Catherine stared at this wise little girl. “And you think you can wake up my spirit?”
Lily smiled. “I think your spirit is already starting to wake up. Didn’t you feel it when we were dancing?”
Catherine thought about the joy she had felt just moments before, the lightness in her heart, the feeling of being truly alive. “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, I did feel it.”
“That’s the first step,” Lily said. “Tomorrow, can you come back? We can feed the ducks again, and maybe we can dance some more. And I’ll tell you stories about all the beautiful things in the world that are waiting for you to discover them again.”
Catherine nodded, feeling more hopeful than she had since her accident. “Yes, Lily, I’ll come back tomorrow.”
As Catherine rolled her wheelchair away from the park, she felt something she hadn’t experienced in three years. She felt excited about tomorrow. She felt like her life was just beginning again.
But what she didn’t know was that Lily’s healing gift was about to be tested in ways that no one could have imagined. Because that very evening, something would happen that would make everyone wonder if miracles were real, or if they had all been fooling themselves.
Robert was making dinner when his phone rang. It was Mrs. Henderson, and she sounded frantic. “Robert, you need to come quickly!” she said. “There’s been an accident at the park. It’s about Judge Catherine!”
Robert’s blood turned cold. “What happened? Is she okay?”
“I don’t know all the details, but someone saw her wheelchair tip over near the pond. They think she might have hit her head. The ambulance is taking her to the hospital right now!”
Robert looked at Lily, who was coloring at the kitchen table. She looked up at him with those knowing green eyes. “Daddy,” she said calmly. “Judge Catherine is going to be okay, but this is the test. This is when we find out if miracles are really real.”
Robert grabbed his keys with shaking hands. If something serious had happened to Judge Catherine, their deal would be over. He would go to jail, and Lily would go back into foster care. But more than that, he was genuinely worried about the kind woman who had given them a chance. “Come on, Lily,” he said. “We need to go to the hospital.”
“I know, Daddy,” Lily said, putting down her crayons. “Judge Catherine needs us now more than ever. Her spirit was just starting to wake up, and now it’s scared again. But don’t worry. Sometimes the biggest miracles happen when things look the most impossible.”
As they rushed to the hospital, Robert prayed that his daughter was right. Because if Lily couldn’t help Judge Catherine now, when she needed it most, then maybe miracles really were just fairy tales after all. The test of Lily’s gift was about to begin.
The hospital waiting room was filled with worried voices and the smell of disinfectant. Robert sat in a plastic chair, holding Lily’s small hand while they waited for news about Judge Catherine.
Other people from their town had heard about the accident and come to the hospital too. Word traveled fast in their small community.
Dr. Harrison came through the double doors with a serious expression on his face. Robert’s heart sank when he saw the doctor’s worried look.
“How is she, doctor?” Robert asked, standing up quickly.
Dr. Harrison looked around at all the people waiting for news. “Judge Westbrook hit her head when her wheelchair tipped over near the pond. She has a serious concussion and has been unconscious for the past two hours.”
Gasps and worried murmurs filled the waiting room. Robert felt like the world was spinning around him.
“Is she going to be okay?” asked Mrs. Henderson, who had also come to the hospital.
“We’re doing everything we can,” Dr. Harrison said, “but head injuries can be very unpredictable. The next 24 hours will be critical. She needs to wake up soon or…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but everyone understood what he meant.
Robert looked down at Lily, expecting to see fear or sadness in her eyes. But instead, Lily looked calm and determined.
“Doctor,” Lily said in her clear, confident voice. “Can I see Judge Catherine, please?”
Dr. Harrison looked surprised. He knelt down to Lily’s level. “Little girl, Judge Westbrook is very sick right now. She can’t have visitors.”
“But I promised to help her,” Lily said simply. “And she needs me right now more than ever.”
Robert put his hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “Lily, sweetheart, maybe we should wait until the doctor says it’s okay.”
But Lily shook her head. “Daddy, remember what I told you about Judge Catherine’s spirit being asleep? Well, now it’s not just asleep, it’s lost. The accident scared her spirit so much that it doesn’t know how to find its way back to her body. I need to help guide it home.”
Everyone in the waiting room stared at this five-year-old girl talking about spirits and healing as if she were an adult. Some people looked skeptical, others looked hopeful, and a few looked like they thought Lily might be their only chance.
Dr. Harrison stood up slowly. “I’m sorry, but hospital rules don’t allow children in the intensive care unit.”
“Doctor,” said a familiar voice from behind them. Everyone turned to see David Chun, the prosecutor from Robert’s trial. He looked tired and worried.
“Mr. Chun?” Robert said, surprised to see him there.
David walked over to them. “I heard about Judge Westbrook’s accident on the radio. I came because,” he paused, looking uncomfortable. “Because I wanted to apologize.”
“Apologize for what?” Robert asked.
“For not believing,” David said quietly. “I’ve been thinking about what happened in that courtroom for the past week. I’ve seen Judge Westbrook handle hundreds of cases, and I’ve never seen her make an emotional decision. She’s always been completely logical and by the book. But something about your daughter made her willing to take a leap of faith.”…
