Longing Lights

Miranda was walking, but her gaze was fixed on her phone as she was texting a co-worker when she collided with someone. If it hadn’t been for that person, Miranda would have surely fallen down and embarrassed herself at this party.

“I am sor—” The words were caught in her throat when she saw the person with whom she crashed. How can she ever forget him? She has longed to see him for many years.

It flabbergasted Eric to see his wife after seven years in his arms. If it weren’t for Lizzy, his daughter, then he wouldn’t know for how long he would have kept her in his arms. It felt like a very familiar emotion inside him, and it was too good to be true to have her so close to him.

Miranda, though, was astounded to see her daughter so grown up after only seven years. She is now ten years old and has evolved into a beautiful girl. Her eyes had always yearned to see her precious angel.

“Dad, this party is extremely dull. When can we go home?” She asked him, completely ignoring her mother. Miranda was a stranger to her, as Lizzy was oblivious to her mother’s existence, let alone her appearance and presence.

“At the most, an hour or two. Why don’t you hang out with other kids your age here, Lizzy?” He told his daughter politely because he wanted to protect her from her own mother. Eric had lost trust in Miranda after she abandoned them seven years ago.

“They are snobbish.” She scowled and crossed her arms.

“Sweetheart—” He said. But Nancy, his secretary, cut him off.

“Lizzy, there you are. Briana, your friend, has been looking for you for a long time— Oh, Miranda! It’s good to see you after so long.” Nancy was surprised to see her boss’s wife after all these years. She had hoped Miranda would return soon because she had witnessed what Eric had gone through these years.

“It is good to see you too, Nancy.” Miranda smiled and nodded in acknowledgment. But her surprise upon seeing Eric and Lizzy here had not yet subsided.

Nancy sensed the uneasiness in the air between those two, so she decided to leave them alone, taking Lizzy with her.

Miranda, however, was looking at their daughter with love filled in her eyes, which did not go unnoticed by Eric. “When you left us seven years ago, you gave up the right to look at her like that.”

“You can hide the fact from our daughter that I am her mother, but you can’t stop me from loving her.” She told him softly. She completely understood Eric's rage towards her. Under no circumstances does she blame him.

“Miranda, what are you doing here?” He asks her angrily. Before she could respond, the host of the party, Lenny, interrupted her.

“There you are, Miranda. Let me introduce you to Louis, my husband.” Lenny smiled and greeted her.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She politely replied to them.

“I see that, finally, my wife was finally able to convince you to our party. I can’t even begin to tell you how much she has talked about you.”

“I am not a big fan of going to social gatherings, but it’s a pleasure to be here.” With a small smile, she told them the truth.

Before either of them could say anything, another guest called for them. Hence, they excused themselves, leaving her alone with Eric.

To say after living so many with him would have made her feel at home, but rather the time they spent apart made her feel uncomfortable, and the proximity they were standing in did not help.

“Not a big fan of social gatherings? Nice Miranda. You have even begun to lie now.” He mocked her.

“Believe what you want, Eric. I have nothing else to say to you.” She told him softly, as she was herself at a loss for words.

But, once again, they were interrupted, which irritated Eric greatly. Miranda, on the other hand, was relieved because she did not wish to speak to him. But she panicked when she saw who had intervened.

“Hello, Miranda.” Doctor Harold approached her and greeted her.

“Hello.” She responded hesitantly.

“I am Doctor Harold Levis.” He greeted the man who was standing beside his patient.

“I am Eric Liston.” His name rang a bell in the doctors’ heads as he recognized him instantly and gave Miranda a look that she clearly understood.

“Very well. My nephew, Richard Levis, works in your firm, so I have heard a lot about you.”

“I hope everything good. He is a great chap.” Eric replied to him.