Keegan froze at the computer as the sound of the doorbell sent shivers down his spine.
It was late…too late for anyone decent to be coming over for a visit but there it was again.
Now his wife Jennifer stuck her head into the room with a look of fear and dread on her pretty young face.
“Keegan, did you hear the doorbell?”
“Yes, I did, honey” he answered as he stood to leave the small back room of their Victorian home.
“Who could it be at this hour, Keegan?”
“I don’t know…but I’ll find out!” He said quickly as he rushed past her.
As Keegan neared the small foyer, he slowed his steps and strained to look through the white lace curtains that covered the square window on the antique oak door.
He couldn’t see anyone standing there but yet the doorbell rang out for a third time.
He didn’t turn on any lights but moved quietly in the darkness.
Reaching the door, he very carefully pulled the edge of the curtains back so that he could see out onto the large wooden porch without being seen by anyone standing on the other side of the door.
He smiled now as he hollered out to Jennifer that everything was okay.
“It’s just mom, Jen!”
“Oh, thank God!” She called back to him from the family room.
“Hi mom, come on in!”
“How are you tonight?”
The house seemed to settle in and breathe easier once again.
Church services were over for another Sunday and the young couple now sat down at the usual table to enjoy coffee and donuts with their friends Jo and Carol.
The small church family always enjoyed their time together and today would be no different.
“So, what did you guys do yesterday?” Jo asked as she sat down.
“Oh nothing much…” Jennifer answered.
“Well, my mom came over late last night”. Keegan said with a smile.
“And scared Jen and I have to death!” he added.
“Oh? How late did she come over?” Jo asked with a chuckle.
The couple turned to look at each other before answering.
“What was it, honey…about 11:00?” Keegan asked.
“Yeah, that sounds about right.” Jennifer replied with a somber look.
“Well, that is rather late, no wonder it scared you both, was everything okay with her?”
Jo asked.
“Yes, was she alright?” Carol echoed.
“No, you don’t understand…” Keegan began.
“My mom died five years ago!”
“What?” Jo gasped as she shuddered violently.
“Yeah, she died five years ago, Jo…”
“But how then do you know that it was her?” Carol asked.
“Yes, did you actually see her standing there?” Jo added.
“Well no, I didn’t see her. See, she always knocked on my bedroom door before coming in when I was a kid because she respected my privacy. Now she knocks on the front door of my house before she comes in to let me know that it’s her.”
The two ladies sat dumbfounded but believed their young friends.
“The other thing that Keegan hasn’t told you is that our doorbell runs on batteries. There isn’t one in it now and we haven’t put one in it in over a year, so there is no way for it to ring but yet it does and there’s no one on the porch…so you tell us…”
Both Jennifer and Keegan sat smiling at their friends who still sat speechless across from them.
“Well then, it must be your mom, Keegan…” Jo said with a shiver.
“She’s just watching over us from above and wants us to know it.” Keegan said in a reassuring tone.
“And” he added, “A mother’s love never dies…”
