Do you remember?

Outfit

There was something soothing about listening to the rain and he felt himself relax as he observed the raindrops sliding down the window. The coffee shop was full of people, most of them seeking refuge from the rain. Michael had been there for a while, trying to figure out a new phone. He’d always found it necessary to consistently be up to date with new technologies, however difficult they sometimes seemed. Phones were no exception as they kept complicating them, adding new features every year. When the sound of rain stopped, he finished his coffee and put the phone away. He then left the shop, heading towards the park as his apartment was located on the other end.
Walking down a gravel path he noticed an angel sitting on a bench and frowned slightly when she greeted a tree. Unless she was able to communicate with nature, it seemed that she was confused more than anything. He decided to approach her to make sure everything was well. “Hello,” he said, his voice deep and husky. He looked at the tree for a few moments before returning his gaze back at her, choosing to avoid questioning why she’d said hello to it. “How are you today?” he asked with a hint of concern in his eyes. He hadn't seen her in these parts before and suspected that she was new to town, in which case he'd insist on helping.

She reached for his hand, and he gently grabbed it to assure her that he was real. Even if she couldn't see him, she'd still know that he was an angel from his aura and hopefully it'd give her a stronger sense of safety. Realizing that she had trouble adjusting to the light, he figured she’d been trapped in a different world and had just awoken in this park. “Where have you been?” he asked, still confused by the situation. A dark world was no place for an angel, and he wondered how she’d ended up in one to begin with. Michael didn’t take notice of the car’s honking until he watched the angel’s reaction. He then sat down next to her, looking straight ahead as a few ducks crossed the road. “It was a car. Earth is filled with them now,” he answered, thinking back on the first car he drove in 1923. “I believe the first one was invented in 1885, however we are currently in 2019,” he explained, looking back at the angel to see her reaction at knowing this. He thought about her saying that she’d fallen. It was most likely what she’d felt during teleportation. “What else do you remember?” he asked, curious to know more about this place and at the same time figure out if she was suffering from memory loss.

He nodded when she explained more about the place. He’d been to both hell and purgatory, knowing what a dark place could do to a good soul. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said. It was obvious that she didn’t have any pleasant memories of being there, so still standing firm in her faith was admirable. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Taylor,” he said and sent her a warm smile. It didn’t matter how much she remembered. If it was meant to come back it would, otherwise she was meant to start a new life. His expression changed slightly when she mentioned a family, thinking of the one he had left behind. It was probably a good thing that she could hold on to that happiness. “I hope you’ll get to see your children soon,” he said, thinking that she must’ve thought about them constantly while being gone. “Let me know if you remember anything else,” he said, thinking that if something evil had done this to her, he needed to hunt it down. If that wasn’t the case, he assumed that she’d been there to do penance.

He scoffed at what she sensed about him. “If you knew me, you’d seriously doubt it’s true,” he said, looking from her to the scenery in front of them. He didn’t see himself as gentle or especially kind, but he’d always believed he did what was right, that he was making the world a better place. “My name is Michael,” he replied, folding his hands in front of him. “I’m here to help you... I imagine earth has changed a lot since you last set foot here,” he said before returning his eyes back to her blue. He didn’t deem it necessary to tell her more about him, in fact the less she knew the better.

He looked at her with a sad expression as he noticed her tears. He sympathized with her but he also knew there were circumstances where you had to leave someone, no matter how much you loved them. He looked down as she grabbed his hand. “I get it,” he said in a low voice, squeezing her hand as a comfort. He looked into her eyes with a thoughtful look as she said all souls had a tenderness. “Yeah well,” he said and looked a bit away from her. He’d seen many creatures who had none of that. “Maybe in the beginning, but the darkness inside… it can take over and shadow that tenderness, perhaps even destroy it,” he said with a wistful expression. “I know you mean well, but I need you to be careful with thoughts like that,” he said. He didn’t want her to be too credulous or kind, because there were people who’d take advantage of that. He turned his green eyes to her when she got up to her feet, before doing the same. “I think we should go back to my place… until we figure everything out,” he said and started to walk down the path. It was hard to know what they should do first, but he assumed she’d ask if she needed anything. As they reached the end of the park and stood in front of a crosswalk, he stopped. “Those are cars,” he said, looking at the cars passing them. She'd recognize the sound of honking as one person just did. “When the light turns green, it means that the cars will stop from the opposite direction and we can cross,” he explained before he crossed the street. He looked to her as they continued, at her reaction to things as they passed them, thinking that it must be overwhelming to be here again after all that time.  

At the apartment building he took out his keys as they walked up the stairs, then he opened the door and walked in. “This is where I’m staying,” he said and looked around the apartment. There were various scriptures and books on the desk by the window, an open kitchen and living room area, one bedroom and a bathroom. The walls were empty, there were no decorations or even a television, making it seem rather empty. He kicked off his shoes before walking into the kitchen. “Feel free to take something to drink,” he said as he started pouring a glass of water for himself. “You know a lot has changed the recent hundred years. Human intelligence has developed vastly,” he said as he went over to the couch to sit down. “This for instance - a computer,” he continued, opening his laptop on the couch table. “It’s quite the breakthrough,” he said, looking over to her with a smile. “You can get answers to almost any question, write words without the need of paper, connect with people across the world or store data and pictures,” he explained, typing in his password to unlock the main screen before he looked back at her.  “Do you remember what year you were on earth last?” he then asked.

She didn’t say much as they walked down the streets, so he just explained things that he deemed useful for her to know. In the apartment he looked at her as she took in the view from his apartment window, wondering what she was thinking. He just nodded silently when she said she barely remembered anything. When she placed her hand on her forehead, he wondered if it was hurting. “Are you feeling okay, Taylor?” he asked with a concerned look in his eyes. Naturally, he knew that she wasn’t okay, that this must all feel confusing and overwhelming, but if there was any kind of physical pain, it was worth asking. He looked back at the screen before looking up at the empty wall between the windows. It would take time before she'd feel familiar with this world, especially after all those years. “Yeah… but soon it will,” he said, at least he hoped it was sooner rather than later. He then looked back at her. She didn’t have many questions all things considered, but it was probably going to come at some point. He didn’t want to rush her into remembering things. “Anyway, you’re welcome to stay here for as long as you need,” he said, sending her a small, friendly smile.

He smiled faintly when she expressed what he’d describe as feeling okay, considering the circumstances. As long as she didn’t feel any physical pain, he could work with that. He looked down at their hands when she placed hers on top of his. “Of course,” he said as he sent her a warm smile. It was his responsibility to care for other angels, and if the situation was reversed, he believed that she'd do the same for him.

He noticed her frown and it made him change his expression slightly, anticipating that she had a flashback of some sort. He looked into her eyes for a long moment, trying to make himself remember her, but nothing came to his mind. “We might have… however, I don’t seem to remember how we would have met,” he said thoughtfully. It was possible that the people who previously knew her had been forced to forget her the moment she left the world, but he couldn’t be sure. Perhaps God would grant them answers when the time was right. He looked back at her when she mentioned his name. It made him think that the reason she recognized him was because of his status in Heaven. “Yes, the archangel… even if we haven't met, you’ve probably heard of me,” he said. It only made sense that she would - at least if she’d been to Heaven before. Her question made him look towards the windows again. It was hard to say exactly, but he just had to believe that somehow she would. “We will take it one step at a time...” he said before returning his gaze to her. He knew that taking things slow and making her feel comfortable, was the best way to make her feel at home. “I will be able to take you to Heaven if that’s what you want, but just know that your real purpose is on earth,” he said calmly. If she started to remember more of her family, it might make her feel better to visit them in Heaven.