It was a bright sunny Friday afternoon, a good day to start her summer’s adventures. She stepped off the bus onto the freshly mowed grass and walked inside to greet her mother with a disdainful glare.
She barely noticed her mother’s polite “hello”.
She sprinted up the stairs; wanting to get out of the house as soon as possible. She frantically searched for her bright pink bikini; she grabbed it along with her brand new sunglasses and took off out her bedroom door.
Sarah ran down the stairs, and quickly yelled a “see you later” to her unhappy mother. Sarah heard her mom asking her questions about where she was going and when she would be home, but she had no time to respond.
Sarah’s best-friend Katie pulled up in her driveway just as she was running out the door. Sarah heard Katie talking to her neighbor about his cat as he trimmed the hedges when she got in Katie’s car. Sarah rolled her eyes at how everyone knew each other in this little old town, and Katie was often friendly to everyone. Sarah continued to think about how she was glad she would be out of this needle point of a town in a few years. She would be off to college and a big new world. Katie wrapped up her conversation with Sarah’s neighbor. Then they headed off to this summer’s adventures.

Sarah was vaguely listening to the excruciatingly boring story Katie was telling about last year when she went on her mission trip to Africa as they pulled into the parking lot and began walking on the beach. Sarah could care less about those poor little children she had heard this story a million times and it still did not interest her at all. Katie loved helping others, Sarah not so much. Sarah saw a flash of light in the sand and crouched to examine the object. She dusted the sand off its surface and pulled up on a dainty looking chain to find a beautiful heart shaped golden locket. She opened it up and saw four pictures inside of two men and two women. All had smiling faces and lights of happiness danced in their blue eyes. All of which looked eerily familiar. She tucked the necklace in her pocket, determined to find the owner of the locket. She figured that the town was small, and the locket was so pretty that someone must be missing it. She just had to find them. She didn't know why there was a desire in her heart to return it to the right owner; she just knew it was right. Katie had now stopped telling her dreadful story; realizing Sarah was in her own world.
Sarah stood up, looked at Katie and said “We need to return this locket; I know it was important to someone”.
Katie was thoroughly shocked. Sarah actually cared about something that didn't have anything to do with herself. Katie was going to encourage this nice side in Sarah.
“Where should we start?” Katie asked in an excited tone.
“Let’s go to Mr. M’s jewelry store first.” Sarah replied.

They both took off in sprint excited to have a reason to enter the jewelry store. Mr. M was super picky on who he let in. You were not allowed to run around like monkeys in his store. They quickly arrived at his store considering it was only a block from the beach. Katie knocked on the door as Sarah pulled the locket carefully out of her pocket.
“What do you want?” Mr. M's raspy grouchy voice asked through the door.
“We wanted to know if you knew who this locket belonged to.” Katie spoke timidly.
You could clearly tell this was a bad day for Mr. M. It had been exactly a year since his wife had died. He hadn't been the same since. Sarah held out the locket as Mr. M opened up his door. His solemn mood bighted slightly when he saw the familiar locket.
“I remember the day I sold this locket. It was a very special day. The day I proposed to Alice, that locket gave me enough to buy the ring from the stores catalog I wanted. I better not say anymore though. Your mother would want to tell you the rest of this story Sarah.” Mr. M said in a hushed voice, as he stared at the air behind them a happy glow lighting his withered old face from the memories of his ancient romance. Sarah and Katie thanked him quietly before taking their leave allowing him to reminisce in the memories.

Sarah and Katie walked to Katie's car and drove back to Sarah's house anticipating the story that was sure to come. The pulled up to the house as Sarah's mother was leaving. When she saw them an angry expression came to her face. Sarah said nothing just simply held out her hand which held the locket and watched her mother’s face change to one of joy and sadness all rolled into one. Sarah's mother grabbed the locket tears of joy and sadness gently rolling down her face. Sarah opened her mouth to ask her mother the story behind this locket but her mother spoke first.
“This was your grandmothers.” she croaked. “Your grandfather gave it to her as a wedding present when they got married. When your grandmother died your grandfather gave the locket to me knowing that I would treasure it. I wore it to the beach one day a few years ago and it was no longer on my neck when I got home. I cried and cried because I had lost something so special.” The tears continued but Sarah could tell they were ones of pure joy from the happiness of finally having the locket. Like the first day of spring after a long and dreadful winter. Sarah's Mom continued to tell her and Katie story's about her grandparents. Sarah could feel warmth ignite in her stomach. She knew it was from bringing joy to others. She knew she wanted to experience this again, and to see the happiness light in her mother’s eyes again.