Greg went willingly when Susan asked him to hear Jessie's prayers. It didn't take him long, but instead of finding Susan in the family room with Zack when he returned, he found her alone in the library, staring into the fire.

"Susan? Are you alright?" Greg asked.

"Yes. I'm worried about Jessie though. I wish I knew what triggered her to become so upset tonight," Susan answered.

"She didn't tell you?" Greg wondered.

"She did tell me something ... I think maybe she was thinking about her mother tonight ... while we were planning her party. She told me part of a story Allison told her before she died," Susan said.

"Did she now. I've never heard her say anything like that before," Greg said cautiously.

"Neither have I ... Jessie was so young when she died, I didn't think she remembered anything of the sort. But tonight she told me a little bit about a story her mother told her about her father ... about a man named Fred and his little boy who lived across the street. She was wondering if he might be the same person as the Fred Siskle we met last December ... the same man who had to write the letter for Mr. Simms," Susan said.

Greg cocked his head. "He is. It is interesting that Jessie remembers hearing about him before."

Susan nodded, apparently still thinking.

"Do you suppose it is Mr. Simms impending visit which has brought those memories to the surface again?" Greg asked.

"I think so. It's a bit overwhelming for her, I suspect. She is happy to have her Grandpa Bobby in her life, but it's caused her to remember again all that she's lost ... and she reminded me, this has happened to her before," Susan said.

"What has happened to her before?" Greg asked with a start.

"She's lost her mother before. She's had more than one life where she had to cope with a mother's loss at a young age ... although usually it's my loss ... and now in this one, she's lost Alison but not me. It's been a pattern for her," Susan shared.

"I see. Did she tell you anything else?"

Susan nodded. "Yes ... I asked if she remembered how she coped with it before, and she told me somebody helped her."

"Did she say who?"

"Yes ... her soulmate."

Greg looked at Susan with an expression that looked as stunned by that information as she felt.

"She has a soulmate," Susan repeated. "And she dreams about him. I don't know why that surprises me. It shouldn't. After all, I suspect most people do have soulmates. But she says I've never met him, because she usually doesn't meet him until after I am gone ... and often, you are too, although apparently you were there when she met him the second time."

"Indeed. Does she remember a specific occasion when her soulmate met me?" Greg asked.

"Yes. It sounds like Harald might have met him ... after Marie was grown. He came to visit and Egg was there," Susan said.

"Egg?" Greg questioned.

"That's what she called him. I can't help thinking that must have been short for something," Susan remarked.

"More than likely. I can think of several names that begin with that syllable," Greg said. "Egbert, Eglin, Egerton, to name a few."

"I can too. So anyway, that's what I'm thinking about: Jessie and her dreams."

"Isn't she too young to be dreaming about a soulmate?" Greg questioned.

"Apparently not. I was about that same age when I began dreaming of you."

"I was approximately that same age too," Greg recalled. "I suppose in the scheme of things, Jessie isn't really all that much younger than we are."

"No, she isn't. It would probably also explain why she's become so moody all of a sudden and easily upset," Susan commented.

"Has she? Apart from tonight?" Greg asked.

Susan considered his question. "No actually, she hasn't. I'm just grasping at straws I suppose, trying to explain it. She is a bit young yet to assume her hormones are contributing to how she is feeling. I suppose I always assumed they had something to do with when a person started to have dreams."

Greg cocked his head. "Jessie is starting to have dreams ... dreams instead of simply memories having to do with our past lives."

"And hers. Apparently she's old enough to start to compartmentalize her memories into separate lives. She's been thinking about that too, since December," Susan said.

Greg cocked his head. "Since Mr. Simms cautioned us not to talk about it where others could hear."

"Yes. I wonder if that is what triggers the beginning of dreams," Susan mused.

"It could be. I know you and I both have them, and recently we've met other people who have them too. It could be this is how the Lord handles the bleed-through memories as one's cognitive ability begins to mature," Greg speculated. "I imagine it makes them easier to handle, once you realize some of the things you remember don't belong to this current life."

"That would make sense ... except we talk about it so freely in this household, Jessie has already known for years that some of the things she remembers happened when we lived before," Susan said.

Greg arched his brow as he considered what it is they'd been saying. "I am beginning to realize ... all this has something to do with the mystery of the dreams. By watching it happen to Jessie, we are learning something of how and when they first occur," Greg commented.

"Very true. We are watching it from the outside," Susan remarked.

Greg's other brow disappeared beneath his bangs too. "Am I detecting a pattern here?"

"Of things we are observing from the outside?" Susan asked.

"That is what I was wondering. First, there was our observation of Rosemary and Neil's meeting last Thanksgiving ... soulmates encountering one another as adults for the first time. Then recently, you made a similar comment to me about Rosemary and Mr. Simms, specifically about the experience of observing while they remember events they shared in Rosemary's past life. Even though it is part of the same one for Mr. Simms, he is part of that, where we aren't. Now, we are hearing about this: Jessie's memory of a soulmate and the awakening in her of the dreams, memories of things you and I have no part in." Greg ticked off on his fingers the things they'd observed.

Slowly, Susan shook her head in astonishment.

"What are you thinking?" Greg asked.

"You are right ... there is a pattern ... and we are on the outside looking in. What's more, all of this has something to do with Mr. Simms. I can't help wondering why," Susan said.

"It seems he is the mechanism for allowing us to observe how the dreams function in other's lives," Greg commented thoughtfully.

It was Susan's turn to cock her head. "Is this something we need to understand?" she wondered.

"Apparently. We know the mystery of the dream for us involves more people apart from ourselves," Greg reminded her.

"Four other people ... at least," Susan said.

"Exactly. Most of them have lived fewer lives than we have, Susan," Greg said. "Perhaps it is simply the Lord's intent to equip us adequately, in order to be able to bring those individuals together in an understanding way, when it is time, to enable us all to succeed."

"Using your harmony, you mean," Susan postulated.

"And your timing. We will need both ... along with a working understanding of this too, I suspect," Greg predicted.

"Wow," Susan commented.

"Indeed. I can't help wondering what two weeks of having Mr. Simms in our home will reveal," Greg told her.

"Yes. Absolutely. I have a feeling this is going to be revealing on so many levels, in so many ways," Susan said.

"Have you much more to do to prepare for his visit?" Greg asked.

"Well, Jessie and I do have to finish the planning for her party," Susan said.

"Have the two of you much more to do for that?" Greg wondered.

"Other than deciding the venue for it and the decorations she wants to use, there isn't too much left to do. I really do think using the cottage would be best, but the more I think about it, the more I've realized there isn't room to set up her new play equipment in there the way we did Melody's party ... and it wouldn't be fair to have Melody's play structure there if hers wasn't too," Susan said.

"Very true. So what do you want to do?" Greg asked.

"Move Melody's equipment out to the deck like we discussed. Then set up Jessie's new swings and slide out there too ... only don't tell her we're doing it. We can say we've decided it would be best to move Melody's slide so it's out of the way for the party, and surprise Jessie with the new arrangement and her part of it on her birthday," Susan said.

"During the party?" Greg wondered.

"No, the day before. On her actual birthday," Susan said. "That way she can decide if she wants to invite her guests to join her in using it before or afterwards, and it's out of the way for her party so we can have it in the cottage like we originally wanted to."

Greg cocked his head as he considered what Susan was suggesting.

"That could work. I will need the boys' help both to set up her equipment, and to move Melody's playset to the deck. Moving her things does give us a reason to be out there," Greg said.

"That's what I was thinking," Susan said. "Do you think that will work?"

"It could ... provided we actually have the time to put it together. You're going to be gone Tuesday and Wednesday, week after next. The wrap party is on Thursday of that week. Jessie's birthday is on Friday ... so when do we move it?" Greg wondered.

"Is this week too soon?" Susan wondered.

"It is, if we don't want her to discover it before her birthday," Greg said.

"What about on Monday, then?" Susan suggested.

"You know, we haven't actually bought Jessie's equipment yet. We have it picked out, but we haven't actually purchased anything," Greg said.

"Something more to do next week? Or possibly next weekend?" Susan wondered.

"Perhaps we could do it during the week, this coming week after work," Greg said. "Let me think about it, Susan. I am beginning to realize, I need a plan to be ready for her birthday too."

"Thank you," Susan said.

"Speaking of plans ... where do you plan to put Mr. Simms?" Greg asked.

"Probably in the little apartment. Those rooms are closest to the house ... and to the new elevator. And it does sound like it should be ready by the end of next week," Susan said.

"That is what Mr. Van Kirk has been saying," Greg confirmed. "Have you been into that part of the cave to take a look?"

"No. I know they were taking the debris out through the garage last week to prepare, and last Thursday while I was home, they brought a truck down the service road with some of the elevator equipment, along with a mini-forklift to bring it into the cave. It sounds like all they have left to do is to actually put it in," Susan said. "The work they've done during the last few weeks has been prep work ... and most of it has been happening when nobody is here."

"We are much busier now than we were when we originally built this house," Greg remarked.

"I don't know about that, Greg. It seems to me, we've remained incredibly busy in general for many years," Susan said.

Greg nodded. "Then perhaps once this movie is in the can, it will be time to take some time to generally slow down. To move beyond the story of our dreams, and begin to make the most of what acknowledging and actively learning from them brings."

Susan sighed. "I like that idea ... but we're not there yet. It's getting late, and tomorrow will be another busy day. I suppose it's time to put Melody to bed?"

Greg looked towards their youngest daughter, who was still in her walker ... her favorite place to be these days. But instead of quietly playing as she usually did, she'd nodded off while her parents talked and now was quite asleep with her head resting atop her tray.

"It looks like a good idea," Greg agreed. "Shall I encourage Zackary to go to bed too?"

"Please. He may be waiting up to talk to Matt about the dance, so he can stay up if he wants, but he should be getting ready for bed too."

And with that Greg and Susan pushed aside their thoughts of birthday parties, dreams and dreamers, and watching it from the outside, and went about the business of putting their family to bed.

c

Sunday at the Abernathys was very low key. The only exception to that might have been when Susan, Matt, Zack, and Jessie were walking to their car after church. Susan was carrying Melody as she talked to Jessie, explaining the idea she and Greg came up with for her party.

Jessie stopped in the middle of the parking lot, put her hand on her hip and said, "But that was my idea, Mama. That's what I said!"

"And after thinking about it, we decided you were right. That's the best plan, but Papa is going to need Matt and Zack's help to move Melody's play equipment from the cottage to the deck," Susan said, and everyone started walking again.

"We can help him, Mom," Matt was quick to assure her as they came to the car and everyone got in. "When does he want to do it? Today?"

"Or possibly next weekend. Talk to him, Matt. I'm not sure which day he has in mind," Susan said as she started the car.

"That's cool," Matt said. "We'll work it out, Jess," he assured his little sister. "Zack and me and Greg will be sure it's out of the way."

"Thank you, Matthew," Jessie said, sounding suddenly very grown up for an eight-almost-nine year old.

Susan sighed. "You all are growing up so fast."

"Are we?" Matt asked in surprise.

"You are ... all of you," Susan told him.

Matt cocked his head. "I don't know, Mom. It seems like it's taking forever to get through my senior year of high school ... and I still don't know what I'm going to do next year."

"You're going to college, aren't you?" Susan asked looking surprised.

"Sure, that's the plan. I mean I applied to four, but I haven't heard from any of them yet," Matt said.

"Oh, well that doesn't generally happen until after Spring Break," Susan said.

"So maybe by mid-April?"

"Or maybe even early May," Susan said. "It's probable you won't hear from all of them at the same time."

Matt nodded. "Yeah, okay. So what are we doing for the rest of today?"

"Finishing the plans for Jessie's party, and relaxing. Mr. Simms is coming to stay with us week after next, and I expect while he's here we're going to be very busy," Susan said.

"Probably," Matt said. "I can't wait to meet him."

"Me too, Mama," Jessie said.

"Why?" Susan asked in surprise.

"Because, Mama ... I've been thinking about what you said. Grandpa Bobby and boxes can be signs for all sorts of things," Jessie said.

"Well yeah, your great-grandpa can. But do you think the box is a sign too?" Matt asked.

"Isn't it, Mom?" Zack asked, weighing in on the conversation for the first time.

"We think it is ... Greg and I do. After all, it is very old, and it has been passed down to us in a way from Max," Susan said.

Zack nodded. "To me that box is some sort of clue."

"Why do you think that, Zack?" Susan asked.

"Because of the mark it has on the back."

"What mark on the back?" Matt asked.

"It's not really on the back ... it's sort of on the bottom," Zack amended.

"Show me," Matt said.

"I will ... when we get home."

The family's conversation about the mark and the box carried them all the way home, and that last part was said as Susan pulled the car into the garage in the cave.

"We are home," she announced.

"Let's go see it," Matt said.

And they all followed him through the cave into the house.

c

"Welcome home," Greg said from where he sat near the fire reading the Sunday newspaper.

"Hi," Susan said.

"What mark, Zack?" Matt repeated, going to the box where it rested in its usual place on the shelf.

"What's going on?" Greg asked the group.

"Zack said something about a mark on the bottom of the box earlier, only we don't remember there being one," Susan said.

"There is," Greg told her.

Rising from his place, he reached out his hands and Matt handed the box to him. Greg took it to the little desk, where he emptied it of the few things it contained before carefully turning it over. A vague sound came from the box as it was turned and came to rest on its lid.

The wood the box was made of had become dark with age, but on the bottom surface of it there were some areas which were vaguely darker than the rest. Three sets of them in fact.

"Is this what you mean, Zack?" Susan asked.

"Yeah, Mom. Those are toe prints," Zackary told her pointing to one particular set of marks consisting of vague small round spots, close together and all in a row.

"Are they?" Susan asked in surprise.

Greg turned on the little desk light and they all took a better look. As they did, Melody reached towards the box. Her fingers were only slightly larger than some of the smudges near the edge on one side.

"They could be, but the marks had to have been made by someone very young," Greg said as he considered the box more seriously. "I wonder ... "

Next Greg pulled a magnifying glass from the desk drawer, examining the marks just a little bit better.

"Those are big ones are Mama's fingerprints, Papa," Jessie said. "She helped me push it into the wall, away from the fire so it wouldn't get burnt. That one is mine." She pointed to another set of marks, a bit more vague and muddled than the marks Zack pointed out.

"Are they?" Greg asked her in surprise.

Jessie nodded. "We moved it out of the way before the house fell down, into the hole at the bottom of the wall where the mouse used to live. We did it before you came. Those are mine and those are Zack's ... from the last time. We helped."

"The last time, what?" Matt asked his little sister.

"The last time we were all alive," Jessie said patiently.

Matt frowned. "Are you talking about reincarnation?"

"What's that?"

"Where you just keep going round and round, between being alive and being dead and being alive again," Matt explained.

"No. It's not like that," Jessie said seriously.

"Good. I'm glad we've got that settled. There is no such thing as reincarnation," he declared.

"You don't think so?" Zack asked.

"No. The bible doesn't talk about it, so I don't," Matt said.

"Even if it's not exactly like what you said?" Zack asked.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Matt asked.

Zack shrugged. "I dun know ... but maybe ... maybe life just lasts longer than we know about at first. Maybe we get to ... you know ... come back."

"Do you want to come back?" Matt asked.

"No," Zack assured him. "But I think it might happen ... sometimes. Like to this little kid. He was smaller than Melody. He was brand new, but he got burned in the fire. The only thing left to show he was even here, was this." Zack pointed to a distinctive but tiny five-part black smudge closer to the center of the bottom and at the opposite end.

Susan examined the mark, thinking about what Zackary said. It was small enough the mark could have been made by a newborn baby's toes if the box had been kicked as the baby burned. But then again, it wasn't that clear. It didn't look like a foot, nor did it look like a hand. Rather it looked like it could have been made by the tiny lobes of a pinnate-shaped leaf, something like that of a fern or a jacaranda or a possible a silk tree, stuck on the wood when it was wet for a number of years. That was known to turn wood dark too.

"Do you have any idea what could cause wood dark to turn dark like this, Susan?" Greg asked.

"No, not really. Someone at the museum might know, but I don't," Susan said.

"What about this?" Matt asked pointing to another spot that was larger and particularly black.

"The smudges on the bottom do look a little like burn marks, suggesting the box escaped a fire at one point in time," she said.

"It did, but we didn't," Zack said looking at his mom.

Susan nodded, but she didn't say anything.

"Aren't you going to explain it to Matt? You were there too," Zack pointed out.

"No, I'm not," Susan told him.

"Why?"

"Because, as I tried to tell you years ago when we first talked about this, deciding to believe in reincarnation is a personal thing. Matt is right. It doesn't say anything about it in the bible. To some people, that means it doesn't exist," Susan said.

"Isn't that what it means to you?" Matt asked.

"It used to, Matt. But after meeting Greg and talking about it, I've read the bible over again, more than once. We've even read it in Hebrew and I've tried to keep an open mind. As a result, the conclusion I've come to is, the bible doesn't actually say anything about it, one way or another. It doesn't say if it does or doesn't happen ... and I think I know the reason," Susan said.

"What is that?" Greg asked, participating in this sensitive conversation for the first time.

"I suspect the reason is, because even if reincarnation does exist, we need to live each and every life like it is our only one. We should never assume we'll get another chance. We have no way to know if we will or not, but what we do know is we will be evaluated at the end of this life. What happens next will be the result of that ... and it is in preparation for this that we must live our life. That is what the bible teaches and what the scriptures are intended to help us with: the way we live our life now. Not what comes next ... whatever that may be," Susan said.

Matt cocked his head. "Do you think there could be another life?"

"Not for me, I don't," Susan said firmly.

Matt nodded. "But you do believe in reincarnation," he concluded.

"I think saying it can never happen is limiting what the Almighty can do ... and I don't feel comfortable saying or doing that," Susan shared.

Matt hesitated as he thought about what she was saying.

"Which means ... if some people do ... they could be right too," he concluded.

"They could be ...and who are we to judge them on that?" Susan asked.

"Judge not, lest you be judged," Matt quoted.

"Cause not your brother to stumble," Susan quoted back.

"Even if they believe in reincarnation?" Matt questioned.

"No matter what ... so yes," Susan said.

"Wow," Matt said, still looking at his mother.

Susan nodded. "Yes. Exactly."

Jessie looked back and forth between the two of them with a furrowed brow.

"So what does that mean, Mama?" she asked.

"It means, some people believe in reincarnation or the idea of more than one life. Some people don't, and I don't think there is any way to be exactly sure who's right. But either way, it is up to the Lord to decide," Susan said.

"Maybe some people get it right the first time," Zack suggested.

"That could be," Greg said. "Which would mean, for them, there is only one life."

Zack nodded. "Yeah ... that sort of makes sense."

Matt cocked his head as he considered what they were saying. "Yeah, but wouldn't that sort of be a jip? Only getting one life because you are good?"

"Nope," Zack told him. "Cause it's no fun if things go wrong."

"Something always goes wrong," Jessie told him.

"Always?" Matt asked her.

"So far," Jessie said seriously.

Matt looked at Susan. "So what does this mean, Mom?"

"Do you remember the discussion we had about signs last December? About how the same sign could mean different things to different people?" Susan asked.

"Yes," Matt said.

"I think this is an example of that. This box means something to everyone in this family ... but what exactly it means is different to each person. Faith is what goes on inside of you, Matt. Most people don't agree on the details of what they believe ... and our discussion on reincarnation is one example of that. But if you are steadfast in your faith, and mindful of your relationship to God, things will work out," Susan said. "And that, is what I believe."

Matt nodded. "Faith focused ... not nitpicking what people believe ... is that it?"

Susan nodded. "Yes. We believe different things in this family ... not just the differences between Judaism and Christianity, but also about this. And that's okay, as long as we all nurture and support each other's faith, instead of arguing in a way that could tear it down."

Matt leaned forward to examine the box again, thinking about what it was his brother believed ... and why that might be a sign too.

"Yeah, okay. Faith," he said straightening again.

"Yup. Faith," Zackary agreed. "And watching the signs."

"Do you think so too, Papa?" Jessie asked.

"Yes Jessie. On this point specifically, I do agree. Faith and listening to the Lord is the most important thing to do. Signs can help. Sometimes they can be a way to know what the Lord says, but they must be interpreted carefully, or even the adversary can use them to influence what we believe," Greg said.

"The adversary?" Jessie asked doubtfully.

"I think he means Satan, Jessie," Matt said.

"The devil," Zack added. "Yeah, I can see that. He likes to use fire to mess with your head. So I can see how he might have done that to the wood to mess with me here. I can sort of see how it isn't the sign exactly that's important."

"Why wouldn't it be?" Matt asked.

"Because ... some people are all about signs. They get so caught up in it, they forget to read the bible or to pray. And that's the most important thing, isn't it Mom?" Zackary asked.

"You're on the right track, Zack," Susan said.

Zack nodded.

"Was the sermon today about signs?" Greg asked curiously as he carefully turned the box over again, replacing its contents in preparation for putting it back on the shelf.

"No. We got on the subject of signs while talking about Mr. Simms after church. We need to finish making our plans today so we can start getting ready for Jessie's party and Mr. Simms visit, week after next," Susan said.

"And that is exactly right. Just let us know what we can do to help," Greg said.

"Thank you," Susan said, and she began assigning them all tasks they could do to help the family prepare.

Later that afternoon, as they worked to do what they needed to do, a thought occurred to Susan: Matt was experiencing everything the family was going through, from the outside.

c