A Christmas Miracle

Danny waited impatiently as, one by one, passengers from her flight strolled through security en route to baggage claim or the waiting arms of their loved ones. Those that noticed him standing there, with a large bouquet of flowers in his hands, smiled and imagined the happy face that he'd be greeting that Christmas morning. What they didn't know was that the letter he'd sent her, together with the plane ticket, still sat in the envelope in which he'd sealed them. She needed to find herself, she'd told him. That was three months ago. He told her that he loved her and tried to give her space. Perhaps she shouldn't have said 'I love you' back. Though she meant it, it was the words she didn't say that meant more. She wasn't in love with him anymore, and when the FedEx envelope arrived, she signed for it, set it on her desk, and never looked at it again.

When he glanced at his watch it became obvious that she wasn't on the plane; she would have disembarked long before then. Dejected, he fought desperately to keep his tears from falling and made his way down the escalator towards the airport exit, and the rest of his life without her. When he reached the bottom, he paused. Maybe she got delayed, he thought to himself. Maybe… Danny knew better. Still, he couldn't seem to summon the strength to keep walking. For several minutes he stood there, flowers in hand, immobile. It was her sob that shook him from his trance.

Looking to his left he saw a young woman standing alone, her hands resting on the handle of the pink roller case that stood in front of her. She wore an off-white pea coat, beneath which peeked the hem of a grey knit dress. The red stockings she wore matched the red scarf that adorned her neck. Her hair was a chestnut brown that matched her mournful eyes, and she rocked back and forth in her black Mary Jane heels in anticipation of an escort that wouldn't come.

Like Danny, she had sent a desperate letter in the hopes of resurrecting a love that had withered and died too long ago to revive. I'll be home for Christmas, she'd written. He, however, would be on a cruise in the Caribbean with some girl named Cassandra. She choked back another sob, and Danny felt compelled.

"Excuse me, are you alright?"

She wiped her tears and looked into Danny's comforting, hazel eyes. "I'm fine. I, um, my ride is just late, that's all."

Danny knew immediately that she was lying. Her ride wasn't late. Her ride wasn't coming. Part of him wanted to stay and comfort her. Perhaps misery really did love company. The rest of him, however, warned him to not get involved. "Well, I'm sure he'll be here soon. Merry Christmas." With those words he turned and began to walk away.

"They're beautiful," she called out after him. Confused, he turned back and cocked his head. "The flowers. She's silly to turn those down."

Apparently his forlorn predicament was as obvious to her as hers was to him. Danny smiled and walked back. At first she refused when he held the bouquet out to her. "Please. They should go to someone who appreciates them."

She grinned. From what she could tell, Danny was about her age. Around six feet tall, he carried just a couple extra pounds that he probably shouldn't have carried. He was handsome nonetheless. His short brown hair framed a squared face, and his smile was disarming. His eyes, though, pierced her. She accepted the flowers gracious and thanked him.

"So, I can wait with you, if you'd like. Maybe we can grab a cup of coffee?" He couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. He'd just had his heart torn from his chest by a woman thousands of miles away, and here he was asking a perfect stranger to coffee.

"I'd like that, thank you," she replied, equally shocked by her response as he was at the offer. Together they made their way to the Starbucks kiosk near ticketing. Danny bought her a hot cocoa, got himself a latte, and they sat at a tiny table for two. Three hours later, they'd emptied their souls to each other, revealing how he'd been waiting for someone that would never come, and how she'd returned to someone that had already left. She couldn't help herself from staring into his eyes, and he let her. There was nothing awkward about her gaze; it was instead soothing, and alluring. Every time she smiled Danny could feel his cheeks flush. Fate had brought two broken hearts together.

Danny laughed. "What?" she asked, feeling self-conscious, as if she had whipped cream on her lip.

"We've been sitting here for hours and I don't even know your name!" This time she laughed. "What's so funny?"

"You have to promise not to make fun of me."

Danny grinned. "I promise."

"Well, I was born weeks premature, after my mother had been told she couldn't get pregnant to begin with. Today is actually my birthday."

"Happy birthday, and merry Christmas! Why would I make fun of you for that?"

"I haven't told you my name yet," she reminded him. "For all intents and purposes, I shouldn't be here. So, my mother named me for what I am, a Christmas –"

"Miracle," Danny interjected, finishing her sentence. "Your name is Miracle."

Miracle nodded with embarrassment. "Yup."

"Well, I think it's beautiful." Danny gazed into her eyes, and she gazed right back. Until that moment, neither had been conscious of the fact that they'd both reached across the table and had been holding hands. Miracle squeezed Danny's hand tightly.

"A Christmas Miracle," he repeated. Neither could stop grinning.

 

© 2014 J.J. Goodman. All rights reserved.