Chapter 26
The Miracle

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Noa asked Tarita the next day when she found her daughter crying by the ocean.

"Oh Mom, it's just not fair!" Tarita sobbed.

"What's not fair?" asked Noa, concern in her voice.

"Why can't I have a baby? It's cruel that there is no man for Tiki or I. Ahi and Akio are going to have children, and I never will. I want to be a mother! I want to be just like you." But she couldn't go on.

Noa felt her heart break for her daughter and held her tight. "Oh, Tarita. Not everything in this life, on this island, is fair. There are some things we can't control. But, it never hurts to wish and hope." She paused when Tarita looked at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if you really want to be a mother, then wish for it with all your heart. It may not happen, but it will never happen if you don't wish for it. Sometimes, dreams can come true, we just can't loose hope." Tarita nodded slightly and managed a quiet, broken "Okay Mom.". Noa continued to hold and rock her daughter until her crying finally allowed her to drift to sleep in Noa's arms. Obi came to check on the two and knelt down to gently pick up his daughter. Noa followed as Obi carried her to the hut and laid her in her bed. He kissed his daughter on the cheek and covered her with the blanket. Taking the nearby wash cloth, he wiped the tear stains from her cheeks and kissed her again. Turning to Noa he led her out of the hut and Noa told Obi what had happened. A tear formed in Obi's eyes and his heart went out to his daughter. He leaned down and kissed Noa. For the first time since they could remember. Neither had any clue what to do.

A few days later while working at the research table, Tarita was distracted. She felt awful, she hadn't felt right since that day with Noa. She didn't want to eat, she found it hard to work and constantly felt like she was going to be sick. Ahi noticed this change in his sister and was concerned.

"Tarita, you're really pale. Maybe you should go lie down and I'll get Mom to check you out." Tarita shook her head and stubbornly returned to work. Ahi watched her and before he could react, she fell. He reached out to catch her but couldn't catch her in time. She hit her head on the table and her arm caught some bottles as she fell, smashing them to the ground. Ahi grabbed his sister and yelled for help, slipping on the spilt liquid and cutting himself on the glass. A deep gash appeared on his forearm but he ignored the pain and lifted his sister up, moving her away from the broken glass. He carried her to the hut while Piku and Obi ran to them, responding to Ahi's shouts. Obi took one look at Tarita and saw the blood dripping off Ahi's arm and stopped Piku dead in his tracks. "Get Noa!" was all he said and ran after Ahi.

Inside the hut, Ahi held a cloth to his arm while Noa examined Tarita, a stricken look on her face. Thanks to Ahi, Tarita had avoided any injuries from the broken glass, but she had a large bump on her head and was obviously ill from something. Noa tried to revive her, needing to talk to her, and urgently. Obi came back into the hut, having left to find more clean cloths for Ahi's arm. He was looking pale from the loss of blood, but the bleeding had slowed greatly. Noa came over and started to clean and dress the wound, removing a large piece of glass in the process. Tarita stirred.

"Honey! Honey, wake up!" Noa cried out. "It's okay, we're here, open your eyes."

"My head hurts." She moaned.

"You fell and hit your head. Does anything else hurt?" Tarita slowly shook her head. "Do you know where you are?" She nodded. "Do you remember what happened?" She nodded. Noa breathed a sigh of relief. Her daughter would be okay. "Ahi, I need a minute with Tarita and your father. Could you please wait outside?" Without a word, Ahi obediently left the hut. Noa turned back to Tarita.

Noa looked at Tarita and then at Obi. "Honey, you have morning sickness. You're pregnant."

"I can't be!" Obi took a few steps back and eyed the two.

"I know it doesn't make any sense, but trust me Tarita, you're pregnant." A look of comprehension dawned on Tarita's face and she put a hand on her stomach.

"What is it?" asked Noa. "Did you remember something?"

"'Dreams can come true'" she whispered, quoting her mother. "Mom, dreams really can come true!" and she perked up. "You were right! You were right all along! I wished for a baby, I dreamed with all my heart for a baby and now I'm going to have one!" Noa and Obi looked at each other and Noa was transported back to the day he proposed to her, when he told her that it was possible that her dreams brought her to this island. That his dreams took him down a waterfall to meet her. A slow smile formed on his face and he moved to kiss his daughter then kissed Noa. "How are we ever going to tell the others?" he asked with a laugh. Noa, still in shock looked at Tarita and said, "I have no idea, but bring a mattress when you tell them, Coen will faint again if he finds out there's a sixth pregnant women running around." Obi chuckled and turned to let Ahi back in the hut.