Epilogue: Mark’s Miracle
When Mark spoke of leaving and heading home the day after Christmas, the notion was fiercely vetoed by everyone in the house—including little Eli.
At first, Mark had thought he might feel like a third wheel when Graham came into the picture, but that hadn’t been the case. Rather than splitting off as “couples”, leaving Mark as the odd man out, the five of them did everything as a family unit.
Though Micah was staying at Graham’s place, the two men spent most of the week following Christmas over at Nick and Wendy’s, and Micah treated Mark as a true friend would. They had their moments alone as well in which Micah continued to encourage him about Jeff. He insisted that just because he hadn’t heard anything about the wedding, didn’t mean it was still on.
On Christmas day, Mark had called Janine to wish her Merry Christmas, but he didn’t ask about Jeff. And she didn’t bring him up—which gave Mark cause for worry. But as Micah later pointed out, maybe his sister simply didn’t know what was going on with the wedding.
In Mark’s own mind, though, he reasoned that if Jeff did still care for him—and called off the wedding—then surely, he would have contacted Janine and asked to be put in touch with Mark.
It was difficult to fully enjoy his remaining days with his new “family” as his anxieties concerning Jeff mounted.
Mark finally packed his things and got ready to leave on December thirtieth. He told Micah that he wanted to spend New Year’s Eve with Janine. The others in the house said their reluctant goodbyes and Micah walked with him to his car, then hugged him for a long moment.
“Keep the faith,” he whispered.
Mark drew back and smiled, his eyes heavy. “I will. But I have to face the fact that maybe there’s no miracle for me. Not everyone gets one.” His smile warmed, and he cupped Micah’s neck. “But I am so happy you got yours. Graham is an amazing man and I know the two of you will be happy together for the rest of your lives.”
“You will be happy, too,” Micah said softly. “I feel it—in here.” He flattened his palm over his heart. “For real.”
“I hope so,” Mark whispered. “But if I go home and learn that the wedding is still on, then I have to trust that God knows what he’s doing and knows what’s best for me. I can’t let myself get angry or bitter or depressed if Jeff doesn’t come back to me.” He fell silent, his eyes drifting to the slushy concrete, a faint smile touching his lips. “You know what he used to call me?” he murmured. “His pet name for me?”
Micah smiled. “What?”
Mark raised his head. “I’ve never told anyone this, not even Janine.” He swallowed thickly and laughed quietly, his throat hurting. “He called me his…Pooh Bear.” Mark looked off across the street. “It was a secret that he told only to me—that he still liked to watch Winnie the Pooh.”
“Pooh Bear.” Micah smiled softly. “That’s cute.”
“It was,” Mark whispered, his smile fading. “It made me feel special to him.”
“Hey.” Micah touched his face. “Don’t give up. It isn’t over…till it’s over. Remember what Nick said about God working behind the scenes? Just because we don’t see it taking shape, it doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.”
Mark liked that thought and was encouraged by it. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He smiled and hugged Micah. “Don’t be a stranger.”
“Never,” Micah whispered. “You either.” He stepped back and smiled. “Wendy informed me that they have officially adopted you into our family. So, that means regular visits and calls, and definitely showing up for the holidays.”
Mark chuckled quietly. “Okay.”
Micah leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips. “Thank you for thebenefits,”he said softly. “And just so you know…you own a piece of my heart.” He smiled warmly. “And I’m okay with that.”
Mark blinked. “You own a piece of my heart as well.”
“I’ll cherish it always.”
They hugged again, and Micah stood on the sidewalk in front of the house and watched while Mark drove away.
After an hour’s drive alone with his troubling thoughts, he arrived at the airport and turned in the rental car. A half an hour later, he was on the plane. As time ticked away and the flight took him closer to home, what “hope” Micah had inspired in him began to waver. He wished he could just return to his apartment and not have to go back home, though he missed his sister. But too much heartache lived there.
You promised Janine that you would spend New Year’s Eve with her.
He sighed and tried to sleep the remainder of the flight but couldn’t turn his mind off long enough for slumber to take him.
When the plane touched down, he worked up his happy face, ready to face his sister when she picked him up at the airport. It was a strain maintaining the appearance of high spirits and knew he wouldn’t fool Janine in the least.
Mark shuffled off the plane with the other passengers and headed for baggage claim. As soon as he entered the terminal, he thought about Micah and Graham’smoment…and the miracle of their love. His vision blurred, and he tried to blink it back to focus as he found his bags and moved out of the way of the other people.
He didn’t begrudge Micah and Graham their miracle. They had both dealt with troubled lives and painful pasts. They deserved every bit of joy and happiness they could get.
