Okay, so here's the *real* resolution to the cliffhanger ...
"Miranda!" she heard Declan's voice calling as she was about to leave. She wanted to ignore him and go straight to the road, where she could think, but she stopped herself, and let him find her.
"Miranda," Declan said as he came in sight through the thick morning fog.
Miranda looked up at him.
"Please don't leave," he said. She could see the sincerity in his face, and hear it in his words, but she couldn't stay.
"I have to go," she replied.
"Why?"
Such a simple question should be easy to answer, but it was hard for Miranda. She couldn't just come out and say it. She kept silent.
"Miranda . . . " Declan trailed off for a second, "You can talk to me. I'm your friend. Just please tell me what's going on."
"Last night I was in the park . . . " She could tell that Declan already knew what she was saying, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I just . . . "
"It's okay, Miranda," Declan said comfortingly, even though he wasn't helping very much.
She continued, "I just know that if I stay, I'll get in the way. I just know it."
"What do you mean?" Declan asked, "Why would you get in the way?"
"Because I . . . " she caught herself. She couldn't tell him. She didn't want to get in the way of his relationship with Peggy, and if she told him her feelings . . .
"What?" Declan asked.
"Never mind," Miranda mumbled.
"What?" Declan asked again.
"Declan . . . " she said, giving him a pained look.
There was a silence for a moment.
"Look, Miranda," Declan finally said, "Peggy and I are throwing a dinner party tonight. We'd really like you to come."
Miranda was silent once again.
"Just one more day," he pleaded.
"I don't know . . . "
"Please?" He asked. He had once again put on his unbearably adorable puppy-dog face.
Miranda let out a sigh. "Okay,"
Declan smiled. "Do you want help with your stuff?" he asked, nodding to the suitcase that were stored in the little trailer behind her motorcycle.
"Sure," Miranda smiled weakly. She still wanted to leave, but she would stay for one more day, just because he asked her to.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Miranda got out of the cab that had taken her to Peggy's house and paid the driver. She had decided that she wouldn't ride her motorcycle in a dress, which she had packed in her suitcase just in case. She walked up the steps to the door and rang the doorbell.
After a few seconds, Peggy answered the door. "Miranda," she said, "I'm so glad you could make it."
"Yeah, me too," Miranda said as she stepped inside the house.
As it turned out, she had arrived just in time for dinner to start. There were five of them there: Declan, Peggy, Declan's mother, Peggy's mother, and, of course, Miranda. They were all dressed elegantly. Even Declan had a tuxedo on, even though it was just a little wrinkled.
"I guess you're all wondering why we invited you here," Declan said, throwing a sly wink in Miranda's direction. Miranda couldn't help but smile. Both of the mothers exchanged confused looks.
"We have an announcement to make," Peggy continued in Declan's place, a glow of excitement rising in her face, "Declan and I are engaged."
"Oh, that's wonderful, sweetie!" Declan's mother exclaimed as she rose from her seat and gave her son a big hug.
"Ma . . . " Declan said, a little embarrassed.
All the while, Miranda was trying to put on a convincing 'surprised act,' but failing miserably because she couldn't help showing a broad grin.
Peggy's mother sat in her seat, wiping a tear of joy from the corner of her eye. After the excitement had passed, she said quietly, "I'm so glad that you found someone you're happy with,"
Miranda wasn't usually the person who would propose a toast, but she felt compelled to do so at this moment.
"I'd like to propose a toast," she said as she stood up in front of the other four people, holding her wine glass.
Everyone waited expectantly.
"To my two best friends, and their new life together."
Wine glasses clinked and everyone drank.
As Miranda sat back down in her seat, she realized something. Seeing Declan and Peggy together didn't give her that ache inside that had grown so familiar. Instead, she felt truly happy for them. It had taken her a long time, but she had finally learned to accept it.
I could probably leave it at that couldn't I? But what about Jackson? No, I'm not finished with him yet :) You'll see :)
"Miranda!" she heard Declan's voice calling as she was about to leave. She wanted to ignore him and go straight to the road, where she could think, but she stopped herself, and let him find her.
"Miranda," Declan said as he came in sight through the thick morning fog.
Miranda looked up at him.
"Please don't leave," he said. She could see the sincerity in his face, and hear it in his words, but she couldn't stay.
"I have to go," she replied.
"Why?"
Such a simple question should be easy to answer, but it was hard for Miranda. She couldn't just come out and say it. She kept silent.
"Miranda . . . " Declan trailed off for a second, "You can talk to me. I'm your friend. Just please tell me what's going on."
"Last night I was in the park . . . " She could tell that Declan already knew what she was saying, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I just . . . "
"It's okay, Miranda," Declan said comfortingly, even though he wasn't helping very much.
She continued, "I just know that if I stay, I'll get in the way. I just know it."
"What do you mean?" Declan asked, "Why would you get in the way?"
"Because I . . . " she caught herself. She couldn't tell him. She didn't want to get in the way of his relationship with Peggy, and if she told him her feelings . . .
"What?" Declan asked.
"Never mind," Miranda mumbled.
"What?" Declan asked again.
"Declan . . . " she said, giving him a pained look.
There was a silence for a moment.
"Look, Miranda," Declan finally said, "Peggy and I are throwing a dinner party tonight. We'd really like you to come."
Miranda was silent once again.
"Just one more day," he pleaded.
"I don't know . . . "
"Please?" He asked. He had once again put on his unbearably adorable puppy-dog face.
Miranda let out a sigh. "Okay,"
Declan smiled. "Do you want help with your stuff?" he asked, nodding to the suitcase that were stored in the little trailer behind her motorcycle.
"Sure," Miranda smiled weakly. She still wanted to leave, but she would stay for one more day, just because he asked her to.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Miranda got out of the cab that had taken her to Peggy's house and paid the driver. She had decided that she wouldn't ride her motorcycle in a dress, which she had packed in her suitcase just in case. She walked up the steps to the door and rang the doorbell.
After a few seconds, Peggy answered the door. "Miranda," she said, "I'm so glad you could make it."
"Yeah, me too," Miranda said as she stepped inside the house.
As it turned out, she had arrived just in time for dinner to start. There were five of them there: Declan, Peggy, Declan's mother, Peggy's mother, and, of course, Miranda. They were all dressed elegantly. Even Declan had a tuxedo on, even though it was just a little wrinkled.
"I guess you're all wondering why we invited you here," Declan said, throwing a sly wink in Miranda's direction. Miranda couldn't help but smile. Both of the mothers exchanged confused looks.
"We have an announcement to make," Peggy continued in Declan's place, a glow of excitement rising in her face, "Declan and I are engaged."
"Oh, that's wonderful, sweetie!" Declan's mother exclaimed as she rose from her seat and gave her son a big hug.
"Ma . . . " Declan said, a little embarrassed.
All the while, Miranda was trying to put on a convincing 'surprised act,' but failing miserably because she couldn't help showing a broad grin.
Peggy's mother sat in her seat, wiping a tear of joy from the corner of her eye. After the excitement had passed, she said quietly, "I'm so glad that you found someone you're happy with,"
Miranda wasn't usually the person who would propose a toast, but she felt compelled to do so at this moment.
"I'd like to propose a toast," she said as she stood up in front of the other four people, holding her wine glass.
Everyone waited expectantly.
"To my two best friends, and their new life together."
Wine glasses clinked and everyone drank.
As Miranda sat back down in her seat, she realized something. Seeing Declan and Peggy together didn't give her that ache inside that had grown so familiar. Instead, she felt truly happy for them. It had taken her a long time, but she had finally learned to accept it.
I could probably leave it at that couldn't I? But what about Jackson? No, I'm not finished with him yet :) You'll see :)