Back to Where We Started From (Miracle)

Chapter Nineteen

Herb couldn't help but worry that Julie was bottling up her feelings. He could only hope that whenever she finally snapped, she could handle it without the drugs she was so accustomed to reaching for. Whatever luck had come their way to make the timing fall so perfectly to bring Julie back to Minnesota while the boys were here, Herb didn't understand. Nevertheless, he was thankful for it.

Julie sat in her seat, waiting for the game to start. She had changed into jeans and Mark's home jersey, letting her wavy hair fall loose around her shoulders. She was used to being one of the first people in the stands, as she always arrived with the team. She had tried her best to wait patiently, but her eyes kept wandering to the concession stands, hoping they would open soon. She had skipped lunch, after all. It felt like an eternity that she waited, until fans slowly started to trickle in. Figuring that the concession stands had to be open at this point, she vacated her seat a few rows behind the boys' bench to find some food. Julie loved the pregame atmosphere at the arena. No matter where you went, it was always the same. It smelled like popcorn, and the chatter of excited fans seemed to grow by the minute. Even as she waited in line at the concession stand, she couldn't help but smile at the two children in front of her, wearing matching Capitals jerseys. They must've been brother and sister, as they had the same blonde hair. She couldn't help but be reminded of Danny and Kelly as she watched the pair bicker, although the kids in front of her appeared younger than her cousins.

"Will you two please behave?" The woman in front of the children turned around, her voice heavy with exasperation.

Every hair on the back of Julie's neck stood up, and a chill went down her spine. She knew that voice. She would always know that voice.

"Mommy, I want a chocolate bar!" The small girl whined. Her mother sighed, still oblivious to Julie's presence. The blonde woman leaned down to her small daughter's level. That was a face Julie hadn't seen in thirteen years.

"Shelly, I told you, no chocolate bars. You had a cookie after dinner."

Julie was frozen, stuck in her spot as she watched the three of them. Had there been anything in her stomach, she would've thrown it up already. Every breath she took was short and shallow.

"Popcorn, please!" The young boy said excitedly as he bounced up to the front counter. The woman turned around and paid for the popcorn. She hadn't even noticed Julie. It was the little girl, Shelly, that turned around and stared up at Julie. Her big blue eyes seemed to bore into Julie's. Julie knew already that the two of them looked alike.

"I know you," the young girl said definitively. "You're on the cover of Mommy's magazines."

Julie gave a tight-lipped smile to the young girl, and didn't respond. It wasn't Shelly's fault, and she shouldn't be mean to her. It must've been the sound of her young daughter talking to a stranger that finally caused the woman to turn around, coming face to face with Julie. The two just stared at each other, a seemingly mirror image. Julie looked more like her than either one would ever admit, the only difference being hair color, seeing as Julie had inherited her father's dark hair. They were nearly the same height, though Julie was skinnier. No one could deny that Julie looked just like her mother in the face. The same eyes, the same high cheekbones and arched eyebrows.

"Julia. I hoped I might run into you here," Sylvia finally spoke.

"Did your parents tell you I was going to be here?" Julie asked after finally finding her voice.

"Yes. But I already knew your uncle was coaching the team," Sylvia admitted. The young boy stood a few feet away from them, eating popcorn and tapping his foot impatiently. Shelly continued to stare up at Julie curiously.