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There was once a young woman by the name of Penelope. She was a soft-spoken person who consistently did her best to live as virtuously as possible. Diligent and compassionate, Penelope would put her full effort into any task she set out to complete and was always willing to help others with their problems or lend a shoulder to cry on.
Despite this, Penelope found herself rather lacking in companionship, especially when it came to love. A bit of a hopeless romantic at heart, Penelope always hoped to one day meet someone who would light up her life and bring a smile to her face. Though, when she tried to court anyone, they would usually reject her for not living up to their standards of beauty. Or worse, there had been one or two instances where she discovered a person who did agree to stay with her was only doing so out of pity or to take advantage of her kindness.
Thus, Penelope took to praying to Heaven every night for her true love to come to her at last. She prayed to meet someone who would care for her not because of how she looked or what she could provide, but because of who she was as a person. Though months went by without answer, Penelope still prayed without fail.
Little did she know that her prayers were indeed being heard by the angels above. One angel in particular, a bright-eyed and tender-hearted one named Samuel. Ever the curious one, he found himself rather intrigued by Penelope. Watching over her, he noted her good deeds and conduct, and began to admire her generosity and determination.
Samuel also took notice of how alone Penelope seemed to be, and how often her feelings seemed to be brushed aside or exploited by others. His heart hurt for her, and he began to wonder why the young woman’s prayers to them remained unanswered.
Seeking a reason, Samuel sought out Heaven’s highly respected archangel, Michael, to learn why. Upon reaching him, he told Michael that a young woman on Earth had been praying for Heaven to assuage her loneliness for some time. She lived virtuously and didn’t want for anything more than companionship, so why hadn’t they helped?
The archangel looked down on him. “Samuel,” said Michael, “If we answered to every little human’s whim and fancy, then they would grow complacent and do nothing for themselves. We are God’s messengers, not matchmakers for the lovesick; do not let your emotions get the better of you. Besides, angels are never meant to familiarize themselves with humans. It simply isn’t done. Do you understand?”
Samuel nodded his head yes and slunk away. He understood the archangel’s reasoning quite clearly, but the thought of Penelope continuing life alone and praying in vain made him quite sad. In fact, he felt it downright cruel to leave her in such a state.
It was then that the angel resolved to meet this woman in person and help. While told not to intervene, Samuel reasoned that if he were to disguise himself as a human, and was very sneaky about it, then everything would be just fine. (It was not a very becoming idea for an angel, but the only one he had.)
When he arrived on Earth in the guise of a young man, Samuel quickly sought out Penelope. He didn’t need to look long, as he soon spotted her struggling to carry some heavy bags. He graciously offered to help, and she was delighted by his thoughtfulness.
Making small talk on the way to Penelope’s home, the two discovered they had quite a bit in common. Both liked to spend their time reading or walking around outside and taking in the sights around them. Samuel was also delighted to find that Penelope had a garden outside her home, and complimented her on how well she had taken care of it, making her giggle with delight.
Samuel was caught off guard when Penelope asked him if he lived nearby and if they could see each other again, quickly adding that she hoped she wasn’t imposing on him, as they had just met. He replied that he lived in the next town over, but would be more than happy to socialize with her again. The two waved goodbye and parted ways, both feeling quite giddy to have made a fast friend.
And so it was; Samuel would sneak out and meet Penelope in secret, and the two would engage in much merriment. (He was happy not to have been caught for this, save a few times where he was told “Wipe that silly grin off your face, it’s improper.”) The duo would spend time in Penelope’s garden, go on long strolls, shop around, or simply talk and enjoy the other’s company.
Penelope was overjoyed to have met someone who was not only likeminded, but who truly appreciated and cared for her. Likewise, Samuel was thrilled that not only did he make her happy, but that she listened to how he felt and encouraged him to show his emotions, which was a change from always being told to stifle himself back home. The two continued to grow closer, and a mutual romance bloomed between them.
After more time had passed, Samuel decided to tell Penelope his biggest secret. Though he knew the rule that angels were never to show themselves to humans all too well, he trusted her immensely and considered her a close enough confidant. It was a risk to take, as he didn’t know if she’d still accept him if he told her, but he decided that he was done keeping secrets from her.
Penelope reacted with great surprise to this revelation, but not with fear, much to Samuel’s relief. Just the opposite in fact, as she found that she gave him more attention than ever. Penelope was astounded to find that her lover was a real-life angel and spent the next several days fawning over him, excitedly asking about how angels worked and what they could do. Samuel was bemused by this and answered her questions. A small part of him started to wonder if this would change how she saw him, but he quickly brushed the thought aside.
However, all did not stay well. Samuel had started to become rather careless about when and how often he snuck away from Heaven, causing some of the other angels to grow wary of his activities. It was Archangel Michael who eventually had enough of Samuel’s suspicious behavior, and decided to one day follow him to see where he kept disappearing to. To his shock and horror, he discovered that Samuel had been sneaking off to Earth, and had revealed himself to a human at that!
Michael appeared before the couple and began to reprimand Samuel severely. Samuel had broken the taboo that humans and angels were never meant to cavort with one another, stated Michael, and such a meeting was never meant to happen and would not happen ever again. The archangel’s attention then snapped towards Penelope, and he threatened her to never tell another soul about anything that had transpired, or he’d see to it that the wrath of Heaven be thrust upon her. Before either could object, Michael whisked Samuel and himself away in a flash of light, leaving Penelope alone and distraught over what would become of her beloved.
In Heaven, Michael dealt with Samuel’s insubordination the only way he saw fit; taking him to the far end of Heaven to Chief Barbiel, the imposing individual in charge of fallen angels. Once before them, Michael informed them of what had transpired and left Samuel to be judged, certain that he would be dealt with accordingly.
Samuel stood frozen in terror before Barbiel, as he knew that only those who had committed the most heinous acts against Heaven were sent to them. Barbiel simply stared at him in return, though Samuel felt more like he was being stared through.
Finally, Barbiel asked Samuel if what the archangel said was true; that he had been having relations with a human on Earth. Samuel thought it best that he answered honestly and confirmed as such. He replied that he had heard the despondent prayers of a young woman asking for someone to care for her at last. Though told it was frivolous, his heart still ached for her greatly, and he wanted to grant her this company.
Barbiel’s cold gaze remained unchanged, and in an equally unfeeling tone they asked how Samuel felt about this human. He quickly replied that he loved her dearly, and that she was a selfless and compassionate soul worthy of Heaven’s graces. He continued that he adored every moment he had spent in her presence, and that she had loved him not as an angel of God, but as an individual person with his own thoughts and feelings. Samuel then concluded that if loving her was wrong, then he would accept any punishment given to him.
Barbiel silently regarded Samuel for several moments before giving him an ultimatum. They told him that he could be cast out as a fallen angel and spend an eternity serving penitence in Hell, or that they could be lenient and send him back down to Earth.
Noticing the way Samuel’s eyes began to widen, they firmly said to him, “Do not think such an arrangement will come without cost. If you choose to serve a sentence as a fallen angel, then you have a chance to eventually be forgiven and return to Heaven. If you are to be sent to Earth, you will be stripped of everything that makes you an angel. Your wings, your halo, your grace, your immortality; all of this will be taken from you. It will not be painless, and once you arrive on Earth, you will live the rest of your mortal days there until death. Is this what you choose?”
Samuel weighed his options. Heaven was his home after all, and there was indeed a chance that he could return if he chose the first option. Though, he had hardly heard of any fallen angels who had managed to rise up again, and if he were to choose Earth, then he’d be able to return to Penelope.
However, a small trickle of doubt entered his mind. She had become so enamored with him once he revealed to her that he was an angel; would she still love him the same way if he returned to her as a mortal? Had too drastic of a change occurred between them? Still, he needed to choose.
Shoving his doubts aside, Samuel told Barbiel that he had chosen to live a shortened life as a mortal on Earth. They nodded in finality, “Then it shall be done. I hope you’ve made peace with your choice.”
Before he could respond, Samuel felt a searing, white-hot pain hit him everywhere at once. It felt like he was ripped into down to his very soul, and he couldn’t even cry out before his senses failed him, plunging him into dark unconsciousness.
Back on Earth, a despairing Penelope sat silently in her home when she suddenly heard a loud disturbance from outside. She went out to investigate, and found Samuel lying in a heap upon the ground. He was unconscious and looked terribly worse for wear.
Penelope couldn’t leave him in such a state, and mustered the strength to carry him indoors. There, she lay him down on her bed and set about tending to his wounds, anxiously waiting for him to wake up so she could learn what had happened to him.
Though it took over a day for Samuel to regain consciousness, Penelope was overwhelmed with emotion when he did, clinging to him and sobbing tears of relief. While he felt horrible physically and was terribly confused, a wave of solace washed over Samuel when he realized it was Penelope who was holding him, and he did his best to return her embrace.
Once they had both calmed somewhat, Penelope asked Samuel what had transpired to leave him in such a horrible state. He then recounted to her his encounter with Barbiel, and the choice of punishment he had accepted for himself. That he had chosen to give up being an angel and ever returning home just for the chance to be with her; quietly adding that he hoped that she would still love him as a mortal man.
Penelope took Samuel’s hands in her own and told him that, while she was fascinated to have learned that he was an angel, it didn’t make her love him any less now that he no longer was. She gently reminded him that she cared for him deeply even before he had revealed his secret to her, and that it was who he was, not what he was that mattered.
Samuel teared up with joy at Penelope’s reassurances, and the two shared a tender kiss between themselves, both feeling incredibly blessed to have found each other and ready to live out the rest of their lives by the other’s side.