JESS WE NEED A MIRACLE
JESS – PRESENT DAY
I sat beside Laura’s hospital bed, my fingers wrapped around her delicate, unmoving hand. The rhythmic beeping of the monitors was the only sound in the room, a stark contrast to the life that used to surround her. It was almost cruel, how still she was–Laura, the woman who once filled every space she entered with laughter and warmth, now trapped in silence.
I squeezed her hand gently, willing her to feel me, to know I was here. “You’re going to wake up,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “And when you do, I’ll tell you everything you missed.”
Tears blurred my vision as I exhaled shakily. “Asha will know you, Laura. I promise. She’ll know how fiercely you love her, how you used to sing to her even before she was born. I’ll make sure she remembers her mother.”
I brushed my thumb over the back of her hand, the warmth of her skin a small mercy. “You were supposed to be the strong one,” I choked out with a broken laugh. “I never thought you’d be the one lying here. Not you.”
I sniffled and wiped my face with my free hand, steeling myself. “I’ll take care of Josh, too. You don’t have to worry about him. But more than that… I’ll make sure he knows it’s okay to move
- on.
The words felt heavy, but they were true. “You wouldn’t want him to be lonely, Laura. I know you. You’d want him to find
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happiness again, to be loved the way he deserves. And you deserve this chance–to get better, to fight your way back to us. So that’s what we’re doing. We’re giving you that chance.”
The door opened quietly, and I didn’t need to look up to know who it was. Luke.
He moved into the room silently, coming to stand beside me before lowering himself into the chair. Without hesitation, he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into him. I let myself lean into his warmth, the comfort of his steady heartbeat grounding me.
He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. “I know this hurts,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “I know it feels impossible. But this is the best thing for her, Jess. They’re the experts. They have the resources that could help her.”
I nodded against his chest, but my heart still ached. “I know. I just-” My breath shuddered. “She’ll be so far away.”
Luke tightened his grip around me. “Josh wanted this. No–Josh needs this.”
He exhaled heavily, the weight of everything pressing down on both of us. “We all want a miracle, Jess. But in the end, this might be what we need to start feeling okay about moving forward.”
I pulled back slightly, blinking up at him. Through my tears, I tried to manage a weak smile. “When did you become so wise?” I teased, my voice raw.
He huffed a quiet laugh and reached up, wiping away the wet trails on my cheeks with his thumb. “I had to keep up with you
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WE NEED A MIRACLE
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somehow.”
A lump formed in my throat, and swallowed hard. “I don’t know how I’m going to do this.”
“You won’t have to do it alone,” he reassured me. “We can fly to Germany whenever you want.”
I could understand why Josh chose this. This is the best institution in the world for brain injuries, and they have had amazing results, but the professor was very honest when he said she had been in a coma for a very long time. Josh insisted they still try but I could seeit on the professors face when they came for Laura’s assessment – there was;t any hope. But I have hope and Josh has hope and Asha is worth fighting for.
I turned back to my best friend, my sister in every way that mattered. I squeezed her hand one last time, letting my tears fall freely. “I love you, Laura. And I’ll be here when you wake up. No matter how long it takes.”
And for the first time in a long time, I allowed myself to believe she would. She had to.
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