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After settling down to sleep last night and allowing her mind to drift towards the far-off beach she’d called her home for nearly twenty years, April had floated on calm ocean waves through endless sweet dreams all night long.  She awoke the next morning with a deep ache spiraling up out of her core.  A heartache.  For home.  For California’s sandy beach and dark waters.  For her precious cousin.  Whom she could see wobbling along the water’s edge as her chubby, little legs carried her unsteadily towards the woman who was more her aunt than her cousin.

April sighed as she rolled over.  The light forcing its way under her shades suddenly bled through her eyelids.  Then her eyes popped open.  Instantly.  And she jumped out of bed.

But the knock sounded before she could reach the doorknob.  Still, as soon as she could, she yanked that door open.  Only to discover a – disappointingly – empty hallway.  But for the box at her feet.  A beautiful gift box.  Pristine white.  With a red bow.  Again.  Only this time, the box was much larger.  A cubic foot, she was pretty sure.

She bent to retrieve it before carrying the weighty object into her dorm room.  She set it on the desk and pulled the ribbon away before lifting the lid.  To discover a world of wonder.

Again, a gasp escaped her as she stared down in awe at a stunning snow globe.  She reached into the box and freed the globe from its bed of Styrofoam.  Knocking some tiny white balls off of her new treasure, April held it up before shaking it.  To unleash a thousand dots of miniscule ivory glitter to float down to the ground. 

But not before they’d swirled around the English manor house glued to the middle of the floor of that clear dome.  Her heart gave a pang as her eyes studied that beautiful, miniature house.  Just like a page out of one of her favorite books.  Had her admirer guessed at her love of British novels?

For several long moments, she stood gazing down at her cherished possession.  Her eyes slid along every minute detail, noting the shutters on the windows, the knocker on the front door, the chimney on the rooftop, and the green shrubs that dotted the landscape surrounding the grand house.  But, finally, she recalled the notes which she’d found the first two days.

So she set the snow globe down on the desk and went in search of today’s missive.  She found it in the bottom of the box.

“I hope this gift has put a smile on your face and a gleam of wonder into your eyes.  Your beautiful, aquamarine eyes.  I saw a snow globe once as a child.  I found it…enchanting.  I spent several minutes shaking it in the store before my mother discovered me and scolded me for touching something that didn’t belong to me.  She removed it from my grasp and returned it to the safety of its shelf.  But the wonder of that little globe never left me.  Just as I hope the wonder of this one never leaves you.”

The wonder of this note would never leave her either.  Nor would the wonder of being singled out by a kind stranger.  Singled out to receive an abundance of lovely gifts.  And equally delightful letters.

But…who was this man? 

He thought her eyes were beautiful?  And he’d noticed their color?  And was thoughtful enough to realize that she would fall in love with his snow globe?  Apparently, wonders never ceased.