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Bella studied the fireman, her moonlit powers sensing the urgency in his request. She knew better than anyone the love story brewing between Jake and Layla. With a nod, she agreed, and Jake’s face lit up like a child on Christmas morning.
“Thank you, Bella,” he said, relief washing over him. “You have no idea what this means to me.”
As Layla opened her eyes, she knew what she had to do. The vision was clear: the Christmas pageant would be a turning point in their relationship. She embraced the unknown and prepared herself for the night ahead.
A few minutes later, her phone rang, and checking the screen, she saw it was Bella. “Hey you!”
“Hello! I need a favor from you...” Bella’s voice was soft, and for a moment, Layla thought about telling her she’d seen the meeting she had with Jake, but she decided to let her friend figure out how to convince her to be there instead.
“What’s that?” Layla asked, hiding a smile. She had no idea if the night would end with her and Jake officially broken up or with him having some kind of wonderful idea to keep them together. Either way, she knew she’d be there.
“Will you come to the pageant tomorrow night? I know it’s a Saturday, and I’ll totally understand if you can’t make it, but it would mean the world to me if you’d come.”
“Of course. All you ever have to do is ask, and I’ll be there.”
The following evening, as snowflakes gently fell from the sky, Layla found herself seated between Jake and Fiona at the pageant. Their fingers intertwined, their connection growing stronger with every passing moment. Layla couldn’t help but think about the future — a child of their own, perhaps, dancing and twirling under the watchful eye of Bella.
“Isn’t Bella amazing? I have no idea how she can teach so many small children to dance together!” Layla whispered to Jake, her eyes fixed on the stage as young dancers moved with grace and precision.
“Absolutely,” he replied, his voice barely audible over the music. “And so are you.”
Layla felt her cheeks flush, her heart swelling with affection for the man beside her. Could they truly make this work? But as she sat there, her hand in Jake’s, she knew that together they could face anything.
Layla loved when the older girls had their turn to dance. She felt like any of the children in front of them could dance on Broadway someday, and she loved the idea. Bella was truly making a difference in children’s lives.
As the pageant came to an end and the applause erupted around them, Layla couldn’t help but smile. It was fun to see what her friend labored so hard on, and the pageant had brightened her spirits in a way she hadn’t imagined possible.
When the final applause died down, the group made their way to a nearby Tex-Mex restaurant to celebrate. As they sat down, Bella let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness that’s over,” she said, laughing nervously. “Now I can finally relax until the spring recital.”
“Everyone did a fantastic job,” Layla told her sincerely. “You should be proud of your students.”
“Thanks, Layla,” Bella replied, touched by the compliment. “It means a lot coming from you.”
They chatted amiably over plates piled high with nachos, tacos, and enchiladas. The warmth of friendship and the spice of the food helped to chase away the chill of winter, and for a moment, Layla allowed herself to forget about her visions and the darkness that haunted their lives.
“Oh, Fiona! What are the babies?”
Fiona laughed. “They’re human. Isn’t that nice? With my propensity for talking to ghosts, I wasn’t sure they would be!”
They all laughed. “You know what I mean,” Layla said.
“They’re both girls. As I thought. And I’m thrilled.”
Max sighed. “I was hoping at least one would be a boy. Every girl needs a big brother to protect her.”
“We’ll make sure to teach them both how to defend themselves,” Jake said, obviously thinking his friendship with Max would last a long time.
“We’ll need to,” Max replied. “I want to wrap them in bubble wrap for the rest of their lives, but Fiona insists they’d suffocate. She’s such a buzzkill.”
“Let’s go for a walk after we eat,” Jake whispered into her ear as they finished their meal. “I’ve got something I want to show you.”
“All right,” she agreed, trying to quell the butterflies in her stomach. As they bundled up in coats, she couldn’t help but wonder what he had planned—and if it would bring them closer together or push them even further apart.
“Maybe,” Layla thought as they stepped out into the cold night air, “this time, the wind will carry us toward love instead of fear.”
The moon cast a silvery glow over the town square as Jake led Layla by the hand, their breaths visible in the crisp night air. The quiet hush that had settled over the area was a stark contrast to the lively Tex-Mex restaurant they had just left behind. Layla’s heart pounded in her chest, anticipating what Jake might have in store.
