Valerie sat on the swings alone, her feet just grazing the ground, her eyes trained to the ground. Her hands were dirty and wood chips stuck to her jeans, but she didn’t care.

Every day Valerie came to the playground to look for her locket that she lost here ages ago. It contained a picture of her mom, and it was the last thing she gave her before she died. Every day Valerie leaves dirty and empty handed, but she always comes back to look, every day, like clockwork.

Today Valerie almost didn’t come, but she remembered how much the locket meant to her, so she did. She had just came from school, she was hungry and swamped with homework, but she made herself go.

She walked to the small playground, and this time there was someone there. A little girl, no older than 6 playing on the monkey bars. Valerie felt a little self conscious because she was a 15 year old, about to get on her hands and knees and claw in the dirt in front of a child. She cringed at the thought, and sat down on the bench. Debating her options.

“Hey! Come and swing with me!” The little girl says as she skips over to Valerie. Valerie smiles softly at the invitation, and joins her on the swings.

“What’s your name?” The little girl asks curiously as she kicks her legs to start swinging. “Valerie, what’s yours?” “My name is Jane!” Valerie smiled, that was her mothers name. “That’s a pretty name, I knew someone named Jane.” The little girl stops swinging and looks at Valerie seriously. “This is yours then.” The little girl tucked her hand into her dress pocket and pulled out a small gold necklace. Valerie’s locket. Her heart skips a beat as she carefully takes it into her hands and stares at it, taking in every inch of it. Her jaw is dropped as she opens it and sees the picture of her mom and her. “Where’d you get this?” Valerie says breathlessly as a tear trickles down her face. When she looks up the little girl is gone. Vanished into thin air, and Valerie carefully places the locket around her neck.

Valerie sat on the swings alone, her feet just grazing the ground, her eyes trained to the ground. Her hands were dirty and wood chips stuck to her jeans, but she didn’t care. She’s found her heart again, and that’s all that matters.