Memories In A Box

Wendy is in her home cleaning the attic when she comes upon an old treasure box. She opens the treasure box and finds an old heart shape box.

Wendy takes out the heart shape box, looks at it, takes it down stairs and shows it to her mother.

Julie, Wendy's mother looks at the heart shape box and realizes the box belongs to her mother.

Julie tells Wendy "The box belongs to Grandma Rose."

"How do you know it belongs to Grandma?"

"I found the box. I opened it and saw the pictures."

Wendy puts the box on the table and asks her mother if she can open it.

Julie nods, but not before telling Wendy to call her grandmother and ask for her permission. Wendy nods.

Wendy calls her grandmother and tells her about the heart shape box.

They talk for a few minutes and then hang up.

Wendy tells her mother "Grandma is coming over. She wants to see the box."

20 minutes later Rose enters Wendy's home, her eyes immediately land on the heart shape box.

Rose looks at the box and has a momentary flashback.

"My love Rose, take this box and hold my heart with you until I come home."

Wendy calls her grandmother, she doesn't answer. Julie calls for her mother, again Rose doesn't answer.

Rose still reliving the memory watches as the love of her life leaves.

Rose comes out of her trance and sees the worry looks of her daughter and granddaughter.

"Grandma, what's wrong?"

Rose tells Wendy the heart shape boxes given to her by her first love.

Wendy and Julie are surprised by Rose's admission.

"Not by Grandpa."

Rose nods.

Rose looks at Julie and tells her "Before I met your father, I loved another man. This man was my first love. He gave me this heart shape box so I can always remember him. Sadly he never made it home and this box has been lost to me since I lost him."

A shocked Julie looks at her mother.

"I love your father dearly. No man since I lost my first love has ever made me feel special like your father always has and still does."

Julie tells Wendy and her mother that she needs to leave.

Wendy watches as her mother leaves. She turns to her grandmother and apologizes.

Rose tells Wendy "There is no need to apologize."

Wendy asks her grandmother if she can tell the story about the heart shape box.

Rose looks at the box and is back in her flashback.

1942, two months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The country is in chaos, war has been announced. The military is preparing to send its men to the pacific. One of those men is Henry Torres. He enlisted in the marines right after the attack.

Henry told no one about what he did until the night before he left. A young Rose is Henry's one and only love. She found out about what he did and was scared, but she understood and support him.

Henry gave Rose a very special present, a heart shape box. He tells Rose "Take this box and hold my heart with you until I come home."

"Grandma."

Rose shakes her grandmother, but she can't get her out of her trance.

1942, with tears in her eyes Rose begins to cry. She makes Henry promise her that he will come back. Henry promises.

He makes Rose promise one more thing to not come to the train station. Rose nods and takes the heart shape box. She kisses Henry and leaves.

Wendy, scared out of her mind takes the heart shape box off of the table. Rose blinks and looks at Wendy. She asks Wendy what happened?

Wendy hugs Rose and tells her she was scared.

"I'm sorry sweetie. The box is bringing up so many painful memories. What was your question?"

"I asked you if you can tells me the story of the box."

"For you I will."

Rose begins her story.

"It was 1942, two months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The country is preparing for war. Many of our young men enlisted. One of them was Henry Torres. He enlisted in the marines. Henry was very proud to serve his country. I loved him for that and for so many other reasons.

The night before he left Henry told me he enlisted in the marines. I was scared, but I support him because I loved him and because he was doing something bigger than him, bigger than us. Henry was protecting this country and making sure we remained free.

Henry gave me this heart shape box, he told me to keep this box and hold his heart with you until I come home. I did as he told me to do, but he never came back.

I waited and waited, the days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months. I knew he was dead, but I didn't want to believe it until his best friend gave me the news.

I cried for days. In my heart I knew Henry didn't want me to live my life in grief. So, I did the hardest thing I ever could do. I put all my memories of me and Henry into this heart shape box. I closed my heart to this chapter of my life and opened my heart to a new chapter of my life with your grandfather.

Rose finished her story. She grabs Wendy's hand, smiles and tells her to open the box when she leaves.

Wendy thanks her grandmother for sharing a secret part of her life.

Rose gets up from the chair, she hugs Wendy than leaves.

Wendy takes the heart shape box and goes to her room. She closes the door and sits on the floor.

Wendy opens the box.

Inside the box are pictures and letters. Pictures of a young Rose smiling, next to her is Henry Torres smiling.

In another picture, a young Rose and Henry are kissing and in another picture a young Rose and Henry are dancing and the last picture Wendy sees is a young Rose next to Henry in uniform.

The letters Wendy sees are all dated 1942 and they stop six months into the war. Wendy doesn't read the letters because they are a remainder of love, loss and grief.

Wendy puts the letters and pictures back in the heart shape box. She takes the box to the attic and puts it back in the treasure box.