Mothers Eyes

Finders Keepers

Theo was awakened by Remi and Ryder's laughter. She stretched and sat up, asking, "What's so funny, you two?" They replied, "These videos." As she turned to see what they were watching, she noticed they had found family videos in the closet. "This one is from Tate's third-grade Christmas play." Theo enjoyed hearing the kids laugh; it seemed to lighten her heavy heart. Just then, Jewels entered the room with two cups of coffee and two hot chocolates. Theo smiled at her, saying, "You're the best." "I know," Jewels replied with a smile of her own.

Theo checked her phone for the time and was amazed to see that it was 11:00 A.M. "Oh my gosh, I can't believe I slept that long." Jewels chuckled, "We wanted to let you rest while we got the coffee. Meg asked me what we would like to eat for breakfast. I told her she didn't need to cook for us, but she insisted, so I just said whatever she wanted to make was okay with us."

They all gathered together on the floor, watching the old videos until Meg and Ann came in with trays of food and a table that flipped open. They thanked both of them and moved over to the chairs to eat. They removed the lids to reveal fresh-made danishes, muffins, bacon, sausage, and eggs. One of the trays contained plates and utensils, as well as a piece of paper with George, Meg, and Ann's phone numbers on it. They ate while continuing to watch the family videos, laughing and reminiscing over the past, momentarily forgetting their pain.

Next thing they knew, Meg was at the door asking if they had a preference for dinner and if they would like anything else. Theo walked over to her and asked, "Would it be okay if I took a look around?" Meg, with a puzzled look on her face, replied, "Hon, this is your house; you can go and do whatever you'd like." "Oh yeah, I'm sorry. This is a big adjustment, and I can cook dinner. You don't have to cook for us."

"Yes ma'am, I do. That is my job. How about one of Tate's favorite meals?" Meg suggested. "After the meal earlier, I am sure anything you pick will be wonderful." She then turned to Jewels and the kids, "What do you all think about exploring for a bit?" All three of them jumped up, saying, "Yes! Let's do it."

They started upstairs, where they found a total of seven beautiful bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, four with balconies, and all featuring large closets. On their way back to the main hall, they noticed a pull-down ladder. They exchanged smirks and pulled it down. The attic was huge. Theo turned on the light, and the first thing that caught her eye was a corner filled with very old, unique, handcrafted baby items. She opened an antique chest and found it full of old wooden toys, each with the family crest carved into it.

Theo wondered what this symbol meant, it had to be more than a family crest. She called Jewels over so she could see it up close. Jewels was a Wiccan and knew a lot about symbols and the meaning behind them. Jewels began inspecting the symbol, showing Theo the two interlocking infinity signs. They pondered, "It could mean the life of a family, kind of like a legacy that lasts forever. The circle in the middle is most likely a protection circle. So altogether, it represents the life of a family that is forever protected." Theo remarked, "That's very beautiful."

Jewels then looked concerned and asked, "Did Tate's family practice witchcraft?" "Not that I know of," Theo replied. "He never really talked about them. I didn't know about any of this." Jewels dropped the concerned expression and changed the subject, "Where are the kids?" They stood up and looked around, realizing they were in another room of the attic. They headed over to find the children.

"What did you guys find?" Theo asked. "We found some old clothes and a chest full of diaries," Remi replied. She then explained that all the diaries belonged to relatives, and the one she was reading belonged to her great-aunt Sarah. It detailed different plants and symbols, and how they could be used to protect or ward off entities. "Then later in the diary, she talks about spell casting and rituals. Mom, is this stuff real?"

Theo fumbled for words, "I'm not sure, honey. Let's go see what your brother has found." Ryder called out, "Mom, I found a bunch of weapons like swords, unusual guns, and knives all locked away in a cabinet. The key was in the door." He brought them over to his discovery. "They all have weird markings on them. They're so neat! Can I keep them?"

"We'll see," Theo chuckled. "Let's find out why they are up here and who they belong to. George will probably know. Who wants to go outside and look around? I could use some fresh air." The kids raced down the ladder and headed to the bedroom to put on their shoes and coats. Once they were out of view, Theo asked Jewels about the diaries and the symbols on the weapons. Jewels explained that many types of religions share similar beliefs, and some involve these kinds of things. Just then, Ryder interrupted, "mom, come on, you're moving too slow!" "You and Remi, go ahead, but stay close to the house so I can see you!" Jewels and Theo quickly put on their shoes and coats before heading downstairs to the backyard. As they stepped out the back door, Ryder and Remi ran past them, nearly knocking them over. Theo couldn't help but wonder how the flowers were still blooming in late December as they walked down the path the kids had chosen.

When they finally reached the end of the beautiful path, they stood in front of a large cast-iron gate. Above the gate was an engraved sign that read "Lawrins Cemetery," featuring the same symbol on both sides of the lettering. The iron fence surrounding the cemetery was adorned with several symbols carved into the bars. As they walked through, Theo noticed that all the headstones shared the same symbols as Tate's tattoo.

They came across many old headstones, the oldest dating back to 1798 and belonging to a Ryder Lawrins. Ryder found this fascinating and wondered if they looked or acted alike and whether they shared similar interests. Noticing that nearly everyone buried in the cemetery had passed away in their thirties, Theo remarked that the only person older than that was Tate's uncle, who had died the night of the accident at fifty-six years old. This led Theo to think about what kind of service there would be for Charles’ passing.

He texted George to ask about the arrangements for Charles. George replied, "Charles will be cremated and buried in the family cemetery." Theo then inquired, “Does he not have anyone who would want a service for him?” George responded, “I’m sorry to say no; he does not. Tate was the last of his family.”

Feeling a pang of sorrow, Theo asked, “Can we do a memorial for him and Tate together? I didn’t know him well, but it feels like the right thing to do.” George replied, “Yes, ma’am, we can arrange that. By the way, does January 2nd at 3 P.M. work for the service? Meg and I have everything set; all we need is to contact the people you want to attend and check over the preparations to ensure everything is to your liking.”

Stunned that they had taken care of so much, Theo told George she would meet with him when they returned to the house as there were other matters she wished to discuss with him. George agreed and asked her to let him know when she was back.

Jewels, Theo, and the kids started back up the path to the house to warm up. Upon their arrival, Ann had prepared coffee and hot chocolate for them, all awaiting them in the cozy gathering area by the beautiful fireplace. They thanked Ann Gretafull for the extra warmth and invited her to join them, but she declined, saying she needed to finish her work but appreciated their gesture.

They settled by the fire, reminiscing about their discoveries from earlier in the day and how much Tate must have enjoyed growing up here. Although Theo cherished these memories, each mention of Tate felt like needles stabbing into her heart. She sensed that the kids shared the same sentiment but needed to talk about Tate despite the pain it brought.

Realizing she needed to arrange a meeting with George, Theo messaged him to see if they could meet after dinner, as the kids would be busy showering and preparing for bed. This way, they wouldn't overhear the questions and answers Theo needed to discuss.