When fate plays its hand

On the quiet ride home, Paul dropped Miranda off at her door. After thinking about the awkward situation. earlier, he felt the need to explain. “Mrs. Shade doesn’t mean any harm. She’s just a bit talkative and likes to gossip.”

Miranda didn’t respond. She thought that the explanation would have been better left unsaid. Fortunately, she didn’t dwell on the incident.

That evening, she followed Alaric’s instructions and kept the medicinal patch applied earlier on her ankle dry. Before bed, she used the technique he had taught her to massage her thigh.

The following morning, Miranda removed the patch and lightly pressed her ankle. To her surprise, it didn’t hurt anymore.

She rushed out and knocked on the door in front of her place. When Paul opened it, she said excitedly, Mr. Lockhart’s patch worked wonders. In just one night, my ankle isn’t swollen anymore. I can even jump around without any pain.

She worried he might not believe her and was about to demonstrate, but Paul quickly stopped her. “I believe you. No need to prove it. Mr. Lockhart said you shouldn’t stand for too long now and not put much strain on it.”

Miranda nodded and met his amused gaze. Embarrassed by her earlier antics, she touched her nose awkwardly.

Seeing her sheepish gesture, Paul couldn’t help but smile.

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By mid–January, the college began its final exam week. The exams spanned seven days, though Miranda didn’t have one scheduled every day. On her free days, she spent her time in the lab.

Once exams ended, winter break officially started. For her, though, it didn’t change much. Her routine stayed the same–leaving early and returning late every day.

The only difference was that she no longer had to attend classes, which meant her daily routine shifted from three places–home, college, and the lab–to just home and the lab.

Madison asked, “Aren’t you going to take a couple of days off after finals? You need to relax”

“I’m not taking a break. I plan to finish this phase of the experiments as soon as possible so I can start the next stage of research before Christmas.”

Madison said, “You’re such a workaholic. I want to take a short trip around Elgerson City before Christmas.”

“Go ahead. You don’t need to worry about the data. It’s not urgent.”

“But if I go with Seb, you’ll be the only one left in the lab. I’ll feel bad leaving you alone.”

“It’s okay. I’ll be fine by myself. By the way, is Sebastian going too?”

“Yeah, he volunteered to be my guide. And it’s free, so why not?” Madison wouldn’t pass up a deal like

that.

“Then, have fun,” Miranda replied.

“We haven’t decided yet. Even if we go, we must catch up on some progress first. Plus, there’s still so much to do… maybe we won’t have enough time after all.”

When the weather forecast predicted a cold front moving into the northern regions, Miranda was relieved she had bought the car early. She was also grateful that Paul had taken the time to help her practice driving every weekend.

With a patient instructor and her quick learning, she had picked up driving quickly and now managed her trips to and from the lab with ease. Her commute was much shorter, and the journey was far more comfortable.

The only downside was how early nightfall came. By the time Miranda finished her work at the lab, it was already dark. The suburban areas were quiet, with barely any cars or pedestrians in sight.