They were saying goodbye at prom, holding hands and crying, knowing their high school romance was about to end. Her family was moving to Europe, and this was their last moment together.
“IF WE EVER LOSE TOUCH, PROMISE ME WE’LL MEET ON CHRISTMAS EVE, TEN YEARS FROM NOW, AT TIMES SQUARE. EVEN IF WE’RE MARRIED OR HAVE KIDS. JUST TO TALK,” she said, her voice trembling. “I’LL BE HOLDING A YELLOW UMBRELLA. THAT’S HOW YOU’LL FIND ME.”
“I PROMISE,” he said, squeezing her hand. “TEN YEARS FROM NOW, CHRISTMAS EVE, TIMES SQUARE. I’LL BE THERE LOOKING FOR THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LADY WITH A YELLOW UMBRELLA, NO MATTER WHAT.”
A decade passed, and they did lose touch. One day, her letters just stopped coming.
Now, here he was, standing in Times Square, scanning the crowd of Christmas revelers for someone holding a yellow umbrella.
His heart raced with every passing second.
Then, he heard a small, squeaky voice from behind him. “ARE YOU PETER?”
He turned around to see a little girl, no older than ten, holding a yellow umbrella.
“SHE’S NOT COMING,” the girl said, looking down sadly.
“WHO… WHO ARE YOU?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper.
“I’m Emily,” the girl replied, her eyes still fixed on the ground. “My mom sent me here to talk to you. She… she’s very sick, and couldn’t come herself.”
Peter felt a lump form in his throat. “Your mom?” he asked, confused and hopeful at the same time.
“Yes,” Emily nodded, finally looking up at him. Her eyes were a familiar shade of green that sent a wave of nostalgia through him. “She told me a lot about you. How you both promised to meet here today after ten years. She wanted so much to be here, but she’s in the hospital.”
Peter’s mind raced as he absorbed the shock. “Is your mom… Sarah?” he managed to ask, his voice shaking.
“Yes,” Emily smiled slightly. “She always told me about her high school sweetheart and how you both made a promise. She kept this umbrella just for today.”
Tears welled up in Peter’s eyes as he took a small step towards Emily. “Can you take me to her? Can you tell me where she is?”
Emily nodded vigorously, relief flooding her features. “Yes, she’s at Mount Sinai. She said it would mean the world if you came. She’s been talking about this day for years.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Peter took Emily’s hand. “Let’s go,” he said with determination. They hailed a taxi, and as they drove through the bustling streets of New York, Peter felt a mix of sadness and anticipation. He hadn’t expected this turn of events, but he knew that this Christmas Eve was going to be unforgettable.
As they entered Sarah’s hospital room later that evening, Peter saw her lying there, a weak but genuine smile spreading across her face at the sight of him. The yellow umbrella rested against her bedside.
“Sorry, I couldn’t keep our promise the way we planned,” she whispered as he approached.
“You kept it,” Peter said, taking her hand, “because you sent me Emily.”
They spent the evening catching up, sharing stories, and reconnecting, a blend of the past and the present uniting them again. Though the circumstances were nothing like they had imagined ten years ago, the spirit of their promise remained unbroken, now woven into the fabric of their new beginning.
