the holiday miracle

Chapter 11

Sighing with reluctance, Ken relented and began to tell Gabby of the events of the day. He started with Jacqueline and Jason, then the confrontation with his uncle, and finally the fake phone number showing Jacqueline’s true colors. Through it all, Gabby sat in silence, maintaining eye contact and nodding whenever appropriate. At last, he finished his story, and Gabby could feel her heart breaking within her chest.

“Ken… I’m so sorry. I can feel the pain in your voice. No one deserves what you’ve gone through today. I know it’s of little help, but I do understand what you’re going through.”

“Understand?” Ken said, incredulous. “How could a girl like you understand any of this? I mean, look at you. You’re gorgeous, and I bet you’ve always been popular. Just like Jacqueline. Just like Jason. Just like Uncle Lee. None of you could ever imagine the world I live in.”

With a stern look on her face, she replied, “I’m going to choose to let that slide, considering everything you’ve told me. Still, you need to know that what you just said was quite hurtful. Almost as hurtful as the things that have been said to you today.”

Ken recoiled. He knew she was right. “I’m… I’m sorry. You’re right; I should never have said that. You’ve been nothing but nice to me tonight…”

“Apology accepted,” Gabby said with a smile. “Humility is a rare trait in men these days. Hang on to that.”

Ken thought she might be mocking him, but bit his tongue nonetheless. He had already insulted her once, and he wasn’t going to chance a second time.

Seeking to turn the conversation to happier topics, she asked, “MIT, huh? You’re an awful long way from home, aren’t you?”

“Huh? Oh, the hoodie. Yeah, I’m a freshman there this year, just home on break right now.”

“Nice. Major?”

“Health sciences. I want to go to medical school after MIT, though I’m still figuring out a specialty.”

“Plenty of time to decide that. I’m sure you’ll find the right career path,” she said with a grin.

As nice as it was to talk about a familiar topic, a few things still bugged Ken’s mind to no end. “I still can’t figure it out… why would Jacqueline do this?”

Frowning, Gabby replied, “Some people are cruel. Often the ones that are the cruelest disguise it with a kind, warm public demeanor. Jacqueline sounds like she fits that mold to a T.”

“And she hid it all that time while we were in school?”

“You were useful at the time, in her mind. She wasn’t going to chance losing that. Once she got what she needed, she had no more reason to hide her true feelings.”

“Yeah, but still. Why be all friendly to me in the store?”

“In her twisted mind, she probably felt she was doing you a favor. She wanted to ensure you never tried to contact her again. To a cruel person like her… that’s her idea of doing you a kindness,” Gabby replied sadly. “We just have to hope that there’s enough real kindness in this world to counteract such cruelty.”

Now noticing a silver cross hanging from her neck, Ken pointed to it and asked, “I guess this the part where you start lecturing me about suicide? That I’m being selfish and trying to go against God’s plan?”

“No,” she replied with simplicity.

“No?”

“No. Ken, I meant it when I said that I’ve seen that look before. I know better than most that suicidal thoughts are rarely that simple. There’s no switch that can turn them off. It’s a tide that must be turned back, bit by bit.”

Stunned, Ken started to see that this woman understood what was important in life. Realizing he still had the knife in his hand, he folded it closed and put it back in his pocket.