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I was the one who found Mrs Stein’s body teeks ago Now here I was, pawing through her things, finally free to explore her creepy old house It wasn’t personal, though--I had barely known her And the estate sale was probably her idea, anyway, one last attempt to infuriate her children

The second I saw the sign, I had to stop She had been surprisingly paranoid for a hospice patient, and I had never seen anything of her historic Victorian home beyond the downstairs bedroo days The chance to explore was just too interesting to pass up Plus, I’d said good-bye to most of my worldly possessions when I left Jeff , and I had an hour to kill untilover from scratch and didn’t have the money or the lifestyle for priceless antiques, but I always had roos, or costume jewelry would help liven up h, the sun-dappled attic upstairs all-to-wall books For me, that was heaven

When I first saw the chain hanging froed it up As the flat locket slid froot a little rush of excite the prize out of a box of cereal Sure, it was tarnished and grimy, but it was a prize nonetheless Maybe

I let the locket dangle in a sunbeaeness I could picture it shining on so lady’s neck, part of an epic story full of ro who didn’t turn out to be an overbearing, soul-sucking jerk Not that I was bitter or anything I just wanted to start over fresh,positive

It’s funny how a relationship can sneak up on you like that It starts with a ind courtship, dozens of roses and poetry and dancing He buys you a toothbrush, gives you a drawer You s, just to make hirow out Then it’s bigger things The checkbook Your job And the one big-big thing, the baby that you lose, the gift he wasn’t ready to give you His relief at your pain kills sooodbye of all

And then one day, you realize that you’re basically a plaything and property to a man who’s char he had picked out before he evenyou fit into his plans, no matter what the cost You realize that you’ve becohts, that it was all too easy to give up control And then one night, he hits you, and you pull your dignity off the floor and kick the bastard to the curb

You say good-bye And then you leave And then you get soain

"Hello," I said to the locket, trying it out

Just looking at itof hope, of indulgence I’d forgotten how good it felt to choose so to make that mine"

It was pretty in such a Gothic, old-fashioned way One side had a large, flat stone--lass And the other side of the oval had indecipherable writing around the edge with a compass rose in the center I breathed on the metal and rubbed it on my scrub pants, but its secrets remained safe under eons of muck

Just as I was about to head downstairs to pay for the locket, a little old lady appeared at my elbow and said, "Excuse lad to try," I said with a smile

She handed rease-pencil price I was like a net for old people Maybe because I was accusto them at work Maybe because I looked kind Or maybe because every tirand care of reatest sorrows I got to be with her and help her, take care of all of the nursing tasks that she would be er But I also had to watch her die, and it broke one and my dad remarried across the country, she was all the family I had The hours I spent with her every day were precious to me, and I couldn’t believe howtiham

This old lady had the sarandmother special, a mix ofher eyes narrow at the offending saltcellar re with Nana when I was little, popping jelly beans one by one as she haggled Still, I didn’t have much time until I was expected at Mr Rathbin’s house, and after that, I had four et really cranky when you’re late

I was just opening ize and slip ahen er, followed by 911

"Excusepast the surprised old woman and down the narrow staircase

"Must be a doctor," I heard her remark to someone else before I was out of earshot

Coulda, woulda, shoulda, I thought, reht that Jeff tore up my applications to medical school and threw them into the trash Then I corrected myself

I can still be a doctor if I want to Nothing’s stoppingand anyone I want to be No one’s going to tell ain

Back in my car, I reached into my pocket for my cell phone to call the office Instead, I found the locket Staring at it, I reminded myself that I was not a thief, that I had never stolen anything inI couldn’t explain kept ht The busy wo the estate sale probably didn’t even know the locket existed And the recently deceased Mrs Stein wouldn’t miss it There wasn’t a price on it Still, I couldn’t help i uns ordered me to put my hands up So much of the last three years of ed the chain overdark hair out frorin in the pull-downexactly over my heart, much lower than most of my necklaces I tucked it under ainstwhat sort of metal lurked under the tarnish Maybe once it was cleaned, I could have the chain shortened

Or maybe I’d keep it a secret, just because I could