Hi all,

Well, this isn't what I had planned for today!  For various reasons, I had to set down and figure out a general timeline of when the various stages of Creation happened within the Asteriana/Dyelandverse.  And while doing that, I think I inadvertently solved one of the lingering mysteries from TBAA and the stories up til this time... or at least I found one solution that I decided to go with.  And this story just kinda flowed from there.  I'm getting to the first really rocky part in "The Prodigal" so it was nice to have this little palate cleanser. 

Anyway, I hope you're all enjoying the waning days of May!

God bless,
Jenni


Older Than the Hills

JenniAnn was calmly reading when Andrew appeared in the middle of their bedroom, already clad in his pajamas.  In spite of her happiness at seeing her anam cara, JenniAnn frowned.  When Andrew showed up in pajamas, it generally meant an assignment had been difficult or, at least, exhausting.

"Love...  Welcome back," she greeted.  "Come to bed."

Wordlessly, Andrew obeyed.  As JenniAnn pulled back the bedding, he settled beside her.  He sighed as her right hand glided over his belly and rested on his heart.  He placed his hand over hers, squeezed it, and then brought it to his lips.

"How was your day?" JenniAnn asked, her voice soft and soothing.

"All right...  I'm just... I'm worn out, to be honest.  I was assigned to one of those warped incel guys."

JenniAnn winced.

"I got through to him and kept him from attacking this... this poor girl in his class.  But the absolute nonsense he kept saying...  Laja, I've been a lawyer many, many times over.  But I've never found myself arguing such basic, common sense stuff with someone!  It was maddening!  And horrifying.  I've never been more glad in my life that Shelby isn't out in the dating world."

JenniAnn snuggled against him.

"I'm sorry you had a rough day, Andrew... but I'm not at all surprised you succeeded.  And... I'm not surprised God sent you... one of the few angels with skin in the game, so to speak.  You have daughters, nieces..."

"You."

JenniAnn smiled.

"Yes, me.  Always.  And also... there is a certain beautiful irony in you speaking against the crap spewed by that much, much lesser Andrew."

The angel of death laughed.

"That never even occurred to me.  I hope I never meet that guy."

"Me too.  You are much more a man then he will ever be... and you're not even a man."

Andrew chuckled then sighed and kissed her hair.

"I hope eventually my assignment has a healthy relationship.  Cause... cause there's nothing like being with someone who truly and fully and without reservation... chose you."  His voice cracked.  "And I tried to tell him that.  When you force someone... it doesn't mean anything."

"No.  It doesn't."  JenniAnn brushed her lips against his.  When he kissed her back, her hands slid to his back.  "Mmm...  So tense.  You deserve a massage after all that."

"It's fine."

"I know it is... but I wanna."

Andrew smiled.

"Fine.  But only if you tell me about your day.  I wanna hear something good."

"That I can do.  Shirt off, please."

Andrew waggled his eyes brows at her as he unbuttoned his shirt.

JenniAnn giggled before going to get her oils and turning on some relaxing music.

Andrew let out another sigh, this one deeper, as JenniAnn set to work.

"I'm glad we're past Enya's hey day.  If I was working assignments and heard her on the radio, I'd probably get all halo-y just as some Pavlovian response."

JenniAnn laughed.

"Oh boy...  I can only imagine.  You're doing a revelation and 'Orinoco Flow' comes on and you get all flushed and fidgety."

Andrew groaned as JenniAnn hit a particularly sore spot in his shoulder.

"Sorry."

"No...  It feels good.  So good."

JenniAnn pressed a kiss to the back of his neck then continued.

"So what did you do today?"

"It was a very chill day, I have to say.  Belle and Avi both got sucked into books which was wonderful.  The older girls were off seeing a movie with Ivy and Sy.  So I finally got some scrapbooking time!  Max stopped over while I was working on that... Christmas before last, specifically.  Actually, he told..."

JenniAnn froze mid-laugh then shook her head.

"And he's doing good," she added, trying to redirect.

Andrew's eye brow cocked up.  What was that hesitation he'd heard?

"I need to flip."

"Okay..."  JenniAnn hurriedly sopped up some oil with a towel before Andrew turned over onto his back.

"Max is for sure okay?  And Rose and the kids?"  The angel searched JenniAnn's face. 

JenniAnn sunk against him.

"They are absolutely, perfectly fine, love.  It's just..."  It was JenniAnn's turn to sigh.  "You know me so well."

"I do.  And there's something you almost said but decided not to tell me."

"It's really nothing serious.  It's goofy even.  But... something I thought might kinda bother you... needlessly!  And now doesn't seem the time so..."

"Okay, well, now ya gotta tell me, Laja.  Please."  Andrew took her hands in his.

"I know..."  JenniAnn let out a quick breath.  "While I was working on the scrapbook, Max laughed and told me about how stressed you were before we went to my parents' house.  And how you said you were older than the oldest branch on my family tree.  And I found that curious."

Andrew's face began to flush.  He'd kept his age a secret for so long and now a careless remark born of anxiety had exposed him.

"At first, I thought maybe you just meant the oldest branch that we've traced... but we're actually not very good at that.  And we certainly haven't traced as far back as when Joshua was born and I know you were created before that.  I know you were around 2,000 years ago.  Everyone does.  So... then I started thinking maybe you meant the literal oldest branch.  That made more sense.  And so... then I Googled when modern humans first emerged.  And that was 300,000 years ago thereabouts.  Thus... I think you're over 300,000 years old."

"I... am."  He looked away from JenniAnn.  "Not much over but... yeah."

"Oh, Andrew...  Don't be like that!"  JenniAnn gently cupped his chin and turned his head so he was looking up at her.  "You're still the same you."  She kissed his forehead.  "Nothing has changed.  I just have a bit better point of reference on when you were born... and I love that.  Because I love learning more about you."

A smile flickered on Andrew's lips.

"Laja...  I just...  I probably should have told you a long time ago.  But... I kind of liked my age being a running joke.  And in some way I guess I thought... well, it was almost better to just have this amorphous, mysterious beginning rather than come right out with, yeah, I pre-date Eden... and modern humans."

"Why did that seem better?  I'm not upset!  Just curious."

"I dunno...  Feels kinda weird to say that I'm older than your entire species... and here we are."  Andrew waved his hand to indicate their bed.

"I mean... yeah.  It is weird.  But that's okay!  We are weird!"  JenniAnn grinned.  "And, I mean, I can just think of it like you've been around for every single human generation and yet in all those gobs of people, I was the only one for you.  I must be pretty darn special."

Andrew chuckled and pulled her into his embrace.

"You are pretty darn special for sure." 

"Thank you.  As are you.  And... remember that dream... vision... I had?  The night before our blessing in El-Chanan?  About the bubbles... stars... us?  Finding each other in the mind of God?"

Andrew's expression softened at the recollection and he nodded.

"I... I do, Laja."

"I truly believe that.  I feel it.  Before Earth...  before humans... we were in the mind and heart of God.  Together."

Tears filled Andrew's eyes and he nodded.

For much of those 300,000 years before her, he had sung in the choir and enjoyed cushy assignments, bringing inspiration to humans here and there before quickly returning to his heavenly Home.  But when he'd become a caseworker, things had become much more difficult.  He had known frustration and pain and grief.  After his promotion, he'd also felt the sting of his fellow angels' disappointment when he'd show up.  He'd tried not to take it personally.  He knew well that, as a caseworker, an assignment's death was sometimes a cause of sorrow and disappointment.  And yet it had still stung.  Thankfully, his faith in God's plan had kept him going.  But now he knew there was more.  She had been there, waiting... loving him even before she'd truly known him. 

JenniAnn wrapped her arms around Andrew and nuzzled his neck.

"You are older than the hills... but we are older even than the dirt that made those hills," she murmured.

Andrew smiled through his tears.

"'I am my beloved's...'" JenniAnn whispered into his ear.

"'And... and my beloved is mine,'" Andrew croaked out, his voice heavy with emotion.

"Rest, love."

Andrew nodded and buried his face in her neck as she held him.

JenniAnn sighed with contentment.  She loved him.  All 300,00 plus years of him.  After she was sure the angel was soundly asleep, JenniAnn reached for her book and resumed reading.
"Yet oh, that Fate would let her see
One of some worthier race than we;
One for whose sake she once might prove
How deeply she who scorns can love.

His eyes be like the starry lights,
His voice like sounds of summer nights,
In all his lovely mien let pierce
The magic of the universe.

And she to him will reach her hand,
And gazing in his eyes will, stand,
And know her friend, and weep for glee,
And cry, Long, long I’'ve look'’d for thee."

"Long, long..." JenniAnn echoed.  Her lips brushed against Andrew's hair.  She yawned and set the book back down then closed her eyes, joining her beloved in restful sleep.
The End


Works Cited:
"Orinoco Flow" by Enya
Song of Solomon 6:3
"Excuse" by Matthew Arnold

This newsletter is dedicated to John Dye for making me susceptible to love stories featuring immortals or near-immortals. 

If you, too, enjoy immortals in love may I suggest The Old Guard on Netflix?  A sequel is coming soon and if it ends on any sort of cliffhanger I'm going to desperately need a third movie or a spin-off series or something which means I really hope ratings are good.  I don't normally like action movies but... and I cannot stress this enough... IMMORTALS IN LOVE!!!  Like, seriously, one of the most romantic speeches I have ever heard or read is in that movie. 

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(Photo Credits: The photograph used on this page is from Touched by an Angel and owned by CBS Productions, Caroline Productions, and Moon Water Productions.  It is not being used to seek profit.)