“I kept this for the… for when you’re ready,” he said, his voice barely a whisper, eyes darting to the hallway as if expecting someone to burst in.
I lifted the cover, and the first page was a faded photograph of a younger Grace, smiling shyly, her hand clutching a small piece of paper.
In the background, a birth certificate peeked from under the photo, the ink already darkened, the name at the top: Emily.
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.
