Author: Hollie Atkinson

August 28, 2026 STORIES 9 min

My brother took Dad’s cracked wall clock before the estate sale. “It’s worthless,” he said. I let him have it because I wanted no more arguments. Six months later, I saw the clock at an antique dealer’s window. The dealer, Mrs. Weller, recognized my father’s name on the repair tag and called me. She said the clock had been altered recently. I stood under the shop’s buzzing lights, she removed the back panel. was a small envelope, three savings bonds worth $41,600, and Dad’s handwriting: “For my daughter, who stayed when your brother left.” I read the sentence twice. The dealer showed me a second paper, folded beneath the bonds. It was a note from my brother saying…

PART 1 The estate sale had been over for three hours when my brother David walked into the...