The Miracle of You

“When are you going to get married?”

The lively dining room turned silent in an instant, and there was a lingering anticipation in the air that didn’t go unnoticed by anyone on the premises.

Michael McGregor heard his father’s voice loud and clear, but chose to ignore it and continued to eat his dinner.

There were a total of six people at the table. The Chairman of Haynes-McGregor Industries, his wife, Michael, his grandmother, and his two siblings.

His father’s line was something that Michael had grown used to over the years, and his answer remained the same whether he said it out loud or not.

His father, John McGregor, had a scowl on his face as he slammed his fork down on the plate. The impact made a loud sound that made the others jolt in surprise.

“I am talking to you,” John said, his eyes narrowing in anger. “When are you going to stop refusing marriage prospects and blind dates? You are not getting any younger, Michael. It’s time for you to find a wife and have her give birth to a son. An heir.”

“And you’re sticking to your traditional beliefs as always, Father,” Michael said indifferently as he took a bite out of the steak. “I am still young enough to avoid settling down for the time being.”

“There have been many rumors going around about you,” John said, his tone filled with displeasure. “What do you keep waiting around for? Do you fancy men, or is there a woman that you secretly favor but is already taken?”

“None are correct,” Michael said calmly.

Michael’s mother, Diana, turned to him with a concerned expression on her face. “Son, is there really nobody who has caught your attention at least once? Your father and I are just worried about you. You have never shown at least an ounce of interest in any women that we’ve introduced to you so far.”

Michael’s two siblings, William and Joanna, stayed silent, knowing better than to interfere in the discussion that had been going on for years now.

Michael was the only one in the family who wasn’t married. Will had married a beautiful and obedient wife who was arranged for him by his parents while Joanna had given birth to her second child last year. Both of them were working hard in the family business at Haynes-McGregor Industries, with Will being the COO and Joanna being the head of the branch in another city. She was only here today to pay her family a visit during the weekend.

Whenever they had family reunions like this, the conversation would always eventually gonna go into one single point.

Michael’s lack of interest in women and marriage.

Since Michael was the CEO of the company, the family had high expectations for him. At first, Will was the one who John wanted to inherit the position of CEO, but Michael had shown sudden tremendous growth over the past years, so it was clear that he was the one most suitable for the job.

Will, the most mellow and rational son of the family, did not take it personally and supported his brother in every way he could. He didn’t really care for the position and stepped out of the way when Michael began proving himself to their father.

Joanna, on the other hand, disapproved of Michael’s way of doing things. As the eldest daughter and sibling, she couldn’t understand why Michael just tended to do whatever he wanted at whatever time he wished. Due to their father’s strong personality, she had unconsciously adopted his traditional beliefs and believed that every life had a proper process that would guarantee success.

“I don’t understand what the big deal is with you refusing to date or get engaged to someone at least,” Joanna suddenly spoke up with a raise of her eyebrow. “If you don’t want to get married or have a relationship, then just say so. Don’t keep stringing Mom and Dad along with your carefree tendencies.”

“Joanna,” Will said calmly with a warning tone to his voice. The two of them were twins, born together in the same year, while Michael was the youngest.

“Don’t keep defending him, Will,” Joanna snapped. “He’s been really arrogant lately. He keeps making major decisions on his own whims without informing any of us, and he never even tries to ask for our opinions when it comes to business matters. It’s like he doesn’t have a family!”

John frowned, but didn’t say anything. Diana looked aghast as she tried to remedy the situation.

“Joanna, your brother just has his way of doing things,” she said. “I’m sure he means well and has plans for himself that we don’t know.”

“That’s great, then. He can tell us exactly what those plans are,” Joanna said, turning to Michael with a glare. “Enlighten us, dear brother, as to why it seems like we don’t exist in your life anymore.”

“If being in this family means that I am required to obey every single thing that is ordered of me and report every detail to you all, then I don’t need it,” Michael said calmly as he set his utensils down on the table. “I am not anybody’s puppet, and I am certainly not anything like you, Joanna.”

Diane let out a shocked gasp. Will closed his eyes, already dreading the result of this conversation. There was a deadly scowl on John’s face, and Joanna’s expression was twisting into something more ugly.

“What did you just say?!” she shrieked.

“I will be taking my leave now,” Michael said, standing up from his seat and turning around.

“Michael Noah McGregor, if you take one more step, I will make you regret it!” John’s booming voice resounded in the room.

However, Michael paid no heed to his father’s warning and simply exited the manor without another word.

But just as he was about to get inside his car, he heard the sound of panting coming from behind as well as rapid footsteps. Michael turned around and came face-to-face with his brother, William McGregor.

“Mike, wait,” Will said, taking a deep breath before reaching out to clamp a warm hand on Michael’s shoulder. His eyes were as gentle as ever, ones that suited him as a caring older brother. “I know I’ve already told you this a hundred times already, but…”

“I know,” Michael said evenly. “Mom and Dad are just worried about me, but they don’t know how else to express it. My sister is just annoyed that I keep doing things my way without consulting the rest of you.”

“Sometimes, people say hurtful things when they’re angry. Please don’t take it to heart, okay? You should think more about what you said, too. It really shocked Mom,” Will said softly. “I’ll talk to Joanna later. Make sure to eat breakfast before going to work tomorrow, all right?”

“Okay.” Michael sighed. “I’m sorry, Will.”

“No need to apologize, little brother. I’m sure things have been hard on you lately, especially since you still need to close the deal with an important client. The board of directors has been breathing down your neck lately too, right?” Will smiled at him reassuringly. “But… about what Father said earlier…”

“Will…”

“No, I’m not here to nag you about it. Don’t get me wrong. But… Mike, are you really waiting for someone?” Will asked in concern. “What are your plans for the future? You’re not getting any younger, you know. You’re already in your thirties…”

Michael said nothing in response, so Will continued on.

“Everyone is just worried about you, Mike. You’re… really good with the business, but… is that all you’re going to do for a lifetime?” Will asked worriedly. “Don’t you think it’s time to find someone who can heal the empty hole in your heart? Haven’t you ever… you know… longed for someone to be by your side?”

To Will’s surprise, Michael smiled at him softly in response.

“I am waiting for someone,” Michael said quietly. “In fact, I’ve been waiting for her for fourteen years already.”

Will’s eyes widened.

He did not expect that at all.

“What? For that long? Why?” Will asked, completely caught off-guard. “Who is she? When did you first meet her?”

Michael was silent for a moment.

“I was a freshman in high school when I first met her,” he answered softly. “Her name is Hailey, and she’s my first love.”