When fate plays its hand (Miranda)

Chapter 0122

Miranda grinned, standing her ground. “No way. You two look just alike with that face now.”

She held up the small figurine and gave it a playful wiggle, which made Paul laugh.

“Well, maybe not quite so much anymore.

In the end, Paul took the gift and thanked her.

“Don’t mention it. The light’s green,” Miranda said.

A BOLEIN

When Miranda got home, it was well past midnight. She’d made sure the house was spotless before she left. She’d even arranged for a cleaning service to come through before she got back.

It looked so immaculate that no one would have guessed she’d been gone for

days.

She took a shower and then collapsed onto her plush bed, sa

ing the lingering fragrance of her body wash. She closed her eyes, feeling content.

She thought home was always the coziest place no matter where she went.

Meanwhile, Paul was still awake.

His experiment was wrapping up its first phase, leaving him buried in work. Even finding time to head to the airport had been a struggle. He planned to shower, change his clothes, and head back to the lab.

As he was putting on his shoes in the foyer, he glanced up and saw the small figurine Miranda had given him. After coming home, he’d set it on a shelf above the shoe rack, in a spot cleared just for it, while the other shelves were packed with books.

He couldn’t help but smile. It really did look quite a bit like him.

1/3

Miranda pushed open her window and saw that the whole world had been covered in a

8:00 am, and the neighborhood kids were already out in groups, building snowmen on the street below. Their laughter blended with the calls of street vendors, creating a lively, down–to–earth

a row of snowmen of all shapes and sizes neatly lined up. The largest one caught her eye with

past it but then turned back, deciding to press a small carrot from her basket onto its face

farmers‘ market was fresh and reasonably priced. Miranda picked up some lean minced beef to make spicy beef tacos. The rest would go into a hearty soup, with

and quickly took off her apron to

third floor. Bonnie greeted

My daughter–in–law had a baby girl a few days ago. We made some cupcakes to celebrate

always made a point of

for her.

thanked her and

2/3

you didn’t have to do that.

not really a gift or anything.

decided to

way, your next–door–neighbor, Dr. Jefferson, is usually in and out all day. I’ve knocked a few times, but he’s never home. Could

drop off some

daughter–in–law, so she headed back

at the cupcakes in her hands. If her memory served her right,

1000 pr Paul snapped his umbrella shut giving *

complications. Even

the year wound down, filling the air with

a good night’s sleep in days. But today, the experiment’s data had finally been adjusted to safe levels. With Christmas just around the corner, he decided to

he was about to turn the door handle, he heard a noise behind

through the crack in the door, lighting up the hallway and casting a cozy glow over him. The once–dim corridor was suddenly filled with light, and Miranda’s voice, as comfting as a hearth on

third floor just became a grandmother. She brought over some cupcakes this afternoon. I have your share with me.

catch up. It wasn’t until she handed him a

a moment before he finally managed to say, in a quiet, raspy voice,”

the soup.