Chapter 10 – A Small Miracle
918 Words
A soft rain fell over the Ashford Estate the next morning.
Raindrops tapped gently against the nursery windows as Crixia carried Ethan in her arms. He watched the rain with wide, curious eyes, occasionally reaching toward the glass.
"Ah..."
Inside her mind, his cheerful thought appeared.
"The sky is taking a bath."
Crixia couldn't help but laugh.
"That's one way to describe it."
Ethan smiled, delighted that she had understood him.
---
Downstairs, Michael was already seated at the breakfast table.
Instead of reading reports, he was looking through a parenting book.
Jordan nearly laughed when he saw the title.
First-Year Milestones for Babies
"I never thought I'd see the day."
Michael looked up.
"What?"
"You reading parenting books."
Michael smiled sheepishly.
"I've realized I have a lot to learn."
Jordan folded his newspaper.
"The best teacher is sitting upstairs."
Michael frowned.
"Crixia?"
Jordan nodded.
"She understands Ethan better than any expert I've ever seen."
Michael looked thoughtful.
"I've noticed."
---
After breakfast, Crixia spread a soft blanket on the nursery floor.
Today, she wanted to encourage Ethan to spend more time on his tummy to strengthen his muscles.
Michael sat nearby, watching carefully.
"What are we doing today?"
"Tummy time."
"It helps babies develop the muscles they'll need to crawl."
Michael nodded.
"I'll remember that."
Crixia gently laid Ethan on the blanket.
At first, he frowned.
"This is hard."
"You can do it," she whispered.
Slowly, Ethan lifted his tiny head.
Michael's eyes widened.
"He's getting stronger."
"He is."
"And he's trying very hard."
Ethan let out a determined little grunt.
"Look at me!"
Michael smiled proudly.
"I am looking."
"I'm very proud of you."
Although Ethan couldn't understand every spoken word yet, his father's gentle tone made him smile.
---
Later that afternoon, Alfred entered the nursery.
"Master Michael."
"The board members are requesting an emergency video conference."
Michael sighed.
Old habits tempted him to leave immediately.
Then he looked at Ethan, who had just managed to roll onto his side for the first time.
The baby blinked in surprise.
"Did I do that?"
Crixia laughed.
"You certainly did."
Michael smiled.
"Tell the board I'll join them in an hour."
Alfred nodded.
"Very good, sir."
As the butler left, Jordan happened to pass by the hallway.
"You delayed a board meeting?"
Michael looked at his son.
"I didn't want to miss this."
Jordan smiled proudly.
"Your mother would've been happy."
---
That evening, the rain finally stopped.
The gardens glistened beneath the setting sun.
Michael carried Ethan outside while Crixia walked beside them.
The cool breeze made the baby giggle.
"It tickles!"
Michael pointed toward the fountain.
"Look."
The water sparkled in the fading light.
Ethan stared in amazement.
He reached out with both tiny hands.
"Pretty."
Michael chuckled.
"I think he likes it."
"He does," Crixia replied.
For a while, none of them spoke.
They simply enjoyed the peaceful evening together.
---
As they walked back toward the mansion, one of the gardeners smiled.
"Good evening, sir."
Michael nodded politely.
The gardener looked at Ethan.
"He's changed so much."
Michael smiled.
"He has."
"So have you, sir."
Michael paused.
"What do you mean?"
The gardener looked slightly embarrassed.
"You smile more now."
Michael glanced at Crixia.
Perhaps the gardener was right.
Life no longer felt as heavy as it once had.
---
That night, Ethan became unusually playful before bedtime.
Instead of drifting off to sleep, he stared at Michael with complete concentration.
Michael leaned over the crib.
"What is it?"
Ethan reached toward him.
His tiny lips moved.
"Da..."
Michael froze.
Crixia looked up.
The baby blinked, almost as if he had surprised himself.
"Da..."
A second time.
Softer.
Michael's eyes widened.
"Did..."
"Did he just..."
Crixia smiled gently.
"He made a new sound."
Michael's face lit up with joy.
"He did."
Jordan, who had just entered the nursery, heard it as well.
"He'll be babbling more and more now."
Michael looked back at Ethan.
The baby let out another happy little sound.
"Da... ba..."
Inside Crixia's mind, however, she heard Ethan's true thoughts.
"Daddy."
"I'm trying."
Her eyes became misty.
She realized something important.
Although Ethan's mouth could only produce simple baby sounds...
His heart already knew exactly who his father was.
Michael gently touched Ethan's tiny hand.
"I heard you."
"I'll keep listening."
Ethan smiled.
"Daddy understood."
---
After Ethan finally fell asleep, Michael remained beside the crib.
Crixia quietly adjusted the baby's blanket.
"He'll learn new sounds every week now."
Michael nodded.
"I almost missed all of this."
"But you didn't."
He looked at her.
"If you hadn't come here..."
"I probably would've been at the office tonight."
He sighed softly.
"I would've missed hearing that."
Crixia smiled.
"There will be many more firsts."
"His first crawl."
"His first step."
"His first birthday."
Michael looked toward his sleeping son.
"I don't want to miss any of them."
"You won't."
---
As Crixia stepped into the hallway, Alfred approached.
"Miss Reyes."
"A delivery arrived for you."
"For me?"
"Yes."
"I wasn't expecting anything."
Alfred handed her a small brown envelope.
There was no sender's name.
Only three handwritten words.
For The Listener.
Her heartbeat quickened.
Slowly, she opened the envelope.
Inside was an old black-and-white photograph.
It showed a young woman holding a baby in her arms.
Written on the back was a single sentence.
"You're not the first."
A chill ran down Crixia's spine.
Someone knew her secret.
And whoever it was...
Had been waiting for her.
End of Chapter 10
- Writer
