I shrugged. “He’s twelve. Maybe he’s just being a kid.”
But Hera didn’t look convinced.
Over the next few weeks, she grew more concerned.
Then one Saturday morning, everything came to light.
Bill had gone to a science competition at his school. Hera stayed home while I worked a weekend shift.
When I returned that evening, Hera was sitting on the couch with a pale expression.
“Edward,” she said quietly, “we need to talk.”
Something in her voice made my stomach twist.
“What happened?”
She hesitated before speaking.
“I found out what Bill’s been hiding.”
She took a deep breath before continuing.
“I went into his room to put away some laundry,” Hera said. “I wasn’t snooping. But I noticed his desk drawer was slightly open, and… I saw something inside.”
“What was it?” I asked, my heart beginning to pound.
She stood up and walked over to the kitchen counter. When she returned, she was holding a small wooden box I had never seen before.
“This,” she said, placing it on the table between us.
