I felt a few little tears in my eyes. I read this journal entry over a few times, my heart moved by his words. They were pessimistic and doubtful, but at the same time, they were loving and hopeful, too. The last line touched me, and I was shocked. “A miracle,â€? I whispered to myself. Fate and destiny had worked together all along.

July 3,1989

Dear Mother,

I met a girl last night. Her name is Essie Miracle, and she wandered into my room unexpectedly. How’s that for a first encounter? She’s very pretty, inquisitive, and a bit shy at first, but after a while, she told me about herself. She seemed very surprised to have come across me, and I was a little surprised myself. But maybe I had a feeling that this summer would be different than most. Perhaps it’s something called hope.