Chapter 8
On the Trail of Long Lost Family
Amelia came downstairs to find a note from her dad.
“A - talk later. – Dad”
“Looks like it’s just the two of us today, Arty. Let’s see what we have for breakfast.”
Considering that both Amelia and Artemis were up late the night before – and that it’s a well-known fact that teens and wolf-pups are exceptional sleepers – “breakfast” was actually more like an early lunch.
Once they were both fed and watered, they went out into the backyard. Amelia sat on the deck while Artemis, nose to the ground, zig-zagged across the grass. All Amelia could think about was the necklace hanging around her neck. She knew she had to get back over to the Historical Society to get a better look at the pictures on the wall. There had to be a clue there about her grandparents and their time in Sundance.
Amelia couldn’t sit around any longer. “C’mon, Artemis,” she called, heading back into the house. “Let’s go see what we can see.” Amelia quickly added some things to her bookbag, slung it over her shoulder, tucked the necklace down her shirt, and was out the front door with Artemis in tow. She made her way down the porch steps and over to her bike. Artemis, having adopted a new strategy for navigating stairs that involved putting his front paws down, shimmying his backside sideways and then putting one back paw down at a time so all four paws were on the stair before repeating the process, methodically followed behind. Once he made it over to Amelia, she picked him up and put him in the basket on the front of her bike. “We don’t have all day, Arty.”
With that they were off. First stop: Veyla’s house.
Pedaling up the driveway, Amelia saw Veyla on her front porch, already on her computer. Even from a distance it was clear that Veyla was upset about something. Amelia could almost feel the fury with which Veyla pounded away with on her keyboard.
“Hey Vey.”
This salutation was enough to bring Veyla back from her digital world and into present-moment Sundance. “What’s up, Mimi? I didn’t see you come up the drive,” she offered flatly.
“You finalizing the Spectacular submission?”
“I spent all morning working on it before taking a break. I think we’re just about there. But when I reopened the computer, my whale watching alarms started dinging. Turns out another wave of whales washed up on shore with no explanation. Has your dad heard anything?”
“He’s been pretty busy dealing with the aftermath over at Bear Lodge Mountain. I haven’t seen him these past couple of days. After you left last night, I waited up until he got home. It was late, but I really wanted to show him the necklace.”
“Oh yeah...the necklace. What did he have to say about it?”
“He said he had no idea what I was talking about. He’s been through mom’s hope chest a bunch of times and claims he never saw that strange box. But it was late and he wasn’t in a good mood, so we really didn’t get too far. He went to work early again this morning. He left me a note saying we’d talk more about the necklace and photo tonight.”
“But let me guess,” Veyla said as she eyed Amelia’s bookbag. “You don’t want to wait until tonight to find out more?”
Amelia’s grin confirmed Veyla’s suspicion. “I just figured that dad won’t be home until much later. Which means we have some time on this beautiful afternoon to check in over at the Historical Society. You know, just to verify some things. Like making sure that the woman in the picture on the wall is in fact the same one in the photo at home.”
Veyla remained suspicious. “And how are you planning on getting into the Historical Society?”
Amelia came prepared. “Plan A is to simply knock on the door and see if Ms. Kramer is around. With the Spectacular coming up, I bet she is there getting the place ready for the big event. We knock, she answers, we tell her how her presentation on Sundance inspired us to learn more, and voila, we’re in.”
Veyla wasn’t buying it. “Right. And Plan B?”
“Well, you know, I mean, Plan B is Plan B.” Amelia said casually.
“Which is what?”
Amelia shrugged, knowing Veyla caught her out. “Plan B is we let ourselves in.”
“Like break in?”
“I’m not sure that’s the correct word for it. I guess you could call it “sneaking” in. But I think of it more along the lines of two small town youths embracing their civic pride and attempting to actively engage in their town’s rich cultural history.”
Veyla nodded with eyebrows raised and lips pursed. All she actually said was “Uh huh.” But the look on her face clearly communicated a “you’re full of crap” message. “Let me grab my things.”
***
As the trio approached the Historical Society, they saw Ms. Kramer was in fact around and standing on the porch. She was talking with a tall, older man whom neither Amelia nor Veyla recognized.
“Looks like Plan A is a go,” Amelia whispered out of the corner of her mouth.
“Yep. Exactly as you planned,” Veyla responded sarcastically.
The girls parked their bikes along the side of the building, and with Artemis straggling a few steps behind, walked around to the front. Approaching the stairs, they heard the pair wrapping up their conversation.
“Well, we’re coming down to the wire here. So I’ll let you get back to it,” the man said to Ms. Kramer.
“Yes, yes! Somehow the Spectacular gets bigger and bigger every year! I’m confident this year will be our best one yet, though.” Ms. Kramer assured.
Being the head curator for the Historical Society meant that Ms. Kramer was, by default, also one of the lead organizers for the Solstice Spectacular. And since the Spectacular meant so much to the Historical Society in terms of donations from out- of-town attendees – not to mention the boom to Sundance’s local businesses – she took her role very seriously.
As the girls walked up the stairs the man was walking down. Veyla tucked in behind Amelia so as to make room for him to pass. He doffed his cap to them, “Afternoon, ladies.”
“Have a good day,” Amelia and Veyla said in unison, both looking over their shoulders. When they turned around they met the gaze of Ms. Kramer who now stood with hands on hips, eyeing them up as if she could sense mischief was afoot.
Seeing the cool reception on Ms. Kramer’s face, Veyla pinched the back of Amelia’s arm and whispered, “Maybe we should have waited for Plan B.” But Amelia was not to be deterred.
“Hi Ms. Kramer. We’ve never formally met. But we were just here for the 8th Grade Field Trip. And can I tell you something? It was incredible. I can’t believe it took me this long to come visit this place. I mean, the history is so fascinating. And your presentation...have you thought about a TED talk?”
The only indication that Ms. Kramer heard any of this came in the form of a drawn out blink. Otherwise she showed no reaction.
Amelia pressed on, both physically and verbally. Moving up the stairs she continued, “This is my very good friend Veyla. And I am...”
“Sophia Lightbody’s granddaughter,” Ms. Kramer cut her off.
Amelia froze on the stairs, hand extended, mouth open, still in mid-sentence.
“You have her spirit.” Ms. Kramer said with a smile – the first sign of life she’d shown so far. “But I’d also recognize that necklace anywhere,” she said, pointing at Amelia’s neck.
This was enough to unstick Amelia. Without thinking, she clutched at her neckline. She forgot that she was even wearing the necklace. “Yep. Guilty! Grandma Sophia passed down this necklace. In fact, it’s the reason why we’re here. I think I remember seeing a picture of her wearing it hanging somewhere on the wall inside?”
Ms. Kramer gave a slight nod. “So you‘ve finally come to see some of the many contributions your grandparents made to Sundance? Better late than never, I suppose. Well, please, come in.” She motioned them to follow before stopping and turning around. “Wait. He’s potty trained, right?” she asked, pointing at Artemis. “Because I’ve got enough work to do for the Spectacular as it is. I don’t need more impromptu messes to worry about.”
“Oh you don’t need to worry about Arty,” Amelia assured through a forced smile. “You won’t even know he’s here.”
That seemed like all the reassurance Ms. Kramer needed. She turned back around and continued through the front door.
Amelia and Veyla looked at each other. Amelia shrugged.
“Did you know your grandma’s name was Sophia?” Veyla whispered as they walked up the remaining stairs.
“Not a clue.” Amelia whispered back as they entered the building.
Ms. Kramer stood just beyond the entrance. Back straight, heels together with her feet making a “v” shape, her hands delicately clasped together in front of her. She looked the part of a classic tour guide, patiently waiting for the group’s stragglers to appear before starting. “So, tell me, what do you know about your grandparents’ time in Sundance?”
“Uhmm, actually not much,” Amelia confessed. “I don’t think my dad really knows all that much about them. And since mom died when I was little, I don’t have a lot to go on from her.”
“Curious.” Ms. Kramer seemed somewhat taken aback by this news. She looked at her wristwatch. An audible “tsk” came through her pursed lips. “Very well, then. I shall endeavor to share with you a quick history.” She unclasped her hands and began to walk. “Let’s start over here.”
“I’ll never forget the first time I saw your grandparents. One day, they just appeared in Sundance. I was a child, playing in the front yard when they came strolling down the street. In fact, I think it was the first time anyone in town made their acquaintance. They looked at me, smiled, and waved as they breezed their way down Main Street.” Ms. Kramer started.
“Your grandmother, wearing that same exact necklace, did most of the talking. She was a force to be reckoned with. So charismatic. And kind. She had this energy about her. Like Princess Diana before Princess Diana.” Ms. Kramer seemed to get lost in a reverie while recalling this.
“Anyway, it turns out your grandfather was a self-taught am- ateur astronomer. Actually, he was a self-taught-everything. A real Renaissance man. But we’ll get there,” Ms. Kramer said with a wave of her hand.
Hearing this, Veyla leaned in and whispered, “You might have your grandma’s spirit but having experienced that “energy” of yours firsthand, I think I’d rather have your grandpa’s hobbies.”
Amelia gave her a quick elbow to the ribs. “Keep it up and I‘ll gladly turn up the “experience.”
Ms. Kramer, in full-on tour guide mode, missed all of this. She continued with her local history lesson. “At some point in his research, he read about how a meteor fell in Sundance, out near our aptly-named Thunder Lake. To him, this was an opportunity to get his hands on a piece of rock from outer space. So he came to Sundance in order to try and unearth any fragments. But as I recall, your grandmother was not overly enthusiastic about moving here. As she told the story, your grandfather offered a compromise: give Sundance a chance for thirty days. If she didn’t like it, they’d pack up and leave, no questions asked.”
“It might be hard to believe, but Sundance was even smaller back then. Visitors really had to go out of their way to find us. Or get really lost. And small towns can be funny. Especially when it comes to anyone who isn’t at least a fourth-generation resident. But even from that very first moment, it felt like your grandparents had been here forever. They were immediately welcomed everywhere they went. Everyone in town loved them. And I’m happy to say, your grandmother never packed up. Because if she had, we wouldn’t be standing here today. And we wouldn’t have our local celebrity.”
Ms. Kramer stepped aside for the girls to see the meteor on full display. “You see, your grandfather was responsible for actu- ally finding this piece of the meteor. And your grandmother spearheaded the campaign to create this Historical Society. She felt strongly about keeping in touch with Sundance’s history, preserving it for the future.”
Amelia admittedly hadn’t really cared about visiting the His- torical Society or seeing the meteor in person. But with this newly discovered family connection, her attitude towards it all was quickly changing. As she looked at this space rock – really for the first time – she couldn’t help but notice how beautifully it was showcased. It looked like it belonged behind glass in an actual museum, not just out in the open here in the middle of their small Western town. She leaned in for a closer look, but not of the meteor. “This stand is really beautiful,” she said out loud. She was right.
The stand was formed in the shape of an hourglass, with two cones point to point. The top cone perfectly cradled the meteor while the bottom provided a sturdy, attractive base. As Amelia studied the presentation as a whole, she felt something brush against her leg. It was Artemis. She’d completely forgotten that he was there.
“Hey buddy,” Amelia said without thinking – and without taking her eyes off of the meteor, even as she knelt down to pet him. Looking at the stand from this vantage point allowed her to see that the cones were made from spiraling metal rods. And it looked like they were bound together in such a manner as to leave a central hole connecting the two cones. The design gave an illusion of a whirlpool or a spiraling vortex.
“The stand holding the meteor is almost as impressive as the meteor itself,” Amelia said, standing back up.
Ms. Kramer smiled. “As I said, your grandfather was a Renaissance Man. He crafted that stand himself. If he wasn’t tinkering in his workshop then you knew you could always find him sketching away on ideas out at their cabin by Thunder Lake.”
This struck Amelia like a bolt of lightning. For as sharp as she is, it somehow escaped her that of course her grandparents must have had a house here in Sundance. Her mom didn’t just sleep in a tent her whole childhood. “They had a place out by the lake?”
“Yes they did. And still do. In fact, they left it to the Historical Society on the condition that we maintain it. But the truth is that the cabin was so well built that outside of the general landscaping, there hasn’t been much for us to maintain. Your father never told you about the cabin?”
“No ma’am. He’s never said a word about it.”
“Hmm. Curious, indeed.” Ms. Kramer said, contorting her mouth into an off-center fish lipped appearance. It looked to Amelia like she was trying to scratch her ear with her lips. “Well the other stipulation was that Lightbody descendants had full access to the property. And considering the fact that you are their granddaughter, this proviso applies to you. If and when you are interested in visiting, just let us know. We’ll be happy to show you around – provided that its after the Spectacular, of course.”
“Uhm. Yeah. Thanks, definitely. I’d like that.” Amelia stammered. She was doing her best to make sense of this information overload. She went from not even knowing her grandparents’ names to suddenly having a family history downloaded directly into her brain. It was a lot to wrap her head around.
Meanwhile, Veyla had been silently listening the entire time, also taking in all of this information. Sensing that Amelia was collecting herself, Veyla chimed in. “Ms. Kramer, can you answer a question for me?”
Ms. Kramer nodded as if to say “go on.”
Veyla continued, “Why would Amelia’s grandparents feel compelled to leave their cabin to the Sundance Historical Society? I mean, it’s not exactly a Dick Proenneke in the Alaskan wilderness kind of situation here. Thunder Lake is just outside of town.”
Amelia gave Veyla a sideways look and silently mouthed “what?”
“You know – Dick Proenneke. Alone in the Wilderness (6)? Jeez. What do you even use YouTube for?”
Amelia shook her head.
“Yes, Veyla, that is correct. The cabin is close to town. In fact, it’s close enough that the people in town would make the trip out there for Sophia’s annual Solstice party.” Ms. Kramer answered, apparently unfazed by the random Dick Proenneke reference.
“You mean like the Solstice Spectacular?” asked Amelia, beginning to get her feet back underneath her.
“Indeed I do. Your grandmother is responsible for starting this event. She organized the first Summer Solstice celebration out by the lake before the cabin was even built. And everyone had such a good time that Sophia turned it into an annual event.” Ms. Kramer said. “Over time, the small Solstice celebration began to transform into the Spectacular we host today. As the attendees extended beyond the Sundance locals, we had to move the venue from the cabin at the lake to downtown. But because the event means so much to Sundance, the Historical Society felt that it was important to commemorate the spot where it started. Especially since the cabin, like this stand here, is such a work of art. Your grandparents, in their generosity, agreed.”
(6) Lest you think Dick Proenneke was a fictional character: https://youtu.be/ hy-4NxJRxNQ
Amelia and Veyla let all of this sink in. Who knew their little town of Sundance actually had an interesting history? Or that Amelia’s family played such a role in it?
“Ah!” Ms. Kramer said, interrupting the pondering, “but you came to see the pictures. Come, come. Follow me.”
The girls followed Ms. Kramer across the building, weaving around the different exhibits positioned in between various pieces of furniture. Artemis did his best to keep up but kept being drawn into one dark corner after another, continuously beckoned by unseen sniffs. As they walked along Ms. Kramer called out different elements that Amelia’s grandparents were involved in. She pointed as she moved, talking over her shoulder. “Your grandfather helped us wire up the electricity for that room over there. Such a whiz. And your grandmother insisted we add that to the collection. She loved the history of this place.” It seemed like the pair touched just about everything the buildings held – except for the Fanny Sullivan installation.
Even though Amelia never met them, and was only stepping into this building for the second time in her life, she couldn’t shake the feeling she had. In some strange way, it felt like their presence was still there. So much so that Amelia thought that – if she closed her eyes and concentrated – she could actually reach out and make contact with “it.”
“And here we are,” Ms. Kramer announced as they approached the wall of pictures. She pointed to one of the photos. “And there you’ll see your grandparents. You’ll easily notice that your grandmother is wearing that very same necklace cur- rently hanging around your neck.”
The girls both leaned in at the same time for a closer view.
“Whoa. Your grandma is a babe,” Veyla blurted. “She even has the same curly hair that you do. And look at your grandpa — he has such kind eyes.”
Amelia studied the old photo. She read the names of the people in it, listed from left to right. There they were. Leo Lightbody. Sophia Lightbody. “Do you think I can make a copy of this photo sometime? I’d really like to have a picture of them.”
Not receiving an answer, Amelia looked up to see if Ms. Kramer heard her. As Amelia went to ask again, Ms. Kramer cut her off with the lifting of her finger in the air. She told the girls, “Wait right here, dearies!” before disappearing behind a swinging door.
Standing in the hallway, looking at her long lost grandparents, filled Amelia with things she couldn’t quite name. On the one hand, she was incredibly excited to be on her own personal adventure, sneaking around, following clues, and uncovering important family history. At the same time, she was sad. She never knew her mother – at least not in a way she remembered. And before today, she didn’t even know her grandparents’ names.
The door now swung in the opposite direction as Ms. Kramer reappeared. “Here you go,” she said to Amelia.
Amelia’s eyes traveled from Ms. Kramer’s face, down her arm, to her extended hand where she found an 8x10 photo. “We are in the middle of updating our website. And we needed to digitize the old photos. So during that process I printed off a couple extra copies for each of the early years. Take this one with you.”
Amelia smiled as she took the photo. She held it in front of her, framed between each hand’s thumb and forefinger, and studied it some more. “Thank you so much, Ms. Kramer. This is awesome.”
As Amelia leaned over to show Veyla, lights within the building started to click on. Ms. Kramer checked her watch again. “Those would be the timers. They automatically turn the lights on thirty minutes before sunset. Sorry girls, but we’re going
to have to wrap this up for today.”
Ms. Kramer walked the trio back to the front door. Amelia thanked her again for her time. And for the photo. They wished her good luck with the final preparations for this year’s Solstice and started down the steps.
Amelia stopped suddenly, and turning around to face the front door asked, “Oh, by the way Ms. Kramer, does my grandparents’ cabin have an address?”
“Of course dear. It’s out on Falcon Ridge. Number 72.”
“72 Falcon Ridge. Got it. Thanks!” Amelia said with a wave and a smile before turning around and walking down the stairs.
Once they were both back down on the sidewalk, and she was sure Ms. Kramer had shut the door, Amelia’s smile gave way to a conspiratorial grimace. “Did you hear that?” she asked Veyla in a harsh whisper.
“Yeah. Falcon Ridge isn’t that far. We can ride our bikes out there no problem.” Veyla confirmed.
“7. 2.” Amelia repeated. “Those were the numbers on the key we found in the attic. That can’t be a coincidence.”
Veyla’s eyes widened. “The plot thickens.”
“Indeed it does.” Amelia agreed as they walked back to their bikes.
As they made their way around the side of the building to where their bikes were parked, Artemis came to an abrupt standstill. He slowly got down into a crouched defensive position. Amelia did a double take, noticing his ears were straight up while his lips curled slightly.
“Whoa, Arty, what’s up?” Amelia asked, squatting down beside him. She put her hand on his back. She could feel the low rumble of a growl coming through his ribcage. “What’s wrong, buddy?”
Veyla also knelt down so as to try and see whatever it was that had Artemis all riled up. He was looking in the direction of the old mining shacks at the back of the property. Veyla squinted hard as she scanned the area. The setting sun cast shadows all over the place. “There!” Veyla whispered loudly as she pointed. Her finger moved from right to left, tracking what she was seeing. “Dang. It’s gone. Did you see it?”
“No, I missed it,” Amelia answered. She’d been too focused on Artemis to notice anything else. “What’d you see?”
Veyla wore a puzzled look. Which really wasn’t anything new. But her answer surprised Amelia. “I think... seriously, don’t laugh...I think it could’ve been The Sundance Shadow,” Veyla admitted, sounding somewhat embarrassed. “I mean, it actually was a huge shadow. And it was moving pretty fast. It looked like it walked right into that old shack.” She again pointed to the old outbuildings, the same ones Artemis was focused on.
Amelia scanned the area. “I’m not seeing anything, Vey.”
After watching for a couple more minutes, Veyla relented. “Yeah, I’m not seeing anything, either.”
Artemis seemed to agree. The hair on his back laid back down and he was back to his puppy ways as if nothing happened. Amelia gave the outbuildings another once over. Whatever Artemis — and Veyla — saw was long gone.
“Alright. Let’s head back home. I’ve got a lot of questions for dad.”
***
As soon as Amelia pulled onto her street, she saw Johnny Cash parked in the driveway. This was a pleasant surprise. Even though William said he’d be home, it was never a guarantee. Unforeseen emergencies always popped up – either keeping him out later than he planned or requiring him to stop what he was doing at home and head back out.
Amelia parked her bike on the side of the house before coming in through the front door. Artemis kept up as best as he could.
“Dad?” She yelled as she walked into the house.
“I’ll be right down,” came an answer from upstairs. “Pizza is on the counter.”
Amelia silently fist pumped to herself while walking over to the kitchen. She opened the pizza box, helping herself to a slice of pepperoni and cheese. She pulled a piece of pepperoni off and threw it to Artemis. He caught it out of the air. “Nice catch, Arty!” Following his first pepperoni experience Artemis watched as Amelia ate her slice. “One bite, Arty. Everyone knows the rules.” After eating her way down to the crust, Amelia again tossed it for Artemis to catch. He jumped, caught the crust at the high point, and then took his prize to his lair (a.k.a. underneath the kitchen table). As Amelia started on her second piece, her dad came down the stairs.
“How’s the pizza?” he asked.
“ ‘Tis truly the food of the gods,” Amelia mumbled through a mouthful of cheese.
“Can’t beat Smokey’s brick oven. There’s a hundred years of history in that thing,” William said, making his way across the room and over to the kitchen counter. “Say, since we’re talking about history, why don’t you tell me more about this.” He placed the curious metal box on the counter. “I tried opening it to get another look at that necklace, but I couldn’t get it open.” As he said this, he noticed Amelia wearing said necklace. “But I guess I wouldn’t have found the necklace in there, anyhow.”
Amelia stopped mid-bite, creating a stringy cheese bridge between her mouth and hand. She’d forgotten that she was indeed wearing the necklace that her father asked her not to. But she could tell by the tone of his voice that he really wasn’t all that mad about it.
“Here, watch. You open it like this.”
Amelia put the piece of pizza down, quickly wiped her hand on her shorts, and picked up the box. It unfolded, revealing the empty interior.
“Hmm,” William said, picking up the box for a closer look. “I don’t think I’ve seen anything like that before.”
Holding the box in his open palm, he rotated his wrist as if a change in perspective would unlock the box’s secrets. He closed his fingers. The box folded smoothly back up into its seamless square design. “And so to open it, you just press here?” he said, pressing in the same spot Amelia did.
Amelia nodded. But no matter how hard William pressed, nothing happened. He turned the box over and then flipped it onto its side, pressing all the while. The box remained shut.
“Here,” Amelia said. “Let me see it.” She again took it into her hands. And once again the box opened up gracefully. “I don’t know how else to tell you how to do it,” she said to her dad. “I just give a little squeeze, and voila, it opens.”
Amelia once again handed the box back to her dad, which William continued to study.
“The level of craftsmanship here is beyond ridiculous. Never in a million years would you think that this box is capable of opening like that.”
“Well, you know that Grandpa was a master craftsman, right?” Amelia said matter-of-factly.
This statement came from so far out of left field that it broke the spell the box held on William. “What?” he said, closing the box and placing it back down on the counter. “Grandpa who?”
“You know. . .mom’s dad. Grandpa.”
She didn’t think twice about it. But as she said this out loud she watched the look on her father’s face go completely blank. It was clear that he had no idea what – or whom – she was talking about. “Did mom ever talk about him? Or Grandma?”
After spending the last thirteen years with his (reminder: precocious) daughter, William was always prepared for the unexpected. However, he wasn’t ready for this.
“Honestly, no,” he admitted. “Your mother spoke very little of her family. Or of her childhood in general. Early on I’d ask her questions. Especially because she was so adamant about moving back to Sundance after college. Since she’d get so sad whenever I’d bring it up, I thought it was best to just let sleeping dogs lie. I always figured she’d tell me when she was ready. But...” he trailed off.
Amelia sensed the sadness that was starting to settle into the kitchen. It was like a mist that’s so fine you don’t even realize it’s there until you see the beads of water on your arm. Trying to find the line of getting answers without probing too much was easier said than done. One second it’s a light mist, the next thing you know, you’re standing in a hurricane.
Before the first lightning bolt could strike, Amelia went on the offensive. “Well, you see, the reason that I was wearing the necklace is because Arty, Veyla, and I went back to the Historical Society today. Veyla swore that she saw the necklace in one of the old photos hanging inside. So I brought it along in order to verify.”
As she recapped her afternoon, Amelia sensed the mist starting to lift off of her dad’s shoulders. So she just plowed ahead. She told him how Ms. Kramer immediately recognized her as Sophia Lightbody’s granddaughter. And the story of how her grandparents ended up in Sundance in the first place.
Did he know that Grandma was the reason the Historical Society even existed? In fact, they played a huge role in designing the place. This led to Ms. Kramer pointing out the beautiful stand her grandfather made and what a craftsman he was. A real master.
William sat there, listening to his daughter tell a family history that had eluded him for years. All this time in Sundance and he’d never heard any of it. To be fair, he found the idea of having a town historical society “quaint,” but he’d never actually stepped foot inside it. And while many of the generational locals paid their respects after his wife died, none of them shared any insight into his wife or her family or their place in town. They didn’t want to come across as overstepping. Inserting themselves into other people’s business wasn’t the way they did things out here.
“...and get this, their cabin is still out by Thunder Lake. I think I even found the keys to it up in mom’s hope chest.”
Up until now, William listened to Amelia’s family history lesson, fully absorbed in the story. But this mention of a cabin — possibly the cabin his wife spent her childhood in — snapped him out of his dreamy state and back into his kitchen.
“Wait,” he held up his hand. “Repeat that last bit.”
“Which last bit?” Amelia asked.
“About the cabin. What’s the story about it?”
Amelia didn’t miss a beat.
“Well, Ms. Kramer said that’s where they held the early Solstice celebrations. And that in their will Grandma and Grandpa left the cabin to the Historical Society. So they’ve been maintaining it ever since. But Ms. Kramer said we can go check it out whenever we want – provided it’s after the Solstice, of course – because there was some stipulation about family always having access.”
“And where is this cabin?” he asked.
“72 Falcon Ridge.” Amelia verified with a nod.
“Oh, wait, I almost forgot. Hang on a sec!” Amelia got up from the counter, heading for the front door.
Meanwhile, William felt as if he couldn’t move even if he wanted to. He sat there silent, processing the news. He’d driven that road out to Thunder Lake countless times. That means he passed that very cabin each and every visit out there. Just five minutes ago, he didn’t have the slightest idea it existed.
As he thought about this – along with all the other things he didn’t know – Amelia returned. She slid a piece of paper in front of him. William looked down to see a black and white photo. “Ms. Kramer gave this to me.” Amelia told him. “See, you can see Grandma and Grandpa right here.”
William studied the photo in front of him. He couldn’t help but notice the necklace. He read the list of names at the bottom. Sure enough, these were the Lightbodys.
William slid the photo across the table to Amelia and sat back in the chair. He kept his head down, staring hard at the table. After an impossibly long silence, William looked up at Amelia.
“Looks like I need to see Ms. Kramer for a history lesson of my own.”