It's 10:30 when I come creeping into Elijah's room to check on him and give him a good night kiss. I close the door behind me and walk back to the kitchen.
"Thank you Ellen. I will pay you next week for baby sitting Elijah."
Ellen is my next door neighbor. She's is a sweet elderly lady that just adores my Elijah. She baby sits him while I take night classes at the local university. I'm almost finished with my bachelors degree in teaching.
"Now you know better than that Annabelle. I don't keep Elijah for the money. I keep him because he reminds me of my son when he was his age."
Ellen had one child, but he passed away at a young age due to illness. She doesnt talk much about him, but sometimes I catch her holding onto a quilt with this sad look on her face.
I tell Ellen goodnight and watch to make sure she makes it home alright then I go to bed.
The next morning I wake up to the annoying sound of my door bell. RIIIIIING! RIIIIIING! RIIIIING!
"All right I'm coming. I'm coming!"
I glance at the clock while Im tying my
bathrobe. It's not even 9 o'clock!
"This had better be important."
I look out the front window, no one is there, so I open the door, just a bit, and I still don't see anyone. I start to close my door when I just happen to look down. There on my welcome mat is a plain cardboard box addressed to me. I pick it up and close the door.
"Mommy whatcha got?" Elijah asks me as he comes out of his room rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"I dont know baby, someone sent us a present."
"Can we open it! Pleassssse Mommy?"
I set the box down on my kitchen table and turn to my son. He looks so adorable in his iron man pjs. His face is lit up and he looks so excited to open our "present".
I get a knife and carefully cut the tape on the box. Then I slowly open it. Nestled in a whole bunch of packing peanuts is circular wooden box.
"What is it? What is it?" Elijah says excitedly.
I pull it out of the box and set it on the table. There is a latch on the front so I open the box. Inside is a beautiful crystal ballerina. As soon as I open the box blue rose petals fall out and the ballerina starts to dance in a circle as an enchanting melody plays.
A sharp pain stabs my brain and I feel dizzy all of a sudden, and vague images flit across my eyes, then nothing, just sweet nothing.