Welcome to Gaia! ::

Hewque shifted through the box a bit with his friend while thinking. Something to rub her thumb on? That seemed strange but his mom got a strange look and held Hewque close and pet his head a lot too, so maybe it was like that? When a shell was pulled from the box Hewque looked over it and smiled. “It’s perfect. It’s a smooth shell she could rub and…” Hewque bent way over the box and tilted his head to get a look. “Yep there’s a hole right here.” He pointed to it. “ We could make it a bracelet or a string so she won’t lose it.” He grinned the other youngling. “I think it’s the perfect gift. Wanna know the best part? Hold it up to your ear.”

Grinning fin to fin Hewque felt like the brightest person in the world. “Moma showed me with her shells. There’s no water in there but moma told me once that no matter how far you are from home or what happens in life that your heart remembers where you belonged and where you are loved. For the shell it remembers the ocean so when you put your ear to it you hear the ocean. She said the shell does that to remind us that while you might become something else and get really far from home it’s ok to remember because even if it makes you sad at times it can make you happy too. I have a shell too only it’s bigger and has little spikes on it. Wanna see?” Of course Hewque had never seen the ocean but he wasn’t going to mention that part.

“Yep. Momma is the smartest person I know.” Hewque led his friend to show of the shell his momma had given him. It was so big he had to hold it with two hands and it was had thumb long spikes at the top and nubs along the shell. It was fun to rub. It was white on the outside and pale pink inside. “You know anything can happen next but if you are there with your momma it’ll be ok. After all I stay with mine and she says without me she would never go on. She doesn’t say that as much anymore but I know it’s true still.” He puffed out his chest proud to be his mother’s hero. “I bet your momma needs you just as much even if she doesn’t say it.” Hewque rummaged through his things until he found a large bit of soft leather that was in strips. His mother used it to make shoes but it would make a necklace cord just as well. “Here you go. For the shell.” He handed over the string. “I know she’ll love it. You got her the best gift.”