The First Clue

The First Clue 
By Betty Adams

"Mommy! Mommy!" the bright young voice rang eagerly through the house. "I brought you a flower!"
"I'm in the kitchen Sweetie!" Tamar called out to her son. She focused on scrubbing the last of the dried sweet potato casserole off of Grandma Smith's second best casserole dish. "Put it in the vase on the counter."
"Yes, Mommy." 
She heard the scuffle of the rubber feet on the step stool moving across the linoleum and the soft grunt as he hopped up. A dandelion would be a nice colorful addition to the kitchen, Tamar mused. The caked on sweet potato finally gave and she gave a small grunt of triumph.
"Now show me this flower!" She declared as she set the dish in the drainer and picked up the hand towel to dry her hands.
"Isn't it pretty?" her son demanded.
Tamar ran her eyes over the counter and was about to ask where the flower was. There was no cheerful flash of yellow but when she focused on the flower vase there was a flower in it. 
"Sweetie," Tamar asked slowly as she approached the white bloom. "Where did you get this?"
"It was out in the back forty," he responded with a grin. "There was a patch with no snow and this was growing there. There were these too!"
The boy dug around in the pockets of his snow pants and pulled out a handful of metallic blue berries. 
"Shouldn't I have picked them Mommy?" the boy asked nervously when her frown deepened. 
"I think it was very good for you to show this to me," Tamar said slowly. "I tell you what. Let's go out and see where you found this."
The boy grinned and eagerly led her to the door. Tamar wrapped up in her down coat and wool cap. She hesitated but then pulled her work backpack out of the closet. She checked to make sure that her sample gear was all there and her camera was charged. They set out into the foot deep snow and she followed after her son as they climbed over fallen logs and leap small streams. When they reached a large clearing the boy hesitated and began to search in earnest. 
"I know it was around here somewhere!" He insisted.
Tamar followed him, murmuring encouragement, until she spotted a clear patch of green.
"Here!" She called out and strode over to the snow free area.
"I am sure it was on the other side," her son protested.
"Maybe there are more," Tamar suggested as she pulled her camera out from where she was keeping it warm next to her skin.
The patch was about a foot in diameter and very warm. She could feel it through her gloves. Multiple species were well into spring and even summer growth within it, but when she scrapped away the snow the grass outside was brown and winter dead.
"What is it Mommy?" Her boy asked curiously. "What did that?"
"I don't know," she confessed.
When she had taken all the data she could from that site they searched for more. All in all there were six of the little green spots, including one missing several Queen's Cup flowers, forming a perfect circle centered in the clearing. As the sun began to dip towards the horizon Tamar shouldered her back pack and wished that she got cell phone reception out here.
"Let's go back," she ordered.
"But I'm not cold yet!" Her son protested.
"I need to call you father at work." She explained as she took his hand and led him back towards the house. "They need to know it’s happening again."  

I couldn't find any good winter writing prompts so I made up my own.
You find a flower blooming in the middle of the snow.