Chapter 21 - A Mysterious Package Arrives On Their Front Porch
Late one crisp November evening, while Caleb was washing dishes in the kitchen, a gentle knock echoed against the front door of the coastal home. He wiped his hands on a kitchen towel, walked through the dark hallway, and pulled the heavy wooden door open.
There was nobody standing on the porch, but a small, unmarked wooden box rested directly on the welcome mat beneath the porch light. Caleb picked up the package, brought it inside, and placed it on the dining room table under the warm glow of the chandelier.
Using a small knife, he sliced through the twine, lifting the lid to find an antique silver music box and a handwritten envelope.
Inside the envelope was a single photograph of Mara standing outside the very same Maine cabin, dated two weeks before she passed away, with a note written in fresh ink:
May you like
“Caleb, they didn't take everything from us... and the real truth about Sadie's birth is still waiting for you in the attic.”
Caleb slowly raised his eyes toward the dark ceiling stairs as a floorboard creaked softly overhead...
