A chill ran down my spine as the realization struck—Grace had listed me as her legal guardian before I was even born.
The date on the certificate was three years before my own birthday, the signature looped in a delicate hand that could not have been Grace’s.
“Why would she…?” I began, but my voice caught in my throat.
Caleb’s eyes widened, fear flickering across his features like a candle in a draft.
“I don’t know,” he said, his breath shallow. “I thought it was… a protective measure, something she… she wanted to keep hidden.”
He slipped the album closed, his fingers trembling, and reached into his jacket.
My gaze followed his hand to a sealed envelope, its wax seal emblazoned with an unfamiliar crest.
He held it up, the paper catching the dim light, and for a heartbeat the room seemed to hold its breath.
“Emily, this is what she asked me to give you if… if she couldn’t speak for herself,” he whispered, the words hanging heavy in the stale air.
I stared at the envelope, the unknown contents pressing against my curiosity like a storm waiting to break.
