“Have you decided what you want to do today?”Carlos asked.
“I thought it would be nice to take a trip to Eureka and see how the town has changed.There should still be many things to do there.”
“Flo and I try to go there when we can.The stores and the beautiful Victorian buildings are the main things.that we look at.They do have some tours, but to be sure that you can get on one, you need to make reservations.I'll admit that we haven't gone to most of the attractions yet.We plan to add them one at a time when we have a chance.”
“I've heard some of the old ones have closed, but there are new ones that have taken their place.Mom told me that my favorite restaurant has closed.I would have loved to go there one more time.”Darren admitted.
“Your mom took me there before it closed, and it is a shame it's no longer available.”
“My second favorite one is also closed.Many things have changed since I was here last.”
“That is the way that things go.Very few things last for long, and even then, they change with the times.”Carlos observed.
“True, but I still can't help feeling a sense of loss over those things that I treasured that are no longer here.”
“I understand, but I have found the best way to deal with that is to look for new things to treasure.”
Darren took a sip of the coffee that his mother had brought him.She knew just how he liked it, black with nothing added.He was home now, with his daughters.That was the most important thing in his life, and he needed to learn to value that more than the things he felt he had lost.There was no doubt that he had a lot of things to think about and changes to make in his life.Maybe, just for today, he needed to take the time to just enjoy being with family.
His mother went to the kitchen and began to help Liza carry out the food.Lottie jumped up and began to help.Even Liza sat with them, enjoying the meal and conversation.His mother was not a formal person, and he didn't expect that to change.In all the years he'd known her, her behavior had never changed much.When he'd been younger, she had been his rock, and he realized that she could be that again.
Everyone ate, and they all took their plates to the kitchen, even the girls.It didn't take long to clean up, and once they were done, he realized Liza was coming with them.Carlos had a large luxury SUV big enough to hold all of them.Everyone found a seat, and they headed towards Eureka.It was a beautiful day, and the weather was perfect, because even though the sun was shining, it wasn't hot.It hadn't fallen yet, but it was close, and the weather was changing.This was the perfect day for a walking trip to Eureka.The girls were practically bouncing in their seats with excitement.This was a beautiful area to drive through with farmlands and forests.There were hills, and they crossed a few rivers.All of this was very familiar to him from his youth.Since they had moved back, this would all become familiar to his girls.Harry had sent word that she wouldn’t make it today.
It was about a thirty-minute drive and just a little bit closer than Branson.When they arrived in the downtown area, parking was the same problem it had always been, but they managed to find a place.The streets were narrow, and the buildings were close to the streets.They got out and began to walk.Some stores they just window shopped, but others they went in.He noticed that his mother and Carlos weren't buying much, but that wasn't a surprise since Carlos had mentioned that they came here often.
Carlos and his mother were watching Adele, while he and Lottie were watching Ellis.They went to a toy store, and both girls wanted something.He allowed each of them to pick one item, but they would only get it if they behaved.They each selected the toy that they wanted.Ellis chose a doll, and Adele chose a junior chemistry set.Both girls behaved perfectly and got their presents.As they walked along, he noticed the packages were gone and asked Lottie about them.
“Did somebody take them, or did the girls put them down somewhere?”
“No, they are in the SUV,” she explained.
Magic!It was convenient but still alarming, even when he thought it was helpful.There was just a part of him that didn't approve of magic being used.He understood that he needed to get used to it because there was no way to avoid it, at least not in this area.Darren decided to let the subject drop.He had a feeling that it would come up again, and it wouldn't be long.
“It's lunchtime.We can go to a sidewalk café, or if you prefer, we can go to the Crescent.”Flo suggested.
Everyone turned to look at him.“The cafe will be fine if everyone agrees.”
They all nodded, and they crossed the street, and the cafe was just a little way up the sidewalk and around the corner.It was a great place to people-watch because many people walked by.In a tourist area like this, people came from all over.Since school was in session, many of the people were older, but there were still many children of various ages.You can only guess that these were children who were homeschooled, locals, or people who had just taken their children out to enjoy a vacation, even if they had to skip school.
It was nice to sit outside and have a casual meal while they watched people walk by.They talked a little bit, but mostly they listened to the conversations of the people who walked by.His girls seem fascinated by the people and the scenery around them.
“I found some German chocolate in one of these stores.It's about time for me to fill up on my stash.”Flo declared.
“It looks like everyone has finished their meal, and we can move on,” Carlos observed.
Darren had German ancestry through his mother, so he would be thrilled to find some German chocolate.While his mother filled her stash, he intended to start one of his own.The next door they entered had a small shelf near the door loaded with several kinds of German chocolate.His mother grabbed a handful of bars, and he grabbed many bars.There were still a few left, but not very many.
“Are those for us?"Adele asked.
“These are mainly for me, but if you two do something special, I might give you a little bit.”
“What do we need to do, Daddy?”Ellis asked.
“We'll talk about that later.”
Darren planned to make a chart with his girls' chores and the levels they needed to achieve in school, and they could earn some chocolate.That sounded like a very smart idea, and since his girls were both achievers, he probably needed to buy chocolate every time he came here.
The problem started when they exited the store where they had bought the chocolate.Someone was waiting for them, and he tried to grab Ellis.Darren watched as if it were in slow motion as the guy started to grab Ellis but instead jumped through the store window.He'd never seen anything like it before, and he looked at Lottie and just knew that it was her.The guy came out of the store looking pretty rough, but another guy tried to grab Adele and, instead, ended up hugging the guy who had jumped through the window, and they began fighting.That ended as they bashed their heads together hard, and they both fell to the ground unconscious.
