At that moment, Harrison Emerson, Emmett’s father, watched from a distance. A wealthy, influential businessman, he often observed his son quietly, believing it was a way to protect him without smothering him. Seeing a barefoot girl approach his son with such confidence made him uneasy. His hand hovered near his coat pocket, ready to intervene.
Lila raised her hand toward Emmett’s face.
“May I?” she asked.
He swallowed hard. “What… what are you going to do?” he asked.
“Remove your sunglasses,” she said. “I need to see your eyes.”
Emmett hesitated, then lifted the dark lenses. A cloudy haze over his pupils revealed the years of darkness he had endured. Harrison felt powerless in a way money had never prepared him for.
Lila leaned forward, her hands steady. “Trust me,” she whispered.
He did. Somehow, he trusted her. Her fingertips brushed over his right eye. He expected pain, a burning sensation, something sharp, but felt only a subtle movement, like a veil lifting.
She removed a thin, translucent film, shimmering in the sunlight like spun glass.
“What… what is that?” Emmett whispered.
“It’s what kept you from seeing,” Juliette said.
She repeated the process on his left eye, and soon two delicate films rested in her hands.
When Emmett opened his eyes again, the plaza emerged in all its vivid detail: shapes, colors, sunlight dancing on brick. Slowly, he recognized her—Juliette, smiling at him.
“I… I can see!” he gasped. “I can see you!”
At that moment, Harrison’s voice rang out. “What have you done to my son?” His face was pale, fists clenched, drawing the attention of passersby.
“I helped him,” Juliette said calmly.
Harrison seized Emmett’s shoulders. “Who are you? What did you do?” he demanded.
“Dad, listen!” Emmett cried. “I can see! I see you!”
Harrison dropped to his knees beside him, overcome with disbelief and gratitude. “Explain… explain how you did this,” he said.
“I only believed,” Juliette replied.
Fear, awe, and wonder warred inside him. He rushed Emmett to Mercer City Hospital, where doctors who had declared the blindness permanent found no trace of disease. Pupils responded, retinas were healthy.
“I… I cannot explain it,” admitted Dr. Wallace Kendall, a leading ophthalmologist. “Medically, this is impossible. If there is a word for it… it is miracle.”