His face changed. He understood.
I closed our bedroom door and sat on the edge of the bed. For a minute, I stared at the box.
Then I opened it.
On top was a folded note.
His face changed.
“Dawn,
Please don’t show this to anyone until you finish reading.
Don’t trust Grandma.”
I stopped breathing.
Under the note was a hospital bracelet.
It was tiny and yellowed at the edges.
“Don’t trust Grandma.”
The printed name was Rowan.
Behind it was a photo of a young man near a lake.
He had Riley’s mouth, Rex’s height, Watson’s jaw, and my eyes.
I made a sound I’d never heard come out of me.
Watson knocked. “Dawn?”
I couldn’t answer him.
I made a sound I’d never heard come out of me.
“Dawn, open the door.”
I unlocked it with shaking fingers.
He stepped in and saw the box on the bed.
I held up the bracelet. “It says Rowan.”
