The box, she said, contained something she had kept hidden for years: a collection of documents and a key. Her voice was weak, but her eyes held a spark of intensity that belied her frailty. “These papers… they’re the deeds to land I purchased long ago. I never sold it, never told anyone. I didn’t even trust my own son.”
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” I asked, trying to process this sudden revelation.
“Because, sonny,” she replied, her voice barely a whisper, “I wanted to make sure it went to someone who deserved it. Someone like you. You’ve given me more family than my own flesh and blood ever did.”
