“What a small world,” thought Philip Evans. His firm had represented Claudia Parker, renowned archaeologist/author and grandmother to the girl his son is madly in love with. Up until recently Liz Parker and his son Max had been inseparable. Max has always been a very private person but he refuses to talk to either his mother or myself about this. Looking at Liz’s forlorn face today he can’t help but wonder what could have caused their breakup.

“Jeff, first of all I would like to say what a delightful woman your mother was. I’ve only recently been handling her legal affairs but I found her to be an intelligent as well as astute business woman,” pauses before continuing “Your mother was a very wealthy women.” Philip Evans hands Jeff Parker a copy of Claudia Parker’s will as the executor of his mother’s estate.

Philip Evans looks around the table and with a nod from Jeff Parker list the bequest to foundations and charities that Claudia supported and continues to support after her death.

To my son Jeffery and his lovely wife Nancy, I leave my house in Albuquerque, all it’s contents and $500,000.00.

To my only grandchild Elizabeth Parker, I leave the lake house in Santa Rosa, the rights and proceeds from all my books and research, a trust fund for college and a separate trust fund for specified ages throughout her life and another for her future children.

To Maria DeLuca, my granddaughter in heart if not by blood, I leave all my jewelry because she’s the only one who could carry off wearing it and a trust fund for college.

Philip Evans then gives each a sealed envelope containing a personal letter from Claudia. “She wrote these a while ago and kept them in a safety deposit box. Does anyone have any questions or concerns?” (Everyone nods his or her head no.)

Standing up and replacing the chair at the table he had borrowed it from Philip Evans reaches over and pats Liz’s hand. “Your grandmother loved you very much.” Hesitantly he goes on to say, “We miss seeing you around the house.” Liz looks up and into Philip Evans eyes and he knows at that very moment that she is still in love with Max. Soul mates, that’s what his wife called them and if she’s right they’ll work it out.

Mr. and Mrs. Parker are holding each other hands for comfort and Liz and Maria embrace before they scoot out of the booth to leave.

Mr. Parker calls to Liz, “By the way honey, there’s a box of your grandmothers last book on the bookcase in the den,” nods towards the stairs. “It came a few day’s ago and is dedicated to you. I’ve never been into that kind of stuff but it looks pretty interesting and I’m going to read it when things slow down around here. You use to love going on digs with her when you were a little girl, remember.”

Liz smiles at the remembrance. Maria and Liz hug one more time before saying goodbye. Maria wants to get home and read her letter from Grandma Claudia and Liz wants to take a look at the book. She will save her letter to read another day.

Liz takes one of the books from the box and goes to her room. Once there she leans against the door with the book to her chest and starts to weep uncontrollably. She has lost two of the most important people in her young life in less than six months. Her grandmother whom she adored and Max, the only man she will ever love.

“Lost Treasures by Claudia Parker” Liz with a nervous laugh reads the title of the book out loud, “You can say that again Grandma.” Liz walks over to and lies across her bed and opens the book to the dedication page.

To my granddaughter Liz, I followed my heart and found treasures not lost: Your grandfather (my soul mate) your father, and you.

Liz wipes the tears from her eyes as she skims through the book stopping every now and again when a chapter title catches her eye. “Anasazi – the ancient ones,” sounds interesting she says out loud and begins to read the chapter. It tells how no one knows what the people who lived here before 1 AD to 1275 AD called themselves. Anasazi is the term most people use and is a Navajo word usually translated as the “Ancient Ones.” Some Navajo believe the word means “Ancient Enemies” and others believe it means “Ancient Ancestors.” “Those-who-came-before” is another popular name for the ancestors of the Native Americans of this region. Liz is fascinated and continues to read.

She comes to a section with pictures of the Anasazi ruins, baskets, pottery, and cave drawings. She turns a page and is stunned to see a picture of herself, maybe seven or eight years old standing next to an etching of a half moon, a star, and a hand. The etching of the hand appears to be glowing. Liz stares down at the picture again and gets a flash of herself at eight on a dig with her grandmother and finding the handprint and being compelled to touch her hand to it. (The caption reads SUPER NOVA 1054)

http://net.indra.com/~dheyser/chaco.html

“This is impossible,” as she springs from her bed still holding the book and looking down at the picture. “It can’t be.”

Liz runs downstairs and shows her father the picture and asks when and where it was taken. Her father tells her that it was taken about a week before she started third grade. He remembers because Liz had developed a fever and a rash of some kind. His mother cut her trip short and brought Liz home early to see a doctor.

“What did the doctor say was wrong with me,” Liz anxiously awaits her father’s answer.

“Still a mystery honey, He ran some test but the rash and the fever were gone in a couple of days. Just in time for you to start the third grade,” smiles before hugging her to him and kissing her on the forehead. “Are you okay?” looking a little concerned.

“Yes Dad, I’m okay,” her voice barely a whisper as a million thoughts run through her head. “Do you know where this picture was taken?”

“I think it was in the Chaco Canyon but your grandmother’s research notes should tell you exactly were,” looks at her a little perplexed and continues “they’re at the University of New Mexico if you want to pursue this. Philip Evans can have the University release them to you. Why the sudden interest?”

“Curiosity, that’s all.” Liz picks up the phone to call Doug Shellow at the University. She later calls Philip Evans to arrange to have her grandmother’s research notes released to her.

“Hi Max, this is Liz, may I speak to your dad?”

“Is any thing wrong Liz?”

“No, just something to do with my grandmother’s estate.”

Mr. Evans picks up the phone in the kitchen and Max pretends to look for something in the refrigerator because any news of Liz is good news. His father continues his conversation and reaches for something to write on and Max hands him one of his school notebooks.

“So, Doug Shellow is a friend of yours at the University and will be picking up your grandmothers research.” “Sure, I can arrange that by tomorrow.” “Good-bye Liz.”

Philip Evans hangs up the phone but never takes his eyes away from his son. Max stiffened at the mention of this Doug Shellow fellow. “Is anything wrong Max?”

“No dad, why would anything be wrong?”

“You know son, your mother and I are here for you.”

Max looks to his dad and fights the urge to just run into his arms as he had done when he was younger. “I know that, dad.” Looks away. “I just can’t.” and walks swiftly out of the room.