Blizzard of (Com)Passion

"I'm going to hate it," Kathleen sighed sometime later, "when this blizzard is over." Once again, they were side by side on the now well-disheveled bed, each cocooning the other with arms and legs. "Once this weather lets up, we'll have to go our separate ways." Looking up to his face, Kathleen kissed him and said, "don't worry Robert, I'm still keeping things in perspective. I know this is not a full-time love we have here. Nor is what we have this weekend enough to base a relationship on. But it's still an evening of love and mutual passion, one that I am going to treasure for a long time."

"So will I, Kathleen," he sighed. The evening had been immensely instructive for him. Robert now knew with much greater clarity the differences between love, lust, passion and compassion. Tonight, and possibly this whole weekend, had been an act and action of love and of life. He had helped someone heal, and helped bring sensual passion back to her. "This was a healing weekend, for both of us. For you, it was the biggest step in getting out and living and moving on. For me, it was learning that something I had thought lost was again possible." Seeing the odd look on her face, he elaborated, "Angela was my fiancée. A few months after we met, she was in a major car accident. I ended up helping her through her recovery, and we fell in love. Having survived the accident, she thought she was invincible… that is… until…"

Sliding up to be face to face, Kathleen whispered, "it's okay, Robert. If you don't want to talk, you don't have to. If you want to let it out, I'm right here."

"Thank you, hon. Like I said, she thought…" Then Robert started crying, with a soft pitch and wail to equal that of a lost soul. Knowing a dam had burst, Kathleen held him close and let it all wash over her. When he calmed down several minutes later, he continued, "She thought she was invincible. She had survived a car accident she shouldn't have walked away from, and eventually came away still able to run and dance. She lived life with zest and fire. Then she thought she was pregnant, and went to see the doctor."

"But it wasn't a pregnancy?"

"No… it wasn't. When they did the exam, they found she wasn't pregnant. They also found something else wrong, and started doing tests. It turned out she was in the advanced stages of ovarian cancer, and it had metastasized. Six month later, she was gone. That was five years ago."

"But dear… you gave no hint of any of that at all today. If you hadn't told me any of this, just now, I would have sworn you had barely dated in your life. I was even thinking of asking how it was that some lucky lady hadn't snatched you up. But something tells me you never made yourself available."

"It took me a good two years before I could start dating again. And even then, the passions and fire just weren't there. But somehow, tonight, in hearing that you had gone through similar to what I had, I was able to overcome that last hurdle, the one that kept me from feeling passion and sensuality again. I know it seems odd to say this… but thank you, Kathleen… for everything."

"You're welcome," she breathed, realizing that she had truly found a kindred soul. "And I think this is further proof that this was supposed to happen. God meant for us to meet, and He made that blizzard out there to make certain of it. He meant for us to make love, and passion, and compassion. Like I said earlier, we may never meet again after this weekend. But we are here now, for a purpose, and that is to heal. So come here, love. Let's snuggle together, and heal each other." With a gentle kiss on the cheek, Kathleen pulled Robert to her. In each other's arms, they fell asleep.

* * * * *

Outside the window, invisible eyes looked in on them from the howling blizzard. "It's about time. You needed to break through that shell and start living again. And if you didn't do it soon, I was going to find a way to kick your arse."

"Angela," came the voice of a second set of eyes that flew in next to her. "Angela, are ye doing okay? You're not jealous, are ye?"

"Part of me is, Dylan. After all, Robert and I had some incredibly passionate times together. But that's in the past. And it's time he moved on with his life. Plus, I know that Big Boss Gabriel has some sort of pending assignment for me. Besides… aren't you a little jealous of this situation?"

"If this had happened right after me body had died, I'd be a wee bit furious. But it's been three years. And just like your Robert, my Kathleen needed to be gettin' out and living. It was time for both of them. And who knows, maybe they will end up together. They could each certainly do worse!"

"How long is this storm scheduled to last?"

"At least three more days. It turns out that Kathleen and Robert aren't the only ones needing time like this. And don't worry, Angela; I've already fixed things with their respective jobs. Now, let's let these two rest. I think we're needed elsewhere." With that, the two angels moved off into the night, unperturbed by the blizzard. And for the first time in several years, their charges each slept the sleep of the healthy and happy.