Unexpected

She sat on the edge of a tree root.  Painting her nails a sparkly purple.  Her dark hair hung over her face as she intently polished.  Glancing up at my approach, she knew she was out of place and possibly causing some concern.  "Do they think I'm a creeper?"  she asked.  "well, sorta" I said as I approached her outside the gate.  Her name was familiar to me.  I was pretty sure she was a friend of a dearly departed friend.  "Are you Rose?"  I asked.  "Yes."  "You from Etna?"  At that question she looked up at me for the first time.  "Yes."  I was right.  She was who I thought she was.  My intention for going out to talk with her was two fold.  One to see if she was the Rose my son rode the bus with to and from school.  And one to, well, no...that was pretty much it. 

I told her I was the mother of her friend.  She smiled oddly.  I say oddly because it wasn't really what I expected.  I guess I expected pain and discomfort.  What she gave was warmth and a low laugh.  She said Sawyer was one of her best friends.  She quickly remembered an "inside joke" they shared.  She said she used to joke about his "six pack".  It was perfect, even if it did look air brushed.  She talked about sending balloons from his resting spot with messages for him to see when they reached heaven.  "I'm gonna do it again on the 17th this year too."  It was an unexpected gem for the day.  One that overtakes this momma's heart with memories of warmth and smiles.

Unexpectedness can be such a treat. 

So I left her sitting on the root of a very large maple tree just outside the gate.  As I entered the building with a little extra lift to my step, I hope she smiled too.