“But that’s thirty miles away!”
“Take Gran’s car.”
I handed her the keys, walked to the front the door, and held it open.
She lifted her head and sniffed. “I know you’re just tryin’ to get rid of me.”
“I’m just asking you to do your job.”
She shot me a dirty look but gathered up her purse and left. I stood on the porch and watched until she pulled out of the driveway. “All clear,” I said, striding back into the kitchen.
As I helped Gran into a chair on the patio, Matt spread newspapers on the outdoor table. He carried over the rusted suitcase and set it down.
We all stared at it, as if it were a genie’s bottle. Gran slowly reached out her hand.
“It’s locked,” Matt gently said.
Her hand froze in midair, then fell into her lap. “Can you force it open?”
Matt pulled a screwdriver from his toolbox, wedged the flat edge against the lock with his left hand, then picked up a hammer. With a single loud bang, the lock gave way.
I watched Gran’s lips firm. “I want to be the one to lift the lid.”
“I’ll go get you some gloves,” I volunteered. I ran to the shed and grabbed a pair of cotton flowered gardening gloves. Gran’s hands shook as she pulled them on.
“It’s rusted,” Matt said. “I’ll need to pry it loose.” He worked with a crowbar until the suitcase lid creaked and started to give.
“All right, Miss Addie,” he said. “Put your hands beside mine, and we’ll open it together.”
Her face was pale, her skin so thin and translucent I could see the blue veins underneath. Her eyes held a combination of fear and determination that I can only call courage. Her lips disappeared as she pressed them tightly together.
Matt’s leather gloves pushed upward on the suitcase lid, Gran’s frail, flower-gloved hands pushing beside them. With a squawk that sounded like something from a horror movie, the lid abruptly swung upward.
Gran peered inside.
“Oh my God,” she whispered.
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Istared inside the suitcase, then pressed the back of my cotton glove against my mouth.
“What?” Hope asked, her voice quavering. “What is it?”
I couldn’t speak.
“Something covered by a blanket.” Matt moved aside so Hope could step up beside me. I continued to stare at the partially rotted pink-and-blue blanket, stained and dirty. A baby blanket—one I’d never seen before. My stomach and heart felt as if they’d swapped places.
“Do you want me to lift it?” Matt asked.
No.Truth was, I didn’t want to see what was underneath. I wanted to slam the lid and pretend we’d never found the damned thing. But I couldn’t do that. I’d done that for all too long.
“I’ll do it.” My hand shook. Covered in that flowered cotton glove, it didn’t even look like it was attached to my arm as I peeled back that blanket.
Inside, something was wrapped in what looked like it had once been newspaper, but now resembled papier-mâché.
I tugged on it. It came off in big chunks. And underneath...
