Lesson in Love

Flash fiction prompt from https://www.eadeverell.com/flash-fiction-prompts/. 1. Time travel, a bookmark, the angel Gabriel. My mind immediately went to Supernatural, obviously, but here's my take. Comment and share if you've enjoyed it!

Gabriel gently pushed me forward.

"Go on, then," he said encouragingly.

I was staring at a swirling portal of energy meant to take me anywhere in space and time. It may sound strange or foolish, but I was an angel; how else was I supposed to perform my duties? Well... angel-in-training, and archangel Gabriel was my mentor.

I had spent so much time studying angel guardian powers, duties and rules, as well as human worlds and history, now it was time for me to get some practice in the field. While I knew the portal was perfectly safe, I was still terrified to simply walk through. What if I ended up in the wrong place, or at the wrong time? What if I couldn't come back? I wouldn't be able to help people the way I knew I was meant to.

No more worrying. I needed to go before Gabriel decided I wasn't cut out for a guardian position. Despite the fear, I entered the portal, my focusing my thoughts on the human I was to help: a young man living in 3174 praying for love. Quite a common request, I'd learned during my studies. Humans, living such a short life and being a social species, valued and prioritized companionship, romantic or otherwise. While some angels scoffed at cupid duties, it was more than enough for me on my first field trip.

I appeared in front of a small local coffee shop. It had very few tables, but it was very cozy, with beautiful indoor plants and wooden accents to warm up the place. The smell of freshly ground coffee reached me even though I was incorporeal and almost made me want to have a taste of this beverage so dear to humans. There was a calm ambiance music, and I could see why someone might want to spend hours there. There were already a few customers sitting at different tables, some working, others studying. A couple of friends were chatting quietly, while another customer was waiting patiently at the counter for the barista to finish their drink.

From the extensive file I had memorized, I knew that Ven loved to spend his Sunday afternoons here, reading with a bowl of latte. I spotted him at the back of the shop at his usual table for two, isolated from the action at the center of the café. Surrounded with greenery, he was deep in a high fantasy novel. I only needed to find the right person for him. I knew it would be someone that could understand his quirkiness and support him, someone that would maybe gently push him out of his comfort zone when it came to trying new activities, and most importantly, someone that would share his love for coffee and literature.

Scouting those already present, I saw at once that none of them would be a match for Ven. He wasn't into men, so already half the people in the café were out. Out of the others, 2 young women were potential candidates. While they would make adequate matches, I wasn't convinced they were entirely right for Ven. Something was missing, a spark, and I couldn't tell exactly why.

The doorbell chimed, indicating a new customer was walking into the coffee shop. A young woman, right age. Being invisible and an angel had its perks, as I could approach her without causing any suspicions. I peered into her bright green eyes and took a peek at her soul, as I had with the others. She had a good parents, excelled in arts, had a bit of mischievousness in her that would be perfect to bring Ven out of his shell. His steadiness and loyalty would bring the stability she craved, and they could bond over new experiences. Without being able to put a name on it, I knew she had what I was looking for.

They both seemed like a great fit, but I couldn't see in the future and know if they would be each other's happy endings. I could only hope from what I was seeing, and my inexperience didn't give me the confidence boost I needed to pull the trigger, or shoot the arrow, or whatever. What if I was throwing them in the path of terrible heartbreak? Doubt made me hesitate for a second. I didn't want to make a mistake, especially if it would harm either of them. Was their desire for love that strong they would risk getting hurt? This wasn't even fully their choice.

I reminded myself needed to do this in order to prove I was ready to be a full-fledged guardian angel and to be able to freely help people find their way. While there was always a risk in anything, especially love, I was jumping to the worst case scenario and needed to stop catastrophizing. Sure, it could go wrong, but what if it went right? What if they wrote a beautiful story where they ended up happily ever after? Reality would most likely end up somewhere in the middle, where they would be happy together, perhaps for a time and not forever. They would have arguments, as all couples do, but they would also have great moments and cherished memories.

The young woman had ordered her coffee and was about to leave without even a glance to Ven. It was now or never, before she disappeared. Who knew when she would come back? Armed with tricks from the angel book, it was up to me. First, pouring rain. Despite the cool weather of late fall, I had noticed she only had a light jacket and no umbrella. Summoning dark clouds, I hoped it was enough to keep her here for a while.

I felt immense relief as she paused at the door, water curtains falling from the ominous sky outside. I had no idea what I would've done if she had walked away. The thunder was enough to make Ven look up from his book and notice the redhead still hesitating to wait it out or try her luck. Seeing the interest in his eyes, I was hopeful about my decision. While it would be normally out of character for him to do anything, I could tell he wanted to say something. All he needed was a gentle push.

"Go on," I whispered in his ear. "Say something and I promise good will come out of it."

To him, my words would seem like his own inner voice, or the voice of a loved one that had passed, guiding him. I could see the uncertainty and fear still fighting his desire to act, but he bravely stood up.

"Don't go!" he shouted, surprising the young woman who turned to towards him.

Embarrassed by his outburst, Ven reddened before trying to explain.

"I mean... I'd wait it out, if I were you. Wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

She smiled softly. While aware it was most likely an excuse he came up with on the spot, she was impressed he had the courage to say anything at all. She gestured to his table where his abandoned book was waiting by his empty cup of coffee.

"May I?" she asked.

"Oh... of course!"

He sat back down awkwardly, adjusting his glasses. I felt his nervousness, but things were out of my hands now.

"I'm Adria, by the way, nice to meet you," she said as she sat across of him.

"Ven, the pleasure is mine, I assure you. Do, uh, do you come here often?"

As they started chatting, I felt incredibly happy for them. While it was a bit of a clumsy start, both had that shine in their eyes, and it was just a matter of time until they would fall in love. I stayed until they left, long after the rain had stopped, making sure nothing disturbed them. As the café closed, they said their goodbyes and Ven slipped to Adria his contact information, written on his bookmark.