, Chapter 0137 , On the other end of the line, Paul heard Miranda’s gentle, calm voice. It sounded like she was smiling as she wished him a Merry Christma , In his mind, he pictured her holding the phone, the Christmas lights casting a soft glow on her face. She must have looked beautiful. , On Christmas morning, Miranda was allowed to sleep in until 11:00 am. , The sun was out. Sunlight peeked through the window, casting shadows of the swaying branches on the curtain. , She sat up, yawned, and walked to the window, quickly pulling the curtains open. The sunlight gleamed brightly on the snow–covered mountains in the distance. , Lionel and Mindy were outside, reading and enjoying the sun. , Lionel, with his sharp ears, Heard the window open and knew Miranda was awake. As a teacher, he was very punctual and didn’t approve of Miranda’s habit of sleeping in. , He picked up his teacup and took a sip. “Your mom’s the one who lets you sleep in and skip meals. Aren’t you worried about your stomach? , “Young people these days don’t take care of themselves. They’ll realize the consequences later…, Mindy popped a piece of cookie into his mouth. “How long are you going to complain about her sleeping. in? She’s graduated, not your student anymore. It’s Christmas–let her sleep a little longer.” , She turned to Miranda by the window. “Your dad is just being old–fashioned. Don’t mind him. I left breakfast for you on the table; just heat it up when you’re ready.” , Miranda smiled. “Okay.” , , , , After breakfast, she joined her parents outside, enjoying tea and the sunshine. , “Dad, what kind of tea is this? It smells great.” , Miranda sniffed the tea. It was light but had a nice, sweet flavor, like tasty pastry. , *This is Earl Grey tea from Jack,” Lionel said, taking another sip. “It’s really good.” , Jack Sutton, Miranda’s cousin, and her uncle’s only child, had given it to them years ago. , “But you don’t usually like tea.” , Miranda, like many young people, used to prefer fruit teas over plain tea. , She smiled. “People changeI didn’t like it before, but now I do.” , A few years ago, when Hansel was always drinking, she tried to get him to switch to tea. Even though Hansel didn’t stop drinking, she ended up liking tea herself, , Mindy noticed something and shot Lionel a disapproving look, changing the subject, “How can you still , 25 BONUS , Chapter 0137 , talk? You’ve drunk all the tea. Remember, the doctor said to drink less tea and more water, Lionel just touched his nose and didn’t say anything. , Miranda enjoyed the morning until Mindy gave her a nudge. “You can’t just stay inside all day. The weather’s perfect for a walk. Get out and enjoy it before you start growing roots on the couch.” , Reluctantly, Miranda left the house. , A few minutes later, she found herself in a maze of narrow streets, unsure of where to go. Trying to avoid meeting neighbors, she picked a quieter path. , As she wandered, she ended up at Earnest High–the school where she had spent her high school years and where Lionel taught. , , , , , Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.