Today is the day I've been dreading since I learned about my birth parents. On this day sixteen years ago they lost their lives to that evil man.

We all wake up before dawn, and the Elders have a special ceremony to honor the people who died on that day

It's a solemn affair, since six of us lost our parents that day. That doesn't mean Dominic and Jonah don't have their own grief to deal with, it's just that this day is so big. They will probably be instrumental in helping their respective girlfriends during this day of remembrance.

After the ceremony is over, we have a feast to honor those who died. It seems the followers of Zoidrys think it's better to celebrate all events in life, even death. For them, death is simply a doorway to the next life. One in another realm that is still connected to the living. From what I've seen, it's becoming clear that this might be a religion I would follow. I've never been religious, per se. I've always believed that there is some sort of supreme being who created all that exists, but I never found solace in attending church. There were some people that genuinely executed the joy they felt by being part of the church and appeared to follow the teaching and beliefs spoken by the minister. But I saw the ugly side, too. The one's prejudiced about different things. The ones believing that only certain people will make it to heaven and putting down anyone who didn't believe in what they believed. I can certainly be wrong, but isn't God supposed to be about Love? If He is full of so much love, why would he condemn people who believed something different but lived every day according to these beliefs. Who treated people with respect, understanding and compassion. The ones that didn't discriminate and treat people differently because they had a different skin tone, different gender, different customs or a different religion than them. Isn't that treating another as a human being. And anyway, who knows what awaits us when we die. Maybe even the followers of Zoidrys are wrong. The living won't know the absolute truth until they die. Even the four members of Zoidrys admit that they could possibly be wrong about the afterlife and crossing over. But they have something in common with most people of other faiths that live a relatively happy life: faith. They don't know for sure what's out there, but they have faith. Faith seems to be something shared by all humans that live joyful, content lives—no matter what the circumstances.

I'm brought out of my musing by a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm going for a walk. It might be nice for you and Michaela to join me," she says with a hopeful face, but I understand the underlying meaning behind her words.

"I'll go get Mick."

"Meet me out front," Grandma says before walking off somewhere I can't see.

The hallway is still and oppressive as I walk towards Mick's room. I knock on Mick's door, and she opens it slightly.

"Grandma wants to take a walk with us."

Mick frowns. "What for?"

"I believe she might answer some of the questions. I know it's a difficult subject for me, and maybe it is for you too. Wouldn't you like to have some answers?" I ask.

She's opened the door further, so I can see her signature shrug, but there is curiosity in her eyes.

My eyes lock with hers. "It will be painful, but it might help us move on."

She lets out a sigh. "Okay."

She goes to her closet and picks out a pair of boots to put on.

Within a few more moments, we are greeted by a sad woman outside the cabin.

"Let's go, girls," Grandma says while hugging both of us around the waist. She would have hooked both of us around the shoulders if she was tall enough.

We walk fifteen minutes or so until we come upon a clearing I've not discovered yet.

"How'd you find this, Grandma?" I say with a smile, because it's beautiful here.

Smaller trees with a large canopy like an umbrella are surrounded by wildflowers of white and yellow. The breeze blows through at a speed that isn't too light or heavy.

She gives me a broad smile. "Divine intervention."

"That must be nice," Mick says, and it's the first words she's spoken since we left the cabin.

"They are waiting for you to connect with them on a spiritual level. You both need to find this yourselves. It isn't something I can teach. You might feel it during mediation, this brightness that makes you feel light. A particular energy you don't get from anything else. You need to be receptive to this energy. Once you do, you can begin to open yourself up to receiving messages."

"That seems so easy," I remark. "Why haven't I felt this?"

"You might have dismissed it as something else. Something more reality based, like the sun or wind. You will be able to differentiate between the different energies after you've opened yourself up to the possibility that people in the other realm and the Divine Couple can communicate with you. They can interact with you more than you can imagine. Most spirits don't interact to such a personal level, but only because it draws energy off the Dexameni Energeias to do it."

I nod because I actually believe what she's saying. The shadows I see could very well be my ancestors trying to communicate with me in a non-verbal way. Now is as good a time as any to open myself more to the possibilities.

Grandma lays out two boxes.

Once she's done with some sort of setup with the items, she gives each of us a box. She keeps the backpack she brought with her close.

"I think it's time for the both of you to get answers."

My heart races.

"I'm not sure who to start with first," Grandma says.

"You can start with Mick. You've already told me more information than I think you've told Mick."

Grandma pats my knee and turns her attention to Mick.

"Oh, the things I could tell you, Michaela. We'd be here for days with all the stories of your mother and then her and your father's life. She was strong and kind and full of determination." Grandma chuckles. "Just like you. You are very much your mother's daughter." Grandma stops.

I look to my right, and Mick's eyes are glistening. I want to comfort her, but I don't get the sense that now is the right time.

"When she met your father, she was very much against a relationship. Well, come to think of it, she didn't want a relationship with any man. She had determined young in life that she was her own woman and no man was going to tie her down. Your poor father had to go through so much to prove he was a man who could love her as she was. He didn't want to change her fire, he just wanted to spend time with her and eventually be the one she came to when she needed support."

Grandma looks out over the few beautiful trees present in the middle of the clearing. Their branches seem to protect the flowers from downpours and hot sun.

Finally, she shakes her head and laughs. A soft, musical laugh, full of mirth.

"It took your father the better part of a year just to get your mother to agree to date him. He was definitely determined that Lysandra Weslin was the girl for him. Mind you, though, he didn't just sit around pining for her. He was a working man, and he loved to take care of people. He spent so much time helping those in the community who couldn't afford the services he provided. Although, the Elders noticed his sacrifices and made sure he never wanted for anything."

"He was that special that the Elders wanted the best for him?" Mick questions.

A tender look flows over Grandma's face before she answers. She grabs Mick's hand and waits for Mick to look at her.

"Your father was the best of men. I might be biased with comments that my son is the best man, but your father was truly the best. He gave freely and without thought. He was a kind and gentle soul." Grandma's eyes fill with unshed tears, and she chokes back a sob. "We lost a beautiful person that day, although I take comfort knowing he's on the other side watching out for you. He loved you dearly, as did your mom. You were everything to them. You were the sunshine in their lives."

Mick is now crying, and I can feel the deep grief bottled up in Mick. I scramble over and bring her into the best hug I can.

Her head leans on my shoulder, and soon enough, it's soaked. And I don't care one bit. The time stops and after a bit, Grandma wraps her arms around both of us. We sat there for some time before Mick brought her face up.

"I need to be able to breath. Your shirt is smothering me," Mick jokes, and we all get the giggles.

Grandma reaches into her backpack and hands Mick a package. I know they would have wanted you to have it. Inside is a set of wedding rings and [describe the objects]

Mick gulps and holds the contents of the package close to her heart.

"Thank you," she whispers before getting up and walking away.

"How about we take a break first?" Grandma asks, but I since some finality in the question—like it's a statement rather than a question.

She gets my attention. "I'll be back soon."

And with that she disappears into the trees as if she became one with the surrounding forest. I'm not sure what to do, then a breeze rushes in and wraps itself around me. Asking Grandma to give me a minute, I find a spot under one of the trees, so I can enjoy the cover it provides and watch the flowers dance in the wind.

Closing my eyes, I concentrate on the wind. Imagining it as an energy of comfort, the world calms around me. It whispers in my ear that with the sadness I'm about to experience will come to understand and eventually joy at knowing more about my parents. I thank the wind and sit and meditate on peace and comfort and the ability to find the joy in the stories Grandma is about to tell me.

I concentrate on all I've been blessed with. My family. The discovery of who my birth family is. For having living cousins I can connect with. For all the gifts I've been given. And eventually Danny. Danny. I might love him after all. What a strange thing to love your best friend. What if I tell him, and it ruins our relationship? No, I can't risk that. I don't ever want him to leave my life.

Grandma emerges from the forest, heavy with sadness, but a smile still graces her face.

She makes eye contact with me and when she sits, she pats the ground where I had been sitting.

"It's your turn."

"I suppose it is."

"Your father didn't have such troubles with your mother. Your mother was in love with him since they were kids. He took time to grow up and when he did, he loved your mother just as deeply."

She takes a drink of her water.

"Trinity wasn't so sure about having a child while she was a Protector, but Ambrose was such a loving man, your mother finally caved. Your mother loved you dearly, but you were definitely a daddy's girl. You followed him where he went."

She looks off again before continuing.

"You also have a box that I am currently storing in the Vault. There are various items like your parent's wedding mementos, your mother's wedding gown, and other items I could salvage before the house was burned. Your father was such a sentimental person that he kept a baby book for you, and he bugged your mom immensely with constant questions he could put in the book. It's also in the box. The rebellion burned your childhood home to the ground, but the land was cleared, and it's yours if you want to build a house on it some day. It's a nice piece of property overlooking the ocean. Your father enjoyed sitting on the deck and feeling the breeze coming off of the ocean or the wind generated when a storm was blowing in. He was in his element, quite literally." She laughs.

And a giggle even bubbles up in me at the thought.

"Oh, but I forgot." She reaches in and hands me a box as well.

I slowly open it as if it's going to contain something that will bite me.

Tears spill over.

Inside is a pair of wedding rings, a stuffed bird, and some photographs.

I hold up the bird. "Was this mine?"

"Yeah. You were so protective of that stuffed animal and wouldn't go many places without it."

"Like the bird in my dreams," I whisper.

"What was that?"

"All of my dreams have a white falcon in it. It is the constant within my dreams."

"Ah, a spirit guide."

I tilt my head at her.

"People can have spirit guides that will guide them in one way or another. Apparently, your spirit guide likes to be with you all the time. This is very important to remember. It's a sure sign that your dreams are messages from the other side or premonitions for something in the future, but most likely, both."

I choke up because I don't know how to respond to this.

"What else have you dreamt about?" she asks.

"A variety of things. Usually not necessarily the same objects. And it is usually a combination of things."

"That is interesting. Maybe you should journal about what happens every day and then look back at your past dreams and see if there is a pattern. It seems that you are receiving both messages from the other side and hints about future events. It isn't as strong as someone who has direct visions ..."

I think about Ande and have to keep this in mind.

"But you could still be given hints to future events. Sorry, you just have to work harder to interpret the meanings."

"Of course," I mutter.

"Love, it is still a gift. You will have to tap into your inner self and develop your intuition more. Once you do this, interpreting the dreams, messages, and auras you see will be easier."

We talk about various things. First of which is my childhood.

"What was I like as a child?"

Grandma has that pleasant, distant-memory smile. "You were such a happy child. Like I said, you were a daddy's girl, and you followed Ambrose around everywhere. Ambrose's only living family on the islands was his brother and sister. You were carefree. He would take you on what he called "adventures". You guys would go through the woods and gather little "gifts" for your mother. Your mother was a damn good Healer. And she was always in need of plants to restock her supply. He would even have you bring a big bundle in that when your mother removed the herbs, some sort of flowers would be hidden underneath."

"They sound like they were great people."

"They were such loving parents. You would ..." she waves her hand in the air. "Never mind."

"My life would have been filled with joy and love," I say with a tear. "Despite that fact, you picked the right people to raise me. Mom and Dad were the best. They gave me love and attention and discipline when needed. Being unloved was never a problem. Plus, I have wonderful siblings. Even though I'm still upset that my identity was kept hidden from me, I've already forgiven everybody. I know you all had your reasons for keeping it a secret, but, at the time, it felt like such a betrayal."

"We never wanted to hurt you." Grandma chokes out.

I grab her hand. "I can imagine. It just hurt at the time. I've moved on."

"That's good."

We continue to sit and talk, and at one point I see two shadows in the woods.

"Do you see them, Grandma?" I ask and point toward the lone oak tree in the distance.

She smiles and blows the shadows a kiss. "Just your parents. They want you to know that they are watching over you."

"That must be who I've seen my whole life."

"It probably is. I didn't know you saw spirits too."

"Sometimes." I say and try to shrug it off.

"It's a good thing. It means you are more in touch with your inner self than you give yourself credit for. You need to build on the feelings you get when you see their spirits. Think about how you feel and where they've been. It may help in the future, but at the very least it should give you comfort that your parents are on the other side," she says.

The direction the sun is filtering through the trees has changed, and I turn to Grandma.

"Should we look for Mick or something?" I question.

"No, Michaela can find her way back. She needs to be allowed to take as much time as needed to grieve. We can head back, though. I don't know about you, but I am hungry, and my water has run out."