Linda Gibson was feeling noticeably depressed today. Sitting at the kitchen table, Linda was holding the latest book from Neil Gaiman that she had just finished moments ago. Of course the book was not the cause of Linda's poor mood, as Linda could not remember a single time that Gaiman had let her down. What was causing Linda to feel so down, was the fact that she knew absolutely no one else in town who would discuss the book with her.
This did not mean that Linda had no friends at all, in fact she was good friends with several of the parents from both Jon and Mikey's schools. The issue though was that none of them were active readers like herself. They were usually more interested in TV dramas, or the latest political scandal in the White House. Linda did not judge them for this disinterest in books, but she felt upset that she has not been able to discuss a book since she left graduate school.
"Hey mom, I'm home!" Jon yelled out as he entered the house
Jon walked in the kitchen and saw his mother staring blankly at the book's cover. She didn't respond to him.
"Mom?" Jon said with a puzzled look.
"Oh hey honey!" Linda said as she was brought back to reality. "How was school?"
"Good. Just had an average day of school work."
Jon noticed that his mother's eyes were looking pinker than usual, as they looked like they were holding back a few tears.
"Mom, are you alright?"
"I'm fine Jon, but could you just leave me alone for a little bit. I need a moment to think."
"Okay mom."
Jon walked out of the room and ran up the stairs to his bedroom. Without needing to think about it, Jon pulled out the box under his bed and grabbed the rock out of it. Knowing something was up with his mom, Jon spoke his wish.
"I wish I knew what was wrong with my mom"
In his mind, Jon began hearing his mother's thoughts from earlier, as he learned about her love for literature, and how none of her friends shared her passion. Jon began to feel sympathy for his mother's problem, and realized that he had the power to make it right.
"I think it's about time my mom got to participate in a book club."
