Sunlight peeked through the window of a small, tidy room. Inside, an old woman with a kind, crinkly smile sat in her comfy chair. A little boy, let's call him Leo, often visited her. Her name was Mother Elderberry, and she always had stories to share.

One day, Mother Elderberry showed Leo a small, wooden box. "Come closer, dear," she said, her voice soft like a gentle breeze. Leo leaned in as she carefully opened it. Inside were a shiny silver coin, a faded blue ribbon, and a tiny, dried flower that still smelled a little bit sweet.

"These are my treasures," she whispered. "From someone I loved very much, a long, long time ago. He was a brave sailor." She picked up the silver coin. "He gave me this for luck." Then she touched the ribbon. "And this, he tied in my hair." Finally, she pointed to the flower. "This elderflower, he picked from my garden just before he sailed away on a big ship."

Her eyes looked far away, as if seeing that ship again. "He promised to come back," she said quietly. "But the sea is very big, and sometimes ships don't return when they mean to."
Leo looked sad. "Did he forget you?" he asked.
Mother Elderberry smiled gently. "Oh no, my dear. I don't think so. And I have certainly never forgotten him. You see, Leo, just because something is hidden away, like these treasures in this box, it doesn't mean it's forgotten."

Not long after, Mother Elderberry closed her eyes for the last time, peacefully. Leo never forgot her, or her little box of treasures, or her words: "Hidden away doesn't mean forgotten."

Years went by, and Leo grew up. And guess what? He became a sailor too! He sailed on big ships, across wide oceans, to faraway lands with strange sounding names.

One sunny afternoon, in a port town filled with the smell of salt and fish, Leo saw an old sailor sitting by the dock. He had a kind face, much like Mother Elderberry's, but weathered by sun and sea. Leo sat down beside him. They started talking about ships and storms and stars.

The old sailor sighed. "I once knew a girl," he said softly, his voice a bit creaky. "A long, long time ago, in a land far from here. I gave her a silver coin for luck, a blue ribbon I tied in her hair, and a little elderflower from her garden before I left."
Leo's eyes grew wide. A silver coin? A blue ribbon? An elderflower?
"I was shipwrecked," the old sailor continued, "and couldn't get back for many, many years. I often wonder if she ever remembered me."

"She did!" Leo exclaimed, his heart thumping. "Her name was Mother Elderberry! She kept your gifts in a special box. She told me about you! She said, 'Hidden away doesn't mean forgotten!'"

The old sailor's eyes filled with tears, but they were happy tears. A warm smile spread across his face. "So she remembered," he whispered. "She truly remembered." He looked out at the sea, and for the first time in a very long time, his heart felt light. He knew his love hadn't been forgotten, just kept safe, like a treasure in a little wooden box.

And Leo, the sailor boy, learned that day that some things, like true friendship and love, are never truly lost, even if they are hidden away for a while.

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