The eternal protector

(By Deyse)

It was one of those rare occasions in which the cast and crew of TBAA had to leave Salt Lake and shoot in a small town a few miles away from the capital. The cosy city had beautiful scenarios that would be used in one of the episodes and they would have to stay there for two days, which would give them the opportunity to enjoy its tranquillity. And that fact suited Roma perfectly as her seven-month belly was becoming heavier every single day, leaving the little actress more and more tired.

She didn’t complain, though. Much on the contrary: anyone could see the spark of happiness in her eyes whenever she talked about the little baby girl that would be in her arms within two months. John, Della and Martha were the ones to be always around her, treating their dearest friend with all the love and attention they could muster. And the blond actor was secretly happier on those two days, as he and Roma would be filming Monica and Andrew’s scenes and were the only ones to travel with the small crew.

He had just finished to shoot a scene when, still wearing Andrew’s clothes, he found his friend and co-worker sitting on the stairs of her trailer, holding her cell phone and with a sad expression on her face. He rushed to her immediately frowning with concern.

"Roma?" his voice took her out of her reverie and she managed a slight smile to him as he knelt right beside her. "Is there something wrong? Are you alright?"

She sighed deeply, somewhat trying to push away her sad thoughts, "Yes, I’m fine, Johnny."

He looked at the cell phone in her hands and then deep inside her doe like eyes, "You sure?"

Still smiling, she nodded her head, "uh huh..."

Choosing not to push the issue, he changed the subject, "Then I’ll tell you what: I’ll take you and this little angel here to have lunch at a great restaurant I found not far from here, what do you both think?"

Roma’s smile grew wider with that suggestion – it wasn’t the first time that that kind man would arrive at the right moment and make her worries go away with his gentle manners and pleasant company. Besides, he seemed to sense exactly when she needed him the most and was always there for her.

"We both say it’s a wonderful idea!"

The joyful expression on her meek face practically melted his heart, as it would always do whenever she smiled at him that way. They had met just a few months before but it seemed like he’d known her for his entire life. They got along well since form the start, and for some time, John thought he had got a great friend along with the new job at the show. But it didn’t take him too long to realise how deeply in love he was with the Irish actress. He would have thought he had found his soul mate wasn’t she married and expecting a baby.

But that didn’t stop him from loving her at least in secret, and from taking care of her and of her little daughter, who he was immediately fond of.

"To tell you the truth I was starving and wondering were I’d find somewhere to eat. You seemed to guess my thoughts, mister!"

He just smiled, pleased to hear that and to see that, although she looked at bit sad, she was taking care of herself.

***

Some time later, the actor parked his car in front of a nice and cosy restaurant and quickly got off the vehicle to help his dearest friend. She gladly took his proffered hand and both entered the old building. John had picked a table by the window and it had a lovely view to a flowered garden. Most of the time, the little actress seemed to have forgotten her previous worry and conversation flowered easily. They were exactly talking about the baby when John made a simple question, which visibly affected her.

"Have you picked a name already? You said you were about to choose one..."

The smile on her face faded away and she lowered her head, trying to avoid his gaze. "Well... I’m... I guess I already got a name..."

Frowning with concern, he reached for her hand and squeezed it, "Are you really alright, Roma?"

"Yes..." she managed to say, raising her head with the same smile and, once again, putting away the sad feelings inside her heart, "She’ll be Reilly Marie."

He also smiled slightly, even though his concern still lingered on his mind, "Reilly Marie... It’s lovely!"

"It is, isn’t it? I-"

Suddenly, however, her face went pale and she let go of his hand to hold her belly.

"Roma? What is it? Tell me, please..." John was standing beside her in a heart beat, with one supportive hand over her shoulder and another one on her belly, "I... It hurts..."

"God... It’s not time yet, you’re seven months..."

His voice trailed off and he felt a shiver run down his spine: she could pretty well give birth to a seven month baby, and at that very moment, the only one who could help her was him.

***

John Dye paced from one side to another in the corridor of the local hospital, glancing at his watch every two minutes and wondering why it was taking an eternity to find out what was wrong with Roma. His despair and worry were so great that he didn’t even tell anybody what had happened and it was the episode director the one to call him and ask him the reason why his two leading actors had suddenly vanished into thin air on lunchtime. John explained what had happened and where they were, and shooting was immediately cancelled.

Sighing deeply, the blond actor ran his hand through his hair and checked his watch for the hundredth time when the doctor who was assisting Roma came along the corridor. "How is she, doctor? What happened? Was it a contraction? Was-"

"Please, calm down, Mr Dye." The old man spoke, placing his hand over his shoulder, "Mrs Downey is fine now. She is sedated and will spend the night just for precaution."

"And the baby?" he wanted to know, and if the old man didn’t know who they really were, he would sure have thought John was the child’s father.

"The baby is fine too, I assure you."

Seeing the truth in the doctor’s eyes, John finally heaved a sigh of relief, "What happened to her? Why did she feel bad?"

"Well, it can happen to some women... Many factors can contribute to it, such as stress." The old physician sighed, "These last few months have to be peaceful and pleasant to Mrs Downey. Her emotional condition is vital for her to have a tranquil delivery."

The blond actor just nodded. He knew something wasn’t alright, although she tried to hide it from him. John could see suffering and sorrow deep inside those sweet brown eyes he loved so much, and all he wished now was that he could fix things for her, that he could keep her away from problems so that she could have her baby peacefully.

"Can I see her?"

***

John entered the bedroom quietly not to wake Roma up. He walked over up to the bed and remained there for long minutes, just contemplating her asleep form. Her face was still pale and showing traces of exhaustion, but she was as enchanting as always. The actor raised his hand and gently caressed her auburn hair. She was so vulnerable, so fragile that all he wanted to do at that very moment was to protect her from everything and, most importantly, from everybody who dared to do her any harm. Roma hadn’t told him anything but John was starting to believe that her husband was the cause for all the sorrow he could see deep inside her eyes. And he clenched his jaw with anger to think about the things David might have done or said to her to make his beloved Roma so unhappy.

"Angel... I wish I hadn’t entered your life so late... I love you so much, baby... But I’ll take care of you, sweetie, I promise I will. You and this little one can always count on me."

John never left the room. He spent the night on a chair, occasionally dozing into a light sleep, but always alert to any small noise he heard – all of them coming from outside, as the Irish actress slept peacefully on her bed.

It was already morning when Roma finally stirred her head and, slowly, her eyes flickered open, and John’s handsome and gentle face was the first thing she saw.

"Johnny?"

"Hey, good morning you both!" he greeted, with a warm smile and caressing her hair once again.

Confusion clouded her face when she looked around her, "What..."

"The doctor who assisted you yesterday gave you a light sedative and you spent the night here at the hospital. You and little Reilly here are both fine," he quickly informed, as if guessing her thoughts, "It was a very calm night and the doctor said you were probably too tired or made some extra effort, that’s why you felt bad yesterday, but now everything is alright."

A sigh escaped her as he said that. She was both relieved to hear that everything was okay and sad to know that David’s hurtful words two days before had caused that episode. She could still hear him saying he didn’t care what the baby was called, once it shouldn’t even exist in the first place. A silent tear rolled down her cheek and John wiped it away with gentle fingers, interrupting those sad memories, "Angel?"

Roma turned her eyes back to him and his genuine concern, as well as his protectiveness moved her deeply. "Thanks to God... and to you, everything is alright." She finally spoke, reaching out to take his hand.

"No... You don’t need to thank me, Roma," he gently disagreed, "I’m just so happy and so relieved you’re both fine."

"I’m sorry I scared you."

"Don’t be sorry either. Everything is gonna be just fine now, I promise."

Although he really meant it, he knew that there was a huge barrier between them and it would be difficult to break through it. John would never be able to be by her side 24 hours a day, as much as he wanted to. David’s presence and the simple thought of him seemed to cause her great fear the blond actor just wished the guy would vanish from her life forever.

She took his hand up to her face and kissed its back. "Thank you..."

***

John parked his car in front of Roma’s house in the beginning of that same afternoon. As always, he got off the vehicle and helped her out of the car. Then, he picked her suitcase and walked with her until the front door, and he felt slightly relieved when she told him David was away on a business trip.

"But who is going to look after you, Roma?" he wanted to know, placing her suitcase on the floor and helping her to sit down on the sofa.

"I’ll phone Maria, she’ll be here in half an hour," she was talking about the maid.

"Let me stay until she arrives then?"

"Of course, John. Though I guess I pretty much took advantage from you in the last two days more than I usually do!" her smile melted his heart all over again and, gathering his courage, he sat down right next to her and took her hand into both of his, "Roma, I know it’s none of my business and that I have no right to interfere with your life but-"

He felt her squeezing his hand, "John, you’re such a wonderful friend. You and Della are my family."

"You’re our family too, sweetie. And I want you to know that if you need me... for anything and anytime you want, please don’t think twice before telling me. I’m always here for you, baby, always."

"I know... You never let me forget it."

With tears in the corner of her eyes, she held him tightly and he involved her small body in his arms, closing his eyes for a few moments, treasuring that tender contact.

Two months later...

It was over 2 AM when the telephone at John’s apartment rang. The cast and crew of Touched by an angel was on summer vacations but something stopped him from flying back to Mississippi as he usually did whenever there was a break from filming. He rolled on his bed and turned on the bedside lamp, checking the clock next to the phone. Frowning with concern, he picked up the receiver, "Hello?"

"Johnny..."

He would recognise that voice anywhere and a chill ran down his spine at the crying tone of it.

"Roma? What is it?"

"Please... I need your help... Please, come here.. I guess I’m in labour..."

His heart was racing and he was on his feet on the following second, "What? Roma, angel, please, please, be calm!"

"It hurts..."

"I’m coming, baby! I’ll be there in a few minutes, ok?" he said, quickly turning on the lights and putting on his jeans.

"I’m alone..."

Those few word hurt him as deeply as they hurt her – where was David when she most needed him? How could the bastard leave her all alone when he knew she was close to give birth?

"No, angel, you’re not alone. God is there with you and I’ll be there soon!"

"Please, hurry..."

"I’ll tell you what: I’ll turn off this phone and then I’ll call you back on my cell phone, ok? then you can talk to me while I’m on my way."

"Okay..."

He quickly hung up and then picked his cell phone, dialling the numbers he already knew by heart. "Roma... Angel, talk to me," he said, once again hearing her crying voice.

John never knew how he was able to get dressed and drive all the way up to her house on the next 20 minutes. But he finally made it and, after he crossed the gates, opened by Roma herself through the inter phone command, the actor turned the doorknob, finding the entrance door unlocked. He found his beloved friend sitting in the couch, with both hands over her huge belly and tears in her eyes. "Roma..."

"It started already, Johnny..." she spoke, turning her head to look at him, "The doctor said she would be here only by the end of the month but... she’s early..."

He gently covered one of her hands with his own, "And you’ll bring her to this world safe and soundly, Roma. Everything will turn out just fine, I promise you!"

Breathing hard, she just nodded her head, and then John looked around them, "Is there anything you want me to take with us?"

"There’s... there’s a bag ready in Reilly’s future bedroom... it’s upstairs... second door..."

"Okay!" he climbed up the stars in a hurry and soon opened up the second door in the corridor: the bedroom for the little baby girl was beautifully decorated, with shades of pink and white, and for a moment he couldn’t help a tender smile, thinking about the little person who would start living in there in a few hours. Quickly, he picked up the bag she was referring to and left the room, going back downstairs. "I’ll put it in the car!" he announced, leaving the house for just a few seconds and coming back again, to take his beloved friend.

"Let’s go, angel..." Roma took his proffered hand and tried to stand up from the couch but the effort only made her wince with more pain.

Realising she could hardly manage to walk up to his car, he placed his arms around her waist, "Wait... I’ll carry you..."

He gathered her in his arms and carried her along the garden up to his car, gently placing her on her feet just to open the door for her. John helped her to get in the vehicle and after making sure she was comfortable enough, he closed the door and quickly took the driver’s seat.

"Please, be calm, Roma. I’ll take you there in safety and everything will be just fine."

She nodded her head, putting her and her little baby in the hands of that gentle friend, who seemed more like an angel sent by God to help them in the most important moment of their lives. "I know..."

He drove up to the city hospital as fast as he could and carefully enough not to put Roma and Reilly’s life in danger. As soon as they got there, Roma was immediately placed in a wheelchair and taken to the surgery room. John walked next to her, holding her hand tightly and telling her words of encouragement. He only stopped when the nurse said that, from that point on, the doctor would take care of Mrs Downey.

"God will be with you and Reilly, angel. And he’ll bless you and this little angel girl," he said, kissing the top of her head and then the back of her hand. The look in her eyes was such that it took his breath away – he could see so much gratitude and tenderness in those sweet brown pools that he felt like the most blessed man in the whole world. His feelings for her were far deeper than these, yet, knowing that he had made a difference in her life was already a present and he knew that he’d got from her at least her true friendship.

"Thank you, Johnny... Thank you so much... God bless you..." she said, her eyes filled with tears.

The nurse pushed her wheelchair along the corridor and he watched her go away from him until they turned on the left. Then a sigh escaped him as he silently prayed that everything would go well for them. Secretly, he also cursed David for abandoning her like that and couldn’t understand how that guy didn’t seem to value the wonderful family he had. If John was her husband, he would spend day and night by her side, taking care of her and giving her all his love. Shaking his head, he tugged his hands in his pockets and lowered his head, preparing himself for a long night.

***

John watched as the first sunrays shone across Salt Lake skies, in a beautiful spring morning. Standing by the window, he checked his watch once again and ran his hand through his hair with impatience – John knew it could take several hours but he couldn’t seem to wait any longer as not having news from his beloved friend was making him more and more desperate.

The blond actor was exactly going to complain that he hadn’t heard anything from Roma in the latest hours when he saw a nurse coming through the corridor.

"Excuse me, but I want to know how Mrs Downey is, it’s been hours since she arrived and I haven’t heard anything from her or from the baby, I-"

The woman smiled and nodded her head, gently raising her hand to interrupt him – she knew who they were and that John was not the baby’s father, yet, he seemed as worried as a real father. "Calm down, Mr Dye. I came here exactly to speak to you..."

His heart was racing and a million of different thoughts ran through his mind as she said that. "And? Did something happen? How are Roma and-"

"Mrs Downey is just fine..." the young lady smiled, loving to make such announcements, "And she gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby daughter!"

A smile immediately appeared on his handsome face as he heard that and felt his heart full of happiness, as if the woman was talking about his own daughter. "Really? How... how was it? How..."

"It was just fine. Mrs Downey got here right on time!"

"And c-can I see them?" he couldn’t help asking that, even knowing that he had no right to be in that bedroom, that place belonged to her husband.

"Follow me, I’ll show you the little girl in the nursery. Mrs Downey is still recovering, and later on you can see her and hold little Reilly."

"Sure, sure... Please, let me see her!"

He followed the nurse through the corridor and they stopped in front of a large window, protected by a thick glass, through which he could see four babies in the room, two of them were crying, one was sleeping and another one was just staring at the window with her still blind eyes – and the nurse pointed exactly at this one.

"That’s our little angel girl!" the young lady joked, not forgetting the roles played by the couple of actors in her favourite show.

John’s eyes were filled with emotion as he saw the little girl, "Oh, God... she’s so beautiful..."

"She is! You’ll be able to hold her soon!"

John remained by the window, just staring at the baby and not missing the resemblance she bore with her mother: auburn hair and white skin, he could even see a little dimple on her chin. Della arrived there on the following minute and both stood there, enchanted with the little angel that had just entered their lives.

***

It was the beginning of the afternoon when, after making sure Della would stay there with Roma, John left for a couple of hours. He hadn’t had the chance to speak to the actress yet and went to have a quick meal while she was still resting. On the way back to the hospital he bought a small bouquet of flowers – there was a present he’d bought the baby some time before but he didn’t want to go up to his house and stay away from them for some more time.

He was informed that Mrs Downey was already awake and that guests were allowed, and practically ran to her room. But, to his disappointment, somebody had arrived there before him: from a distance, without being noticed, he saw as David was standing near Roma’s bed, talking on the cell phone, while Roma and Della were talking to each other. Sighing deeply, he lowered his head and looked at the bouquet he was carrying. That definitely wasn’t a good moment and he just couldn’t get in there and talk to the man who had everything he wanted; his life.

Shaking his head, he turned around and was nearly throwing the small bouquet in the dustbin when a little girl and her mother were passing by the corridor. He gave it to her and after hearing a pleased ‘thank you’, he left the hospital. Maybe on the following day the bastard would go away and then he could talk to her and hold the little baby.

John was pacing from once side to another inside Roma’s dressing room that afternoon. And in his arms, a cute four month baby girl was looking around her with a not all too pleased expression on her face. Reilly was hungry and, consequently, impatiently wanting her mommy to be there with her, and the only reason that stopped her from breaking down and crying was that it was her "uncle Johnny" who was holding her. The immediate connection between them was amazing and the way the little baby welcomed his presence in her little life was moving. The blond actor had become, practically from the moment she was born, a father figure to her.

"Shh... Calm down, little one... I know you’re hungry, Angel... Here... Alice is hungry too, aren’t you, Alice?" he said, patiently trying to put her little heart at ease by speaking gently on her ear and showing her the cute Teddy bear he’d given her on the day she was born.

That somewhat kept the baby distracted until her mommy finally returned from the studio, still wearing Monica’s clothes. "I’m sorry, it took more time than we expected!" she immediately said as she bolted through the door.

"Oh, it’s alright with me, sweetie, but I guess somebody was really losing her patience with this shooting thing!" he replied, both of them smiling with amusement at the upset expression on Reilly’s face.

Roma took her almost crying baby daughter from his arms and kissed her cheek lovingly. "It’s okay, honey, mommy is here now... I’m sorry, it took me so long, sweetie..."

John took away the few toys that were on the comfortable armchair in a corner of the room, and placed a cushion there so that Roma could rest her back on it. Then, he gently guided her up to the chair. "Well, everything will be alright now... I’ll leave you two ladies alone now, okay? See you in an hour!"

"Thanks for staying with her, John... I-"

"Don’t even think about thanking me, Angel." He said, looking deep inside her eyes for a moment with so much intensity that he himself had to break that gaze and bend his head to kiss her forehead. "See you two later." He left the dressing room afterwards.

As he was scheduled to film again only in the afternoon, John went to the cafeteria and had a quick snack, but a weird sensation made him go back to the dressing rooms area. He knew Roma and Reilly were still inside the actress’ room and in no way did he want to disturb them, but he couldn’t help staying around the door, like the guardian of a precious treasure.

And a few minutes later he found out the reason for his concern. David crossed the studio limits and came straight to Roma’s dressing room. On his face, a tense, nearly angry expression. But he didn’t expect to find an obstacle in his way.

"Is my wife in there?" he wanted to know, noticing how John stood in his way.

"Yes, but I guess it’s not a good moment right now... She’s with Reilly..."

"So what?"

"Please, David, wait here until she’s finished... She’s breastfeeding and-"

"Oh, so now you are what? Her bodyguard? Were you inside there, helping her out?"

John felt an nearly uncontrollable desire to punch that man’s face as many times as he could and the only reason that stopped him from doing so was Roma herself, and the consequences of this action.

"You have absolutely no respect for your wife and daughter, don't you, David?" he said, with a bitter tone in his voice.

"What do you know about my wife and daughter?"

"A lot more than you ever cared to know... And I’m positively sure that you don’t deserve them..."

David gave a step closer and John could detect the smell of whisky coming from him, "Get outta my way, man!"

"No. This is not your house and you should have more respect for your family and for the people around you... Go away, David. Go home and take a good look at your face in the mirror... Try to become a man." He said, coldly.

As much angry David was, he felt intimidated by the stare in John’s eyes. The actor would never allow him to go on inside Roma’s dressing room, that was a fact. His only option was to go away, for his own sake.

"Johnny?" he heard the soothing voice calling him a minute later, and the tension on his face was so visible that Roma gave a few steps towards him, eyeing him closely. "Is there something wrong?" she wanted to know, carrying a very pleased Reilly in her arms.

The blond actor tried to smile, and shook his head. "No, Angel... I was... I was waiting for you both, you see... I won’t shoot anymore today, there was a problem with the camera... So I thought about taking you two to go up to the park, what do you think?"

The smile she gave him in return was like a precious reward after so much tension, "Yes, we’d be happy to, wouldn’t we, my little angel?"

He took the smiling baby in his arms and then wrapped his free arm around the actress’ shoulders. They left the place afterwards, heading to the park not far from there. Fresh air was what they all needed, and once he had the chance, he wouldn’t allow Roma and little Reilly to return to their house – not while David was there. If he could, he would just take them away from that evil man forever and take them to a place where they would be treated the way they deserved: with utmost love and devotion.

****

"... the doctor said that soon, her teeth will start to come out... it’s amazing how fast they grow at this age, you know..." the Irish actress spoke, placing Reilly in her push chair. She and John had been sitting on a bench, under the shadow of a green tree, and for the last twenty minutes they talked about trivial matters and entertained with the baby’s graceful manners.

"Yes... She’ll grow up and become a very happy young lady..." he said, tickling Reilly’s belly but with the same shadow of worry in his eyes. Roma looked at him for a few seconds, and finally spoke what she had noticed from the moment they’d arrived there. "Did something happen, Johnny? You’re... so distant... so..."

He averted his eyes from hers, and looked around them. "I... I was worried..."

Roma placed her hand over his arm and squeezed it, "Is there any problem, Johnny? Are you-"

"I’m not worried about me, Roma... I’m worried about you..." he finally confessed, looking deep inside her soft brown pools.

All the questions in the tip of her mouth were answered by his powerful gaze. He knew all she was going through in her life, her sorrow and anguish and all the terrible things she tried to hide from the rest of the world. He could feel them all deep inside his own heart and it was as painful for him as it was for her.

Without knowing what to say, she just lowered her head.

"No one has to go through all that, Roma... I can see how much you’re suffering, I can see that in your eyes, baby..."

"I’m trying to keep a family, John... Reilly... she’ll need a father with her..."

"Part of your family is in Ireland, and another part is at the Moon Water Studios, Angel..."

Tears started to fall from her eyes as he said that. "I’ve failed again, haven’t I?"

"No, you haven’t, sweetie... You did everything you could to keep a family, but David isn’t interested... He is the one who’s failed... He is the one who doesn’t realise the treasure he had in his hands..." he replied, wiping her tears away. But more tears came down and he gently pulled her to his loving arms, holding her tightly for several moments.

"I wanted my daughter to have a regular mom and dad, like a regular kid..."

"She has you, Roma. And that means being blessed with a wonderful mother, who’ll always be by her side, protecting her and giving her all the love she needs. Besides... You two will never be alone, that I can promise you."

His heart skipped a beat when he felt her tightening the hold around his waist and whisper, "You promise?"

"I give you my word, Angel." he finally spoke, kissing the top of her head.

"David was there at the studio while you were with Reilly..." he said, after a while. Roma pulled away from his embrace eyeing him with fear. "Was he?"

"Yes... I didn’t let him enter, though. He was drunk..."

The little actress felt her entire body shaking, dreading to think about how that man would treat her once she arrived home. "I wonder what it will be like when I get home..."

"You don’t have to go back there, Roma..." he finally said. He had to, there was no way he could just stay there and allow her to return to that house. For a moment, the little actress stared at him, speechless, not knowing what to do next. "That bastard doesn’t deserve all the precious things he has in his life... Reilly... You... You’re both too good for him, Angel!"

"I... I don’t know what to do... Della and Frank aren’t in the city..." she replied, feeling completely lost.

***

"This will be your house for a while, Roma. I’ll call Maria and ask her to pack some things for you and Reilly without letting David know. He probably won’t notice it anyway." John said, as Roma entered his apartment carrying her sleeping baby daughter in her arms.

She looked around the apartment, fortunately tidied up by a maid a day before. "I don’t know what to say, John..."

"You don’t have to say anything, Angel... Come with me." he guided her up to the door at the end of the corridor and open it up. It was a clean, tidied up guest bedroom. "You and Reilly will stay here... We can ask Maria to try and bring her bassinet but we she can’t, I’ll just go and buy her one at a store not far from here. You two can stay for as long as you want, Roma."

The actress looked at him for a long minute and then, after placing her baby daughter on the bed, she turned around and held him tightly, closing her eyes as her tears fell down all over again. John quickly returned that embrace and lifted a silent prayer for her, the baby and for himself, as there was nothing in the world he wanted more than calling them both his girls.

"I love you..." she finally whispered, causing him a knot in the pit of his stomach.

"I love you, too, Angel..." came his simple reply; and then he tightened his hold on her and remained in silence, struggling to control the surge of loving emotions in his own heart, as it was not the right moment to show them yet. Now, it was time to thank God: the first step on the way to her heart had been given.

At the end of one more working day, Roma headed to her trailer to get her clothes changed. The Irish actress was gathering a few personal objects just thinking about getting home and holding her baby daughter tightly. A few years after the divorce, Reilly was growing up fast and becoming a lovely little girl despite her father's absence. The truth was that David had never been part of her little life to start with, and now it was a relief for Roma to know that he was more and more distant from her and her daughter. Reilly never needed him anyway, she had a happy life and was surrounded by people who loved her dearly. Della, Martha, Julie, her uncle Joseph and her aunt Patty, back in Ireland, and of course, her dear "uncle Johnny," who became a father figure to her along the years.

The way they both connected since from the moment she was born was amazing. John treated Reilly as if she was his daughter, and anyone could see how much he loved her. Going for a walk at the park, learning how to ride a bike, getting a "piggyback" to her bedroom or to the nearest icecream parlour were only a few of the many ways that kind man used to prove his love. And if the smart little girl welcomed his loving presence from the start, the same had happened to her mother. John was becoming vital to the actress' life and frequently she caught herself sighing deeply or smiling at the mere thought of him.

Like now. She had spent the entire day filming the next TBAA episode and not having him around caused a terrible sensation of loss. And the worst was that on the following day it was Roma's birthday and she had been given the day off. Now that the scars caused by her marriage with David were starting to heal, the Irish actress wondered if the sheer joy she felt whenever John was around was mere friendship.

And then she was afraid. Roma feared to be mixing the feelings for him, confusing a beautiful friendship with something else. She stopped in front of the mirror looking at her own image but trying to see her very soul. Having John by her side was a blessing that she would be forever thankful for, and she dreaded to do something that could make him go away from her. Nothing, not even her unhappy marriage, could be compared to the pain of John's rejection.

That was such a scary thought that Roma flinched lightly, but a slight knock on her trailer door took her out of her reverie. "Roma?"

That familiar voice made her heart jump and she couldn't hide the slight smile that formed on her lips, "John... J-just a minute..."

Roma motioned to open the door, but female vanity caused her to turn around again and look at the mirror one more time - this time, she didn't miss the opportunity to arrange a few strands of hair and check the pale lipstick and discreet make up she was wearing.

"Hey!" John's welcoming smile brought that sudden and pleasant sensation of butterflies in her stomach, and she couldn't help but smile back at him, visibly surprised.

"Johnny, hello! I thought you didn't have to film today!"

As she descended the three steps of her trailer and moved to close its door, the blond actor immediately took her bigger bag, where she carried her make up and other stuff. "Well, I forgot part of my script and I came to take it... And then the guys there at the studio told me you were still here."

"Yes, we filmed until a while ago, I thought they had lost track of time!"

"Oh, I see... And considering that you're not coming tomorrow, I bet Victor wanted to do some work in advance," he said, walking side by side with her towards the exit gate.

"That's right! And to make things nice, Charlie phoned saying there was a problem with the car and he couldn't come to pick me up, I'll hail a taxi..."

John tried to hide the mischievous smile that appeared on the corner of his lips as she said that. Clearing his throat, he put on all his efforts to sound as natural as possible. "Hey, no way! I'll give you a ride, Roma!"

She looked at him quite embarrassed, as if there was something that she didn't like was to be a bother to someone. "Oh, John, you don't have to, I could phone the taxi company and-"

"Roma, Angel, there is no way I'm gonna let you go like this! I'll take you home!" he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, like the eternal protector that he was.

"And I don't want to be in the way, Johnny, you must be busy-"

"Well, I am busy! I'm taking you home! Besides, I'm always hoping that you're in my way, Angel!" he joked, gently squeezing her small shoulders, and not missing her permanent smile. They crossed the parking lot towards his car, and he opened its door for her.

"I'm glad that the car broke down only after Charlie picked Reilly and Julie at school, though..." the actress spoke, once they were on the way to her house.

"Oh, well, yes, but that might be a minor problem. Tomorrow it'll be fixed... And talking about tomorrow, do you have any plans?" He turned to look at her for a brief moment, and saw it as she tilted her head with slight amusement.

"Yes... Reilly and I are going for a picnic in the living room, as it's been cloudy and rainy for almost a week!"

He laughed and started to picture the two people he loved most in the entire world camping in the living room floor, making a little mess and enjoying each other's company. "Wow! That sounds like a great plan!"

"Yes, she's been anxiously waiting for it!"

"I'm happy for you both, Angel. There's nothing like spending your birthday with the ones you love." He said, and this time not aware of the long moments she gazed at him.

"Yes... you're right..." the actress finally spoke, sighing deeply.

They were soon at Roma's house and once John stopped the car in the front gate, she looked at him with some uncertainty, but deep inside her soul begging for him to stay. "Please, come in and have a cup of coffee, John."

"You sure? I thought you were tired, and-"

She placed her hand over his arm; the light contact was enough to make him want to hold her tightly and tell her everything that was in his heart. "No, please, stay a little. Reilly will love to see you."

With a friendly smile, the blond actor took her hand and kissed its back, "Okay then!"

They left the car and she had to open the gate with her own keys. "Today is Maria's day off, you know, and Julie and Reilly must be upstairs..."

"Yes, but I bet that cute little angel will come flying to her mom's arms when she sees you're here!"

Roma winked at him, "Well, she'll fly to somebody else's arms afterwards, I'm sure of that!"

As they crossed the garden, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders once again, and then took in a deep breath when his beloved friend started to unlock the front door.

"Surprise!!!" a choir of voices shouted, once the little actress opened the door.

With a very surprised expression on her face, Roma saw Della, Martha, Frank, Julie, Charlie, and many other friends from the TBAA crew were there, to wish her a happy and blessed birthday.

"Oh, my... I can't believe it..." she murmured, not really knowing what to do, but deeply moved.

"Happy birthday, Angel!" John whispered from behind her, kissing her cheek afterwards and making room for the others to congratulate her. And as Roma herself had foreseen, a smart little girl ran to her and threw herself in her mother's arms, "Happy birthday, mommy!"

"Oh, sweetie! Thank you, honey! Thank you so much... What a warm hug!" She said, lifting Reilly in her arms and also kissing her cheek, "Mommy is so happy you're here, honey!"

Reilly looked closely at her mother's face, her smile melting Roma's heart for the hundredth time, "I'm happy I'm here too, mommy! And I wanna eat the cake! Uncle Johnny brought a huge cake, this big..." she opened her little arms in an attempt to show her mother the length of the cake, and her to laughter came out as a half sob. Soon, Della, Martha and the others were holding her too.

John kept the distance just watching, with a smile playing in the corner of his lips, how happy his beloved Roma was with that little surprise party. If being by her side and enjoying her presence was already something to celebrate, seeing her happy was like a reward after so many days and nights he'd spent with her, just holding her tightly and wiping her tears away, telling her again and again that her future would be filled with joy and laughter, and that she was deeply loved.

All that was coming true right now, and the only thing he wished was that someday Roma's happiness also meant having him by her side, to love, hold and protect her for the rest of her life.

Only when everybody had congratulated her did John approach the Irish actress, not missing the tears of joy that were rolling down her beautiful face. "You're responsible for this, aren't you?" she whispered, almost in a sob.

"And I guess I got you big time!" He said, taking her in his arms in a loving embrace, which he secretly wanted to last forever. "Congratulations, Angel... I wish you all the happiness in the world," he spoke against her ear, intoxicated with her sweet perfume. Finally pulling away, he gave her a small flat box, "Happy birthday again, Roma."

Framing her face with both hands, John lay a tender kiss on her forehead, "I hope you like it..."

The way she looked at him, and the tenderness and much love reflected in her eyes were such that he nearly stopped breathing. For a moment, he could swear she loved him the same way he loved her. But as she turned to look a the present he'd lay in her hands, urged by the other guests, the moment was lost, and it kept him wondering what he'd really seen.

Fresh tears fell from her eyes as she opened his present and saw a gold necklace with a Celtic knot pendant, equally made of gold and with four tiny diamonds, hanging in it. "Johnny... it's so beautiful..."

"Love juice here asked the jeweller to forge this one specially for you, Roma!" Della intervened, with a mischievous smile on her face, as if seeing something that other people were not aware of.

The Irish actress held him again, "Oh, my, I love it, John, this is so beautiful, you didn't have to, I-"

"Shh... I'm so happy you like it, Angel. And it'll sure be more beautiful when you wear it!" he said, caressing her hair lovingly, and never wanting to let her go.

***

Time seemed to fly on that night, and it was due to the atmosphere of happiness and much love on that house. Roma had spent the last few hours in the company of the people who loved her dearly, and there was soft music and laughter filling the air, and a lovely little girl to entertain the adults with her constant chatting and cheerful manners. And that somewhat distracted the guests as John couldn't keep his eyes away from Roma; her smile, her happiness, the way she looked at that night... Everything seemed to be enchanting the blond actor and causing him to forget they were surrounded by other people. Soon, much to Reilly's insistence, it was time to cut the cake, and Della and the little girl urged Roma to make a wish before blowing the sparkling candle (which Reilly's insisted on sticking on the cake).

"Okay, then, wish made!" the actress spoke, smiling at her guests, and especially at one particular guest.

Some time later, people started to leave, wishing Roma all the best in her life. John and Julie offered to help her to tidy up the little mess that had been done there and later on the nanny was the one to say goodnight.

"And I guess someone is going to bed very soon too!" the Irish actress said, watching as her little daughter rubbed her eyes, which insisted on shutting.

"No, uncle Johnny is gonna tell me a story..." Reilly insisted, not wanting John to go away.

The couple of actors exchanged an amused glance, and he sat down next to her. "Well, little angel, I'll tell you what: you'll go upstairs and change into your pyjamas and then when you're ready, I'll go there and tell you a very beautiful story! What do you think, huh?"

Her eyes were immediately filled with hope and she nodded enthusiastically, "Yes! But you gotta give me a piggyback!"

Like he usually did, he took Reilly upstairs and followed by an amused Roma, they headed to the little girl's bedroom. With all his patience and love, John sat down on the edge of her bed and started to read "Beauty and the Beast," but it only took her five minutes to fall asleep.

"It was a busy day for her!" her mother said, straightening the blanket around the little girl.

"Yes... You should've seen her excitement when Della and I were here, helping Julie, Maria and Charlie!"

"You're all so wonderful to me..." he reacted to the slight trace of melancholy in her brown pools by holding her hand. "You deserve a lot more than this, Angel."

He kissed the back of her hand and stood up, "And you should rest too, it was also a busy day for you!"

Although she didn't want him to leave, Roma nodded her head resignedly. She couldn't ask him to stay - her fear and trauma to be rejected once again took control of her heart, and after they had both kissed Reilly's forehead, they left her bedroom silently.

"I'll give you a call sometime during the day tomorrow," he said, as she opened the door for him, "I bet it'll be a great picnic!"

The tiny smile on her face and the way she lowered her head with a slight trace of melancholy in her eyes caused him to frown. "Is everything alright?"

The touch of his fingertips on her jaw made her look up at him again, and on the following second, she held him tightly. "I don't know how to thank you, Johnny... It was one of the best birthday presents in my whole life, and you were responsible for it!" her crying voice and the fresh tears that rolled down her cheeks moved him, and, returning her loving embrace, John kissed the top of her head repeatedly.

"Well... if I managed to make you feel like this, then I'm the one who got the present then!"

"Please, don't ever go away from us..." she whispered, not really aware she was voicing those words. The blond actor pulled away and cupped her face with both hands, "I'm not going anywhere, baby. You and that little angel who's sleeping up there will always be in my thoughts, in my life..."

They looked at each other for some moments, their eyes lost in each other's gaze and feeling their heart beats increase with expectation. Their faces were just a few inches away and the small distance started to reduce. Roma could feel his warm breath close to her lips but suddenly a few raindrops started to fall and somewhat broke the magic of the moment.

"That's not the kind of weather I would want for your birthday, you know?" John tried to joke, getting a tiny smile in reply.

"Well, I guess you've done way too much already, mister, and fixing the weather can be done some other day, I don't mind!"

As the rain picked up fast, John let out a small sigh and bent down to kiss her forehead. "Rest a little, Angel, and try to enjoy tomorrow's day as much as you can. Have a good night."

"Thank you again, John... Go with God..."

From the porch, she watched as he crossed the garden to take his car on the other side of the sidewalk. Then, Roma closed her door behind her sighing with sadness and the constant fear that haunted her very soul.

But she didn't have to give more than five steps to hear the doorbell ring. Frowning a little, she returned to open the door and found John standing on the doorstep. "John..."

His hair was a bit wet due to the rain but the powerful look in his green eyes left no room for doubts. With a tender touch, he caressed her cheek and then lay his hand over it. "Roma... Angel, I love you... I love you forever, baby..."

Fresh tears fell rolled down on her face, and her lips curved in a mix of a smile and a sob. "Oh, John... John..."

He bent his head and on the following second, their lips met in a tender, loving kiss - a loving caress so much waited for both of them. The blond actor wrapped his arm around her waist, bringing her closer to him, and deepened that sweet kiss a little bit more, his heart bursting with happiness and excitement as she held him back, welcoming his caress.

Only when air became an issue, did they part, and a love promise was written in the spark of their eyes. "I love you, too, John... It's been... It's been some time I found that out... though it was here in my heart for very long..."

"Oh, Angel... I've loved you since the moment I lay my eyes on you, baby... Everyday, I lift my eyes to the sky and thank for getting the job at the show. My life hadn't even started until the day I met you..." he said, caressing her cheek and marvelled at the tenderness reflected on her face.