Chapter 137

On the other end of the line, Paul heard Miranda’s gentle, calm voice. It sounded as if she were smiling as she wished him a Merry Christmas. He pictured her holding the phone, Christmas lights casting a soft glow on her face. She must have looked beautiful.

On Christmas morning, Miranda slept until 11:00 a.m. The sun was out, its light peeking through the window and casting shadows of swaying branches on the curtains. She sat up, yawned, and walked to the window, quickly pulling the curtains open. Sunlight gleamed brightly on the snow-covered mountains in the distance.

Lionel and Mindy were outside, reading and enjoying the sun. Lionel, with his sharp ears, heard the window open and knew Miranda was awake. As a teacher, he was very punctual and disapproved of Miranda’s habit of sleeping in. He picked up his teacup and took a sip. “Your mother’s the one who lets you sleep in and skip meals. Aren’t you worried about your stomach?”

“Young people these days don’t take care of themselves. They’ll realize the consequences later…”

Mindy popped a cookie into his mouth. “How long are you going to complain about her sleeping in? She’s graduated, not your student anymore. It’s Christmas—let her sleep a little longer.”

She turned to Miranda by the window. “Your dad is just being old-fashioned. Don’t mind him. I left breakfast for you on the table; just heat it up when you’re ready.”

Miranda smiled. “Okay.”

After breakfast, she joined her parents outside, enjoying tea and the sunshine.

“Dad, what kind of tea is this? It smells great.”

Miranda sniffed the tea. It was light but had a nice, sweet flavor, like a tasty pastry.

“This is Earl Grey tea from Jack,” Lionel said, taking another sip. “It’s really good.”

Jack Sutton, Miranda’s cousin and her uncle’s only child, had given it to them years ago.

“But you don’t usually like tea.”

Miranda, like many young people, used to prefer fruit teas to plain tea.

She smiled. “People change. I didn’t like it before, but now I do.”

A few years ago, when Hansel was always drinking, she tried to get him to switch to tea. Even though Hansel didn’t stop drinking, she ended up liking tea herself.

Mindy noticed something and shot Lionel a disapproving look, changing the subject. “How can you still talk? You’ve drunk all the tea. Remember, the doctor said to drink less tea and more water?”

Lionel just touched his nose and said nothing.

Miranda enjoyed the morning until Mindy gave her a nudge. “You can’t just stay inside all day. The weather’s perfect for a walk. Get out and enjoy it before you start growing roots on the couch.”

Reluctantly, Miranda left the house. A few minutes later, she found herself in a maze of narrow streets, unsure of where to go. Trying to avoid meeting neighbors, she picked a quieter path. As she wandered, she ended up at Earnest High—the school where she had spent her high school years and where Lionel taught.