A Christmas Miracle

"Did you look him up?" she asked. "Did you find out what became of him?"

Since that's what brought me here in the first place, I decided to hold nothing back.

"Yes, and that's partially the reason why I knocked on your door earlier today, but I expected to relay the information to your sister. She's the one who asked for it."

Lizzie raised her chin. "Well then. Since it was Wendy who sent you on that errand and she's not here to follow up on it, I'll do so in her place."

I reached into my pocket and withdrew a sheet of paper, which I unfolded, laid down on the table and slid toward her.

CHAPTER 12

"What is this?" Lizzie asked, picking it up.

"His address, phone number and email," I replied. "I'll leave it up to you to decide what to do with it, but I can at least tell you what I learned. Most of it was easily accessible information."

She seemed to brace herself emotionally for whatever I was about to reveal.

"After J.J. graduated from military school he went to L.A.," I said, "he worked a lot of small jobs, the longest one for a construction company. At the same time, he pursued a counseling career. He works as a counselor at an Evangelic School and runs a support group out of his church. He is married and has two young children, a boy and girl, ages three and one. His wife works as a teacher."

Lizzie stared at me with wide eyes, blinked a few times, then abruptly stood up and walked out of the room. I rose from my chair and followed her to the kitchen. There,

I found her leaning against the center island with one hand over her face.

"Are you all right?" I asked, moving closer to lay a hand on her shoulder.

Lizzie turned and surprised me by wrapping her arms around my neck, burying her face in my shoulder. "I'm so happy to hear this," she sputtered. "Really, I am. But at the same time it's excruciating. It's like a knife in my heart."

"Why?"

"Because he hasn't wanted to call us or see us or introduce his children to us. Or his wife. He must think we're horrible people."

I held her tight and said, "He would have wanted to move forward, not backward," I offered.

Lizzie stepped back, sniffed and rubbed her nose with the back of her hand.

"Rationally, I know that," she said. "But it's not easy to be objective when your recently deceased sister comes back from the dead to make sure you have your brother's address and phone number."

She became emotional again and turned into my arms a second time.

I didn't know what to say. All I could do was hold her.

"Will you tell them?" I asked. "Will your parents want to know?"

She stepped back. "I'm not sure. Couldn't they have found out this information on their own if they wanted to? But they didn't. I'm pretty sure my mother would faint if I told her she has grandchildren she didn't know about. As far as my father is concerned... I'm pretty sure about how he is going to react. He is going to fly into a rage and warn us never to contact J.J. or there will be hell to pay."

"What do you want to do?" I asked.

Furiously, she wiped away a tear. "I want to see my brother again. I want to meet my niece and nephew."

"Then that's what you should do," I replied, feeling no regret whatsoever about encouraging her to defy her father's wishes.

I wondered what Wendy would have thought about all of this, and suspected that maybe she was the one orchestrating it all.

There was no question I was fascinated with Lizzie by then. She seemed to be everywhere in my mind, all at once. It was as if I'd known her forever, which in a way, I suppose I had.

"I should get going," I said moving to the door, I waited for her to open it, then stepped out onto the covered porch.

"Will you let me know if you're going to get in touch with J.J.? I'd like to see him myself, but I don't want to get in your way."

Before I left, we exchanged cell numbers.

Lizzie stood in the doorway, holding the screen door open.

"I'll keep you posted. The first thing I need to do is talk to my parents and tell them what you told me about J.J.," she kissed my cheek.

"Call me or text me any time, Lizzie," I said as I walked down the steps, going easy on my sore leg, as best I could. "I've got nothing else to do for the next five weeks."

She smiled and waved me good-bye.

CHAPTER 13

Lizzie called me the next day and we agreed to meet for dinner.

"Did your father really say that?" I asked Lizzie as we slid into a booth at the restaurant. "That you weren't permitted to contact J.J.?"

"That's right," Lizzie replied. "You'd think, after losing Wendy, he might want to reconcile with the son he also lost. Like a second chance. It boggles my mind that he doesn't see it that way."

"From what I recall," I said, "he was always pretty hard on J.J."

The waitress arrived, placed two plastic-covered menus in front of us and poured us some water. She took our drink orders and left us alone for a few minutes.

"What did your mom say?" I asked.

"Mom was happy to hear J.J. was all right and that he had found someone."

"What are you going to do?" I asked Lizzie. "Will you still try and get in touch with your brother?"

"Of course," she replied, "and I told my father that. I think he was shocked because it was the first time I ever talked back to him. Then he threatened me with the old cliché: 'Not while you're living under my roof.' I'm not sure how serious he was about that."

She continued to read over the menu.

"Are you worried?" I asked.

"Strangely, no," she replied. "Though I probably should be because he's been paying my tuition and letting me live at home rent free for the past couple of years. At the same time, I'm twenty-five years old. Maybe I should just move out and get my own bank loan. Then at least I wouldn't feel like I was wearing a yoke around my neck."

"It's always an option," I agreed. "I'm sure a bank would give you a loan, considering your future career prospects."

With a resigned sigh, Lizzie set the menu down on the table. "I really don't want to go home and face more arguments, so thanks for having dinner with me."

"No problem," I replied. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

"Believe me, I am. Actually, I feel an incredible sense of freedom, like I've been in jail for the past years and I just got released."

"I hope it wasn't me," I casually mentioned, "because your father always considered me a bad influence. He'll probably think it was me who encouraged you to rebel."

"It doesn't matter. But that's exactly what it was, you know," Lizzie replied. "I had this overwhelming, burning urge to defy him. I couldn't stop myself. After years of biting my tongue, I had to let it all out. Now I understand how J.J. must have felt and why he constantly rebelled."

"While you girls always toed the line."

"Mhm." Lizzie sipped her water and thought about that. "I hate to think we were just submissive. I don't think that's what it was."

"What do you think it was, then?"

I shrugged. "Maybe we instinctively knew it was wiser to follow the rules in order to keep the peace, while J.J. was the type who liked to poke at a hornet's nest just to see what would happen."

I laughed, "That definitely sounds like J.J."

"You know, when Dad meets people, he just says he has two daughters." Her beautiful face clouded with sadness.

The waitress took our orders and left.

"It's weird," Lizzie said. "Even though you and I barely know each other, I feel like you understand the situation better than anyone."

"I don't know about that," I replied, unpretentiously. "But I'm glad you called me because you were the only thing I could think about today. You and this very strange situation."

I was half tempted to reach across the table and touch her hands, she had such delicate hands, but I resisted.

"It is strange," Lizzie agreed. "I had a hard time concentrating, too. I'm worried about that exam tomorrow."

"Sorry. Guess I am a bad influence after all."

"No." She shook my head. "Not at all."

"Is there any way I can help?" I asked. "You could study at my place if you don't want to go home. I could quiz you or something. At the very least I could bring you coffee."

"That would be helpful, actually," she replied.

"Which part? The quizzing or the coffee?"

"Both. It's an oral exam where we're put in a situation with a fake patient who presents symptoms and we have to diagnose. You could be the patient. And bring me coffee, too."

I inclined my head curiously. "Are you saying we'll be playing doctor this evening?"

"That's exactly what we'll be doing." Lizzie couldn't help but laugh.

I sat back and held my hands up in surrender. "Then I'm definitely your guy."

CHAPTER 14

Playing doctor didn't turn out quite like I'd expected because Lizzie asked me to mimic symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy and various other female ailments, as it was an obstetrics and gynecology exam. I did my best to play my part, and quizzed Lizzie on a number of facts and unique case studies from her notes.

Mrs. Reynolds texted Lizzie around 11:00 p.m. to ask if she was okay. She assured her mother she was fine and staying with a friend. Her mother didn't ask the name of the friend, and I wondered if she suspected Lizzie was with me. If so, I hoped Mrs. Reynolds wouldn't mention that to her husband or he might storm over my place with a SWAT team to rescue his daughter from my evil claws.

We studied until 3:00 a.m., then I insisted that she take my bed while I slept on the sofa.

Around noon, she texted me, telling me she had passed her test. Not with flying colors though. I wasn't surprised. There was too much in her mind.

Her text ended with the line, "I'm going home to get some clothes."

I texted back. "Do you need moral support? Backup maybe?" I joked.

"Tempting, but I think I can handle it by myself. Dad is at the hospital. Thanks for being there for me, Nick. You are a true friend."

"Any time, Lizzie."

"You know, now that Wendy is gone, I can't go on pretending to be content with an existence in my father's house where I'm expected to follow his rules and not think or choose anything for myself."

"You can stay with me as long as you wish."

She didn't text back, so I thought that was the end of it for now.

So, I was surprised when some hours later my doorbell rang and I discovered Lizzie was standing at my door. She had brought a suitcase with her.

I felt a strange, joyful energy that had been a distraction all day long. I was happy that she had come to my place.

"Sorry I didn't call first," she said when I finally opened the door. My apartment was in the first floor and it took me some time to walk down the stairs. "I hope it's okay... just showing up like this. You're probably worried I'm going to turn into some freeloader or something but I promise I won't. I just can't stay at home. I can't deal with my father right now."

I took hold of her elbow and gently pulled her inside.

"Come in. You're always welcome."

"Gosh, I'm a mess."

Five minutes later, we were seated on my leather sofa drinking some tea.

"So the exam didn't go so well?" I asked her.

She shook my head. "I missed a lot. It's okay, though. I'm not going to flunk out or anything. They know the circumstances."

"Are you hungry?"

Her belly growled like a beast. "I'll take that as a yes."

We both laughed.

"I'll make us some grilled cheese sandwiches."

"That sounds good."

I made four sandwiches, two for each of us.

We sat facing each other at opposite ends of the sofa. She folded one leg up under her, rested her cheek on a hand.

"I don't know how I'd be surviving all this without you," she said.

"When in fact," I replied, "none of it would even be happening if not for me. Maybe you should be yelling at me right now."

She softly laughed. "You're right. You're like a bomb someone threw into my world." She was lost in thought for a moment. "Was it Wendy who lit the fuse? Or is it crazy for me to even think that?"

"I know what you're saying. I'm still not sure I didn't dream the whole thing, even though it felt real. However, there is also the fact that she told me things about your family that I had no other way to know."

"If we're going to play devil's advocate, maybe what you learned about J.J. was in your subconscious somehow because you'd seen or heard things that didn't register at the time. But still... I find myself looking around, wondering if Wendy is nearby, watching over me. I feel her sometimes, but maybe I just don't want to let her go. Maybe I'm floating in a sea of grief where I can't see the shore." She stared at the wall for a moment, then completely fell apart and shed some tears.

I gathered her into my arms.

"You must think I'm a total basket case," she sobbed.

"You buried your sister a week ago," I gently replied. "Give yourself a break. This is normal, and I'm sorry if I've made things more complicated." I continued to rub my hand over her shoulder. "You know what else is strange?"

She wiped a finger under her nose and peered up at me. "What?"

"I'm glad I got shot."

Lizzie wiped the tears from her eyes. "That is strange."

"It hurt like hell and I almost died," I continued, "but now that I'm sitting here with you, I think it was worth it."

My words were rewarded with a smile.

"How is it possible you're not in a relationship?" She asked me.

"Curious. I was thinking the same about you." I replied. "To answer your question, it takes a special kind of girl to date a police officer."

"How so?"

"We have to work crazy hours, between night shifts, shifts that unexpectedly go late, overtime shifts..."

"I'm going to be a doctor. I know exactly what you're talking about."

"Also, it's a risky job," I pulled down my pants a bit to show her part of my brand new scars. "Exhibit A and B."

"You're a cop in a small town. It's not the same as working in the city. Plus, life is risky nowadays no matter what you do. Look what happened to Wendy."

By this time, we were sitting close, facing each other on the sofa. "You're an amazing man, Nick. One day you're going to make a lucky girl really happy."

"Thank you for saying that."

"I mean it."

Lizzie yawned and let her eyes fall closed for a minute. I offered her to sleep in my bed.

Groggily, she opened her eyes as I covered her with a blanket. "I have an 8:30 class. And I want to send an email to J.J. tomorrow. Could you wake me up?"

"I'll knock at 7:00," I replied. "Go to sleep. Don't worry about anything."

CHAPTER 15

I was preparing breakfast when I heard a loud banging at the door. Lizzie came out of the bathroom with a toothbrush in her mouth. Our eyes locked on each other's.

"What kind of car does your father drive?" I asked as I pulled the curtain aside with a finger and peered down at the street below.

"A black Mercedes coupe."

"That's definitely him."

"He does that all the time." she laid a hand on my shoulder as she rose up on her tiptoes to peer out as well.

I turned to her. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't want you to talk with him right now," she quickly replied, feeling rather horrified by the prospect. "Let him bang on the door until he's red in the face. This is none of his business."

"Your father, your call. He must have seen your car parked on the street."

"I don't care."

I shot her a look. "Are you sure about that?"

She considered it a moment and relented, but only slightly. "If I thought he was here to make amends and apologize for the things he said the other day, I'd go down there and talk to him, but I can tell by the way he's banging on the door that he just wants to drag me home by the ear."

"He looks pretty angry," I said, peeking again through the window.

"I assure you, if you answer the door, he'll end up face down on the pavement with his hands behind his back."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

She could see I still wasn't sure, so she pleaded, "Please, Nick I don't want to see him. I'm not ready. I promise I'll talk to him eventually, when I get everything sorted out."

I stared at her intently for a moment, then I conceded.

We both looked out the window again. Mr. Reynolds was returning to his car.

"There, see?" she said. "He's leaving. We're off the hook."

"At least for today." I turned to face her. "Now what?"

"I want to email J.J. I just hope he'll be willing to talk to me."

CHAPTER 16

Lizzie got an email from J.J. later that evening. He was brief and to the point.

"You asked how I've been doing, but I can't possibly answer that question in an email. We could talk on the phone if you like, or if you're up for it, you could fly out here for a visit this weekend. I'd really like to see you."

I looked at Lizzie and I knew she had already made her mind. Lizzie didn't have classes on Friday. I helped her check flight times, and she quickly emailed her brother back to tell him she'd come the next weekend. She also asked him if she could bring me with her. J.J. said yes and promised to pick us up at the airport.

Friday morning we walked together toward the baggage claim where J.J. had agreed to meet us.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Lizzie said to me as she wheeled her carry-on bag onto the escalator. "Thank you for coming with me, and for using your air miles. I owe you big time."

"Don't be silly. J.J. was my best friend for the first ten years of my life so this is important to me too. Besides, how could I pass up an opportunity to spend three whole days with you?"

Lizzie tucked her hair behind her ear and blushed.

"You're really sweet, Nick."

We scanned the crowd for Lizzie's brother. I wasn't sure I would be able to recognize him.

"Look. There he is," Lizzie said with voice full of emotion.

My eyes darted toward the direction she indicated. A man was approaching us. He wore loose faded blue jeans, black leather shoes and a blue sweater.

The last time I saw him he was a kid like me. The man walking toward us was nothing like that at all. He had grown muscular over the years, and he kept his dirty blonde hair short.

He stood in front of his sister.

"Lizzie?" he asked.

"Yes, it's me." she said, with eyes full of tears.

"Wow." His expression warmed. "Look at you. I can't believe it. The last time I saw you, you were a skinny child."

He held out his arms and she eagerly stepped into them. "It's good to see you, sis," he said softly. "I'm glad you wrote."

"Me, too," she replied wiping the tears in her eyes.

He turned to me. "And it's great to see you too, man."

We shook hands. "How weird is this, Nick? After all these years..."

"Thanks for having us," I said.

J.J. glanced back and forth between the two of us and wagged a finger. "So... are you guys a couple, or what?"

"No, we're just friends," I quickly explained. "We only reconnected a few days ago."

"Nick has been helping me out," Lizzie added. "Getting me through a few rough patches."

J.J. continued to stare at the two of us as if baffled by our explanation but he didn't seem to want to pry. Instead, he gestured toward the main doors. "My car is parked just outside. Do you have any bags to pick up or just your carry-ons?"

"Just these." I pulled my suitcase on its squeaky wheels.

"Did your wife come with you?" Lizzie asked looking around.

"No, Meg is at home. She took the day off. Hope you like pizza."

"I love pizza," I said as we followed J.J. to his car. It looked as if it had seen better days. I suspected he'd picked it up secondhand.