(Ruby's POV)
The envelope sat on the table between us.
I had been staring at it for an hour. The fire had burned low. Mrs. MacLeod had brought fresh tea and then disappeared. Nicholas sat beside me, patient, silent, waiting for me to be ready.
My mother's handwriting. My Ruby, on her wedding day.
She had written this years ago. Before she disappeared. Before Kai. Before any of it. She had sealed it in an envelope and hidden it behind a painting, waiting for a day she might not live to see.
"Do you want me to leave?" Nicholas asked.
"No." I reached for his hand. "Stay."
He squeezed my fingers. "Then I'm here."
I picked up the envelope. It was thick, heavy. The paper was soft, worn at the edges. I slid my finger under the seal and opened it.
Inside were several pages, covered in my mother's neat, flowing handwriting. I unfolded them carefully, afraid they might crumble.
