John closed his apartment door behind him and threw the keys over the coffee table. Despite the special occasion, no smile could be seen on his handsome face: the day had been a busy one since from the start, when he was woken up by the telephone ring and his parents and relatives wishing him happy birthday.

At the beginning of the evening, a group of friends had arranged to celebrate it at a restaurant, and that was where he was coming from right now. He glanced at the clock and saw it was 10:50 PM. Truth to be told, John had had a good time and was glad that people had been calling all day long, showing that they had never forgotten about him.

At least, almost all people hadn't.

Two years after Touched by an angel had finished, he and his co-workers has seen each other with less frequency. Of course they still kept contact and it was not rare that Martha, Della and Roma, along with some other friends in common, got together and spent some quality time. But there was nothing like spending all day long in one another's company, sharing any joy or sorrow that had settled in their hearts.

And then his beloved Roma's face came to his mind. The blond actor remembered the times when he used to bring her food, always worried about her physical condition and the baby's. He smiled at the memory of little Reilly inside her mother's belly, kicking and moving as if saying hello to the Touched by an angel cast and crew. John used to lay his hand over Roma's huge nine month belly and caress it, like a father would do. He never got over the protective instincts that that beautiful Irish lady and her little daughter inspired him. The blond actor also remembered those sad times when he would hold her tightly, until she cried herself to exhaustion with the end of her marriage and following battle to have Reilly's custody.

He had the love of his life standing before him for so many times! So many countless times... and now she was out of his life, out of his hands. Hadn't he been so stupid to keep his love for her deep inside, who knows if now he could be holding her again and really have a reason to celebrate something.

Because it was pointless to celebrate his birthday without her presence, without her soothing voice and enchanting smile, without seeing the sparkle in her eyes and the dimples on her cheeks whenever she ginned at him. John missed his beloved Roma terribly and he could never forgive himself for letting her go away like that. Now, the actress was living in another house, in another state, and even though they had spoken a few times it was much more difficult to see her. It hurt terribly whenever he read a note on a magazine speculating about a possible date.

Gossip magazines! Actors had learned not to believe 95% of what they said, but on this special circumstance he didn't know what to believe, as she hadn't called him all day long. Had she forgotten about it? Or had she really started dating someone and now she was avoiding him?

John sighed deeply and without turning the lights on, he walked along the living room up to the end table. He practically tossed himself on the couch and hit the answering machine button so that the messages recorded in it started playing. One of them touched his heart deeply and he felt incredibly moved as he heard a little girl's voice on the other side of the line. His Reilly hadn't forgotten it, and he loved her so dearly that even without being a biological father he knew exactly what it was like to have a little girl's trust and love as if he was her eternal protector.

At the end, John felt like a void had invaded his soul: none of those messages were from his beloved Roma. She had walked away of his life, and now it was for good.

"Roma... how could I be so stupid?" he murmured under his breath, staring at an invisible point in the darkness, his eyes flashing with anger at himself, for he had lost everything.

The blond actor never knew how long he spent there in the darkness, and only the noise of the rain that started to fall and hit his window took him away of his reverie. His neighbourhood was already silenced on that monotonous Thursday night. But then another noise called his attention and caused him to frown: who could be ringing the doorbell at that time of the night?

He rose to his feet and walked up to the door, turning the keys. And when he opened up the door, John almost stopped breathing. Actually, he wondered if he had drunk too much at the restaurant and now he was feeling the alcohol effects.

"Roma..." he finally spoke, staring at the little Irish actress standing before his eyes. Her hair and shoulders were a bit wet, probably from the rain that had fallen down on her as she got off the taxi.

Her soft brown pools were gazing back at him with uncertainty and even with a hint of sadness. John could see some tears in the corner of her eyes and it wouldn't take too long before they started falling down her cheeks. The sweet face that was permanently etched in his mind and in his heart was back again, and it hadn't changed a tiny bit. She was more enchanting than never.

"... angel..."

But hearing that term of endearment again made her replace all the initial fear and anxiety for infinite joy. Roma felt her heart beating faster just to see him again, in person, right there with her. As a crying smile broke on her face, she spoke for the first time - the words that she had been keeping deep inside her heart for a long time now; the truth she had only found out after the show had ended.

"I guess I needed a reason to give me the courage... and what better day to decide to tell you that I love you other than the day you came to this world?"

For a moment he was sure he could only be dreaming, but when he reached over and touched her cheek, the blond actor confirmed that it was the pure and sweetest reality. "Roma... baby..."

"I just hope I'm not too late... I just hope that this precious heart of yours isn't taken already... even though I wouldn't be surprised if it was, as you've always been a wonderful man... the most loving man I've ever met in my whole life..."

He chuckled and let out a sigh at the same time, not believing those words: if that was a birthday present, then it was the best present he could ever dream of!

"Roma..." he reached for her hand, "Please, come in!"

"I... I hope I'm... I'm not bothering..."

John turned the lights on and closed the door behind him: his dearest friend and secret love was now inside his apartment. He looked at their conjoined hands, treasuring to touch her slender fingers with his. "Bothering? Angel... you don't know... you have possibly no idea of how much I've been wanting to tell you..."

He noticed she was trembling, and he himself felt shaken for the moment. As gently as he always had been, John took her hands to his lips and kissed them, and then let go of one of them to cup her cheek. "I'm so sorry, Roma... for all the things I didn't say... for all the times I wanted to hold you in my arms and tell you how much I love you, sweetheart..." he replied, "Because I love you! I love you very, very much, with my entire being! I've always have, since the moment I lay my eyes on you all those years ago..."

Roma's lower lip was trembling and it curved in a shy smile as she heard that. "You do? Is it true then?"

"True? Of course it's true, angel! Baby, I..." he looked at her again, from head to toe, like a boy who had just received a real big present. "I guess I could never put into words what I feel for you..." And then the actor smiled, "And you shouldn't have to worry about someone taking my heart... because you've settled down here 10 years ago, and it's always been yours since then... And it will always be!"

Roma let out a sob and her tears fell freely from her eyes now. "Oh, God... how could I be such a fool?"

"Shh..." he gently silenced her, giving one step closer. "You're the most gorgeous and adorable creature I've ever seen... And you hold my happiness in your hands, baby... that's why I won't let you escape from me, never again!"

Their words silenced as the sparkle of their eyes transmitted every single loving feeling coming from their hearts - forever connected now. John brushed his thumbs against her cheeks, gently wiping away her tears. Then he placed a stray piece of hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead. "My love..." the actor whispered, now kissing each of her cheeks. Noticing how she was smiling at him and eyeing him with so much trust and expectation, he lay both hands on each side of her face and as her eyes finally closed, he brushed gentle lips against hers.

The kiss that followed was timid at first, the couple of actors enjoyed and treasured that soft contact, as light as a summer breeze. They pulled away and looked at each other again, and this time the blond actor bent down and kissed her more firmly and for a long, pleasant moment. Without breaking the kiss, he wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her even closer to him, and Roma surrendered to his gentle touch, practically melting in his embrace as she welcomed his kiss.

X

"Can you tell me this is not a dream?" she said, once they parted, as he trailed kisses over her face all over again.

"I guess I've asked myself the same question like four times since the moment I opened up that door..." he replied, and the gazed back at her, "... and the truth is that today I learned that reality can be a lot more sweeter than any dream..."

Roma traced a line against his strong jaw and smiled at him in such an adorable way he was sure he'd fallen in love all over again. "I guess I haven't told you yet... Happy birthday!"

He let out a small laughter and kissed her lips again. "And I appreciate the fact that you came here in person to deliver the message, as well as the way you delivered it!"

"Well, in that case I must warn you that it won't be a birthday greeting anymore... I'm considering to change it to a daily greeting..."

"You have all my approval, baby!"

They kissed again, and then he pulled her to sit on the couch, "I still cannot believe you're here... And at this time of the night! And what about Reilly?" he wanted to know, now genuinely concerned about his two "angel girls."

"July and Della are staying for the night, and... well, I can tell you that by this time they might be celebrating something besides your birthday, you know..." she confessed, blushing a little, "Della knew exactly what I was going to do when I left home..."

Laughing, he kissed her temple and held her tightly. "I guess we were the only ones who took too long to realise it..."

"I guess so too..." She raised her head and looked up at him, "But I'm happy that it wasn't too late for us..."

"No, angel." He stroked her cheek, "And we have our entire life to make it up. Our entire life, honey."

They inched closer as another kiss followed.

The end