The Box Had Been Hidden for Years
Emily drove to the house the next morning.
Walking inside was strange.
The furniture was different.
The walls had been painted.
The living room where her mother had spent countless evenings reading was filled with someone else’s belongings.
Nathan led her upstairs.
Near the attic staircase, a section of drywall had been removed.
On the floor sat a small metal document box.
It wasn’t locked.
Nathan had intentionally left it unopened.
“I figured this belonged to your family.”
Emily knelt beside it.
Inside were several folders, photographs and envelopes.
Most were ordinary.
Old insurance paperwork.
Birth certificates.
Receipts.
But near the bottom was a large envelope.
On the front, written in her mother’s handwriting, were four words:
For Emily and Rachel.
Emily stared at it.
Nathan stepped away.
“You can have some privacy.”
Emily opened the envelope.
Inside was a handwritten letter.
