The Magic Ruby Finds It's Final Home

 Gracie followed her brother out the front door of Marleewood. She had a feeling she knew why he didn't stay to listen to Grandma Lu's story. He wanted to go to a place not far from their home. There was a place that she thought was an abandoned school playground where children played and friends met to play basketball and talk after school. What Gracie didn't know was that Grandma Lu had given Spencer a little motivation while she was telling her story. Her story encouraged him to work as hard as he could at shooting baskets. When at long last the Special Olympics gym was finally open he would be as ready as he could be. He didn't want to waste time on a sunshiny day indoors. Oh how he wanted to play and get better at it.  He had told Charlotte at the diner that his dream was to make a basket from a long ways away. In order to do that he had to work hard. He thought he knew where there was an old basketball that someone had left behind. He hoped it was still there.

It took a few minutes to walk home. They talked a lot about basketball, but about other things too. Gracie told him that she would help him find the basketball he thought was on the old school playground. Then she said after that they could watch a scary movie together if there was time before supper. Oh Spencer loved to be scared. He called it being jump scared. As they were talking about some of the movies they had watched together, he said, "Gracie, look! I think I see it over there in the weeds."

Just as Spencer reached for the old basketball, Grandma Lu reached into her old trunk full of photo albums and things she loved like dried flowers, pictures, and other treasures. Suddenly she let out a little "Oh my! Something sharp is in here. What in the world is it? Oh land sakes, I have been looking for this for years. It was my mother's ruby ring. I am so happy. I wonder if it will fit me."

She picked it up and put it on her finger easily. She instantly had a wonderful warm feeling. She just knew that something wonderful had happened. She didn't know what, but she felt it had something to do with her mother's ruby ring. Oh it had been such a good day. She just knew that things were going to get better, the deadly virus would hopefully soon be gone with the help of good doctors, nurses and scientists making medicine to prevent folks from getting so sick and so many other people that put their lives on the line to help others. She closed her eyes and silently said, "Thank you for watching over me and my little friends and their families. I love you mama."

At Grandma Lu slipped her mother's ruby ring on her finger Spencer was about to throw that very special ball  hopefully to make the basket of his dreams come true.

The elderly gentleman and the nice lady had quietly left Marleewood. They were on their way to help make another wish come true for yet another very special child.