Ten years ago, Peter and Sally, high school sweethearts, made a promise to meet in Times Square on Christmas Eve. Life had pulled them in different directions, but their vow became a beacon of hope, a plan to reunite no matter where life took them.
A decade later, Peter stood in Times Square, scanning the crowd for Sally. Instead, a young girl approached him, holding a yellow umbrella. “Are you Peter?” she asked.
Peter’s heart raced as he looked into her green eyes—Sally’s eyes. “Yes, I’m Peter,” he said. “Who are you?”
“My name is Betty,” she whispered. “Mom said I’d find you here.”
Peter’s world turned upside down when Betty revealed that Sally had passed away two years ago. Sally’s parents, Felix and his wife, explained that Sally had discovered she was pregnant after moving to Paris. She hadn’t told Peter, not wanting to burden him while he cared for his ailing mother.
Betty tugged on Peter’s sleeve. “Before she died, Mom told me you loved her more than anything. She said you’d keep your promise.”
Peter knelt down and hugged Betty, tears streaming down his face. “I never stopped loving her,” he whispered. “And I’ll never stop loving you.”
Sally’s mother handed Peter a worn diary, its pages filled with Sally’s thoughts and dreams. Tucked inside was a photo from prom night—Peter and Sally, smiling as if they held the world in their hands.
In the months that followed, Peter dedicated himself to building a life for Betty. He brought her to the U.S., transforming his quiet apartment into a home filled with laughter and love. Each night, he told her stories of Sally—their love, their dreams, and the strength she had passed down to her daughter.
On their first Christmas together, Peter and Betty visited Sally’s grave. A bouquet of yellow roses lay on the snow, a tribute to the love that had endured time, distance, and even death.
“Mom used to say yellow was the color of new beginnings,” Betty whispered, her small hand in Peter’s.
“She was right,” Peter said, his voice steady but filled with emotion. “And she’d be so proud of you.”
As they stood together, Peter realized that while he had lost Sally, he had gained something just as precious—a part of her that would live on in Betty. In her laughter, her courage, and her love, Sally remained. And as Peter looked at his daughter, he knew their story wasn’t one of loss, but of enduring love and new beginnings.
