Miracle

  ~~***~~

  Lyra had practice that afternoon so she drove straight to Barty’s house after school.

  “I’m not supposed to help you with your audition material,” Barty told her as she pulled out her music books.

  Lyra looked up at him disappointed.

  “But, there’s no harm in listening to you play through it and offering a bit of advice—one professional to another.” He smiled slyly.

  Lyra chuckled, relieved. “I’m glad you think so because I need some professional advice about the allegro section in Spring.”

  The rest of the week passed quickly. Lyra was consumed with thoughts and fears of the audition. Before she was ready for it to be here, it was Friday night. Her parents were meeting friends at the club for dinner so she had the house to herself. After a quick walk with Harry and a grilled ham and cheese, Lyra started practicing.

  She was having the most trouble with the second technical exercise. She played it perfectly with her metronome set on 85 beats per minute, but the piece was supposed to be played at around 90. She sighed. Better to play it slow and well, than fast but sloppy.

  She took a break around seven o’clock and soaked for a while in the tub. Slowly the hot water worked its magic and her muscles began to relax. When the water cooled she got out and dressed in a red jersey pajama set.

  She walked back into the bedroom combing her hair and saw a face at her window. She screamed. Harry, who had been dozing on his pillow, jumped up and began barking furiously. Before the scream died in Lyra’s throat she realized it was Jonah. She closed her eyes and put her hand over her heart, which was racing ninety to nothing.

  Jonah lifted the sill. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  Harry, now barking in enthusiasm to see Jonah, ran over and began licking his face.

  Lyra walked over, pushed Harry out of the way, and lifted the sill higher. She would be forever grateful that she’d dressed in the bathroom.

  “Can I come in?”

  “Sure.”

  Jonah lithely climbed through the window and shut it behind him. It was near freezing outside. He turned around and looked her over from head to toe. A smile worked at his lips.

  “You look adorable.”

  Lyra blushed with embarrassment and pleasure. “What are you doing here? And why did you climb up to my window? I would have heard the doorbell.”

  Jonah shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it onto her bed. “Well, it didn’t look like your parents were home and I hated to make you go all the way downstairs just to answer the door.” He grinned. “Plus, it was fun.”

  Jonah sat down on the floor and was nearly bowled over by Harry. They wrestled around playfully. Lyra joined them on the floor, her back against the side of her bed. It was strange having him there, but wonderful. After a few minutes Harry quieted and stretched out beside them.

  Jonah met Lyra’s gaze. “Do you mind that I came over?”

  “No! I’m just surprised. I’m glad you’re here.”

  “I thought you might be nervous tonight and maybe want some company.”

  Lyra’s heart skipped a beat. “You were right—on both counts. I’ve been practicing, but I can’t anymore.”

  “Are you ready?”

  Lyra groaned. “I think so…I don’t know.” She buried her face in her hands.

  Jonah chuckled and scooted back until he was resting against the bed beside her. He patted her knee. “You’ll do great. You play as well as any professional I’ve ever heard. You’re going to blow them away.”

  “Thanks. I don’t know about blowing anybody away, but I appreciate the vote of confidence.”

  Jonah looked slightly offended. “I’m not just flattering you. It’s true. You are very good.”

  “Thanks,” she said shyly.

  “What time is the audition?”

  “Ten o’clock.”

  “Where is it?”

  “At my instructor’s house—in his studio.”

  “Are your parents going?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. I don’t think so. I didn’t even think to ask them.” Lyra bit her lip wondering if she should. Barty hadn’t said anything about bringing them.

  Jonah reached over and took her hand in his. He laced their fingers together. Lyra looked up and he was smiling down at her.

  “It’s going to be fine.”

  Lyra’s heart melted. “I know. Thank you.”

  Sitting there on the floor holding his hand warmed her more than soaking in hot water for an hour. It also made her pulse jump. She looked down at their entwined fingers. His were long and the nails neatly trimmed. With her free hand, she ran her fingers over the curling black hairs above his wrist which were visible below the hem line of his shirt. His arm jerked. She glanced up at his face.

  He was watching her. “Sorry. That tickled,” Jonah said gruffly.

  After a few moments, he asked, “What time do you want to go to the dance?”

  “Are you sure you want to go?” Lyra asked.

  “Yes, I’m sure,” he replied in a patient tone. “It starts at eight. Do you want to get there then?”

  “No. Why don’t you pick me up at eight? Mom will want you to come in and she’ll have to take a picture of us.”

  Lyra saw Jonah’s grimace. “Sorry, but I know that’s what she’ll want to do. Then we can go to the dance. We don’t want to be the first ones there.”

  Jonah nodded wondering what would be worse, enduring the picture-taking or everyone’s stares when they showed up at the dance. He was sure he would be required to dance at the dance, and that would definitely be worse.

  “Are all your friends going?” he inquired.

  “Yes. Aimee and Connor, Trevor and Lisa, and Katie invited a guy she knows from Saranac Lake, Jonathan.”

  “Hmm. Should I just wear blue jeans, or what?”

  Lyra realized he’d probably never been to a school dance in his life. “Yeah. Whatever you want.”

  After a minute she asked, “Did you tell your uncle?”

  Jonah grimaced again. “Yes, and believe me, he’s happy as can be. You’d think he was going.”

  Lyra worked up her nerve. “Is this your first dance?”

  Jonah’s expression turned wry. He looked sideways at her. “This dance will be my first after school, extracurricular activity ever.”

  Lyra stared at him in disbelief. “What, you’ve never been to a hockey game, band concert…?”

  Jonah was shaking his head.

  “…track meet, club meeting?”

  “Nope.” He chuckled at the look of horror on her face. “I’ve always been a non-joiner.”

  It was Lyra’s turn to shake her head. “You’ve gone through ten years of school with no friends and without being involved in anything? You must have been miserable.”

  Jonah’s brow furrowed. “Pretty much.”

  Lyra nudged him with her shoulder. “Well, stick with me and you’ll start having some fun.”

  His forehead smoothed out and one corner of his mouth lifted.

  “Do you want something to drink?” Lyra asked. “Do you want to go downstairs and watch TV?”

  “No. I’m not going to stay long. Jet doesn’t know I left.” He grinned and raised his eyebrows. “I snuck out.”

  Lyra laughed at him. “Ooh, you are so bad.”

  “It’s not really sneaking out, I guess. I was in the basement and left by the outside stairway. I just didn’t tell Jet I was leaving. I’ll probably get back and he’ll not even know I was gone. But telling myself I snuck out and climbing up to your bedroom window makes me feel like a rebel.”

  Lyra laughed again. “I won’t start worrying ‘til I see you ride to school on a motorcycle or catch you smoking behind the gym.”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  They talked for about half an hour more and Jonah rose to leave. Lyra g
ot to her feet too.

  “I know you’re going to make it tomorrow, but will you call me when you get done anyway?” Jonah asked.

  “Sure,” Lyra said, her forehead wrinkling. For a while, talking to Jonah, she had forgotten about the audition. Her stomach tightened. She hoped she’d be able to sleep tonight.

  “Take a deep breath,” Jonah instructed.

  Lyra looked up at him dubiously.

  “Just do it.”

  Lyra breathed in deeply, her eyes on his. When her chest was full, he said, “Now release it through your mouth and count to yourself—slowly.”

  Lyra did. She made it to seven before her lungs were empty.

  “Now do the same thing again: deep breath through the nose…”

  Lyra inhaled.

  “…and exhale through the mouth, counting,” Jonah finished. “Now, put your hand on your stomach, and when you breathe in, make sure your stomach expands—you want to breathe from your diaphragm.”

  Lyra repeated the exercise a couple more times.

  Jonah smiled, satisfied. “That’s good. When you start feeling anxious go back to the deep breathing. And if you want, instead of counting, you can repeat a mantra like, ‘I have nothing to fear,’ or ‘I am calm and relaxed,’ or whatever phrase works for you.”

  “Where’d you learn that?” Lyra wanted to know. “It’s cool. I think it started working already.”

  Jonah shrugged. “It’s just a basic meditation/martial arts technique. It will help you stay calm and focused.”

  “Did you learn that from a book?”

  Jonah chuckled. “No, though I suppose you could. No, I took martial arts classes at a studio when Jet and I lived in New York.”

  “Like karate?”

  “Mmm, well, the master I learned from had studied many methods and incorporated them all: karate—of which there are many schools of thought, Tai Kwon Do, Tai Chi, Kung Fu...”

  “So, are you like a black belt?” Lyra asked, half joking.

  Jonah was silent. He dropped his gaze and turned away from her.

  “Are you?” Lyra persisted, grabbing the sleeve of his shirt.

  “I’m a second degree black belt,” Jonah admitted reluctantly.

  “Second degree black belt? Is that even higher up than a regular ole’ black belt?”

  Jonah nodded, his expression was sheepish. “I had a lot of free time; I practiced a lot.”

  Lyra stared at him in wonder. Now she understood how he’d gotten so muscular, yet stayed lean.

  Jonah laughed. “Remember the breathing. It really will help.” He put on his jacket and turned to the window.

  “You don’t have to go back out that way,” Lyra said.

  Jonah grinned. “That’s okay. Like I said before, it’s more fun.”

  Lyra rolled her eyes. “Okay, Tarzan.”

  He lifted the sill and stuck a leg out. The cold air blew into the room raising goose bumps on Lyra’s arms. Jonah climbed onto the ladder so that only his head and shoulders were visible, as when she’d first seen him.

  “Call me tomorrow when you’re done.”

  “I will. And thanks for coming over tonight.”

  “You’re welcome. Bye,” he said, and dropped out of sight.

  Lyra was shivering, but she poked her head out and watched him make his way down until she lost sight of him in the darkness. She withdrew her head and shut the window.