Miracle

Summary: The paths of two young people, Emma and Ian, cross in the bustling city of New York in the most magical way possible. An accident, a fight, and a walk is all that it takes. Will they come out of the void they have fallen into? Or will they just fall deeper into it?

Chapter 1: Emma Rivera

It was a breezy autumn evening in New York. The streets were carpeted with hazel, gold, and red leaves. The breeze blowing through the city carried with it a strong scent of hot chocolate...

I closed my little notebook and tucked my pen into the pen holder, keeping it down on my desk. I pushed my chair away from the elegant brown desk and stood on the blue fluffy carpet. Going to the window, I parted the aquamarine blue curtains. The sunlight streamed in, making me squint my multi coloured eyes as they hit me directly. My black shoulder length hair barely reached my shoulders, swaying slightly as I moved around the room getting ready for the first day of school at my new school. I repeated the introduction I had prepared.

Hi, my name is Emma Rivera. I was born in Boston and have always been here. I was in Brighton High School till 9th grade before moving here, to Woodbright High for my 10th grade. My hobbies are reading and listening to music. I’m delighted to be here and look forward to new opportunities.

I had to submit this along with a few forms. Straightening my casual shirt and jeans, I stepped in front of the mirror and took a deep breath, my eyes moving over the blue clock, the blue bed, the brown desk, the blue curtains, the Harry Potter posters, and the Percy Jackson posters before settling on my reflection. I looked ready for school. I slung my bag full of books over my shoulder nervously.

Will I manage to make friends this year? I never had any luck with friends… whenever I tried, I just got humiliated. I shoved all the thoughts right out of my head and stared determinedly at myself. I WILL make friends. I can’t graduate friendless.

I plonked down the stairs cheerfully, one hand on the smooth wood banister. My mum, Lisa, was in the kitchen making pancakes. Dad, Chris, was eating them, pouring maple syrup over every one of them. They both looked up as I came in.

‘Mom, dad, Good morning!’. They chorused good morning and I smiled at them. Our house was situated in a beautiful part of Boston. We were across a busy road with skyscrapers and what-not, but situated right in front of our house was a lake the size of an average skating rink. It was beautiful, with trees surrounding the entire lake. In autumn, the banks were always littered with leaves, and the occasional swans glided across the surface, making it ripple with hypnotising patterns. The neighbourhood was relatively quiet, and calm. We lived in a normal sized house, not too big, but large and spacious. It had two storeys, with a little roof too. We had a small garden, and our neighbours were the friendliest people on this Earth! Mom and Dad both were architects, and they had a firm of their own. Owing to their blooming success, they had become one of the most sought-after architects in the country. They often went on business trips outside, but one of them always stayed back with me. Despite their busy schedules, they always had time for me. We did everything, from family TV times to family reading times. I respected that, and did the little adjusting I had to do.

‘Excited, Em?’, dad asked. I nodded eagerly. Mom turned to put two pancakes on my plate, and I poured syrup over it.

‘Remember, first impressions are the best impressions. Not that you need that, you always impress people, but still. Just remember, ok?’, mom said warmly. I nodded again; my mouth too full to speak.

We finished our breakfast slowly, and after collecting all our stuff, stepped out. I waved to Mr. and Mrs. Forester who were standing in the adjacent garden. Their 11-month-old, Neil, gurgled and waved his little fists. I chuckled as the couple waved back, smiling. We made our way to our car. I gazed at the lake and sighed contentedly. Everything was fine. All was well. 

Chapter 2: Ian Hunt

I stretched my neck, removing the cricks in it. I swung my feet over the bed, and it landed on the soft blue carpet. I rubbed my eyes, still sleepy from staying up late the previous night. I had waited for my father, but when he still didn’t reach by 11, I decided to turn in. I pushed the heavy blue curtains and let the light seep in from the enormous windows which overlooked part of the city. I lived on the 10th floor, the top floor of a building in Boston. It was a huge penthouse with large bedrooms, an enormous living room, a nice kitchen, and a magnificent view. The terrace was spacious, but it was covered on all sides with glass. The top was glass too, leaving only one wall and the floor not made of glass.

My dad, Jack Hunt was a prominent businessman. He was known all over the country, everyone wanted to make an alliance with him, etc. I usually ignored all that stuff. It wasn’t important to me when he had no time to spare for me, his only son. His only living family. My mom had passed away when I was born, leaving me with no memories of a happy family. My dad was a workaholic, he stayed late at his work, and I, Ian Hunt, was ignored at home. At school, though, no one suspected that this was my home situation. I was the most popular student at school, and it had spread over multiple schools.

The only time my dad paid any attention to me was when he told me about a marriage proposal which came in for me from a desperate businessman.

Now, I changed, getting ready for school. New year at Woodbright High. I thought of all the students. Everyone wanted to be my friend, and I had a few nice friends every year.

However, I was yet to find a best friend.

I walked to the kitchen and made myself some toast. I put some marmalade on it, spreading it nicely and evenly. I packed my bag as I ate, and finishing breakfast, put my shoes on. I gave the house one last look over. My dad had left early in the morning. There had been days and days before I got a glimpse of him sometimes.

I took the lift down, and unlocked my cycle. My dad had offered a chauffeur, but I had declined. I hardly needed a chauffeur to go to my school, which was only a few lanes away. Seven minutes later, I was locking my cycle in the shed at school. I gave vague greetings to a few people. I walked into the school, heading towards the reception to get my locker number. A girl was standing there, with her back to me. I tried to see as much as I could of her, from my position behind her. She must be new, I decided. Then I mentally smacked myself. How was I supposed to know from behind her? I observed her more closely. Hmm… it seemed to be the way she was holding herself. She seemed confident, yet shy.

I was so busy watching her, that I almost didn’t realise when she turned around and almost bumped into me. I was startled for a second. Her eyes were unlike anything I had ever seen. They were multicoloured, blue, green, gold, and silver. My favourite blue, quite like my own eyes. Her hair was as black as mine, only that it was longer, just till her shoulders. She was a few centimetres shorter than me.

She apologised quickly, and walked away. I got a glimpse of the entry slip in her hand. Emma. Her name was Emma. I was curious to know more about her, but I proceeded to the reception, thinking about the new girl.

Chapter 3: In The Face Of Adversity

Emma

I was already nervous. I just couldn’t deny it any longer. My nerves were all over the place, I was jittery, tapping my fingers on my leg. I walked around the school looking for my class. I finally found it. It was a nice classroom, with a few posters up, a map, a teacher’s list, all that stuff. My home room teacher was already there, organising a few files. I walked up to her. ‘Ms. Jennifer?’, I asked hesitantly. She looked up, and smiled warmly.

‘You must be Emma Rivera. Welcome to Woodbright’. I relaxed a bit and she asked me a few questions. Students started filing into the class one by one. They all looked friendly enough. I sat down in a seat. The door opened and I glanced up to see the boy I had bumped into earlier. He seemed popular, as everyone greeted him and spoke to him. Unlike most popular students, he seemed nice and spoke to everyone warmly.

The first period was fun, we didn’t study much, only a few introductions and break-the-ice games. The rest of the day was similar, and I liked all my teachers. The school was reputed, and I could see it in all the teachers and the whole school’s general decorum. The end of the school day drew closer, and when the bell finally rang, we all shuffled out and chatter filled the corridors.

I stepped out of the school and went to the gates. Mum and dad were coming to pick me up. They will be too excited to hear about my first day, I’m sure, I thought, chuckling a bit. I looked out for our black car eagerly. I spotted the car making its way towards the school and waved out. They came up to me and my dad came out smiling widely. He took my bag and put it in the back. I opened the door to sit when I caught someone staring at us. It was the same blue-eyed boy. The one I bumped into that morning. He was staring at us somewhat wistfully. He saw me looking at him, and hurriedly looked away, getting on his cycle, and driving away, not before giving us one last look.

We decided to drive to a nice café to get a bite before heading back home. The car filled with laughter on our way. I told them about my day. We took a turn into a road. We were first in line at the signal. We waited for the light to turn green. I let my eyes wander over all the cars. I noticed a particularly large truck on the side of the road, a little distance away. It was carrying some sort of metal. The signal turned green.

The cars surged forward. My gut pulled. I got a strange feeling. Instinctively, I turned my head towards the left.

It was in slow motion for me. A car surged forward. I made brief eye contact with the driver. His green eyes were determined, and strangely filled with guilt and confusion, almost contradicting his determination. He drove on. He broke the signal. Mom yelled, as the car swerved right in front of us. Dad yanked the steering wheel to the right. I could hear the painful skids of rubber tyres which sent drills straight into my heart. My eyes moved frantically, reflecting a turmoil of emotions- confusion, and most importantly fear. No, no, no. No, the truck. I wanted to speak, warn them, but with a cruel twist of fate my words got stuck in my throat. We turned to the right. I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut. But they remained wide open, and the one time I needed to speak the most, I failed. I watched helplessly, my heart banging, as we crashed headlong into the truck carrying heavy metal. There was a moment of silence, before it all came crashing down.

                                                                     ***

I woke up to a beeping around me. Pristine, stark white walls faced me. I turned to my left. There was a nurse standing there. I was on a bed. I didn’t feel any pain. I furrowed my brow. Why was I here? And where was here? I rocked my brain, trying to think of what had happened. It was slightly fuzzy. I closed my eyes, reaching into my brain. Turns out, that was the wrong thing to do. It came down crashing just the way the metal rods crashed down on us. I whimpered involuntarily.

The nurse turned in surprise. She bustled over to me. ‘You’re awake! Good, good. Let’s see how you are dear’. She checked something on the monitor, then finally made me sit up. She knelt down. ‘How much do you remember?’.

‘Everything’, I said, my voice hoarse. I stared blankly at the wall in front of me, my shoulders slumped. I was purely, utterly, defeated. Then I straightened up, suddenly panicked. I turned to the nurse. ‘My parents. Where are they?’. The nurse tried to calm me down, and after many promises which I am sure were false, I calmed down a bit. ‘You, dear, are lucky. You escaped with minor injuries. A few scratches, a deep cut, and that’s all. There’s absolutely nothing serious. You might have a scar, yes, but it has a possibility of fading out. Now, your parents. They are- I must admit that I have no other way of saying this- quite serious. They are in the ICU currently’.

My breath hitched in my throat. ‘W-Will they survive?’. She looked down and took a deep breath.

She then looked back up with sad eyes. ‘I don’t know, child’.

Chapter 4: Fall Out

Ian

I locked my cycle at the bottom of the building. I grabbed my bag and turned to enter the building. I paused, one foot in the air when I saw my dad’s car parked in his spot. I frowned. He was not supposed to be back so early. Something must have happened.

I snapped out of my daze and rushed to the lift. As soon as I reached the floor I rushed to the house.

I opened the door quickly and stepped inside. ‘Dad? Where are you?’. As I looked for him, he stepped out of his bedroom and made his way to the living room. He was unsmiling, and still in his work clothes. ‘What happened?’, I asked him. I was seeing him after four days. He shrugged his shoulders and said, ‘Nothing. Why do you ask?’.

‘Well… you never come home this early’. I removed my bag and kept it on the ground. Dad sighed and gestured for me to sit down on the sofa.

‘I wanted to tell you something. Today afternoon I got an offer. If I go to London, I’ll be able to bag a really big deal’. Oh. But why does he need to tell me that?

“Um, that’s nice, Dad. It’s really nice’. He looked at me gravely. ‘I’ll have to go to London for… a year. Maybe more’. I felt my heart drop. Even though I knew the answer, I asked him, ‘And what did you say to that offer?’. He looked at me again. He nodded his head, confirming the answer in my eyes. I shook my head and scoffed in disbelief. I knew he didn’t care much about me, but I never thought he was this bad. One whole year! The very thought of him accepting the offer was unbelievable.

I stood up abruptly. He sighed, out of sorrow, annoyance, or defeat I could not make out. ‘Ian… son- ‘

‘Don’t call me that. You never treated me like one, don’t say it now. Not after everything’. He stood up. ‘Ian, I have done my best for you. I have always put you before everything’.

‘Oh really! Like accepting an offer to go to London for a year! That’s what’s best for me? Like never coming to my school on days everyone’s parents came?’. I didn’t bother to wait for his response. He was impossible.

I was angry, angry that he was leaving me. My emotions boiled, and I barely managed to keep them with me. I wore my shoes again. I got up and as I was leaving, he came up to me, ‘Ian, look I know you are upset but- ‘

‘Just leave it. And don’t bother coming after me. Not that you will anyways’. With that, I left, banging the door shut.

                                                                  ***

I walked down a street, my hands shoved in my pockets, my head hanging down. It was autumn, with a slight chill in the air, so I took the opportunity to wear my hoodie, with the hood up. I was angry, plain, and simple. I shook my head in an attempt to remove those thoughts. Coming out for a walk had only one goal. Clearing my head so that I could go back and talk to him calmly. Or I could just ignore him... Right, I definitely need to clear my head more.

I turned a corner, and I glanced up. My eyes went wide as I took in what lay before me. In front of me, in the middle of New York, was the most beautiful park I had ever seen. I almost gasped out loud. I glanced behind. I looked back at the park. Well, I thought, shrugging my shoulders, I’d take an amazing park over my father any day. With that, I walked towards the park, into the woods.

Chapter 5: Miracle

Emma

I was sick of the hospital. I know it sounds weird, but I really was sick of it. I was not allowed to meet my parents, and the doctors kept assuring me, saying that they are going to be fine, I’ll be able to meet them, etc., etc. I was inclined to believe quite the opposite. I knew they were in a critical condition. I had hope, but it was little. The hospital staff asked me if I had anyone else. When I said I didn’t have anyone else, they offered to let me stay the night at the hospital. However, I stuck with my sentiments, and decided to head home, intending to come back the next day. It was the best thing I could do.

When I entered the house, still in my uniform, it was just evening. The sun had not even set yet. I stayed at home for some time, trying to take some rest, but I was restless. My mind was with my parents, whose exact condition I was yet to know. Whether they were going t

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o be alive or not. Soon, I started feeling suffocated at home. I quickly changed, and headed out, relieved when the autumn air ruffled my hair, and I filled my lungs with the fresh air.

I walked on and on in a daze. I didn’t know where I was going. All I knew was that I had to calm myself down. I had to clear my head. So, I walked. And walked. And walked. Right till I saw something stunning enough to stop me in my tracks.

It was a park… not just any park, a beautiful park. I could see the tips of willow trees. Strangely, the entire park was covered with a fence. But the part I could see through the gate was intriguing. So, I decided to walk in.

                                                                  ***

Ian

The park was spectacular. It was filled with only willow trees, and its branches swayed gently in the breeze. Not just any willow trees though, as it had leaves of every colour. From light, an almost white colour to a deep dark purple and brown. The bark of the trees were covered with elaborate designs- swirling constellations, dancing fairies, flowing water fountains, and magical looking symbols which were unfamiliar… and looked ancient. I looked around in wonder. It looked like paradise.

                                                                    ***

Emma

The park was amazing. The sun's rays hit all the right places. It bounced off the rainbow coloured leaves, giving the park an ethereal feel. I was floating along, the breeze being my trustworthy steed. I traced my fingers over the designs on the bark. I walked along a path, which twisted and turned in a seemingly random way, but once or twice I had a lurking suspicion that the park was leading me somewhere… I dismissed it as a hallucination, after my tiring day. Tiring was an understatement, I thought. I saw a brighter patch of light somewhere ahead of me. It was much brighter than the part I was in. Curious… well, it won’t hurt. So, I stepped into the light.

I found myself in a glade. It was a small glade. I looked around in awe. The sun was low in the sky, and it looked like it was going to be twilight soon. It’s golden rays seeped into the ground, and that light made the entire glade glow. I lowered my eyes from the sky. Standing on the opposite side of the glade, was the blue-eyed boy. He had just emerged from a more tangled part of the wood, and was removing a few leaves from his hoodie. He looked up, and immediately saw me. Startled, I took a step back.

He stared at me for some time before he took a tentative step towards me. ‘Emma am I right?’. I nodded slowly. I said, ‘What’s your name?’. He smiled warmly, ‘Ian. Ian Hunt’. I returned the smile, slightly more confident. His gaze lowered to a spot three feet off the ground. I followed the line and what I saw made me gasp in wonder.

Standing there was a willow tree, no taller than three feet! The other trees were each of only one colour, but this little one had multiple colours on her branches. It was radiating a warm glow, yet I felt a cool breeze swirl around the glade. I looked up at Ian in surprise. He looked as surprised as I felt.

Slowly, I took a few steps forward. I walked on till I reached the tree. I gestured for Ian to join me. We both knelt down beside the tree. I reached out and touched the tree. Immediately, the tree’s branches swayed. A melodious humming emanated from it. Then, the entire tree started moving. Ian fidgeted a bit, but stayed where he was. I watched, fascinated as a voice issued from the tree. ‘Hello there. I’m Miracle’.

Chapter 6: Serendipity

Emma

Ian immediately scrambled back. I looked at him and grinned a bit. He looked scared. ‘What?! Tha-That tree talks!’. I faced Miracle and spoke softly, ‘Hello Miracle. I’m Emma. This is Ian’. I pulled him back. He gripped my hand tightly, still scared of a three-foot, sweet, glowing tree named Miracle. ‘Ian… it’s a sweet, glowing tree named Miracle. You don’t have to be scared’. He mumbled something under his breath then loosed his grip to sit down comfortably. Miracle made a sound like a laugh. ‘Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you. I’m here to do quite the opposite, in fact’. My heart skipped a beat. Could this tree be the solution to everything…? No, that was impossible. Well, a few hours ago I would have laughed and called them crazy if someone told me that a talking, three-foot willow tree existed.

‘I am here to help you. Emma, your parents. There are no mistakes, no accidents in this world. Everything has a reason. Find out why this happened. However, remember, do not be hasty in your decisions. Think, understand, feel. Ian, your father. Talk to him. Reason with him. Let him know that you love him and only want more time with him. Think, understand, feel. Everything is going to be okay, dears. You just need to understand the power of love and friendship. There is nothing in this world that can touch these two powers. Both of you need to believe in yourself and in each other, like you believe the sun rises. Not because you can see it, but because of it, you can see’.

I was quiet. I closed my eyes, and remembered the car driver, the car, and his guilt. I remembered my parents' love, and my quest for friendship which seemed to be close to success.

                                                                   ***

Ian

Talk to him. Reason with him. I was walking with Emma. We left the park in a comfortable silence. Both of us were thinking about what Miracle said. Mind, I was still slightly scared of her. However, she said the right thing. We spoke with Miracle for some more time. As we were leaving Emma told me what had happened to her today. It was far worse than anything I could imagine.

‘Emma. We need to find that driver’. She nodded, determined. She said, ‘I remember what he looked like. I also remember the license plate’. I thought, and racked my brain. ‘Let’s go to the main garage. It’s in the next street’. Emma nodded, and quickly, we made our way towards the garage. On our way, she smiled and said, ‘You know, Ian? What just happened… it was Serendipity’. I cocked my head to the left. Slowly, I smiled, ‘Yeah. It was. It really was’. She turned to me, still smiling. ‘When this is all over, we should go there again’. I nodded eagerly, ‘Definitely’.

The garage was open. We walked in and went straight to the manager. Emma requested for help. The manager was a nice man. I knew him, and he always gave me a few trinkets whenever I was there. A deformed bolt which somehow looked like another sort of bolt, a lightning bolt. A smooth screw without ridges, a keychain, a Mercedes steering wheels broken off logo. I always enjoyed coming here and meeting Gary, the manager.

Emma told him the license plate and he immediately pointed us to a car. A man was changing the wheel. Emma went stiff when she saw him. I looked at her questioningly. She nodded, yes. So, this was the man who caused the accident.

We walked towards him. She tapped him on his shoulders, and he looked up. When he saw her, he went pale, and he immediately started trembling. He spoke rapidly, ‘I swear, miss, I didn’t want to do it. H-He told me to do it, and I told him, yes, I did, I told him that he was wrong. But he forced me, oh, I need money miss, I have a family, I have a little girl, you see…’ Emma looked at me, conflicted. I led the man to a quieter part. ‘What’s your name?’, I asked as gently as possible. ‘George’, he said, still pale.

‘George, can you tell us who made you do this?’, Emma asked. Hesitating slightly, he nodded and said, ‘My boss. Mr. Archer. Mr. Victor Archer’.

Emma looked at me, sad. She patted George on the arm. ‘It’s okay, George. Nothing’s going to happen to you. Take care of your family’. With that she led me back to Gary. He pressed something into my hand. When I opened it I saw it was an anchor. Two anchors, both a nice shade of aquamarine-ish blue. He winked at me, and walked away without a word.

Emma and I walked back towards our homes. When it was time for us to separate, she hugged me. ‘Thank you for everything’, she said, when she pulled away. I smiled, ‘I’ll see you tomorrow. It’s a Saturday. So, tomorrow, we meet Victor Archer’.

 Chapter 7: Loch Swan

Ian

The next morning, I went to the address Emma had given me. Last night when I reached home my dad had already slept. He left early that morning. I walked to Emma’s house. It was a nice house, with a beautiful lake in front of it. She was already outside when I reached. ‘Ready?’, I asked. She nodded, looking slightly worried. ‘It’s going to be okay. You heard what Miracle said’, I said.

‘Yes… Let’s go! I researched Victor Archer last night’. We started walking.

‘Victor Archer is an architect. He is one of the best. His wife passed away a few years ago. He has one daughter, our age. There are rumours that his architectural firm is not faring well.

He needs the money. Now, I remember my parents mentioning a huge project which was in the market. They were going to get the project. It has a lot of money’, she finished.

‘Seems like he has a motive, and the means to do it. We need to talk to him’. Emma nodded, ‘I have his address. We can request for an audience’. With that, we made our way towards the Archer residence.

                                                                      ***

Emma

The house was huge. It was behind a busy road, and almost as big as a mansion. We requested for an audience. It was all because of Ian. He told the secretary (yes, the house had a secretary) that his father was Jack Hunt. The receptionist immediately ushered us to Victor Archer’s room. No one was in it, and we waited for him to come. When he entered, I was taken aback. I expected someone with a cruel face, a sneer, an attitude. Mr. Archer was the complete opposite. He greeted us warmly, offered lemonade, and inquired after our health with perfect civility. I noticed a slight exhaustion. He looked defeated, but did his best to cover it up. He expected us to be messengers of sorts, from Jack Hunt.

‘What are you names?’, he asked, settling down behind his desk. He was wearing a formal suit. I hesitated a bit before saying, ‘Emma. Emma Rivera’.

I watched his face carefully, and noticed his face drain of all colour, his shoulders become tense, and his hands tremble. He leaned forward.

‘Why have you come here?’.

‘George told us about you’. He exhaled sharply and looked out of the window.

‘He told us about you forcing him to cause the accident’. He tried to look composed. ‘What are you talking about?’. Ian rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to speak, ‘The accident which you caused yesterday. Lisa Rivera and Chris Rivera. Your rivals. You tried to injure them, or kill them, to get a project! Now do you remember?’. At that, the little composure he had, left him. He slumped in his chair, and he looked at us, his eyes exhausted, and suddenly the dark circles under his eyes became more pronounced. ‘I can explain. But not here. Somewhere open’.

‘The lake’, Ian immediately said, and looked at me for confirmation. That was exactly what I was thinking too. I nodded. We got up, and went out of the house with Archer in tow.

We walked to the lake in silence. Ian and I walked together, and Victor walked behind us. When we reached, there were only a few people on the road. There was no one by the lake. We walked down to the banks, and I turned to face him. ‘Explain’. He gave a sigh and started. ‘I used to be successful. I got good projects, I had money for my family to live comfortably.

Then, my wife passed away. Six years back. I had a young daughter. I had to protect her. So, I took care of her. Then, four years back I messed up a project. I started getting lesser and lesser projects. I was failing. And then the unthinkable happened. My daughter, my precious princess’, at this point he had tears in his eyes. ‘My Riley was diagnosed. S-She had cancer’. My lungs stopped working. I could feel the wind rushing past my ears. Ian mirrored my expression of shock. Everything was quiet, beside Victor’s heart- wrenching sobs. He doubled over; he fell on his knees. His knees were trembling, his eyes haunted, his face gaunt with an inexpressible pain. He spoke again and words flowed out in a broken voice, with pain so profound, it hurt my heart. ‘Riley needs an expensive surgery. That is her only hope. I would do anything to save her’. His tears flowed down onto his torso. He was vulnerable, and my eyes brimmed with tears. Ian stepped forward and gripped his shoulders. ‘Listen. Victor, listen to me. Your daughter, she is going to be fine. We’ll get the money for her. Emma’s parents are going to be fine. However, never, never hurt others to save yourself. There are other ways. Got that?’, Victor nodded slowly, and his eyes showed that he was daring to hope.

We led Victor back to his house. He looked at us with gratitude in his eyes, ‘Thank you. I owe you, our lives’. We smiled, and left his house with a promise in our hearts.

Chapter 8: Long Awaited

Emma

Nearly a week later, on Friday, I reached the hospital before heading to the school. My parents had finally woken up from their unconsciousness on Monday. I had a few boxes of chocolates with me, as per the patient’s request. I chuckled softly in the lift, waiting for it to take me to the second floor. I left the lift and walked into their room. They had been shifted into a normal room, and were bound to be discharged in a few days’ time.

‘Good Morning! Today we have Dairy Milk, Five Star, Lindt, and many more! Mars too!’. Lisa and Chris cheered. We spoke and laughed till it was time for me to go to school. Lisa called out, ‘Emma… did you get a friend yet?’. I paused in the middle of swinging my bag over my shoulder. I smiled, ‘I think so’. I said bye and left them. Soon, I reached the school. I walked up the stairs. A hand came around my shoulders and I turned in surprise. I relaxed when I saw it was Ian. ‘Hey, Ian. You look happy’. And he really did. His eyes were practically glowing. He nodded excitedly. ‘I spoke to my dad. We had a long talk. He apologised and we have drafted a schedule where we can spend time with each other. I’ve got a dad!’, he whooped. I laughed. This was amazing. My parents, on Sunday, met Victor Archer. I had explained the predicament earlier. He expressively said sorry to them. My parents forgave him, and suggested that they partner their firms. Victor was beyond elated.

We met Riley, she was shocked at first, but then, she understood. We were now good friends, all three of us. After her surgery, she will resume school in the same one as us, Woodbright High!

As for Ian and I, the past week, we searched and searched for Miracle’s park, but in vain. Miracle was nowhere to be found. Or rather, the tree was nowhere to be found, because as Ian had pointed out, Miracles were taking place all around us.

‘I think we need to be satisfied with the fact that Miracle changed our lives. We might never meet her again, but will always remember her’, Ian said now, opening his locker which was next to mine.

‘Yeah… We’ve tried our best. This is meant to happen’. Ian turned to face me with a smile and stuck his hand out.

‘I know it’s late, but after everything we did together, I think we have to do the formal ceremony. Emma Rivera, will you be my best friend?’. I laughed and took his hand in mine. 

‘Ian Hunt, I will be your best friend’. Ian and I laughed together, he slung his arm around my shoulder, and we walked, two best friends in a world of miracles, because not only did we believe in each other, we now believed in Miracles, like we believed the Sun rose. Not because we could see it, but because of it, we could see.

                                                            *** The End ***