LOST LOVE FOUND----

Ava Marie woke up to another hot, humid morning. The sheets were wet from sweating all night. After the devastating, horrific war, there was very little in the way of comforts left for mankind. Ava Marie hated wars and all the men that created them. She always wondered just what the purpose of sending good men off to get shot at or to shoot at others, just what was that supposed to accomplish? When she learned that all one person had to do to end life on earth was to push a certain 'button', she thought how awful was that? All of our lives were hanging on the hopes that the magic 'button' would never be touched. However, in the year 2045, not one fool but two decided that they would push the 'button' to destroy a part of the world they didn't want to exist any longer. The only problem with that was another fool decided that he, too, wanted to rid certain countries off the face of the earth as well. No one ever thought they would push that button, but they did. What happened? They destroyed over half of the earth. The nuclear bombs not only destroyed all the water, earth, and over half the mountains where snow provided water, but it cremated humans where they were standing.

Ava Marie lived with her son, who was two at the time, in a room under the ground near her home. Her husband, Dalton, was in the Marines. He went through basic training right after Scott Lee was born. Dalton got leave one weekend and started digging a root cellar, as he called it. He told Ava that he wanted her to be able to store fruits and vegetables in the cool of the underground small hut. She thought it was funny but hey she also thought it a great idea to have a surplus of foods She had no idea that the place was going to be a bomb shelter for her and Scott Lee. She thought it weird that Dalton would put in a few comforts, two bunk beds, a sofa, a small table, three chairs, and a small ice box. It had no electricity, so she had to use lanterns and candles. Ava Marie asked her husband,

"Dalton, are you planning for us to go camping underground when you return? This small cabin is very nice, and I love it. As soon as you come home, we will have a sleepover. Would that be ok with you?"

Ava felt hot tears come to her eyes when she thought of this conversation because it was the last conversation she would have with her beloved husband. She recalled Dalton kissing his son the day he was to leave for camp. As he reached for Ava to hold her tightly, he looked at her with tender, loving eyes, and took a small blue box out of his pocket. He took Ava's hands and placed the box in them.

"Husband, what on earth is this? Have you gotten me a gift? Why? You will be back in six months for good."

"Just open it, Love, it is just a little something to help you stay strong during whatever comes our way."

With shaking hands, Ava opened the box. Inside was a lovely small heart locket on a long gold chain. Ava's hand flew to her mouth and tears flowed down her face. She was speechless. Oh, how she loved this man. She leaned forward and placed a very loving kiss on his wanting lips.

Dalton took the locket from her still shaking hands and opened it. Inside was a tiny picture of a baby boy. It was of Scott Lee.

"Oh, Husband, where on earth did you get this picture?"

"Well, when he was born, the hospital took a picture and the nurse gave it to me. I have been saving it for just this moment. Wear it around your neck, it will hang close to your heart. Do you like it?"

"Oh my Darling, I love it but I have a special favor to ask of you. Will you please wear this around your neck and keep our son close to your heart until you come back to us, then you can hook it around my neck?"

Ava Marie busted out crying as she thought back to that day now almost four years ago. The horrible Bomb was detonated. At that time, she found herself running for her life with her young son running by her side to the small underground home that her husband had thought to prepare. When she got inside with Scott Lee, she had only one very small window to look out. Oh, God, she thought, is this the end of the world? That blast rolled away trees, dirt, mountains, rivers and homes. Was there going to be nothing left? All she could do was sit and hold her son very tightly. For days they stayed where they were. The had food, and the air, even though smoky, was still breathable. After two weeks, Ava Marie opened the small door very slowly. She had no idea what she would see, but she knew they had to get out. She cried when she saw what the blast had done. Oh, her beautiful gardens, trees, forest, even the lovely lake down from her home, all was gone.

Ava Marie and her son walked to town to find out what they could. Was the war over? How could they all survive the horror that faced her? Was the rest of the world as devastated as her town was? Lord, she prayed someone in town would know something.

Ava found out that the war was over, Yes, the rest of the world looked like America. Luckily, America was far enough away that the blast didn't destroy all life as it had in the rest of the world. No matter, the people that lived through it had to scratch out life if they wanted to survive. That was what Ava and Scott started doing.

Ava had not heard from Dalton, and she worried daily about him. Was he alive, dead, a prisoner, what? She would not let herself get depressed about what the answer might be because she had Scott to care for. Daily the young boy would go into town and look through the trash to find anything that might help them. One day he came upon something very shiny. Bending down, he picked it up. Wow, it was a lovely gold chain, and on the end was a beautiful heart-shaped locket. Oh, he was thinking this would surely bring a smile to his mom's face. He knew she cried each night on their sweat-socked sheets, crying for his father. He smiled and ran home as fast as he could.

Running in the house, slamming the door, yelling, "Mom, oh mom, where are you? I have a big surprise for you!"

Ava had taken in some washing and that was what she was doing. She dried her hands and walked into the small sitting room.

"Scott, what on earth are you yelling about? Did you get hurt? Well, what is up?"

Scott didn't say one word, he pulled out the chain and heart locket. He handed it to his mom.

"Oh, son, where did you get this beautiful locket? It is real gold."

She was so surprised and a little alarmed at the same time. Scott told her the story and when he finished, Ava went to sit down. Her hands were shaking so badly that she feared she would drop the small treasure. Slowly she opened the locket, and there inside was a picture of a small baby. Ava dropped it in her lap, put her hands to her face, and cried. Her son was so frightened by his mom's reaction that he almost wished he had not given it to her.

"Scott, this baby is you. It is the locket that I gave to your father to wear when he went to war. He promised me he would not take it off until he got back to us. I do not understand how you found this next to a trash dumpster. Can you take me to the place where you found it?"

They got their jackets and walked to town. The trash dumpsters were outside the Police Department. Goodness, none of this drama made any sense. How did her locket get here? Where was her husband? Dear Lord, she needed answers. Taking her son by the hand they walked into the Police Department. A Sargent Chance Elder was sitting at his desk.

"May I help you?"

"I hope you can. Taking a seat, Ava started telling the officer all about the locket, her husband, and where the locket was found. When she was finished, she noticed the officer was smiling."

"Wow it is a miracle you found it. You see when all our wounded servicemen came home, some did not have identification on them. We put those men in a hospital here in town. One marine only had that locket. At the time, he was in no condition to talk, so we brought the necklace here so we could try and find who he was. One evening a man that cleans up for us decided to steal it seeing it was gold. He was caught running out the back door. A deputy was coming in that door and tried to catch the man. The man tossed the necklace toward the dumpsters but we could not find it."

"Sergeant can you show us where that hospital is?"

"I would be glad to take you over there."

When they drove up to the hospital, Ava Marie could not move. She wanted so badly for one of these men to be her Dalton but then she could not stand it if he wasn't there. Did she really want to go in? Looking down at her six-year-old son, she took his hand and gathered her faith and strength and went inside. They walked down a long hall to several rooms. Looking inside at all the men, she didn't find her Dalton. She went into the last room but decided not to go in. She knew it was fruitless and she didn't want to put her son through any more pain. His father was not there. She turned and asked the Sergeant would he be so kind as to take her home. He said how sorry he was that none of the men were her husband, and they went out.

Two weeks passed, and Ava could not do one thing but hug that locket to her heart. Oh, how awful life was. It cheated, it lied, it caused heartaches, it left mankind in complete despair. Then to make matters worse, a letter from the war department. She was asked to come to the Marine Headquarters. Now what, she was thinking ? She got her son the next day and took a bus to the headquarters. When she got there, she went inside and showed the officer her letter. While she waited, a door opened, and someone was walking down the hall. Ava look up and there was her husband.

"Oh Ava, our son found our 'heart', and Sergeant Elder searched the war department, and found me."