Escaping the Past

She used her best mother’s voice, shook her finger at him and snapped, “Patience, please.” Then she opened the other corner of the package. She looked inside and started to laugh. “Lucky Charms. You shouldn’t have.”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

“No. I mean it. You shouldn’t have eaten all my cereal and then you wouldn’t have had to buy me another box.” She lifted one eyebrow and looking at him. Then she sobered. “Thanks, though.”

Brody held out his hand. “Can I open the box, now? I want another bowl,” Brody asked.

“I should have known you had a motive.”

“Your smile when you opened it was motive enough, my lady,” he said quietly as he took the cereal from her hand. Then, more playfully, he added, “I get the toy.”

“You’ll have to fight me for it,” she replied, snatching it back quickly from his grasp. She searched the outside of the box and saw no clue that spoke of the prize within. She opened the lid and noticed the bag inside was already open. “Hey! This bag must have already been torn.” Then she saw it. A small jewelry box lying on top of the cereal. Her eyes met Brody’s and he smiled. “Did you put this in here?” she whispered as she pulled the small package from its bed of Lucky Charms.

“If you like it, I did. If not, then definitely not. In that case, it was a mistake the leprechauns made.”

Lou tilted the lid on the jewelry box and gasped as she saw the contents. It contained a thin, silver chain and a small charm. Lou removed the charm from the velvet lining and held it up to the light. It was a small silver circle with tiny feather charms around the outside. The inside looked like a spider’s web, yet had an open hole in the center. Small turquoise beads danced around the middle.

Lou gasped. “It’s beautiful! What is it?”

Brody took the charm from her fingers and lifted the necklace from the box. He began to thread the charm onto the silver necklace. “It’s called a dream catcher. You’re supposed to hang it over a baby’s bed and it catches all the dreams before they get to the baby. The good ones go on through the center hole and float on the feathers down to the baby. The bad ones are caught in the web and held there until morning light. When the sun touches them, they vanish.”

Brody took a deep breath and motioned with his finger that she should spin around. She turned her back to him and lifted her hair. He placed the silver chain around her neck and fastened the clasp. He lingered a tad too long and then bent to place a quick kiss on her shoulder. She stiffened yet still turned to him and buried her face in his chest. He lifted her face in his hands with his thumbs at her chin and his fingers in her hair. He smiled broadly at her.

“I guess you like my gift,” he said, wiping the tears from her eyes with his thumbs.

“It’s the most beautiful gift I have ever seen,” she sniffed. She raised herself on tiptoe to kiss his cheek but then heard a discreet cough in the doorway.

“Lola, is everything all right?” Brody asked, his face marred with worry.

“Yes, Dr. Wester. It’s your mother.” She turned and pointed back to the bed

room.

“Is she all right?” He quickly disentangled himself from Lou and started to walk toward Lola.

“Absolutely, Dr. Wester. She’s sitting up and asking for you.”

Chapter Thirteen

Lou followed Brody to Mrs. Wester’s bedroom and was astonished to see her sitting up in bed with a big smile on her face. She raised her arms to Brody as he approached and took his hands in her own. He bent and touched his lips to her cheek.

“How are you, Mom?” He reached and touched her forehead.

She grabbed his hand with her own and swatted him away like a pesky fly. “I feel wonderful. Better than I have felt in quite some time, actually.” She spoke clearly and succinctly, eyes bright and shining. Then she noticed Lou in the room.

“You come here, too.” She swiftly waved her hand in a come-hither motion. Lou approached the bed, a worried frown upon her face. “Why do you look so sour? Both of you? You both look like you’ve just spotted a deer with antlers on his ass.”

“Mom!” Brody replied, smiling broadly. Then he sobered. “I am glad to see you feeling so much better.”

“Me too!” Mrs. Wester sighed. “Now. What are we going to do today?”

“What do you mean?” Brody asked, his eyebrows drawn together.

“I mean I am tired of sitting in this bed all day and I want you to take me somewhere.”

“Did you have somewhere in particular in mind, Mom?”

“Actually, I do.” Her eyes met Brody’s as she said, “I want to go to your father’s grave.”