“Chef.”
“I heard what happened,” he said. “There is something I must tell you. I knew your mother.”
Harper leaned against the wall. “You knew her.”
“Yes. We worked together many years ago. The night before she disappeared, she gave me something. She made me promise to give it to you when the time was right.”
“What is it.”
“Come to the restaurant before opening tomorrow.”
At dawn, Harper entered The Silver Eclipse through the back door. The dining room was dark and quiet. Roland led her to a storage room filled with crates. Behind them sat a metal box.
He unlocked it with a small key. Inside lay a worn envelope, a photograph, and a passport. The photograph showed a young woman with gentle eyes and a hand resting on a pregnant belly. On the back were words written in graceful handwriting.
For my Harper. My greatest gift.
Harper touched the ink as if it were sacred. The passport bore another name. Natalie Brooks.
Roland handed her the envelope. “This is from her.”
Harper opened it carefully. Her mother’s handwriting flowed across the pages.
“My beloved daughter. If you are reading this, it means you are ready. I left to protect you. I was threatened. I made a choice that broke my heart. I built a new life under another name. I never stopped thinking of you. If you wish to find me, come to a café in Savannah called The Driftwood Room. Every Sunday morning I sit by the window. I wait for you. I love you forever. Mother.”
Harper’s breath shook. “She is alive,” she whispered.
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