Michael looked down at the small infant in his arms. It was a wonder! He had been with God since the beginning and had seen many wonders with the creation of the world. But this was something all together different. Michael looked up at Uriel who was sitting next to him with the other infant in her arms.
“What do we call them?” Michael asked.
“They’re humans,” Uriel answered.
“But do they have names?” asked Michael.
“That one,” she gestured to the infant in Michael’s arms with her elbow, “is Eve and this one,” she lifted the infant in her own arms slightly, “is Adam.”
“Adam and Eve,” Michael whispered.
Uriel nodded.
“What are you supposed to do with them?” Michael asked.
“God asked me to watch over them. He said to pick one other angel and that we’d be their guardians,” she said.
“Guardians.” Michael looked down again at the little infant in his arms.
“You know what’s strange?” Uriel asked.
“What?” Michael looked at her again.
“They have no wings.” She lifted Adam and leaned him gently against her chest so she could pull down the blanket to reveal his back.
Michael stared. No wings? Michael ran his fingers gently across Eve’s back and felt no wings there either. But how could there be no wings?
“So, they’re not like us,” Michael said.
“No God said they are mortal. That they will start out small and grow into adults like the trees. They will also die like the tree.” She looked at the small group of apple trees standing next to them. She looked sad.
“Mortal.” Michael also looked at the trees. He wondered what it would be like to have his body change everyday. He’d always been as he was and couldn’t imagine being any other way…
