Second Chances Read Online Free

to attend, or simply enjoyed each other’s company in comfortable silence.
    ***
    Tristan stopped his car in front of the hospital.
    “Are we still walking the Christmas Market next weekend?”
    She smiled happily. “Definitely!”
    “Excellent.”
    Maya quickly hugged him and hurried toward the building, fighting the biting wind. She avoided going back to the administrative area and walked straight to the playroom the kids used by day hoping to find Matthew there. Reporting her conversation with Robert to Moira would wait; in addition, she had no desire to explain Arthur’s bargain. Her sister would probably fret or worse, try to dissuade her from accepting. Not that she had completely made up her mind yet…
    The little boy was in a corner sitting on the floor and was playing with a stuffed animal; a horse she guessed, or it could also be a strange-looking camel. Her heart squeezed at the quiet image he made. The other kids welcomed her loudly with enthusiastic greetings and tons of hugs and kisses.
    Maya admired each doll and countless toy cars, praised the shaky LEGO constructions and marvelled at several modern art sketches that would have made Picasso jealous. Matthew looked up at the turmoil and briefly smiled at her before returning his attention to his toy.
    Finally, Maya managed to extract herself from her entourage and went to kneel near him.
    “Hello Matthew, are you feeling okay today?”
    The little boy vaguely bobbed his head. Questions he could answer with a nod or shake were better so he didn’t have to speak. Maya caressed the stuffed animal.
    “This is a beautiful horse you’ve got. Do you think I can guess his name?”
    Matthew shook his head; his mischievous smile warmed her slightly.
    “Let’s see. You called him…Flicka.”
    A shake of the head. Apparently not...Maya frowned as if in concentration.
    “Black. Like in the horse in the Black Stallion story.”
    Another silent “no”. The animal was a vivid brown with a flaming mane, after all.
    “Hum…You like making things difficult. Is his name Flame?”
    Matthew grinned broadly and nodded vigorously.
    “It’s a beautiful name. You like horses, don’t you?”
    The little boy was making the animal jump on her knees. He nodded again. Maya moved to lean on the wall beside him.
    “We have something special here; it’s a Make-a-Wish list. Children make a wish, and if they behave really well, obey the doctors and all, sometimes the wish is granted. Do you want to make a wish too? Of course you’ll have to be very very good…”
    “Hor…”
    The half-mouthed syllable turned into a cough. The young woman waited patiently for the boy to get his breath back, not touching him when all she wanted was to take him in her arms and hug him tight.
    After a few excruciating minutes, Matthew plunged brilliant eyes into her own aquamarine ones and gestured at the horse, pushing the animal into her grasp. Maya swallowed, hoping her voice would sound as normal as possible. It broke her heart, to see the little boy fighting for every breath like he did.
    “You have a wish about horses?”
    Matthew nodded again. She slipped one arm around the frail shoulders gently.
    “So this is the deal. You will do your best to get well, and I’ll take you to a stud farm. You’ll see horses, you’ll learn how to tend to them, and we’ll go on a long ride together. What do you think?”
    The kid sighed quietly, and cuddled against her, eyes closed. Maya kissed his head before enfolding him in her arms completely. If entering Arthur’s games meant saving Matthew, it was absolutely worth it. And if she sold her soul to the devil in doing so, then so be it.
    ***
    The door of her apartment thankfully closed behind her, protecting her from the icy wind and the already fallen darkness. It took her less than a minute to take off her coat and light some lamps to create a cheerful glow in the room.
    Glancing around, she spotted the box with her Christmas decorations.