Disclaimers: I own nothing or anyone associated or affiliated with WWE. I own only the original characters. This is just a fictional story that came from my imagination.
Chapter Content & Trigger Warnings: None
Note: This part of the story is labeled "Modern Day" but it actually means back in 2016 when Finn was first drafted to the main roster. And fictionally, Joe will be also drafted at the same time, even though he was actually not bumped up to the main roster until 2017.
Chapter 3
~Modern Day~
Miracle rushed down the hall, speed-walking to Stephanie McMahon's make-shift office in the DCU Center. Her red heels clacked against the concrete flooring in her haste and she finally stopped at Stephanie's door, rapping her knuckles lightly against it. Almost instantly, the door opened and Stephanie ushered her into the office.
Miracle quickly spotted Paul Levesque sitting in front of the large desk, and she flushed slightly. "I'm so sorry, you guys," she said. "Did I interrupt a meeting or anything?"
"No, no, no," Stephanie replied. "Don't worry, we were actually just chatting about our kiddos. Is that your pitch for Eva Marie," she asked, motioning to the file folder in Miracle's hands.
"Oh, yes," she handed the folder over. "I hope you like it."
"I'm sure I will," Stephanie smiled. "You have shown much potential with these little faux storylines Daddy has you writing. We all absolutely loved the idea you came up with for Dolph and the Miz."
Miracle smiled. "I was thrilled you used it."
"And I'm sure we'll love this one," Hunter spoke up. "But if it's really good and we want to use it…it probably won't be used on Eva Marie. We're just curious right now to see what you would do with each superstar."
"May I ask why it wouldn't be used on Eva Marie," Miracle asked, her forehead creasing with confusion.
"Well, she's been causing some issues backstage with the other girls," Stephanie answered carefully. "We're trying to straighten her out, but I'm not sure rewarding her with a great storyline is the way to do that."
Miracle nodded her agreement. "Good point. Well, I should get going. Still so much to do… Do you guys need anything? Coffee?"
Hunter smiled. "We're great. Thank you, Miracle. Try to take it easy. You work yourself too hard."
"Well, I know we're short-handed," Miracle said softly. "Especially tonight—what with the draft and everything." She self-consciously straightened at the elegant red dress she wore for the show's occasion. "I still need to go to make-up, and get my face touched up for the interviews later on."
"Well, go get that taken care of, and then see what tasks you have left. Take it one step at a time. Don't overburden yourself," Stephanie said warmly. "We want you to be healthy."
Flushing, Miracle nodded. Embarrassment flooded her gaze. "I should get going. Good luck with the show tonight," she smiled softly and left the room, clicking the door shut behind her.
She fought tears as much as she fought the humiliation. She hated being seen as a liability. I wish someone would see me as a whole person, she thought sadly. I wish everyone would stop treating me like I'm made out of glass. She rolled her eyes at herself then. "Maybe I am made out of glass," she thought out loud, remembering how her heart had been affecting her the past few months. Her cardiologist had prescribed her nitroglycerin tablets along with her normal medication to stop the chest pains she was suffering from. Shaking her head to clear it, Miracle continued her way down the long winding hallway to the area where the make-up artist had been assigned.
"Hi, Emmy," she greeted, when she spotted the WWE's best make-up artist in a make-shift booth. As she approached closer, she saw she already had Drew McIntyre in her chair applying some powder to his face. "Oh, sorry, guys. I'm interrupting people left and right today!"
"No biggie, Miracle," Emmy chuckled and glanced up at her, smiling. "I'm almost finished with Drew here, and then I'll get you touched up."
"You're finally almost done with me," Drew asked playfully. "As good as I look, I'd think I would require less work than ten minutes worth."
"Oh, no, you look amazing," Emmy said, and then flushed drastically. "I mean, you don't require a lot of work. At all. You must take great care of yourself. I… I'm… I'm absolutely scarlet, aren't I," she asked, fanning her hand at her burning face.
"Yeah. You are," Drew said, a twinkle in his sapphire-colored eyes. "But it suits you." He stood to his feet when she indicated she was finished with him. "Maybe I should cause you to blush more often."
Miracle watched the interaction between the two, and wondered how long it had been going on. Drew chuckled softly, then exited the booth, patting Miracle on the shoulder, "Good luck with the interviews tonight, Miracle."
"Thank you, Drew." Miracle took her seat in the booth and closed her eyes as Emmy began adding to her eye liner. "So, what's going on with you two? Why do I have the feeling you two have been flirting with each other for quite a while?"
She heard a slight clatter of cosmetic materials before Emmy answered.
"It's nothing, really. We're just playing around. Drew's still so fresh from his divorce, I think he's just enjoying his freedom." Miracle felt the brush return to her lash line. "Besides, I think he'd go for a sophisticated type of woman. Someone… blonder, maybe?"
"Emmy, your hair color is gorgeous," Miracle said. "It's a beautiful shade of-"
"Brown," Emmy cut in. "Plain, old brown."
"I was going to say chestnut, or burnt sienna."
"So, are you excited about the show?"
"Change of subject, noted," Miracle chuckled. "Yes, I'm very excited. I'm hoping Daddy will finally get drafted. It would be so amazing to be able to interview him on live television!"
"I hope he does too," Emmy said, smiling. She began adding a little contouring and highlighting to Miracle's cheekbones. "He's awesome. I've watched him and AJ Styles ever since they debuted on TNA. Vince would be nuts to not bump him up yet."
Miracle grew quiet, realizing that Finn could possibly be bumped up as well. How will I face him? How will I interview him without looking awkward? Her heart began to pound slightly with the new worry.
She'd never gotten in contact with him two years before, when Joe told her Finn was at NXT as well.
"He said to tell you that if you'd stop by and see him that he'd love to explain to you why his phone-" Joe started.
"I can't. I just can't, Daddy," she'd cut in, sadness in her eyes. "I have a feeling what he's going to say...that he just gave me his number to be nice. And... I just don't have the courage to face it right now. It'd be like going through it all over again. Losing his friendship all over again—only worse."
"Are you okay, Miracle," Emmy asked. "You went sort of pale."
Miracle immediately nodded, coming back to the present. "Yes. I'm fine. I just need to eat something, probably."
"Okay. Well, I'm done. You look beautiful, as always."
"Thanks to you," Miracle smiled. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Pffffft. You don't need me to look good, and you know it."
The two said their goodbyes, and Miracle looked through her to-do list on her tablet.
"Let's see…" Her phone rang and she quickly answered it. "This is Miracle."
"Miracle, it's Mike. Where are mine and Maryse's iced caramel macchiatos?"
Seriously, she thought. "Mike? I have no idea. I didn't know I was supposed to-"
"We ALWAYS have iced caramel macchiatos!"
"Mike, I don't have time. I have the interviews tonight, and-"
"There's a Starbucks two blocks away. I'm sure you have plenty of time. Now go get our macchiatos!"
He hung up and Miracle was left staring at her phone. "It's times like this I wish I wasn't so prideful and would be more open about my heart problem," she thought out loud. The only people at her job she let know about her heart condition were the McMahon's and Hunter, as well as the doctors so they'd be prepared to treat her, if needed. She'd also let Renee and the other correspondents know in case they needed to fill in for her at times. But as for the talent, she kept it quiet around them. "Okay, Miz, she hissed under her breath, as she headed for the building's exit. "You'll get your stupid coffee."
Minutes later, she was out on the sidewalk walking the two blocks to Starbucks as quickly as she could. It took her a good ten minutes to walk the short distance as busy and crowded as the sidewalk was. Not to mention—her three inch stilettos didn't make the trek any easier either.
By the time she reached the Starbucks, her pulse was racing, but she knew she had no time to worry about it. She went inside to order the two coffees and then paid for them, eager to get outside and get back to the DCU center. Within another fifteen minutes, Miracle was finally back inside the arena, and heading back to the dressing rooms to give Mike Mizannin his precious coffee.
She reached the door labeled "The Miz and Maryse" and knocked. When the door opened, she handed the coffees over to Mike and didn't wait for a response. Beginning to feel over-fatigued she turned on her heel and walked away.
Her intention was to head over to the trainer's office and take some of her medication. But she didn't get the chance as she heard:
"Miracle!"
She looked further down the hallway, where a crew member was flagging her down.
"What is it," she called, fighting to keep the tiredness out of her voice.
"You're needed at the backstage set. The show's starting, and the interviews won't be far behind."
"O-okay, thanks," she called back. Reluctantly, she headed for the set instead, and began trying to calm her heart and her nerves, sans medication.
}i{}i{}i{}i{
Joe and Finn sat together in the NXT section of the room backstage while they and all the rosters watched the draft take place.
"Good luck to you, man," Joe told Finn as they listened to Stephanie McMahon announce that RAW was about to draft two NXT superstars. "If you get drafted… I don't know of anyone who deserves it more."
Finn looked over at him with a crooked grin. "Likewise, brot'er," he said, his Irish burr coming through thicker than usual. Nerves were definitely a problem for him at the moment. "Ya've worked as hard as the rest of us, and harder than some. Ya deserve y'r shot."
They smiled at each other again, "too-sweeted", and then turned their attention to the large television. They watched as Stephanie McMahon gestured to the Titantron for the result of the draft.
Joe's breath whooshed out when he saw his own graphic appear on the huge screen. The whole room erupted in cheers, but the loudest cheers came from the NXT section.
"Ya did it, brother," Finn clapped him on the back. "Congratulations!"
"Oh, my God," Joe laughed, clearly elated.
"Joe."
Hunter had appeared in the doorway. "Come with me. You've got an interview to do."
Grinning happily, Joe got up and followed Hunter down the hallway to a set backstage.
"It won't air on television," Hunter told him quietly as they neared the cameras. "It'll be on the Network. We don't want you to appear on live television till Monday night so it'll have more of an impact."
Suddenly, Joe was standing in front of his daughter, tears sparkling in her eyes.
"So, Dad," she started with a smile. It was no secret that she was Samoa Joe's daughter, so there was no need for her to be so formal with him. "What is going to be your goal upon your debut on RAW Monday night?"
Joe smiled proudly at his daughter, and then looked into the camera as he answered. "I'm, of course, going after the WWE Championship should it still be on RAW after Battleground. If not, I will go after whatever world title the brand comes up with. But aside from all that…" He sported his famous "Samoa Joe smirk". "I'm going to enjoy making people hurt."
}i{}i{}i{}i{
"Now," Stephanie said loudly into the mic. "RAW will be drafting two NXT superstars! And RAW's first pick from NXT is…"
Miracle watched from backstage as Stephanie then gestured melodramatically to the Titantron, which was being used to showcase the draftees.
An instant later, Joe's graphic popped up on the huge screen. The whole arena blew up with excitement.
"Oh, my God," Miracle exclaimed. Tears instantly started welling up in her eyes. "Oh, no! Are the cameras rolling yet," she asked, trying to staunch the tears before they became obvious.
"You've got a few seconds, Miracle," one of the cameramen said. "Just try to hang on a little longer. Then you can cry and hug your dad all you want," he smiled warmly.
"Yes, exactly. The show comes first," she reminded herself. "The show comes first. The show comes first."
Joe appeared down the hall with Hunter, both making their way toward them.
"Okay, Miracle… We're rolling in three… two…" The cameraman then motioned that they were filming and Miracle stepped into character, so to speak.
"So, Dad," she said smiling, and still fighting tears back. "What is going to be your goal upon your debut on RAW Monday night?"
Joe smiled lovingly at her, but then turned to the camera and "Dad" was gone. The Samoan Submission Machine had arrived. "I'm, of course, going after the WWE Championship should it still be on RAW after Battleground. If not, I will go after whatever world title the brand comes up with. But aside from all that… I'm going to enjoy making people hurt."
He sauntered off then, and left Miracle smiling happily. Maybe with his parting words she shouldn't have been smiling, but she couldn't help it. Her father was just drafted to RAW!
"And our second draft from NXT…"
Miracle looked up at the monitor just as Finn's graphic popped up on the Titantron.
Her pulse accelerated instantly at just the sight of him, and then her heart skipped a couple beats.
You can do this, Miracle, she gave herself a pep talk while she waited on Finn to arrive for his interview. He was always kind. He isn't going to act weirdly around you, or be mean.
"Miracle? Are you okay, sweetie?"
She looked across the hallway to see two of her fellow correspondents, Renee Young and Charly Caruso eyeing her with concern.
There was always one or two correspondents teamed up with Miracle when she worked because of her heart condition. Her pulse was so unpredictable at times that she had to take an abrupt break from interviews and backstage segments.
"Miracle?"
Charly's voice snapped the younger reporter out of her thoughts. Miracle watched as Renee took a step toward her. "You look a bit paler than usual."
Finally, she gave what she hoped was a convincing smile. "Yes, I am fine, guys, thank you. I'm just getting really excited about these drafts!"
Renee watched her friend closely for a minute, as if she suspected Miracle of playing down her condition. At last, she gave her a little nod, and resumed her conversation with Charly.
Miracle let out a sigh of relief when her friends turned their attention from her. She was grateful for the other correspondents' concern, but at the same time felt like a liability due to it. She had no more time to dwell on the thought as she heard footsteps approaching from around the corner, along with a couple of male voices—one of which was unmistakably Irish. Only a moment later, Finn stood before her. Her pulse seemed to double its pace.
"You will be interviewed here and then you are done for the night," Hunter was telling him. "And I realize you weren't expecting any of this tonight, so don't worry about mistakes, because it isn't live. It will be edited and aired only on the Network."
After receiving a nod of understanding from the Irishman, Hunter hurried back to sit with his NXT crew for when the next draftees got called up.
Then Finn's bright blue eyes were on her; scanning over her face and down the full length of her body, then back up to her face. By the time his gaze reached hers again, her chest was nearly heaving. And not solely due to her heart's irregular pattern.
"Miracle Seanoa. So grown up," he finally murmured, staring into her eyes with a soft smile.
She returned his smile with a shaky one of her own as she took in his appearance. He was... so different, yet still the same. He seemed taller than she remembered, his hair was cut shorter, and he'd grown a beard. The last time she saw him, he was pretty much clean shaven save for a little bit of scruff.
I love the beard, she realized, fighting the strong urge to reach up and touch it. Finn had been gorgeous years ago, but now he was absolutely breathtaking. Not to mention he was bulkier, and... Oh my God—his abs! His shoulders, she thought, her face burning. They are so... chiseled. She quickly shot her gaze back up to his and caught the slight smirk on his face. And now, he knows I have been ogling him. She mentally facepalmed.
"Uh... Guys?" One of the cameramen spoke up. "We're rolling."
"Oh, right," Miracle finally managed to speak, and struggled to ignore the twinge of pain she felt in her chest. I just need to get through Finn's interview, then I'll have Renee or Charly take over while I go get some of my meds. She lifted her mic to her lips. "Congratulations on being brought up to the main roster, Finn. How does it feel to be faced with so many more opportunities?"
"It feels amazin', Miracle," Finn replied, brushing his fingers over his beard. "This is somet'ing I've worked very hard for, and f'r a very long time. It's a dream come true."
She smiled at him even as a sharp ache ricocheted though her chest. "I am sure like many of the other draftees you plan on going after the WWE title. There obviously can be only one champion, so what will your strategy be in order to be that one?"
Finn pulled no punches when he answered. "I will mow down whoever I hafta. And I just might have to embrace my inner… demon."
Miracle lowered her mic and smiled over at the cameramen. "I think that will do it, guys." She glanced over at Renee and Charly. "Would... Would one of you mind standing in for a bit? I need..." She swallowed hard and coughed lightly trying to regulate the rhythm of her heart. "I need some of my meds."
"Miracle," Renee scolded lightly. "I knew I should have listened to my instincts. This is my-"
"Not your fault," Miracle shot back, rubbing her hand over her chest. "I needed to do this—to pull my own weight."
"You do that, and then some," Charly cut in with her own two-cents worth. "I will go with you, okay? To make sure you get there all right." She turned to Renee then. "Is that okay with you?"
Before the blond could answer however, Finn spoke up. "I will go wit' her."
"But you don't know what's wrong with her," Renee started, her voice going slightly shrill in her concern. Her friend's heart condition never failed to frighten her. "She needs-"
"I've known 'er since she was a young girl," Finn softly interrupted the correspondent. "It's her heart, yeah?"
"Um... Guys?" Miracle waved at the three of them to get their attention. "She is right here. You can address me directly, you know." She sounded too cheerful, she realized. But she didn't want them worrying. She could hear the near panic in Renee's voice already and felt horrible for it. "I am fine. Don't worry about me." She forced a smile and turned to leave for the trainer's office. She only went a couple steps further down the hallway, when she heard Finn's voice say something to the older reporters about finding "her da". A few seconds later, she saw him out of her peripheral vision walking beside her. "Really," she started, her voice growing a bit frantic. The pains were becoming sharper and closer together, and consequently, more difficult to hide. She avoided his gaze. "You don't have to follow me." Her steps faltered a moment, and she struggled to get enough oxygen.
"I know I don't, lass," he murmured quietly. "But let me, f'r my own piece of mind, okay?"
Finally, she stopped walking altogether and stooped over, bracing her hands against her knees in an attempt to rest and get some air into her lungs. "Please, Finn..." She panted, and resorted to swallowing her pride just enough to beg. "I don't want you... to see me l-like this." Before she could stop them, tears burned her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. "Humiliating..." she uttered under her breath.
He was just about to speak, no doubt to tell her she had nothing to feel humiliated for, when her head grew fuzzy. Her vision blurred, and she fell forward onto her hands and knees with a pained whimper.
"Miracle! Sweetheart?"
She heard Finn's voice, filled with urgency, right next to her ear. His arms went around her and gently tugged her to her feet. "Are ya alright, lass?"
The floor moved underneath her, or at least it felt that way. She stumbled forward against Finn's chest. "Need it to stop." Her breathless voice was soft, but he managed to hear her regardless.
"You need what to stop, honey?" His arms tightened around her and held her up securely.
"Spinning..." she barely managed. She brought a hand up toward her chest. "Hurts..." Her unfocused gaze lifted to his. "The trainer... He holds some of my heart meds for me..." She tensed suddenly, curling her fingers into her chest. "Oh... Lord, please..."
"Miracle... honey?" Finn stooped to lift her up, intent on getting her to the trainer in a hurry, when her legs buckled. He quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and underneath her knees, then cradled her against his chest as he jogged down the hall.
Finn turned the corner, and finally reached the trainer's make-shift office. Darting inside, he didn't bother to greet the trainer. "We need some help here," he said as he walked over to a cot and gently deposited Miracle's limp frame onto it. "She has a heart condit-"
"I know about it," the trainer cut him off as he headed to his medical cabinets. "I'll need you to leave while I check her over and see what she needs."
"She needs 'er medicine," Finn replied, following the trainer. He didn't like the look of challenge on the man's face. "And I'm not leavin' 'er. Ye'll regret it if ya try t' make me."
He seemed to ignore Finn's threat and tossed out a couple of questions while he placed an oximeter on her finger. "Was she struggling to breathe? Chest pains?"
Finn nodded, and looked down at Miracle's unconscious form. "Yes. Help her. Please."
The trainer looked at the oximeter and nodded. "Her O2 level is only at seventy-eight percent. I'll give her some oxygen," the trainer reported, snatching up a packaged face mask. He had it opened and attached to an oxygen tank within seconds. "When she wakes up I'll give her some of her meds." He placed the mask over her nose and mouth and then adjusted the elastic straps around her ears.
"Shouldn't she go t' d'a hospital?"
The trainer shook his head as he headed over to his medical cabinets again. He opened a drawer and pulled out a couple of disposable medication cups, as well as a couple of medicine bottles and placed a pill in each cup. "No. Her O2 is low, but not dangerously so. The oxygen tank will bring it back up to a normal level pretty quickly. She has these spells fairly frequently. She'll be fine in a few minutes."
Finn nodded apprehensively and took Miracle's limp hand in his, anxious for her to wake up.
He didn't have long to wait. Within minutes, her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him groggily. "Finn..." she slurred softly through the oxygen mask.
"Shh..." Finn reached up and brushed some hair away from her face. "Ye're all right now, lass."
The trainer came over to her then with the medicine cups in his hand as well as a bottle of water and tugged the mask from her face. "Here, Miracle." He all but nudged Finn out of the way. "Take your pill, sweetie, and then you can put this nitroglycerin under your tongue."
Nodding weakly, Miracle let Finn help her to sit up and then swallowed the little white pill down. Then she quickly placed the sublingual tablet under her tongue as Finn gently laid her back down against the pillow.
The trainer once again tried to get Finn to leave. "I really need to check her vitals. You should leave and give her some privacy for a few minutes."
"Finn stays, Gerald," Miracle weakly reprimanded the trainer, as she sat up on the cot. "He is a friend I've not seen in years, and if he has to leave…then so do I." She swung her legs over the side of the cot and prepared to stand, but that was as far as she got.
"Miracle." Finn scolded her gently as he helped her lay back on the cot again and urged her back against the pillow. "Ye're not goin' anywhere, lass."
"And neither are you," she added, a stubborn jut to her chin despite the fatigue in her onyx-colored eyes.
"Neither am I," he repeated, brushing his thumb over her cheekbone. He looked up at Gerald then with a hard glare. "I'm stayin' right here. I may not be a medic or doctor, but I know enough t' know that there are no vital signs ya need t' take that requires her clothing t' come off."
"Fine," the trainer grumbled, sliding his stethoscope from his shoulders and placing the ear-pieces in his ears. Finn and Miracle remained quiet as he listened to her heart and lungs. Then he checked her oximeter again. "You are doing better, but you should probably rest here for a bit, and get a little more oxygen into your system."
Miracle nodded in agreement as Gerald secured the oxygen mask over her face once more. "I'll be back in a few minutes to check on you again." Then he left the room, but not before giving Finn another disapproving glare.
Once he was gone, Finn took her hand in his again. "Feelin' better," he asked in a whisper; his gaze hopeful.
She nodded, her eyes growing heavy. "Yes. But I'm sleepy. I'm always so exhausted after one of these spells."
"Do you get them a lot," he asked her.
She shrugged slightly, avoiding his gaze. "It's been a little worse as of late. Today was a bad one. They're not normally this debilitating, but I had so much to do today. And then Mike…" She rolled her eyes.
"Who," Finn asked. "Mike? As in Mike Mizannin?"
She nodded sleepily with a small yawn.
"What did 'ee do," he demanded gently.
"He sent me after a stupid coffee for him and Maryse. I had only a half hour before the show, and the creep ordered me to walk to Starbucks. I'd just gotten back and was going to take my meds when I was called for the interviews."
Finn's jaw clenched in anger. "Does 'ee know 'bout y'r heart?"
Miracle fought off a smile at the way his accent thickened when he grew angry or concerned. She shook her head instead. It was amazing to her how they could carry on a conversation as if it had not been years since they last spoke. "I only told people about it who needed to know."
"Well, lass, 'ee apparently qualifies as needin' t' know."
"But, Finn… No…"
"He'll keep doing this to ya, if ya let 'im. Let me handle it, yeah?"
Reluctantly, Miracle nodded. "I'm too tired to argue, to be honest."
"Get some rest, sweetheart. I'm going to have a l'il talk with Mikey, and I also need to find your Da and tell him what happened. Then, I can take ya back to your hotel room if ya want."
"You're going to talk to Mike, huh," she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Would this talk involve a fist?"
Finn shook his head. "No, li'l lass. It's going to involve two fists." He leaned down and brushed his lips over her forehead. "Get some rest. I'll come back for you soon."
"Promise?" She whispered the plea, gazing up into his blue eyes.
"Geallaim agam—I promise," he replied softly. "'Cause we have a lot t' catch up on, don't we?" At her nod, he squeezed her hand, then turned and walked out of the room just as Gerald was returning.
Miracle felt so much better with Finn back in her life—as if a lost piece of her heart had returned. She nervously fiddled with the Irish Claddagh ring she wore on her left ring finger.
She'd gotten the ring for herself years ago, and researched how to wear them to signify one's marital status. She wore hers with the heart pointing toward her on her left ring finger—which indicated she was married. And while she wasn't, of course, she knew she'd never love anyone but Finn.
"So what was with him," Gerald asked, brushing his dark, shoulder-length hair out of his eyes. "He seems awfully possessive of you to be brand new to the roster."
"I knew him a while back," Miracle replied softly. "He saved my life a long time ago. And I'm so glad to see him again. We were friends—I've missed him terribly."
Gerald smiled, but the gesture failed to reach his eyes, "Well, I'm happy for you. You need some extra happiness in your life. Similar to what a sugar-free decaf latte can bring?"
Miracle chuckled at their shared bond over coffee. "Definitely."
The first time Gerald met Miracle, she'd commented how wonderful his cup of coffee smelled. However, she knew on her heart-healthy diet, she couldn't consume any caffeine and she avoided sugar as much as possible. So, the next day, Gerald presented her with a sugar-free decaffeinated latte. Every time they worked the same shows, it became a little tradition that Gerald would bring her a special latte.
"Well, then I'll have you one tomorrow. You are working the house show tomorrow, right?"
Miracle nodded. "Yes, if I'm feeling better, I'll be there."
"I look forward to it," Gerald replied. He leaned down and kissed her cheek.
Growing slightly uncomfortable, Miracle made a point of yawning. She'd always felt as though Gerald had feelings for her other than friendship, but she never encouraged him. She felt only friendship with him, and wanted him to feel the same way toward her.
"I'll let you get a little sleep," Gerald said, and Miracle could've sworn she heard a tone of bitterness in his voice. He left the room, and she finally relaxed—asleep in only minutes.
Translations:
"Geallaim agam" ~ "I promise"