Lacuna [1] {Completed}

Chapter Twenty Six

"Querencia (n.) a place from which one's strength is drawn; where one feels at home; the place where you are your most authentic self"

"I have something for you." Erin's grandfather whispered. It was late in the evening of Christmas Eve when Erin was 16. Most of the house was asleep already, but Erin and her grandfather always stayed up later than everyone else.

It was a tradition that Erin and he had held since she had turned 4 when she had convinced her grandfather to let her stay up and see Santa Clause. Every year she fell asleep and every year she asked her him if she could stay up again.

Even after Erin was old enough to realize that Santa would not be coming down the chimney, they still stayed up together, eating cookies and drinking milk and talking together about anything and everything.

"Grandpa, it's still ten minutes until Christmas." Erin laughed taking another sip of her mug.

"I know but I can't wait any longer," He smiled and the wrinkles in his face lit up his eyes in a way that made Erin's heart happy. She watched him get up from his chair and go into the living room coat closet.

"That's where you've been keeping the presents all of these years?" Erin laughed.

"Some of them," He winked walking back towards his chair and handing her the present.

It was a fairly heavy square box wrapped in the most beautiful blue wrapping paper that shined in the firelight. It was wrapped with a golden bow and a card sat on top: For Erin.

"Well are you just going to stare at the wrapping all night or are you going to open it?" Her grandfather joked.

She looked up and gave him a smirk and then untied the ribbon. It came loose easily and fell to the floor. She ripped open the paper corner by corner until it was ripped free.

Her eyes widened. Sitting on Erin's lap, was the most beautiful box she had ever seen. The dark wood was worn and scuffed, but still shined like a fresh polish. The box was framed and detailed in silver designs. She knew exactly what it was. "Grandma's silverware box?" Erin breathed looking at her grandfather in disbelief. "You never let anyone near it after she died."

Her grandfather nodded his head, "I know, but once you open it, you'll see why."

Erin ran her fingers over the silver lock that held the lid fast to its bottom. "What's the code?" She asked.

"I think you already know." Her grandfather teased.

Erin narrowed her eyes in suspicion and entered in her best guess.

It immediately unlocked.

Inside were all kinds of treasures. There were two levels to the box, the top opened like a chest and then a pull out drawer laid underneath. On the top level were piles of pictures. Erin didn't know how old they all were, at least the 1920s. On the left were three piles of letters, each cluster kept together with an elastic band.

"You kept all these?" Erin asked in wonder.

Her grandfather nodded his head.

Erin gingerly picked up the first stack of letters that were held together and looked at the top letter. "1943?" She read the date aloud, "Letters to grandma?" She asked with more amazement. Tucked onto the ceiling of the top layer was her grandfather's army cap and dog tags he kept from the War. In the top corner of the ground layer was a velvet case. She opened it to reveal her grandfather's Distinguished Service Cross and her grandmother's wedding ring.