Lori hugged me tight.
“Best cake ever, Dad.”
I left for work smiling.
My first job was a sedan someone had dropped off before opening.
I lifted the hood, checked the engine, then opened the trunk.
My heart stopped.
Inside lay a yellow child’s blanket covered in tiny blue birds.
For a second, I was thirty-nine again.
Something large was hidden beneath it.
My hands began to shake.
On top sat a note: “You completed your task. Now here’s your reward.”
I pulled back the blanket.
