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long before her mother’s death.
    She pried open the cardboard flaps on the top box, stood on her toes and looked in. The first thing she saw brought a nostalgic smile to her face and she pulled it out. She removed a clear plastic bag, inside which she could see her beloved stuffed polar bear, clean and safe from harm. She opened the bag and took him out.
    “Aww,” Allie said. “Can I see him?”
    Katie hugged the bear briefly and then handed him to Allie, who’d sidled up next to her. “His name is Ozzie. He’s a very important bear.”
    Allie cuddled him in her arms.
    “He’d be happy to have someone love him again. Think you’re up for the job?”
    “Yes!”
    Katie wasn’t sure she’d ever seen such a big smile on her niece’s face. “Keep him safe for me, will you?”
    “I’m gonna show my mom.” Allie walked off, cooing to the bear and explaining in a soft voice that he was going to a new home.
    “I want something, too,” Logan said.
    “Logan, my friend, judging by the number of boxes down here, I have a feeling we could fill your entire bedroom with somethings.”
    Katie rose onto her toes again, to see what else was in the carton she’d opened. A couple of other less-cherished stuffed animals were on top, similarly packaged. She took out a black Lab puppy and showed it to Logan. “Want to adopt a dog?”
    “Sure! Does he have a name?”
    Katie thought for a minute, trying to recall. “Willowby.”
    Logan studied the dog. “Can I give it a new name?”
    “Yep. But it might take him a while to learn to answer.”
    He glanced up at her, confused. Finally, he seemed to grasp that she was kidding and giggled.
    Katie returned her attention to the box. Removing a tattered stuffed rabbit, she could better see the remaining contents: a collection of colored headbands, a photo album, a ballerina music box, an oversize accordion file full of schoolwork, a small jeweler’s box.
    She pulled out the box, vague memories flickering at the edges of her awareness. She opened it and gasped, then rubbed her loosely fisted hand along her bottom lip, back and forth.
    “What’s that?” Logan asked, peeking around from behind.
    “A necklace. My mom gave it to me.”
    When had it been? Her tenth birthday, she thought. The silver heart had a deep purple amethyst set into its right side, and it dropped from a delicate chain. Katie hadn’t worn it more than two or three times, she recalled, declaring it too girlie.
    “It’s pretty,” Logan said, his voice full of innocent reverence. Then he skipped away. “Gonna show my mom my new dog.”
    Katie hardly heard him, deeply engrossed in memories as she was. Had she hurt her mother’s feelings by refusing to wear the necklace? Pain constricted Katie’s chest and moisture filled her eyes, the guilt she’d been exempt from years ago hitting her now. Taking out the necklace and tossing the tiny box back inside the carton, she unclasped the chain and pushed her hair to one side so she could put it on. She struggled, but finally felt the slight weight of the charm settle on her breast bone.
    “I’m sorry, Mom,” she whispered, running her fingers over the heart. She made the decision, at that moment, to wear the necklace as much as she could. She actually liked it now. In fact, it was almost a match to her belly ring. She wondered if that had been some kind of subconscious thing on her part.
    As Katie dug into the box again, to see if there was anything else of interest, she heard loud footsteps in the kitchen above from near the back door. Men’s footsteps, which told her her dad had come home for lunch.
    But he wasn’t alone. If she wasn’t mistaken, there were two men up there. She wandered back out to the other room.
    “Are you expecting someone?” she asked Claudia, who was hunched next to Savannah and Allie as they flipped the pages of an old photo album.
    Claudia looked up, belatedly noticed the noise upstairs and stood. “Oh, my goodness. Yes. Your