Many of our former neighbors have moved on and the few who remain only have vague memories of Tony and I living there in the past. Since we left the house has remained empty. Tony had a savings account setup that continued to pay a gardener to take care of the yard and a cleaning service to keep the house tidy and discourage squatters.
Today is a beautiful day. The sun is shining in it's full glory through the windows. I sit on an arm chair half reading the newspaper half enjoying the heat from the sun. Tony and Alexis come out of their room and sit down on a couch across from me. Misha comes in behind them grinning ear to ear. Her birthday was last month. Six year old Misha is more independent and confident . "Guess what." She tells me. "What?" I reply jokingly. "I get to have my own room." She says proudly. "That's great." I say trying to sound enthusiastic when really my heart sinks. I look at Tony and Alexis who are wearing slightly guilty expressions. Tony starts "it's time for us to go back." "Don't you worry though. We'll be keeping an eye on you and this little warrior" Alexis says smiling at Misha. I try to hide my disappointment and say "who am I to get in the way of true love? Seriously We'll be ok. You're right it's time for us to be on our own and for you to have your own lives." Then there are hugs all around.
Tony and Alexis stay until the evening. As we eat a dinner of steak and potatoes that Alexis graciously put together I finally ask "how did you find us?" Alexis smiles and says "that night I felt myself laying on the ground near the tree. My body tried to return to the earth but my mind refused. I continued to fight it. Just as I thought I would lose the fight I received some help from an old friend." She says nothing more and I decide not to force the issue.
After dinner they bring luggage that Tony purchased this afternoon out of their room and outside to the BMW. Misha starts to cry a little as we get in our goodbyes. She sniffles and tries to suck it up when Alexis calls her little warrior and tells her to protect me when they're gone. Misha and I stand on the porch watching the black car taking away two of the people we love most in this world.
We go inside and Misha heads straight into her new bedroom. I on the other hand go the hallway where a painting of the garden of Eden is hanging. I give the right side of the canvas a small push and the entire painting slides to the left revealing a wall safe. I punch my code on the digital keypad and the safe opens. I pull out a small box that needs a key to open it. I pull the chain that holds the key from around my neck. I've made a habit of wearing it letting the cool metal remind me of who I really and and what I'm capable of becoming. I insert the key and the box opens.
The melodic sound of my mother's voice comes out of the box. "Roxie my love I've saved these things for you. Should you ever feel you've lost your true self look inside." I want to play the recording over and over to hear my mother's voice, but I stop myself. Inside the box are journals filled with more information than I thought possible about Elementals. The last journal is held closed by a chain from which a gold locket hangs. On the front of the journal In my mother's handwriting are two words "The Four". This journal is the one that will help Misha should she develop power over all four elements.
I take the last journal out and close the box. I hear the lock click back in place. After I've returned the box to the safe I move the garden of Eden painting back in place. Before I can head to my room I'm startled by a loud rapping on the front door. I'm not expecting anyone, I think maybe Tony and Alexis have forgotten something. Misha comes out of her room curious to see who's at the door. I look through the peephole in the front door and think I've lost it for sure. There is no way I'm seeing this. When I open the door I know it's not a fantasy. Standing in front of me is a tall man with brown hair and gleaming hazel eyes. Jayson has returned to us.
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