behind me looking terrified.
I slid my finger underneath the tape.
“Alice,” David said again. “Please.”
This time, I ignored him.
But to understand why that box mattered so much, you also need to understand the birthdays.
Thirteen of them.
When Chloe turned eighteen, I bought her a delicate gold necklace with a tiny star pendant.
She used to doodle stars in the corners of her notebooks.
I wrapped it myself.
Took it to the post office.
And waited.
Two weeks later, the package came back.
RETURN TO SENDER.
I
