Brooklyn held the shirt up to her, surveying her reflection in the department store mirror. “What do you think about this one?”

Madison made a face. “It’s great if you’re a nun.”

“You’ve hated everything I’ve picked out,” Brooklyn grumbled. She should’ve known better than to bring Madison.

“It’s because it’s all so safe … and predictable.” She flicked her wrist, her eyes perusing the selection of clothes. “You need to mix it up a little. Try something like this.” She reached for a short jean skirt. “This would show off your legs.”

Brooklyn wrinkled her nose. “Ew, no! I don’t wanna look like a bimbo.”

“You won’t look like a bimbo,” Madison countered. “You’ll look stylish … for once in your life.”

“Hey, no need to get smart about it,” she huffed.

Madison ran a manicured hand through her styled hair. “Fine,” she pouted, then sighed. “What about this?” She held up a green blouse with a bold floral pattern.

It was edgier than what Brooklyn was used to, but she liked it. It could work. “Okay.”

For a split second, Madison looked surprised, then pleased. “Good, what about these white capris? We can find you some bangle earrings and wedge sandals to complete the ensemble.”

“I like those too.”

Madison brightened. “There may be hope for you yet.”

Thirty minutes later, they’d purchased the entire outfit and were driving home. Brooklyn tightened her hands on the steering wheel, casting a sidelong glance at Madison. “Thanks for coming with me tonight.”

“You’re welcome.”

Silence settled between them.

Madison was the first to speak. “I know you’re worried about tomorrow. But you don’t need to be. You’re beautiful. You always have been. You’re unique. And if we’re speaking openly, I think it’s kind of cool that you’re not a slave to fads.”

Brooklyn took in a quick breath, not believing what she was hearing. “Thank you,” she uttered. If someone had told Brooklyn that she and Madison would be living together … spending time together … having this conversation … she would’ve laughed in their face. Surprisingly, living with Madison hadn’t been bad. In fact … she couldn’t believe she was even thinking this, and if Madison pressed her she’d outright deny it, but she was enjoying it. “What Mom said, about me being the strong one …” The comment had been eating away at Brooklyn for days, and she needed to clear the air.

Madison’s face tightened, but she waved a hand, keeping her voice light. “No worries. You know how Mom is, always blurting out the first thing that enters her head.”

“And it changes daily.”

“You’ve got that right,” Madison agreed.

“For the record, I think you’re very strong. The way you’re getting through the Justin thing. Well, it’s admirable. You deserve better.” She glanced at Madison whose mouth had disappeared into a thin line. Oops, maybe that was the wrong thing to say. She was trying to make things better between them, not worse.

Finally, Madison spoke. “Thanks. Justin’s a jerk,” she hissed.

Brooklyn’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, he is. The biggest scumbag who ever drew a breath.”

They looked at each other and started laughing.

Madison lifted a sculpted eyebrow. “And Mom was afraid the two us wouldn’t ever find anything in common.”

“Yeah, who would’ve thought.”

“I’m sorry,” Madison said quietly.

“About what?”

Tears flashed in her eyes. “That I stole Justin from you.”

Brooklyn jerked, not expecting that. Then a surprising warmth flooded through her, the sun breaking through a leaden sky. “It’s forgiven.”

“Really?” Madison’s voice quivered.

“Really.” Even as Brooklyn spoke, the truth of it settled over her. She no longer held any animosity toward her sister. The knowledge was like a gust of clean air rushing through her, sweeping away the resentment, making her feel light and free. Maybe her mother was right for once—forgiveness was a liberating concept.

A large smile broke over Madison’s face as she turned on the radio. A few minutes later, they were singing along to the song like they were teenagers again.

* * *

When Brooklyn, Dax, and his parents arrived at the eye center for the procedure, they were bombarded with reporters, shoving microphones in Dax’s face, trying to get a statement.

“Dax, do you think the treatment will work?”

“Are you planning on racing again?”

“Who is the girl you’re with? Are you dating?”

“What about Cassidy Cline? Do you two still keep in touch? Rumor had it the two of you were engaged before your accident.”

Brooklyn was jolted by that last statement. Had Dax and Cassidy been engaged? Dax hadn’t told her that, nor had Lindsay. Maybe the reporter was simply fishing for information. But at any rate, it was hard living in Cassidy’s shadow. She was starting to detest the woman, and they hadn’t even met.

Dax went stone-faced as he pushed through them muttering “no comment.” But when they got inside, he turned to Brooklyn. “I’m sorry about that.”

Then he vented his anger on the staff. He was so furious that he almost turned around and went back home, but Brooklyn persuaded him to stay. After all, they’d come this far, they’d might as well see it through to the end.

The grim-faced doctor expressed his apology and assured Dax he was doing everything in his power to learn which member of his staff had leaked the news. Brooklyn could tell the doctor intended well, but at this point it really didn’t matter who’d told the press. The damage was already done. In the doctor’s defense, there was no way to keep news like this contained. Dax was a celebrity, and people were hungry for information about him, especially if it meant he might be able to see again.

Brooklyn tried to squelch her own misgivings about the treatment and what might happen afterwards. She forced herself to concentrate on Dax’s needs. He was more nervous than she’d ever seen him. Tucker sensing it was on edge as well. Come what may, Brooklyn just wanted this day to be over.

The nurse smiled at Brooklyn and Dax’s parents. “We’re going to get him prepped for surgery. After we get him in his hospital gown and take his vitals, you can come in and talk to him.”

Dax held out his hand. “Brooklyn?” There was a hint of urgency in his voice.

She reached for and clasped his hand. “I’m here.”

He pulled her into a tight embrace. “I love you,” he said gruffly.

She wished she could soothe the tension from his face. “I love you too. It’s gonna be okay, regardless of the outcome.” Oh, how I hope that’s true.

He nodded. “I know.” He forced a smile. “Mom, Dad, I love you.”

“We love you too, son,” Lindsay said, tears springing in her eyes.

Henry Dax’s dad was a little shorter and thicker than Dax with silver hair and glasses. He had a tough exterior, but Brooklyn could tell he was trying to hold it together. He gave Dax’s shoulder a hearty pat. “You’ve got this.”

“Thanks, Dad.” He took a deep breath. “Okay, this is it.” Dax bent down and patted Tucker’s head. “Brooklyn will take good care of you while I’m gone.” He handed Brooklyn the leash, and she noticed his hand was shaking.

“Yes, I will,” she assured him, keeping her voice light even though she was a nervous wreck on the inside. “Let’s get you some water while Dax gets changed. We’ll be right back.” She had to get away from Dax’s parents before the tears slipped out. As she hurried away, she caught a glimpse of Lindsay watching her with a sympathetic expression, like she knew everything Brooklyn was feeling right now.

* * *

Dax’s head felt big and sore as he turned toward the voice. He had the sensation of being cold, then warm as a blanket was placed over him. He was being wheeled somewhere, the sound of footsteps bounced around the sterile space in hollow echoes. For a split second, he couldn’t remember where he was. Then it hit him. The surgery. Had he had it yet? Even as he pondered the question, a drug-induced weariness overtook him and he was drifting.

Someone touched his arm. “Hello, Dax.”

The voice came from far away, from the end of a long tunnel. He ignored it, slipping blissfully back into his dream. He and Brooklyn were walking around the lake with Tucker. Brooklyn’s auburn hair was bouncing against her shoulders, and then she smiled at him. A slow, wistful smile that nearly took his breath away. He jerked, the movement bringing him to the present. In his dreams, he often saw Brooklyn. Sometimes she was ethereal like something out of a fairytale; and when he awoke, he couldn’t construct a concrete picture. But this dream felt so real. He remembered every detail of her face. Her expressive hazel eyes, and the faint freckles across her nose, which tilted slightly upward in an adorable way. Her wide smile revealed straight, white teeth.

“Dax.”

He opened his eyes, but there was only blackness. Fear rose thick in his throat. Before he’d been able to see prisms of light, not just darkness. Had the surgery made the blindness worse? He touched his eyes, relieved to find them covered with bandages. No wonder everything was dark.

“Let me help you sit up, then we’ll remove the bandages,” the nurse said in a kind but professional tone. “It’s perfectly normal to have bruising and swelling for the next few days.”

“Hello, Dax. This is Doctor Finley. You did very well in the surgery. Everything went as I expected. You should start seeing immediately, but don’t panic if you don’t. It often varies from patient to patient.”

He nodded, swallowing. His throat was dryer than sandpaper, his heart hammering in his chest. “Are my parents here? And Brooklyn?”

“Yes, they’re all here,” Doctor Finley said. “Even Tucker’s here.”

At first, the staff had been leery of allowing a dog in the center. But Dax explained that since he’d gotten Tucker, they’d never been apart. They finally relented.

“Good.”

The nurse pushed a button to move the bed to a sitting position. It seemed to take an eternity for her to remove the bandages.

“The bandages are gone,” Dr. Finley said. “What do you see?” His voice was coated with excitement.

Dax looked straight ahead, seeing nothing. A bitter disappointment crushed him, nearly taking his breath away.

His voice cracked. “I don’t see anything.”

“It may take a few minutes for your eyes to process what you’re seeing.”

A futile rage boiled in Dax’s chest as he balled his hand into a fist, clutching the blanket. He’d promised himself he wouldn’t get his hopes up, but he had. And now, he would have to come to terms with his blindness all over again.

A hand touched his. “It’s okay,” his mother said, trying to sound brave. But there was an unnaturally high pitch to her voice.

Dax could only nod.

“We love you, Son,” his dad piped in.

“Brooklyn’s here with us,” his mom said.

“Hey,” Brooklyn said softly, kissing his cheek. He reached for her hand. “Stay with me,” he croaked.

“Of course.” Her voice broke, and he realized she was crying. “It’ll be okay. We knew this was a possibility.”

“Yes,” he managed to say, leaning his head back against the pillow.

Brooklyn touched his hair, and then he realized with a jolt that he’d seen movement. Her arm … maybe? A feverish excitement hummed through his veins. “Do that again.”

“What?”

“Move your arm.”

“Did you see that?” Brooklyn sounded astonished.

“I think so.”

He saw it again, a flash in front of his face. “Did you wave?”

“I did. I moved my hand in front of your face.”

“I saw it,” he exclaimed. “I saw it!”

Lindsay let out a joyous cry. “It’s a miracle!”

Dax concentrated. He saw shadows, like he was peering through a murky window. He reached out, touching Brooklyn’s hair. “Is that you?”

“Yes,” she started laughing and crying at the same time. “It’s me. Can you see me?”

“I can make out your shape.” Then like a camera shifting into focus, he saw her. Not crystal clear, but enough to be able to make out her features. “Yes, I can see you.” He touched her cheek, tears streaming down his face. “I can see you!” he repeated, hardly believing this was real. Then he gasped.

Brooklyn drew back, fearful. “What?” she asked in a shaky voice.

“I had a dream about you … just as I was coming to. And you look exactly like you did in my dream.”

A hesitant smile touched her lips. “Is that a good thing?”

He laughed as a burst of exhilaration shot through him, bringing with it the joy of a thousand Nascar wins all rolled into one. “Yes, it’s wonderful. I love you!”

She looked relieved. “I love you too.”