“Emma Found Her Mother’s Hidden Backpack Before the Wedding, Then Nathan Learned Why Vanessa Was Terrified He Would Open It”
/
Chapter 14 / 15
Chapter 15 - Emma Carries the Backpack Again
Three years later, Emma started third grade.
On the first morning, she appeared at breakfast carrying the blue
backpack with faded silver stars.
I stared.
“That thing is ancient.”
“It’s lucky.”
“It nearly caused an international incident.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Dad.”
I had repaired the zipper and reinforced the straps.
The documents were long gone, preserved properly with counsel.
Now the backpack contained pencils, a water bottle, two books, and an
unreasonable number of glitter pens.
Rachel would have loved that.
At school, Emma hugged me quickly before running toward her friends.
The backpack bounced against her shoulders.
May you like
For the first time, I saw it as something ordinary.
That felt like healing.
