Peter looked around the busy Times Square, and his heart was beating fast with excitement. In high school, he promised Sally that he would see her again on Christmas Eve. Ten years had passed since then. Even though years had passed, Peter’s love for Sally had never changed. His thoughts had been on her for a long time, and now he was about to find out.
Peter stood next to the huge Christmas tree and looked for a flash of yellow. That was the colour of the umbrella Sally had promised to carry. As the minutes went by, Peter’s hopes started to fade. A faint voice called his name all of a sudden. He turned around and saw a girl holding a yellow umbrella. She couldn’t have been more than ten years old.
The girl’s sharp green eyes seemed to hold a deep sadness. Her voice was shaking as she asked, “Are you Peter?” As Peter got down on his knees next to her, his heart skipped a beat. “Yes, my name is Peter,” he said, barely raising his voice. “Who are you?”
The girl’s mouth shook as she said, “I’m your daughter.” Those words would change Peter’s life forever. As Peter tried to understand what had happened, his whole world fell apart. The girl, Betty, was Sally’s daughter.She was his true love.
Peter was full of questions when Mr. and Mrs. Felix, Betty’s grandparents, came up to him. It was said that Sally had died two years before and left behind a girl who was born while they were together. Sally didn’t tell Peter she was pregnant because she didn’t want to put all the duty of raising a child on him.
Peter’s guilt and sadness tore his heart apart. That man had always loved Sally, and now he had a daughter who showed how much they loved each other. He knew he had a second chance to make things right as he held Betty in his arms.
Peter worked hard over the next few months to bring Betty to the United States. Even though things were hard, Peter was determined to give his daughter the life she earned. He told Betty stories about his time with Sally as they got used to their new life together, and her eyes would light up with wonder.
Each day they became closer, and Peter realised he had been given a unique gift: the chance to live in the past again and build a new future with his daughter, whom he had no idea he had. Peter knew he would never let Betty go as they stood together by Sally’s grave. He also knew that their love would last, even when things got hard.
