On May 16th a Mr. Nicholas Mason left his beloved wife, Savannah, and beautiful daughter, Jade. He went off to the Army to serve his country. After Nicholas left Jade started acting up. Keeping things to herself, school grades dropping and it was all because of her dad leaving. Savannah tried to get through to her but nothing worked.

Later, months after Nick left, maybe October, Savannah had a feeling. Something didn't feel right, so she went in to see her doctor, Dr. Joel, to find out what was wrong. Only what was found surprised her. She was told that she was to have another child. So surprised she was speechless. As soon as she got home she picked up the phone to call her husband. The phone rang a couple times, before he picked up. “Hello, I’m looking for Nicholas Mason” she said into the phone. “This is him, who is this?” he asked. She replied “This is Savannah.” He talked to her for awhile, and then she decided it was time. “Honey, I have some exciting news for you” there was silence on the other end waiting for the news. “We’re going to have another child!” There was more silence, but the good kind. Then he said “That’s great, when did you find out?” “Just today. I just got home and I still have to tell Jade” she said. “I’m just so surprised to hear this. I don’t have a lot of time on the phone left, so call back when you find out what gender it is.” They hung up then, but Savannah knew on the other side of the world Nick was smiling.

After talking to him on the phone she walked up to Jades' room, to tell her the news also. They rarely talked anymore or it was more, Jade didn't talk to her mom. She knocked on Jades’ door and waited for it to open. When it did, Jade mumbled something, and waited for her mother to talk. “Jade.” Savannah said looking at her daughter. “You’re going to have a younger sister or brother.” In that second after tons of expressions crossed Jades’ face. The last expression stayed there. A stony look like her face froze, and her eyes glassed over. “Great, just what this family needs. Another kid” She saw the hurt in her mothers’ eyes and then slammed the door.

A few weeks later Savannah went in to see Dr. Joel. As he looked at the ultrasound he smiled. “Good news, it’s a girl!” A colossal smile spread across her face. Then faded. She had just notice he said good news, it's a girl. The thing that caught her was that he said good news. If there was good news that meant there was probably bad news. She turned toward the doctor. “What's the bad news?” she asked
His smile faded into a frown. "I'm afraid that when it comes time for the baby to be born" he turned to look at her, "only one will survive" A confused look appeared on her face. "What do you mean only one can survive? One what?" "One person" Dr. Joel said. "Only one person can survive when the baby is born." She was crying now, through her tears she asked "Which will survive?" He said that he had no way of knowing which one would survive, and in a few weeks before the baby was due she should be put in a hospital, that way there was a slight chance both could survive.

Savannah came home that day crying. Her face was red and wet from tears. She found Jade in the kitchen eating lunch, and as soon as Jade saw her she asked what was wrong. “It’s a girl.” she smiled.”So why are you crying?” Jade asked still sitting at the table. “Only the baby or I can survive” “How can that…” Jade trailed off. Her face got that stony look again and her eyes glassed over. She got up from the table and ran out the front door. Savannah didn’t even bother going after her. Who wouldn’t be upset after that news?

Next, she called Nick. She wasn’t crying anymore, so hopefully she wouldn’t have to tell him the bad news. The first thing she said it “It’s a girl!” She tried to sound happy but, he heard it in her voice. Something was wrong and he knew it. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “It’s just that” she sighed “Dr. Joel said that when it’s time for the baby to come, only the baby or I can survive” she said through tears. “A few weeks before she comes I’m supposed to go to the hospital. That way the baby or I have a slight chance for survival” “I can’t let you go through this alone” he replied “I’m coming home; I’ll be there a few days after you go into the hospital” “That’s far- fetched but, I guess I’ll see you then” she said and hung up the phone.

After another couple of weeks, she went into the hospital. Nick came home three days later. He brought Jade to see her almost every day. Now that her dad was home, her grades were coming back up. She still kept things to herself, but that’s the way she was. One day she came in by herself. She should have been in school, but with all this going on she was allowed out. That day when she came in her mother look tired and a little sick. She was pale and her arms were skinner. She was lying in that bed asleep, or that’s what it looked like to Jade. This was the time Jade could let out all her secrets, no one was listening and she’d been holding some in for a while. She started with the biggest one.

Finally walking over to her moms’ bed and sitting next to her, she started. “Hi mom. I know I haven’t been myself since dad left and I’m sorry. It was my fault, I shouldn’t have let dad leaving get to me. Also all those times I left, I went to a friends’ house. A um... boyfriend actually. I know I should have told you but, I didn’t. I was going to tell you that day you came home from the doctor but you were so upset. That’s why I’m telling you now.” Tears started streaming down her face. “His name is Shane. Shane Williams. You would like him. He has a positive look on everything, just like you do. That’s who I went to after all that good and bad news. Also, I know that only one of you can live and you want it to be the baby, but maybe both of you will live.” She was kind of laughing now. She was telling all this stuff to no one. “If only the baby survives, I think dad and I will name her Ebony. It goes good with my name. Ebony and Jade. It has a good ring to it. Well that’s all I have right now, so I’ll see you later.” At that moment she got up and left the room.

A few days later Jade was sitting in science class when a voice came over the schools’ P.A. system. It was the secretary. “Will Jade Mason please come to the office? Jade Mason to the office” then went off. What had she done this time? She walked to the office only to find her dad there. “Dad, what’s going on? Why are you here?” She asked. “Your sister is going to be born soon. I know school’s almost over but I came anyway.” They drove over to the hospital. They had to wait outside while her sister was born. Once allowed in, Jade saw her mother was alive, which meant that her sister had died. She started to cry right then and walk over to her mom. “Mom, I thought that she would… “She trailed off. Jade, it’s ok” her mother said. “No, no it’s not ok!” In mid sentence, Jade heard a cry from behind her. A baby’s cry. Her head shot up. A smile crossed her face. “You both made it, that’s a miracle!” Jade shouted with excitement. “ “Yes, it is.” Savannah replied. “Her name is Ebony. I think it has a good ring to it” Jade laughed. Her mother was awake that whole time. She’d heard everything.

“In that case mom, there is someone I’d like you to meet.” Jade went out into the hallway and came back in. “Mom, this is Shane Williams” Jade said with a smile across her face. “Well hello Shane. I’ve heard all about you” Savannah smiled while across the room Nick looked at Shane. Jade turned toward her dad. “Daddy, this is Shane my uh… my boyfriend. Shane, this is my dad, General Nicholas Mason” Shane stepped toward Mr. Mason. “Nice to meet you General” they shook hands and were off to a good start. Jade walked over to her mother to see baby Ebony. “I think her name will be Ebony Jade Mason.” her mother announced. “After her older sister. Now let’s get a picture. Everybody gather round. Even you Shane.” Her mother smiled. In the picture, Savannah was in the middle with Ebony. Nick was on one side of the bed and Jade and Shane were on the other side. One big happy family.

Now, twenty- two years later Nicholas is a gym teacher at a local school and unfortunately Savannah passed away from cancer several years after Ebony was born. She might have passed away but, in those several years that Savannah was alive she told Ebony the story about a miracle baby. Ebony remembered the story but never actually knew who the miracle child was but, that didn’t stop her. After she got married and had her own daughter, she told her daughter the story. Jade too told her son and daughter the story.

Later in the year after Ebony’s daughter, Savannah, was born, the whole family was at a party. All the cousins, aunts and uncles were there. After watching the kids play with each other Ebony turned to Jade.”Jade?” Ebony asked. Jade turned to her “You know that story mom always told me about the miracle child?” she asked. Jade replied “Yes, what about it?” “Well” Ebony said “She never told me who the miracle child. I was just wondering if you knew who it was.” “Ebony “Jade said “That miracle child was you.” At that time Jade pulled out the picture taken on that day. The one with the big happy family. Jade handed the picture to Ebony smiling. “Keep it.”