A Living Wonder (Story)

There was a new girl at my work — however, this wasn’t unusual due to the high turnover at my job. I worked at Jack’s Surfboards where employees either stayed here for only two months or four years. Those who did linger here awhile, like myself who is going onto year five, are a rarity of our kind. We have defeated the natural selection of employees who are too absent to work, too lazy to fold a t-shirt, or too fried to maintain a job at a surf shop. Truthfully speaking though, Jack’s Surfboards was an awesome workplace. I mean if it wasn’t enjoyable, I’d be gone years ago by now. It was just too great to leave: the consistent seasonal schedules, the long, hourly rates, the availability to pickup and cover shifts, and most of all the opportunity to network with such a diverse variety of people.

So this new girl and I were working together at the Jack’s kid’s store. At the time, Jack’s had bought out Jamba Juice (which was in between the Jack’s men’s store and the Jack’s women's store in Huntington Beach) and transformed it into the Jack’s kid’s store. It was just the new girl and I in the kid’s store, so we introduced ourselves and begun to chat about small talk relating to work. Her name was Hannah and she had a very exotic, natural beauty to her appearance. Hannah’s skin was absolutely flawless and poreless as I noticed her bare face didn’t even have a hint of concealer on. She had an evenly bronzed complexion with silky, chocolate hair that touched the middle of her waist. Hannah’s defined jawline complimented her oval shaped face and her full lips highlighted her infectious smile. She had deep, brown eyes that stared at you as lovingly as mother does to her newborn child. Hannah was about 5’3 with a voluptuous and curvaceous figure that swayed like a figure eight when she walked. Her picturesque beauty was most assuredly divine.

“You know who I think is really cute from Jack’s?” Hannah asked.

“Ohh, I wanna know,” I responded — flattered at the fact that she entrusts me with such knowledge.

“That guy Daniel who works in the watches and glasses section.”

Daniel — the Daniel that works in the watches and glasses section. That Daniel was my brother, but I didn’t think she knew that was my brother… yet. I wouldn’t be surprised if she hadn’t made a connection that we’re siblings, especially since Hannah was new and Daniel and I didn’t look anything alike. His olive skin tone and my fair skin tone, his deep, brown hair and my dirty blonde hair, and his iridescent blue eyes and my forest green eyes — we were practically inverses.

“Yeah, I feel you” I said nonchalantly.

I didn’t want to confess that he was my brother, instead, I wanted to build up a mutual response to her attraction. I’d always wondered what people said about me to strangers or how they honestly viewed me. No, I didn’t want to be a mind reader, but I just had an innate curiosity about people’s truthful perceptions. Perhaps not admitting to Hannah that Daniel was my brother was deceitful, but it was also an opportunity to discover her honest thoughts on him without the “family factor” being an influence in our conversation.

“I really want to talk to him but…I don’t know Daniel is so outgoing and friendly and I’m just shy and I don’t know what to say to him”

I noticed a childish giddiness when she spoke about my brother and it was so endearing. I thought it was so innocent and charming of Hannah to feel nervous to approach my brother. I really delighted in the fact that she was confiding in me — little did she know that she was unfolding her feelings to one of the people that knew Daniel best.

“Awwe, that’s so cute! And trust me, Daniel talks to everyone. You can strike up any conversation with him and I guarantee he’ll be engaged in it.”

I was honored to give Hannah advice about someone I’ve known and lived with since my crib ages. Daniel has always been a naturally charismatic character with a hint of an alpha male attitude. He was a confident conversationalist and spoke with assurance and assertiveness. With Hannah’s more reserved personality type, I knew the two would compliment each other with balance and harmony.

“I hope so…maybe I’ll say something to him the next time he works…”

***

At 10:22 I came home from work to find Daniel reclined back in the blue couch watching an alien documentary on Netflix. Daniel’s biggest hobby, if you consider it a hobby, was watching TV. He would binge watch all of the greatest tv series and had the best selection in picking what to watch on Netflix. Daniel was born with extraordinary senses. No, not senses in relation to hear, touch, and smell but senses in relation to his innate common sense — his intuition to feeling. He always knew how to pick the funniest movie to watch, the most delicious meal to eat, or even the right thing to say to a cop to manage his way out of a trespassing ticket for skating in someone’s backyard. Daniel had a unique intelligence to him, an intelligence of exceptional judgement. Anyhow, when I entered the living room I also noticed Daniel was lounged back with a burrito in one hand and a bottle of Tapatio in the other. He was in his natural habitat.

“How was work?”

“It was good, I worked with the new girl Hannah at the kid’s store, have you met her yet?”

“Is it the brunette one?”

“Yeah, I think she’s your secret admirer.”

“Really? What did she say?” Daniel asked veering his full attention towards me instead of the TV.

“Well, Hannah thinks your attractive and she seems kind of shy to talk to you.”

“Hahah, no way that’s awesome! Does she know your my little sister?!”

“I don’t think so…I didn’t say anything about being related to you when she was talking about you. I just wanted to hear Hannah’s honest thoughts…but she spoke very highly of you. You should ask her out, she’s really pretty and sweet. I really liked working with Hannah too, she’s really down to earth and authentic.”

“Damn that’s so sick she has no idea you’re my sister, hahaha. But yeah, I’ll talk to her, she’s pretty cute.”

***

It was a Sunday evening at work and I was interrupted by Hannah as I was passing by the break room.

“Melissa! Why didn’t you tell me you were Daniel’s little sister?”

I instinctively shrugged. I didn’t even know how to respond of defend myself. But worst of all, I genuinely felt so ashamed for not coming clean about Daniel and I being related.

“I know, you’re right, I’m sorry. But trust me, I put in a really good word about you — he seemed mutually interested in you too. And don’t worry, I didn’t say anything that would lessen your character. I was actually encouraging Daniel to ask you out and he seemed quite intrigued by that idea too.”

Hannah realized that I was doing her a favor and not an injustice. I never intended on embarrassing her, I wholeheartedly desired to give Daniel a positive review about her, and also ignite some interest in him pursuing her so he can get over his awful ex girlfriend. Hannah seemed like such a sweetheart, I approved of her even after my first impression.

“What! Omg, what did he say?”

“Daniel thinks your really pretty and wants to get to know you more. In regards to asking you out, he left it pretty ambiguous, but I can just count on it happening.”

***

Three and a half years later, Daniel and Hannah have been dating ever since. Hannah started off as my coworker, to my friend, to my brother’s girlfriend, and now to my family. It’s such a wonder how a stranger can become someone that is closer than family to you. Those minor, and yet seemingly insignificant first interactions are the ones that build up a rooted relationship that evolve into some of the most meaningful connections. I’m so awestruck by life’s certainties. There are millions of reasons why I could've never met Hannah — if she never moved to Huntington Beach, if she never worked at Jack’s Surfboards, or even if she was never born. But there’s the inevitable reasoning for everything…reasoning that is beyond my grasp of knowledge, but all I can do is just accept what “is”.

Hannah defines “heaven sent” to me. She rescued Daniel from his hellish ex girlfriend and refurbished his aching heart with the pureness of her love. Hannah opened her white wings to him, sheltering him in her household with her embracing hospitality. She served as the most inspirational, female figure in my life — filling the void with the absence of my mother. It is such a blessing to have Hannah in my life and for a lifetime as my future sister-in-law too. God sent the Miller family an angel, and she’s a living wonder indeed.

#stories #love #brother #heavensent #wings #beauty #inspiration #story