It’s Valentine’s Day!

(By Deyse)

The cast and crew of Touched by an angel was gathered at the Moon Water Studios waiting to start shooting one more episode of the show and the filming was due to in a few minutes. With sparkling green eyes, John watched every little movement of his dearest friend and co-worker, committing to memory her smile, the shape of her lips, her eyes and even the way she placed her hair behind her ear.

"Why do I keep having this impression that I’m still a teenager in love for the first time?" he thought, frowning a little, secretly scolding himself for his own reluctance in talking to her about the Valentine’s Day, only a couple of weeks ahead. To him, having the chance to watch her even from a certain distance had been a blessing and all that he could ask for in the last few years, but now that she was a free woman, the blond actor wondered if there was a chance for them, a chance for him to show her how much he loved her, how much he wanted to make her forget about the past and have a life filled with happy memories – joyful moments John so wanted to give her.

Yes, the impending day was an opportunity for him to confess he had been deeply (and secretly) in love with Roma for the last 8 years, but at the same time, it could mean facing her rejection. Someone had hurt her deeply in the past and John, better than anyone, had been a friend and a companion to her, holding the young actress during her sorrow and wiping away the tears in her eyes. Yet, he was afraid that the wounds of the past were still open and that, in consequence, she wasn’t prepared to have another man in her life.

The Irish actress was only a few meters away from him, attentively listening to the director’s instructions to shoot the first scene and, unable to take his eyes from her, John chuckled and sighed deeply, "Well, maybe that’s because I’d never really been in love before I met her..."

"Erm... should I tell the ‘angel boy’ to fly back down to Earth?" Della’s voice took him out of his reverie and he immediately blushed at those words.

"... Della... I... I didn’t see you were there... I was paying attention to the erm... the position of the cameras..." he spoke, not really knowing what to say.

"Oh, I see... And to the position of your co-star too, right?" there was an ironic tone in her voice as he said that. Besides, John could clearly see that the old actress was having a lot of fun with his embarrassment.

"Of course, she’s in front of the camera!" he replied, defensively, like a teenager who wanted to protect a well kept secret from being revealed.

"Oh, Lovejuice... I really don’t know who you two babies think you’re fooling!"

Now feeling really "threatened" he turned his eyes from the ground to face her and crossed his arms, "Della, you’re starting to sound like Tess..."

"Oh, so you mean I’m wise and smart and attentive to the things that have been going on around here lately?" she replied, her ironic smile never disappearing from her face.

"No, I mean you’re saying things that only you can understand!"

"Johnny, could you help me out with the lines, please?"

The young actress’ Irish accent immediately draw his attention and John caught himself between his two dearest friends – with one of them, he was completely in love; from the other, he was trying to hide that fact.

"S-sure..." he replied, quickly looking at Della, who kept on staring at them with a pleased smile upon her face.

"Well, I guess Victor is calling me somewhere... other than here!" the oldest actress spoke, leaving her two ‘babies’ behind and chuckling.

"Hum... is there anything I should know?" Roma asked, amused and curious about the expression she could see on Della’s face.

"Oh, we erm... we were talking about... Tess..."

Roma raised her eyebrows, "Tess?"

"Yep... You erm... you said you need some help with the lines..."

"Yes, please."

They spent the next half hour studying their lines and chatting. Now that Della was truly busy with some other scenes, the blond actor didn’t feel so threatened and slowly returned to his joyful mood.

"I wish Monica and Andrew had a dance scene somewhere in this episode; it’s been a long time they don’t dance..." Roma sighed. Both were sitting next to each other and the actress took an opportunity to rest her head over his shoulder, as they had finished to check their lines. Just a simple act like that caused him to feel quite nervous and at the same time, to feel like holding her tight and telling her he loved her as many times as possible.

"I... I miss that too..." he spoke, tentatively running a hand on her auburn hair.

The smile on her face melted his heart and caused him to fall in love with her one more time, "That would be cute for this Valentine’s episode..." she added.

And John saw in that the opportunity he had been waiting for for a long time, "Oh, talking about that... I was wondering if... if you have any plans for next Friday..."

Amused, not really aware of his nervousness, she turned her head to face him, "Why? Are you planning to take me out for a date or something?"

He worked on his hands nervously, "Well... I was wondering if you could give me this honour..."

Roma looked at him with a charming smile and an extra spark in her eyes, both of them standing just a few inches away from each other’s faces, "I’m flattered, Mr Dye! I’d love to go on a date with my best friend, you know."

"Well, I’m the one who’s flattered now!" he replied, smiling back at her and slightly blushed, "Besides, you’re so pretty that... I could pretty well spend the rest of the night just looking at you like this!"

Their eyes were suddenly frozen in each other’s and, gazing deep inside her soft brown pools, John reached out and caressed her face tenderly. Roma rested her forehead on his and spoke, almost in a whisper, "Shall I wait for you next Friday, then?"

"Yes, baby..." he lay a tiny kiss on the tip of her nose, "...And maybe you’ll get the dance that you so want!"

"We have a deal then!"

*

That week, days passed slowly for the couple of actors. If, on one side, Roma and John were looking forward to the Valentine’s date, on the other, they felt nervous and insecure. It’d been a long time since the Irish actress started to see John as more than a friend – now she knew he had been her guardian angel for all those years, holding her tight and wiping her tears away in the most difficult moments. As a matter of fact, the blond actor had become as essential as breathing for her.

But now that Roma was aware of her true feelings, she was afraid. What if John didn’t feel the same? What if the kind of love he obviously felt for her was only a friend’s love? After all the pain and suffering she had been through in her previous marriage, she wouldn’t manage to face another deception. Besides, John had touched her heart like any other man had – he was special, he was the one she wanted at her side for the rest of her life and facing his rejection would be even more painful than the awful last days of her marriage.

Sighing deeply, she heard the doorbell ring and shook her head, "Oh, gosh, he’s here... and this make up was not right!"

*

John arrived at Roma’s house precisely at 7 PM and, as Julie opened the door for him, he was warmly greeted by an excited 6 year old little girl, who wasted no time in throwing herself in his arms, "Uncle Johnny!" Reilly exclaimed, and a broad smile appeared on his face.

"Hey, my little angel!" he kissed her cheek and carried her along the hall up to the living room. "How are you?"

"I’m happy cuz you’re here!"

With his heart filled with tenderness, as he loved that little child as if she was his own daughter, he sat down on the couch and placed her on his lap. "Oh, sweetie, I’m always happy when I see you too! You’re my precious treasure!"

Reilly’s eyes were immediately sparkling with happiness, "I am?"

"Yes! You’ll always be!" he replied, knowing exactly how much his loving words meant to her.

"What about mommy? Is she a precious treasure for you too?"

He lowered his voice, as if telling her a secret, "Yes, she is! You’re both my favourite girls!"

Now twice happier to hearing that, Reilly kept on with her ‘inquiry’. "That’s why you want her to be your girlfriend?"

Amused and a little embarrassed, he raised his eyebrows, "Who told you I want your mom to be my girlfriend?"

"Of course you want her to be your girlfriend, you’re taking her on a date on Valentines day!"

"Johnny..." Roma’s voice interrupted their conversation and both looked at the stairs: the Irish actress was wearing a pearled dress, which came up to her knees, leaving her well formed legs, covered by invisible tights, exposed to him. Her pearl earrings matched a gorgeous pearl necklace and her hair was tied up in a bun, accentuating the pretty features on her meek face along with the light make up. John’s eyes became brighter with love and he felt his heart beat accelerating.

"Doesn’t she look like a princess?" he heard Reilly speaking.

"Oh, yes, she truly does, little one."

Practically hypnotised by her image, the blond actor stood up and both adults walked towards each other, under the attentive eyes of a smart little girl.

"Hey, sweetie..." he greeted her with a tender kiss on the cheek.

"I guess it took me a little too long to get ready, I’m sorry..." she apologised, feeling her own heart beating faster to see how handsome and charming he was wearing dark blue jeans and blazer over a white blouse.

John gazed at her from head to toe and smiled, "It was worth every second!"

"Uncle Johnny said you’re his favourite girl!" Reilly spoke, looking at their faces and with a mischievous smile.

"Well, yes... you both are!" he said, a little embarrassed but always smiling.

"You’ve been very flattering lately, mister!"

He took her hand and squeezed it, "No, sweetie, I’m just telling you that I always thought... Let’s go?"

"Yes..."

They kissed Reilly goodnight and the little girl and her nanny watched as the couple got into John’s car and left the house.

"Do you think he’s gonna kiss her like the prince does in Cinderella?" Reilly spoke, with an excited smile.

Chuckling, Julie raised her eyebrows, "Well, wanna keep a secret?"

"Sure!"

"I hope it happens!" she replied, enjoying Reilly’s giggles.

"Me too!"

*

The restaurant John chose was a bit distant as the last thing he wanted on that day was some reporter taking pictures or making questions. In fact, if it depended on him, the blond actor would have the restaurant open just for the two of them and be the only one to admire her.

It took them over 30 minutes to get at The Ritz and during this time conversation flowed almost naturally between them – both actors did the best they could not to show the expectation lingering inside their hearts. The restaurant was a beautiful and very cosy one. The rustic atmosphere, combined with the soft light and the beautiful decoration indeed inspired romance. There was even a fireplace lit up deep down in the hall, giving it the charming appearance of a cabin up in the mountains.

The polite and friendly attendant took them to their table, which had been carefully chosen by the blond actor a week before. Candles and red roses gave the place a romantic and intimate atmosphere, and certainly enchanted Roma.

"John, I didn’t know about this place, it’s lovely!" she said, once they were seated.

Her smile and bright brown eyes were so beautiful that practically hypnotised him. "I’m happy you like it, I found it out about a year ago, when I was coming from San Francisco to Salt Lake by car," he explained, "Since then I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to bring you here."

If all that John could see was the pretty Irish actress sitting in front of him, Roma couldn’t take her eyes off him either. Her dearest friend and secret love was amazingly handsome and every time she heard his voice or saw his smile she felt butterflies in her stomach – a sensation that had become quite frequently whenever he was around.

"Well, then I have one more reason to be happy because it’s Valentine’s Day!"

Not managing to stay so close to her and not touching her, John reached out for her hand and started to rub his thumb against it, "Have you got any idea of how good it feels to see this smile on this pretty face of yours?"

She squeezed his hand and shot him a loving gaze, "One of the greatest responsible for this smile is sitting right here on this table!"

His heart practically melted at the statement and at the way she was looking at him. Both chatted happily for long pleasant minutes, lost in each other’s eyes and in the loving feelings coming from their hearts. At a certain moment, John made a short pause and was going to say something else but the waiter interrupted him, bringing their food, and he decided to wait: it wasn’t the right time yet.

While they ate, both actors engaged in a pleasant conversation, full of loving gazes exchanged almost unconsciously and tiny gestures such as a squeeze in the hand or a light caress in the arm or in the face. There was soft music playing and some couples danced together not far from them and at the moment "Heaven is missing an angel" started to play, John saw the opportunity he had been waiting for.

"Well, remember that you complained about the episode we were filming, that Andrew and Monica didn’t dance together?" he said, with a smile on his face and, once again, taking her hand, brushing his fingertips against her soft skin.

"Why do I have the impression that you’re going to fix this soon?"

"I am..." raising her hand to his lips, the blond actor finally spoke, "... May I have this dance?" he purposefully lowered his voice, copying Andrew’s lines from one of the TBAA episodes.

Smiling, and practically lost in his gaze, she nodded, "Sure..."

Never releasing her hand or losing contact with her eyes, John stood up and helped her on her feet. Then, he placed his other hand on her waist and led her up to the dance floor. Both stood face to face, looking at each other with love written all over the spark of their eyes, and John slipped his arm around her waist, taking her other hand in both of his and placing it against his heart. As they started dancing, she broke their gaze and leaned her head on his shoulder, leaving him intoxicated with the sweet smell of her perfume. The blond actor placed a feather like kiss on her temple and rested his cheek on the top of her head.

Roma felt like the world had stopped just to allow them both that dance, something that she’d been longing for for a long time. In his arms, she felt secure, relaxed and at peace. The way he was holding her was so delicate and yet so firm and didn’t let her forget he had always been there for her and would always be – his constant and loving presence, his gentle manners and loving attitudes had left an imprint on her heart forever.

"I missed this, you know..." he heard her speaking, and those few words only encouraged him; he placed a tender kiss on the top of her head, "Me too, sweetie..."

"You’re the best dancer I’ve ever met!"

They both laughed at that statement, which was totally true, and the blond actor lowered his voice, "So are you! the best and most beautiful!"

"I’m flattered, Mr Dye!" she replied. "I love this song..." he heard her saying, on the following minute, "It’s the first time I hear it and it’s so beautiful..."

"I’m glad you like it..." he said against her hair, "It’s kind of... personal, you know..."

She lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him again, with a lovely smile on her face, "Personal?"

"Yes," he searched inside her brown pools for the love he hoped to see there, at the same time that he gathered all his courage to go on telling her about his own feelings, "Those lyrics remind me of ‘someone,’ you know..."

"Oh, I see... a certain angel from a certain show?" she was also smiling cheerfully at him. But John shook his head, taking her hand to his lips, he looked deep inside her soft brown eyes, both practically lost in each other’s gazes. "Not exactly, although she’s an angel too; an enchanting, sweet and beautiful angel!"

Their faces were just a few inches from each other’s and Roma could feel his warm breath against her skin; his penetrating gaze, the smell of his cologne and his firm hold on her caused the actress to feel a lump forming on her throat. Slowly, their faces inched even closer and they forgot about the world around them, both hearts beating faster with anticipation.

And their lips would have touched on the following second if it wasn’t for the sudden voice that was heard in all the restaurant, "... May I have you attention, please?" a man spoke out loud, knocking on a glass with a fork to call everybody’s attention. Once again, the magic of the moment was gone and John and Roma pulled away a bit embarrassed. The man who had interrupted them was still young and had a happy broad smile on his face, he was sitting at the same table was a pretty young lady, also smiling and slightly blushed. "Deborah, my girlfriend, and I came here tonight to celebrate our second anniversary... But she didn’t know that, finally, I got the courage to do something I’ve longed to since the first time I saw her..."

The people at the restaurant looked at one another, smiling to see the evident love in the couple’s eyes, "... I asked her to marry me and she said yes!"

Applause filled the place and people shared the couple’s joy; including Roma and John, who looked at each other with more than loving smiles on their faces: it was possible to see the truth that had been in their hearts for a long time. John had something in common with that young man: he too had been in love with the same woman since the first time he had lay his eyes on her. He too longed for the day when the world would know they were getting married.

Both returned to their table, though, as now the blond actor had to wait for another chance to confess his feelings for her. But that chance never seemed to come; the waiter interrupted them (for the second on that night), bringing coffee. And finally, when John was holding her hand and looking into he eyes, an elderly couple, TBAA fans, approached the table and interrupted another attempt. He felt frustrated; the woman he loved was right in front of him, she had been in his arms, but he was unable to tell her everything he longed for a long time. And without another chance to talk to her, the blond actor let out a resigned sigh and waited as she talked to Julie on the cell phone.

"Is everything alright there?" he asked, when she turned the phone off. Roma gave a slight smile, deep inside she too was disappointed for not listening from her dearest friend all the loving words she had been hoping to listen for a long time. "Yes, Reilly is sleeping peacefully!"

"Like a little angel that she is!" he added, and after a short silence between them, he reached for her hand and gave it a light squeeze, "Let’s go then?"

"Sure."

*

They left the restaurant in his car and talking about trivial matters as none of them seemed to focus on new words to say other than ‘I love you’. But it didn’t last for long: suddenly they heard a strange noise in John’s car and on the following minute the vehicle stopped.

As much as the blond actor tried to make it work again, it was useless, "No, I can’t believe it!" John’s distress wasn’t only because of the car itself, but also because of the cold weather outside.

"Calm down, Johnny... Maybe you can fix it..." Roma spoke, placing her hand over his arm. That simple action seemed to put his heart at ease and he sighed deeply. "I’m sorry, Roma. I thought the mechanic had fixed this but..."

"Maybe if you try to turn it on again..."

And that’s what he did: once, twice, 5 times, but nothing seemed to work. Without any other option, John took a flashlight in the back seat and was preparing to get off when she tried to stop him, "No! It’s very cold outside..."

"I won’t take long, Roma. I’ll... I’ll just see if there’s something I can do to fix it..." he covered her hand with his and forcefully got off the car. As much as he wanted to tell her about his love, there was something more urgent to be taken care of at that moment. They couldn’t stay there, in the middle of the road, in a deserted place where not even houses could be seen nearby. Besides, this, it was cold and the possibility of a car passing by the road was practically non existent.

Upset, he opened up the car hood and checked the motor but, considering his poor knowledge about vehicles, there wasn’t much he could do. Roma tried to help him by turning the car on, but after several unsuccessful attempts, she insisted he should get back into the vehicle – it was cold and she too feared for his beloved friend’s integrity.

"I’m terribly sorry, Roma, please forgive me..."

"Oh, it’s not your fault, Johnny, please, don’t blame yourself, these things happen..."

"We cannot stay here, Roma, in the middle of the road, I cannot let you stay here!"

She didn’t miss the huge protectiveness in his voice as he said that. The same protectiveness and care he had always showed her throughout the years they had known each other, not only in some of the most difficult moments of her life, when he used to hold her tight until her tears subsided, but also on the happiest one, when her little baby daughter was born.

The actress smiled tenderly at him, "You’re here with me, aren’t you? So I can say I’m perfectly safe, as I have a personal protector right by my side!" the joking and cheerful tone in her voice did manage to reduce his annoyance and he managed a slight smile, "Well... I’m a gentleman and I have this beautiful lady right here by my side..." he said, taking off his coat, "I must take good care of her!"

John placed the coat over her small shoulders, "The car heating is on but you may feel cold, angel. Put this on you. I’ll call the mechanic."

The Irish actress watched him talking to the man who used to check his car and, when he turned the cell phone off, his face was one of embarrassment. "What is it?"

He placed the phone on the glove compartment and averted his eyes from hers, "Well... Tom said that... that he cannot come right now, he’s on the other side of the city... We’ll... we’ll have to wait here..."

She wasn’t embarrassed though; it was John who was there by her side and she had grown accustomed to his loving presence, it had become a vital need in her life, and if they had to spend days inside that car, it still wouldn’t bother her. "It’s okay, Johnny. We can wait for him, I’m sure he won’t be long..."

*

Time passed by in that cold Valentine’s night and to make the wait less inconvenient they turned the radio on: light music filled the air and made Roma feel a little sleepy, after all it was late at night. She leaned on the passenger seat and straightened John’s coat around her small form and closed her eyes briefly, after all there was nothing to fear, John was there by her side and it alone made her feel like being in the safest place on Earth.

Watching her half asleep just a few inches from him was such a wonderful vision that the blond actor couldn’t resist to touching her. He took a few strands of hair from her face and caressed her cheek tenderly and even so slight that he was surprised when she opened her eyes. "I’m sorry, angel, keep on sleeping, I’ll wake you up when the mechanic arrives..." he quickly apologised.

"No... it was just a little nap..." she spoke and was contemplating at his handsome face when suddenly a song started to play – the same song they had danced an hour before at the restaurant. Smiling lightly, both looked at each other and John couldn’t help but taking her hand, "May I have this dance?"

Hearing her sleepy giggling in reply filled his heart with tenderness and with the same nervousness he had felt at the restaurant; God how he wanted to tell her about his feelings, how he wanted to hold her in his arms and kiss her as many times as possible!

"Well, we can do the following: you owe me another dance now, mister!"

"I’m eager to pay it to you anytime you want, baby!"

"It’s such a lovely song... I’d say that it’s such a coincidence we hear it for the second time on the same night, but then we know there isn’t such thing as a coincidence, right?" she spoke, half joking. The sparkling of her eyes were telling him that, despite the fact that they had to stay there in the middle of nowhere waiting for a mechanic didn’t upset her at all.

He touched her face so lightly that she could hardly fell his fingertips, "No... I can’t say having you in my life is a coincidence, angel. it’s much more than this... God knew exactly what He was doing when He gave me you..."

"I agree that His plan is perfect... But it was me the one who was blessed... with you, Johnny."

Locked in each other’s gazes, and now without anything to interrupt, John and Roma could finally see the truth that was so evident to their close friends: they were deeply, completely in love with each other. John studied every little trait of her meek face and slowly, he crossed the small distance between them. Their lips touched an instant later, in a loving, soulful kiss; so much waited. The blond actor lay his hands on each other her head, gently rubbing her temples with his thumbs, touching her as if she was a delicate jewel. Roma welcomed his caresses and his affectionate kiss by stroking his face with her slender fingers, feeling pleasant butterflies in her stomach.

Their kiss lasted for a long minute and only when air became a problem, did they reluctantly part. "... angel..." John murmured, never stopping his caresses and looking at her as if his greatest dream had come true.

And it really had. The way she was looking at him, the spark in her eyes, the slight smile on her beautiful face – yes, she loved him; there was no reason to fear her rejection as it would never happen. "John..." the actress spoke, marvelled with the intensity of his gaze, wanting nothing more than being in his arms for the rest of her life.

John would say something else when suddenly both heard the loud, disgusting noise of a horn right behind their car, combined with the intense light of the toll truck that had just stopped by the road. The mechanic got off the vehicle and walked up to John’s car holding a flashlight and knocked at the window glass, "G’night, Mr Dye! You’re lucky today, I got here sooner than I expected!"

The couple of actors looked at each other without knowing what to say and a bit in doubt about the man’s statement – there couldn’t be a more inappropriate timing.

*

The following minutes were like an eternity for both John and Roma. She watched as her beloved John helped the man outside the car, in the cold weather, until the moment when Tom said he had finally finished. He closed the hood and cleaned his hands with a piece of cloth and walked up to the window, so that she could also listen to what he had to say. Exchanging secret loving glances, and nearly desperate for a moment of privacy, they turned to the mechanic with questioning faces and the man shook his head. "Sorry, but I’ll have to take it to the city with the help of my toll truck, I’m sorry to say that, but the damage was a big one, Mr Dye!"

*

The mechanic drove them back to Salt Lake City and John asked him to go to Roma’s house. It was nearly 2 in the morning when the man parked the toll truck in front of the gate.

"Here we are, Ms Downey. And I’ll take your car now, Mr Dye, I’ll start working on it in the morning."

"Thank you, Tom," she politely said, after John had offered her his hand and helped her out of the car.

"Sorry you’re not coming back home by car, Mr Dye, but I can’t make it work right now."

"It’s ok, Tom, you erm... you helped a lot, thank you very much. I’ll take a taxi to go home."

"Absolutely not!" Roma immediately protested, finding that idea totally absurd, "You’re spending the rest of the night here, John. I won’t let you go away in the middle of the night, the streets are deserted and it’s very cold out here!"

There was so much protectiveness in her voice that even the mechanic felt like chuckling. "She’s right, Mr Dye, it’s late and you’ll may have trouble getting a taxi at this time."

A little flattered to see how much his beloved Roma cared about him, John nodded and gave a short smile, "Okay, then, I... I’ll stay, Roma. Thank you."

They bid Tom goodbye and quickly entered the house, as, in fact, it was very cold outside. Roma’s living room was warm, cosy and silent as Julie and Reilly had gone to bed already. "Thank you..." she said, returning his blazer, which had been over her shoulders all the time, and John doubted he would be able to wash it again, as he knew that her perfume would remain in the fabric for a long time.

"I don’t want to give you any trouble, Roma, I guess this has been quite a ... different night..."

Still smiling, and visibly admiring the masculine features on his handsome face, the actress gave a step forward and lay her hand on his cheek, "It was... more than different. It was special."

He covered her hand with his and kissed her palm, never losing the eye contact with her. "You’re making me the happiest guy in the world by telling me this, angel..."

"Can... Can you wait here? I’ll check on Reilly."

"Sure, go ahead. I’ll wait here."

Before she left the living room, Roma stood on the tip of her toes and, smiling, she placed a quick peck on his lips. Then, she turned around and headed to the stairs, leaving a totally dazzled John behind.

*

When Roma returned to the living room, John was admiring a photograph placed on the mantelpiece. In it, he and Roma were smiling and holding little Reilly, who also had a broad smile on her cute face.

"Reilly and I love this picture..." the actress spoke, drawing his attention, once he hadn’t heard her coming closer.

"You’re both so beautiful..." he said, putting the photo frame on its place, "... that’s how I always want to see you: happy."

"We are. Since you came into our lives, we couldn’t be more blessed... you brought happiness to our lives, Johnny."

John took her hand in both of his and lifted it up to his lips, "What if I tell you that you both did the same for me? What if I tell you that I thank God every day and night for the day we met?" he gave a step forward, standing only a few inches from her, "What if I tell you, angel, that I started loving you on the day we met and that in the last 8 years this love has done nothing but to grow every day?"

Moved with his confession and feeling her heart bursting with happiness, she lay her free hand over his face, stroking his cheek with tenderness and delicacy, "Oh, Johnny... John... It’s been such a long time I want to hear it from you... It’s been a long time I found out how much you mean to me, how much I love you. And everyday, when I look at you, I can’t help but to think that I’d be the happiest woman in the world if I knew for sure that... that you love me the same way I love you..."

Smiling, he lowered his voice and kissed her forehead, "I love you, Roma. I always have... And if you let me, I always will..."

"There’s no other place I want you to be other than by my side, John. God, I love you so much, so dearly... Though I found out that loving you is the easiest thing on Earth as you’re this kind and loving man... And now I just feel so blessed that, among so many others, you chose me..."

"Others? They stopped existing on the day I lay my eyes on you, angel... my angel..."

She felt his hand encircle her small waist and, after one final loving gaze, confirming that he should go on, the actress closed her eyes. All the uncertainty about his true feelings melted away, as now she knew he loved her, she could see it in the spark of his eyes. All that mattered at that very moment was the fact that she was in the arms of the man she loved, she could feel the warmth of his skin through his shirt and his heart beating faster in his chest, in the same rhythm of hers. And for John it was just as wonderful: his greatest dream had finally came true on that cold and rather troubled Valentine’s night – there was no doubt, she loved him as much as he loved her. The way she welcomed his kiss in the car, his gentle caresses and his tender gazes told him so. Full of courage, he lay his other hand on her face, touching her skin as if it was delicate china, treasuring the soft contact as if it was the first time he had ever touched her, and he too closed his eyes.

Their lips touched a second later, in a gentle and tender kiss, and remained together for a long, pleasant minute. Moving ever so slightly, she tilted her head and their lips parted so that their tongues could touch, deepening that loving kiss. Roma felt her stomach tingling, her whole body melting as that sweet caress ended, and another started; his arms slid around her and she leaned into his embrace.

As their lips parted and they paused for breath, they gazed into one another's eyes. Clasping her hand gently, he placed it to his cheek and brushed his sweet lips to her fingertips, trailing soft kisses over her palm. Between kisses she whispered, "I'm so happy... I love you." He watched her, his heart pounding, his pulse racing. It had been so long ago that they had first met... And now, she was his. She bit her lip as he smiled and leaned down; his warm breath blowing softly against the delicate curve of her neck. With a soft sigh, John placed a warm kiss on her smooth skin and whispered against her ear, "I love you, too, angel..."

He gazed at her one more time and lay another kiss on her palm, "... Forever..."

*

Lying on the sofa, in front of a warm fireplace, the couple of actors finally seemed to find the peace and quietness they had longed for during the entire night. There were two empty mugs of coffee on the coffee table and now Roma rested comfortably in John’s arms, enjoying the slow movement of his hands through her auburn hair and listening to the heartbeats against his chest. When he bent his head and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, she looked up at him and, with a slight blush tingeing her pretty features, she smiled. To him, her face shone whenever she did so. She had loosen her hair and now small wisps of hair trailed down around her cheeks. Her beautiful brown eyes gazed into his, filled with love. Looking down, he blushed as well. "I remember a time like this, so long ago... Back when... when I was about to lose Reilly, and you spent the night here, at this very sofa, holding me tight and wiping away my tears, telling me that I wouldn’t lose my baby daughter..."

"Shh, angel. It’s the past now, I don’t want you to be sad..."

"No, it’s ok. Nowadays, whenever I remember this I don’t feel sad at all. As a matter of fact, when I started to realise what I truly felt for you... when I realised that it was much more than friendship, it’s this moment that I first recall..." she traced his jaw line with her fingertips and kept on talking, "...it was at that very moment that I started loving you way I do now..."

That statement did surprise him – the episode that she was mentioning had happened long ago, when he didn’t even consider the possibility of telling her about his true feelings, as his beloved Roma was going through one of the most difficult moments of her life and all he wished for was that she would be happy again – even if this happiness wasn’t at his side. "... oh, angel... I... I couldn’t possibly guess that..."

"No, it’s ok, Johnny... I just didn’t notice this either, you know; at that time there were so many things going on and I didn’t know that God was sending me an angel; that you would save and protect me in all the ways a person can be..." another smile broke on her face, "But I’m glad I found that in time!"

"I didn’t even begin to show how much I love you, baby..." he said, cupping her chin and looking deeply into her eyes; his own gaze filled with pure love.

Roma shook her head in disagreement. "No. You’re wrong, mister. You’ve showed me that many times..." she reached up and caressed his face, "... you show me that every day, every minute..."

"Well, you can be sure I’ll keep on showing my love for you every second, every instant of my life, angel. Not a single moment less!" he touched the tip of her nose with his index finger. "My pretty valentine!"

The meek smile on her face only faded when he brushed his lips against hers and she surrendered to that sweet caress. John’s guest room was ready for him, as usual – the blond actor had slept there many nights in happy occasions, such as Christmas or on Roma’s and Reilly’s birthdays; and in sad ones, when the actress would cry in his shoulder, threatened with the possibility of losing her little daughter. But on that happy Valentine’s night they remained cuddled together on the sofa, in front of the fireplace and fell asleep in each other’s arms some time later.

The end