The attic remained silent long after Clara unfolded the paper. Victoria Knight.
The name seemed harmless at first glance. It was only two words written in Emily Bennett's familiar handwriting, yet it felt heavy enough to change everything.
Clara read it again,then again as though the meaning might somehow change if she stared at it long enough.
It didn't. Across from her, Ethan looked equally stunned. "Victoria Knight," he repeated slowly. "Out of everyone Mom could've written down, she chose her."
Clara carefully folded the paper and placed it on top of the journal. Neither of them spoke for several seconds.
The silence felt different now,not peaceful,not nostalgic just heavy. The kind of silence that settled between people after discovering something they weren't prepared to find.
