Author(s): Alicia Hope

Fiction

Maggie, a short story that tugs at the heart, is set in a farming community in Western Australia. "A symbol of love and compassion, '" he whispered, pressing something small and cool into her hand. Blinking away the haze of tears, she glanced at her open palm and saw a dark gem float into view. It was a garnet, her garnet. The precious gift intended to bring comfort during his absence, the reminder he would return for her. The gift she'd lost but which had somehow found its way back to her ... the way he never had.