I don't know. I miss my sister,” Jessie replied weakly.
“Is she younger or older than you?” Michael asked.
“Younger,” Jessie said.
“How old is she?”
“Six.”
Michael was dumbfounded. He never anticipated Jessie's sister to be that young.
“I promised my parents I would take care of her, but I failed,” Jessie said. She tried her best not to tear up in front of Michael.
“It's not your fault, Jessie,” Michael said gently.
“Yes, it is,” Jessie argued.
Michael sighed softly as he reached out to touch Jessie's hand. As soon as he touched her, he felt a burning sensation deep inside him. A rush of excitement stuffed his heart. He, without delay, dropped her hands quickly as if it had burned him. He looked at Jessie, and he could tell she felt it too, because Jessie was staring at him with wide eyes.
“I have to go,” Michael whispered.
“Okay,” Jessie managed to reply.
Michael didn’t waste any time before hurrying out of the room.