Ella Murray was having a bad day. No, not just a bad day, she decided. It had been a bad week. Of a terrible month. Of a long year. Of a dreadful existence.

She had spent most of her wonderfully dreadful seventeen years in Los Angeles, California. Ah yes, the City of Angels. It seemed to Ella that for a city with such a holy nickname, its appearance sure wasn’t living up to it. She hated the dirty streets, crammed with dirty people, all living their dirty lives- with not a care in the world for anyone but themselves.

So she had basically figured out over the years that if all anyone cared about was themselves, there was no one to care about her but herself. So that was all she cared about. If she felt like skipping school? She did it. If she felt like punching somebody? Who was there to stop her? She had no reason to be nice to anyone or even remotely presentable, because who was there to care?

The one person in Ella’s life that she knew cared for her was her younger sister, Paige. Ella resented Paige, with her golden blond curls and big blue eyes that could charm just about anyone she came across. Everyone loved Paige, and Ella had always been jealous of her easygoing ways and the way everyone seemed to fall in love with her at first glance. But for whatever reason, Paige had always loved Ella, admired her even, from the day she was born. Even now that Paige was 15 to Ella’s 17, she still seemed to admire Ella with the same fascination she always had.

Now they sat at the Shanghai Buffet, the family favorite for the best Chinese in town. Ella sat fuming, furious at being dragged there on a Friday night, while Paige was happily smiling and chatting with the waitress and causing stares from several of the boys around her.

“And what would we have for you this evening, Miss Ella? Would you like the usual?”

Ella looked up to find the beaming Chinese waitress staring down at her.

“I don’t see why it would matter. It’s all horse meet anyway.” Ella shot back.

“Ella.” Her mother said sternly.

The waitress chuckled nervously. “Okay, I will get you your usual."

Ella rolled her eyes and sighed. “Whatever.”

After they had eaten and the table had cleared away, the waitress came back with the tab and a pile of fortune cookies. She smiled at Ella. “Fortune cookie?” She asked, holding one out in her palm.

“If you insist,” Ella said in a voice dripping with sarcasm. She opened it up. It read:

“Eventually you will come to understand that love heals everything, and love is all there is.”

She rolled her eyes and sighed again. What a piece of junk. She looked up to find the waitress beaming down at her again. What was her problem?

“There is much wisdom in those words,” she said. “Learn from them.”

“Whatever you say,” Ella replied.

“Okay. You all have a good evening. Come back soon, okay?” The still beaming waitress waved cheerfully at the family as they left.

Once they were home and Ella had sealed herself in the privacy of her room, Paige came barging in, just like she always did. It drove Ella insane.

“Ever heard of the concept of knocking?” She glared at Paige. She was dressed in a flowing blouse and had curled her already perfect blond hair into little ringlets.

Paige giggled. “Sorry.”

“What occasion are you so dressed up for?” She asked scornfully.

“Oh- I have a date. That’s why I was in here. Is this blouse to casual? We’re just going to the movies. Do you think I should change or-”

“I don’t see why it would matter. They would date you if you wore nothing but a trash bag.” Ella grumbled.

“Really?” Paige beamed. She looked down at her blouse and blushed. “I guess this is ok then.”

“Yeah. Sure.” Ella said without much interest.

Paige walked over and sat next to her on the bed, uninvited as usual. “You know, you can come if you want. He has a brother. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind bringing him too.”

Ella didn’t even look up from her phone. “Yeah, that would go great. Just great. He wouldn’t be able to keep his eyes off of you either, and I would be a third wheel. No, worse. A fourth wheel, standing in the middle of a love triangle or something.”

Paige gave her a confused look. “What do you mean? His brother is much older than me. You’re gorgeous, and much closer to his age. It would be fun. Like a double date.”

Ella looked up long enough to give her sister a piercing glare. “Yeah, I’m sure someone thinks the electric chair might be fun too. You go. Just leave me alone.”

Paige sighed, standing up from the bed. “Okay. It’s just that sometimes, I really miss doing stuff together. We used to do everything together, remember? We were best friends,” She smiled. “Remember how we used to dress up as movie stars and walk around the block and asking people if they wanted our autograph?”

“Don’t remind me,” Ella grumbled.

Paige’s smile faded. “I just miss you, Ella.” She bit her lip and stared at the ground. They heard the doorbell ring.

She looked up. “That’s Thomas,” she said. “I better go.”

She paused on the way out of the doorway and turned around and looked back at Ella. “Bye, Ella. I love you,” was all she said. And then she was gone.

Hours later Ella was still hiding away in her room when she heard the phone ring. Then her mother screamed. Her dad came running down the hall.

A few minutes later Ella’s mom burst into her room. “Ella, we have to go. Now.”

“What? What are you talking about? What happ-“

“ELLA! We need to leave NOW!”

She put on her shoes and ran out to the garage. She climbed into the car where her dad was already waiting behind the driving wheel. “Dad? What’s going on? Where are we going?”

Her father took a deep breath. “The hospital.”

“What? What happened? Is Paige-“

Her father took another shaky breath. “You are aware that your sister went out tonight, aren’t you?”

“Yes, but-“

“Apparently the boy she went out with had been drinking, and on the way, the car swerved into a ditch, and-“

“Oh my gosh. Dad, what happened? Is she okay? What happened?” She was surprised at the tear that trickled down her cheek. She couldn’t remember the last time she cried.

He turned around and looked at back at her. “Your sister has been admitted into the hospital. She is in critical condition. There is still a chance that she might live, but she’s in a coma, and hasn’t woken up yet…” Ella was surprised to see her dad crying as well. Just then her mom ran out to the car. Her face was a sickly shade of white.

“Let’s go,” she said in a raspy voice.

Puling up to the hospital, Ella couldn’t help noticing the feeling of dread and panic in the pit of her stomach. When was the last time she felt anything but self-pity?

Neither of her parents spoke as they checked in to the hospital. A nurse led them to the elevator and into the Intensive Care Unit.

“You’ll have to be careful,” the nurse said. “She’s alive, but she may not be able to handle anything to stressful. She is scheduled for emergency brain surgery as soon as the next doctors become available. We are still checking for excess damage and anything that might be the cause of her coma. It is most likely a head injury. I’m under strict orders not to let you see her until the surgery has been preformed.”

“Thank you,” Ella’s mother said. She looked as if her mind was somewhere else.

“You may wait in the lobby. We will keep you posted,” The nurse smiled and led them into the lobby.

It was a long night for the Murray family. As Ella’s parents called their family and friends to inform them of the accident, all she could think about was her guilt. Paige had always been so sweet to her, had always loved her and asked nothing in return. And what had Ella given her in return? Nothing but bitterness and hate. She was only envious of her sister, but she now realized how selfish she had been. What if Paige died thinking that her own sister didn’t love her? What if Ella never got the chance to make it right?

First thing the next morning Paige went in for her surgery. Ella’s mom was a nervous wreck, wringing her hands and sobbing into the phone, while her dad was nothing more than a shadow, sitting in the chair with a hollow look and staring at the floor. Some of Paige’s family and friends came in to visit, but there wasn’t much they could do but just sit and wait. And sit and wait. Ella’s dad went to get something for them to eat, though none of them were hungry for it.

6 hours later the doctor came into the lobby. “Mr. and Mrs. Murray?” he called.

Ella’s parents both stood up immediately. “Right here.”

He walked over. “The surgery appeared to go well. She had some minor tissue damage, and we seemed to have cleared that up. There should be no permanent damage. However, she hasn’t woken up from her coma yet, and it may be several days before we determine the extent of the damage and where it is located. It is not necessarily in the brain, but we do not have a way of determining that just yet. It may take several more days.”

“Can we go see her?” Mrs. Murray asked.

“You are allowed to visit. However, I would not recommend anyone other than close immediate family going in, and no more than 2 or 3 at a time. She may not be able to handle much stress,” the doctor said.

“Thank you,” Mr. Murray said.

The doctor led Ella and her parents down the hall and to the room where Paige was located. He paused before opening the door. “You may go in, but I strongly recommend no loud noises. No sudden movements. Paige is in a very unstable condition and even though she isn’t awake, we don’t want to risk anything that could prevent her from ever waking up. Do you understand?”

“Yes, doctor. Thank you,” Ella’s mother replied timidly.

“I must also warn you that she may not look the same as the last time you saw her. She had some pretty serious bruises on her face and arms, but none of it should be permanent. She is pretty swollen up around her head and face area. It should clear up in a few weeks if she lives.”

If she lives?

“Thank you,” Mr. Murray said. He had turned pretty pale himself.

The doctor pushed open the door and led them into Paige’s room. Ella slowly walked over to the bed. Paige had tubes and wires coming out of every part of her body and was hooked up to more machines than Ella even knew existed. She looked down at Paige’s swollen, bruised face. Both of her eyes were black and Ella could hardly even make out the rest of her once stunning features. Her still perfect blond curls were spread across the pillow.

“My baby,” Ella watched as her mom’s eyes filled with tears once again.

Her dad walked over and put an arm around her mom’s shoulders. Ella was surprised to find that he, too, was crying.

The doctor said, “I’ll give you guys some privacy. You must remember to be careful though.”

No one in Ella’s family spoke. Only her mom nodded, more and more tears streaming down her face.

The doctor walked out and gently shut the door. Ella’s mom stared at what remained of Paige lying in the bed. “How could I let this happen?” she whispered. “How could I have been so careless?”

Mr. Murray rubbed his wife’s shoulders. “None of this is your fault,” he said.

The three of them stood there for a long time and stared in silence. Then the doctor came back in. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave for a little while,” he said. “We need to do some check up work on her and try to determine anything else that is wrong.”

The wisp of what was left of her mother nodded. She turned around and walked out of the room, and seemed to wilt into her chair in the lobby, her head in her hands.

The next couple of days followed pretty much the same pattern. Doctors came and spoke to them, and none of them seemed to be able to tell what was wrong. Tests were run, surgery was performed, and still Paige remained in her coma.

Ella went in to visit several times. Paige never seemed to look better, she only looked like a shadow of the happy go-lucky girl she has once been. She walked over to her bed, cringing at the bruises and scrapes covering her body.

As she stared down at what was left of her once beautiful sister, Ella was surprised to find tears slipping down her cheeks. She was even more surprised when she grasped her sister’s hand.

“Hey, Paige,” she whispered. The tears were falling more steadily now. “Remember when we were younger and we used to do everything together? I miss those days sometimes- I always loved when we would dress up as movie stars and walk down our street together. We thought we were hot stuff, straight out of Hollywood or something.” Ella smiled in spite of the tears streaming down her cheeks. “You were so cute. You could’ve been a real baby model or something.” Still Paige just laid there.

“You’re still cute,” Ella said, looking down at the ground. “Much cuter than me. That’s why I was always so rude to you.” Ella spoke fast, the tears coming down at a downpour now. “I was always jealous of the way everyone seemed to love you no matter what you did. I always hated the way everyone was so nice to you and treated you like you were something so special. But you are something special, Paige, and I’m so sorry I couldn’t see that before. You loved everyone, you were so nice to everyone, and that’s why everyone loved you. You even loved me, even though I was nothing but rude in return.” Ella was sobbing now.

She looked at her sister’s ruined face. “I never did anything to deserve a sister as good as you. And if you wake up- when you wake up, I promise I will try to be the best sister you could ever have. I’ll be there whenever you need me, because I haven’t been, not lately.” Still Paige only laid there.

“Please wake up,” Ella sobbed. “Please. I don’t know where I would be without you, you’re the best thing that ever happened to me. I need you, Paige. We’re best friends, remember? Please wake up. You can’t leave me.” The sobs racked Ella’s body. “Please come back to me, Paige. I love you.”

Ella couldn’t remember the last time she had told Paige she loved her. She couldn’t remember the last time she told anyone that she loved them. And now the thing she loved most was slipping away from her, and she would never have a chance to make it right. How could she have been so selfish?

As she was still standing there and sobbing over her ruined sister, a nurse came in and told her that they had to run some more tests. She walked back to the lobby and prepared for the long wait she had almost grown used too, and prayed to God that He would heal her sister.

That afternoon they finally got some good news. The doctor came and spoke with her parents. “We have some good news. It appears that Paige should be able to wake up from her coma, probably in the next few days or so. However, she also had major kidney damage from the trauma she has experienced over the past few days and will need a kidney transplant. She is first on the waiting list for the next one that comes available. However, if one is not available in the next few days, before she wakes up, there is a chance that she might not live.”

“How likely is it that there will be one available?” Ella’s father asked.

“There is a very good chance she should be able to get one. There are a lot of kidney donors here at this hospital, and there is a good chance one will become available in the next few days.”

Ella’s mother sighed with relief. “Thank you,” she said.

But when the next day had passed and no kidneys had become available, and none seemed to be coming the next day, Ella’s family began to panic. If Paige couldn’t get a kidney transplant in the next 48 hours, it was likely she wouldn’t live.

More and more people began to pour into the hospital to visit. Friends, neighbors, and family they hadn’t seen in ages all came bearing cards and flowers in every shape, color and size imaginable. Even their waitress from the Shanghai Buffet paid a visit to the family. She pulled Ella aside.

Ella gave her a puzzled look. “The fortune,” the waitress asked. “Do you still have it? The one from the other night?”

The fortune? Ella thought. How could she even think of something like that in a time like this? “Um, I’m not sure, I guess I could’ve left it at home….” Ella responded.

“Of course you would have, I should’ve thought of that,” the waitress said apologetically. “Do you remember what it said?”

Ella thought for a minute. Surprisingly enough, she did.

“Eventually you will come to understand that love heals everything, and love is all there is,” They recited together.

“Love heals,” the waitress said. “Remember that.” And then she hurried out the door.

Love heals? Ella thought. What could she mean by that?

Hours later, when they still had no sign of a kidney becoming available, Ella had an idea. “Mom,” Ella said, walking over to her mother. “What if I donated a kidney to Paige? You only need one to live, right? I could give her one of mine.”

“Oh, honey, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea….” Ella’s mother said.

“Why not? If Paige doesn’t get a kidney in the next few hours, she won’t make it. I love her, and I’m willing to do this.” She suddenly understood what the waitress had been trying to tell her. “This can heal her, mom. I need to do this.”

To her surprise, she found her mother actually smiling up at her. “You are one brave girl, Ella,” she said. “We can talk to the doctor about it, I suppose.”

Just then the doctor walked over. Ella’s mother told him Ella’s idea.

“That could work,” he said. “If nothing else becomes available in the next 12 hours and if you are truly wiling, we may be able to do that.”

Ella smiled for the first time in days. “Thank you, doctor,” she said.

At 6 o’clock the next morning, Ella was wheeled out on a stretcher into the operating room. She was giving up one of her kidneys to her sister so that her sister could live. The operation had to go fast, because Paige didn’t have much time left. Paige was scheduled for the surgery right after Ella’s to replace her destroyed kidney with her sister’s.

Hours later, as the anesthesia was wearing off, Ella heard a soft voice. “Ella?”

Ella’s thoughts were foggy. Who was that?

She heard it again. “Ella?”

Paige?

Ella opened her eyes. She looked around. She was in the recovery room. She watched the nurses scurry around her.

“Ella?” She heard it again. She looked at the bed next to her. The most beautiful pair of blue eyes she had ever seen stared back at her. “Ella? Is that you?”

“Paige?” Ella said. “Paige?” The tears welled up in her eyes again.

“Hey, Ella,” Paige gave her a soft smile.

“Paige!” Ella reached for her sister’s hand. The tears began flowing down her face. “I love you, Paige.”

Paige smiled again. “I love you, too”