Magic and miracles, p.1
Magic and Miracles, page 1
MAGIC AND MIRACLES
A MULTI-AUTHOR ANTHOLOGY
TO SUPPORT PRIMARY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
CARPE VITAM PRESS LLC
Authors in this Anthology:
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Sarah M. Eden, Traci Hunter Abramson, Nancy Campbell Allen, Adam Berg, Sally Britton, Rebecca Connolly, Charlie N. Holmberg, Serene Heiner, Krista Jensen, Clarissa Kae, Jo Perry, Ann Sutton, Mindy Burbidge Strunk, Julie Wright
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Copyright © 2024 by Carpe Vitam Press LLC
Cover Design by Shaela Kay Odd
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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www.carpevitampress.com
Dear Reader -
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Each of these authors dedicated their time, effort, and energy without charge to help this anthology come to life. Carpe Vitam Press managed the publication without charge, as did the formatter/typesetter. Thank you for being part of this endeavor to support Primary Children’s Hospital.
CONTENTS
Foreword
An Unexpected Miracle
Worth the Wait
The Emperor’s New Armor
The Rumpled Gentleman: A Retelling of Rumpelstiltskin
Making Magic
A Crack in the Stone
On Broken Glass
Carter Goodwyn’s Fairy Godmother
A Light So Fleeting
The Last Wish
The Case of the Deadly Diner: A Maggie Malone Mystery
Just a Bit of Magic
Forever Fair: A Modern-Day Snow White
Thank You!
FOREWORD
BY SARAH M. EDEN
I have always believed in magic.
When I was a child, there were forever unseen creatures and extraordinary possibilities just out of sight, just beyond explanation. Mine was an imagination that didn’t merely accept the likelihood of wondrous things but one that conjured them in the most ordinary of moments. But even my young mind understood that kindly fairies existed alongside terrifying monsters, that magical portals could lead to enchanted realms or dangerous destinations.
It is this possibility of perilous magic that, I have often thought, leads us to stop believing in magic as we leave childhood behind. The world we know becomes more complicated and more difficult to navigate. If we are to believe in things we do not see and cannot truly comprehend, we need those mystifying things to either be harmless or powerless. And so we toss away the possibility of beautiful magic because it comes with the possibility of its fearful counterpart.
Until fiction brings us back.
Whether we have wrapped ourselves up in a fairytale retelling or a heartfelt romance, a story of triumph over adversity or a fantastical adventure, we rediscover the magic we too easily let ourselves lose sight of. In stories, we are promised not only that magic does exist but that courage outlasts fear, and that what goes bump in the night isn’t always a monster. For the length of a tale, we are reminded why we once believed and are given permission to allow ourselves to believe again.
Once our eyes and hearts open, we begin to see the magic all around us.
Coincidences begin to string together, revealing a chain every bit as mystical as a trail of fairy dust. Coincidence becomes magic. And when magic finds us in those moments when we most need it but least expect it, that magic becomes a miracle.
I have always believed in magic. I will never stop believing in miracles.
~ Sarah
AN UNEXPECTED MIRACLE
By Traci Hunter Abramson
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https://www.traciabramson.com/
1
Zach rubbed his thumb over the championship ring on his finger as he walked into the natatorium, his swim bag hanging from one shoulder. The water of the competition pool rippled before him, a calm before the storm. And the first day of tryouts was always a storm. Coach Baldwin already stood on deck trying to collect everyone’s paperwork while also babysitting the freshmen and hand-holding the sophomores. Not that Zach had needed babysitting or hand-holding at that age.
He grinned. Who was he kidding? His coach always thought he needed hand holding. But that didn’t matter. He’d proved himself last year when he’d pulled a personal best in the 200 free relay, holding his own when his team had won the state championship in that event for the first time ever. And even though Ty had graduated, three of the four members of the championship relay team were still here. All they had to do was find a solid fourth, and Zach could very well end up with another championship ring.
One ring for each hand. He liked the sound of that.
Drew walked up and dropped his bag on the bleachers beside Zach. “You ready?”
“You know it.” Zach pulled his cap and goggles from his bag. He eyed the pool. This was the one place when the noise of his world faded away, when he didn’t have to worry about which parent he had to stay with or who was going to yell at him for whatever he had done wrong. And according to both of his parents, he rarely did anything right.
Drew interrupted Zach’s thoughts. “I was scouting out my club team for who’ll be able to replace Ty in the medley.”
“And?”
“There’s a freshman who’s decent at backstroke. Not Ty good, but he’s a possibility,” Drew said.
“And I’m thinking Connor for Ty’s spot in the 400 freestyle relay.”
“Definitely.” Drew looked around the pool deck. “Assuming he doesn’t tick Coach off for being late on the first day of tryouts.”
Connor sauntered in as though their practice time was in ten minutes instead of two minutes ago. “I’m ready boys. Time to show these guys how it’s done.”
Coach Baldwin approached.
“Connor, you’re late.” Coach Baldwin said, her voice much the same as when Zach’s mom scolded him for not taking out the trash. “This isn’t the way to start off the season.”
“I got stuck behind the buses.”
Coach simply raised her eyebrows. “If you hadn’t been flirting with Amelia, you would have made it out in plenty of time.”
“But—”
“Don’t argue.” Coach shifted the way she did when she was about to lecture the whole team even though there were only three of them currently standing in front of her. She held up her clipboard. “I need all of your physicals.”
Zach dug the crumpled sports physical from his swim bag and handed it over while Drew did the same.
Connor dug through his bag too but came up empty handed. “Sorry, Coach. I think I left mine in my car.”
“Go get it,” Coach Baldwin said. “You aren’t getting in the pool until I can prove you’re cleared to swim.”
“Fine.” Connor headed for the door with his usual I-don’t-care-when-I-get-there attitude.
“Connor, hurry it up,” Coach Baldwin called after him.
Connor reached the door and gave a quick wave of acknowledgment before he disappeared outside.
Coach Baldwin yelled at everyone to start on their warm ups. Zach and Drew moved to their usual lane.
Zach stepped into the deep water, the rush of cold flowing over his entire body and drowning out the noise of everyday life. He needed this.
He surfaced and gripped the side of the pool.
“What do you bet Connor doesn’t get in the pool until after warm ups?” Drew asked.
“I may not get straight A’s like you, but I’m not stupid.” Zach jerked his chin toward the entrance. “No way I’m taking that bet.”
With the school day almost over, Eva Baldwin sat behind the desk in the women’s PE office during her planning period and skimmed over the twenty-five names on her computer screen. Tryouts were over. Thank goodness. Telling kids they didn’t make the team while also balancing the egos of the club swimmers was always a challenge, but now her roster was set.
A ripple of anticipation rushed through her. With what she’d seen over the past week, her team had serious potential to do well in the relays at the state championship again. They didn’t have the depth to compete for the overall title, not when competing with the larger teams that had so many Olympic prep kids on their rosters, but North High had been in the top ten at state for the past three years. Usually, that accomplishment went unnoticed by the top teams, but that had changed when her 200 free relay team had knocked off both Oceanview and Jefferson to win first.
Teamwork, dedication, a lot of luck, and the grace of God had given them that win. Eva prayed the magic that made their win possible would strike again.
She glanced at her watch and hit the button to power off her desktop. If she didn’t leave for the pool soon, she’d get caught behind the buses.
Footsteps approached, and Eva looked up.
Brenda, the athletic director’s assistant, walked in, a paper in hand. “I just checked your team’s eligibility. Zach’s out.”
Eva bristled, and she tried to absorb Brenda’s words. “What do you mean ‘Zach’s out’?” Zach had to swim. This was his senior year.
“He’s not academically eligible. He failed too many classes last semester.”
Certain there must be a mistake, she shook her head. “I know he did, but he took summer school. I talked to his mom myself.”
“He’s still a class short.”
Eva
“How did this happen?” Eva asked. “The counselor should have known what he needed to be eligible.”
“She didn’t realize he was an athlete, or she would have arranged for him to take another session of summer school.”
“The kid won a state relay last year, for heaven’s sake. He wears that championship ring with pride. How could she miss that?”
“I’m sorry,” Brenda said, but she didn’t sound sorry. It was like the woman delighted in giving people bad news.
“There has to be a way to put in an appeal.” Eva gathered her clipboard and stopwatch from her desk and shoved them into her coaching bag. “I’ll talk to Bill,” she said, referring to the athletic director.
“Bill already knows, but there’s nothing he can do.”
“Yes, he can.” Eva shouldered her bag. “Can you let him know I need to talk to him after practice?”
“He’s at the football game tonight in Virginia Beach. It’ll have to wait until Monday.”
“Fine. I want to talk to him first thing on Monday.” Eva passed Brenda, waiting for the older woman to exit before using her key to lock her door. “And please don’t say anything to Zach. I want to know what our options are before upsetting him.”
Brenda headed for the locker room door leading to the cafeteria. “I’ll see you Monday.”
A whole weekend of worrying about Zach and what would happen to the team if he couldn’t swim. It wasn’t just that Zach was one of their fastest swimmers. He was friends with his teammates. They would feel his loss, not just because of the points he could score.
Eva turned toward the back door and lifted her chin. Everything would work out. She drew a deep breath. Maybe if she kept telling herself that, the sentiment would come true.
2
Zach held the little slip of paper in his hand that had called him to the counseling office. He didn’t know why his counselor would want to see him this time of year. His parents’ arguments over custody and everything else usually didn’t start until the holidays, and he was only failing one of his eight classes. He still had plenty of time to bring that grade up. Coach Baldwin would make him go to tutoring if he didn’t.
And he hated tutoring. But Coach was strict on the academic stuff. With the way last season went, the woman must have checked his grades practically every day to make sure he was pulling C’s in everything.
He cringed. He might only have one F right now, but he also had three D’s. But with his four credits of auto shop, he was above a C average. That had to count for something.
He nearly laughed out loud at that thought. He knew better. He’d tried that tactic his sophomore year—and ended up in early-morning tutoring for three solid weeks.
Zach entered the counseling office and handed his pass to the secretary.
The secretary motioned to the clipboard on the counter. “Sign in.”
Zach had barely finished writing his name when Mrs. Jones walked out of her office.
“This way, Zach.”
Zach let out a sigh and walked into Mrs. Jones’s office, surprised to see another woman inside. She looked familiar, but he wasn’t sure where he knew her from.
Mrs. Jones closed the door and motioned to the chair opposite her desk. “Please sit down.”
He’d prefer to stand, but expressing what he wanted with the adults in his life rarely ended well. Zach sat. As though to add to his discomfort, the two women remained standing. He didn’t like this, the way they were both side by side, like they needed to be a united front against him.
Eager to get out of here, Zach asked, “What’s going on?”
Mrs. Jones slowly lowered into her chair. “I’m so sorry, but Miss Leary has brought it to my attention that you’re a swimmer.”
Zach held up his right hand, the blue stone in his championship ring catching the light. “State champ.”
“That’s wonderful.” Mrs. Jones took a deep breath, like she didn’t want to say whatever it was she needed to tell him. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t aware of that when we created your schedule for summer school.” Another deep breath. “I’m sorry, Zach, but you haven’t passed enough classes to swim this year.”
“What?” Zach shot to his feet, his chair knocking over as he did so. “I have to swim.” He’d die if he didn’t swim.
“I really am sorry, Zach,” Mrs. Jones said.
This couldn’t be right. But the looks on the two women’s faces told him it was. Fury rose inside him, and he focused on his counselor. She had no clue what she’d done, what she’d stolen from him. She was just like everyone else in his life—pretending to care only to screw everything up. “This is all your fault.”
Miss Leary took a half step forward. “Don’t blame Mrs. Jones. If you’d passed your classes in the first place, you wouldn’t be in this situation.”
The words that came out of his mouth were ones Coach wouldn’t approve of, but he didn’t care. This woman had messed up. Her mistake had cost him the chance to swim his senior year, the chance to be on the team, the chance to win another championship ring. She’d ruined everything.
Eva should have known Bill would ignore her request for a meeting. Brenda had decided Zach didn’t have the proper requirements, so as far as she was concerned, the final decision had been made. Eva refused to accept that outcome. She’d spent all weekend researching how to file an appeal. Now armed with the information needed and the completed paperwork in hand, Eva peeked through the window in Bill’s office door to make sure he wasn’t in a meeting. When she spotted his lunch on his desk, she knocked twice and walked in.
“I need to talk to you about Zach Lawrence. I want to file an appeal with the VHSL,” Eva said, referring to the governing body for Virginia high school sports.
“Should have figured.” Abandoning the sandwich by his keyboard, Bill swiveled his seat so he was facing her and leaned back. “I already talked to Brenda. She said there’s nothing we can do.”
Eva held up the paperwork. “It’s not her job to know how to file an appeal; it’s yours.”
“An appeal is a long shot at best.” Bill gestured dismissively with one hand. “It’s a waste of time.”
Anger boiled inside her, and Eva had to fight to keep her hands from clenching into fists. Physical violence wasn’t the answer, no matter how much Bill’s response infuriated her. No, this battle would be one of words.
“Have I ever mentioned that Robin writes for the local newspaper?” Eva asked. Her former assistant coach was not only a professional writer, she was well versed with office politics in the school system and she knew Zach. “Imagine what everyone would think if they knew that not only had a counselor made a critical error that cost a promising athlete the chance to compete, but that the administration had refused to put forward every effort on his behalf?”
Bill straightened in his chair. “Are you threatening me?”
“Do I need to?” Eva asked pointedly.
“You go spreading those kinds of stories around, and it could be grounds for dismissal.”
“I don’t have to spread around the stories. Zach will be spreading them around plenty if we don’t make this right.” She set the appeal paperwork on his desk. “I’ve already done all of the legwork. All you have to do is sign.”
“This is a waste of time,” Bill repeated. “And honestly, with the way Zach acted when he found out he was ineligible, I’m not sure I want to help him.”
