Chapter 31

Chapter 31

POV: Adelaide

“Grandma, what are you looking for?” I asked, bemused.

“It’s a surprise,” my grandma chuckled. “If I can find it, that is.”

Grandma frowned, surveying the storage room she’d led me to. From top to bottom, all kinds of junk lay

around. I didn’t know what she expected to find in this mess.

“Oh. it’s your grandpa’s uniform,” she mused fondly as she pulled out an old army uniform from one of

the boxes. “He served seven years, you know.” The pride in her voice was evident.

“I know, Grandma,” I chuckled. “You’ve told me a million times.”

“Oh, and look! This was your father’s,” she said as she brought out a bubblegum pink onesie, looking

sheepish. “The doctors thought he was a girl before he was born, so we bought everything in pink.”

I snorted, hiding my laugh behind my hand. The onesie had in bright white lettering #1 Princess. I bet

my dad just loved this.

“Why do you even keep all this junk, Grandma?” I laughed, sitting down on one of the old tables

(supposedly mahogany from their old house).

“It’s not junk!” she huffed, sending me a cross look.

I raised an eyebrow and pointed lazily to the box of broken flower pots she’d kept.

“Okay, not everything is junk,” Grandma chuckled. She sighed, sitting down in a dusty rocking chair.

There was a distant, melancholy look as she gazed at everything around us.

“It isn’t just objects or things, Adelaide,” Grandma said softly. “All of it has a story. They carry little

memories inside of them. pieces of our lives that we pass down to one another. Things we’ve lost, and

things we’ve loved. They remind me of times we may forget.”

“Grandma?” I asked, softly, I didn’t quite understand what she was talking about, but I knew it was

something important she was trying to tell me.

“Oh!”

She smiled and exclaimed, “I remember where I put it now.”

She got to her feet, a bit unsteady. The floors creaked as she made her way to a black trunk with a lock

on it.

“I stored it for safekeeping.” Grandma winked at me. “So 1 might give it to you someday.”

“Give what to me, Grandma?” I asked, making my way over to where she was.

She sighed, sitting on one of the wicker chairs next to the trunk as she handed me a small silver key.

“You’ll know,” was all she said.

Her smile was soft as I took the key from her. Shrugging, I got on my knees, brushing the dust and

cobwebs from the old lock. As I did, my breath caught in my throat.

There, on a silver plate right above the lock was a name. But not just any name.

Maclyn. I traced the engraved letters, my eyes wide with wonder. Could it be?

Ihsked us at my Grandma tears starting to burn in my eyes

up

“Well, syn tus tiramda clunkled, a knowing look in her eye Nervously. I popped the lock

The key fit easily, though the lock was rusted and duty

With a click, it came off and I placed it next to me. I glanced at Grandma, and the nodded with a smile,

gesturing to open it

No I did

Inside, the trunk was lined with an old floral pattern-most of it faded away but what was most intriguing

was the variety of olyexis

1 first pulled out a busille of letters and envelopes all wrapped together with a rubber band. Sure

enough. I was right.

“Maclyn McNau,” I whispered to myself. “These are

“Your mother’

after her death”

idina finished, sorrowfully. “At least, what i uld recover I’m alr

most of her things were los

My stepmother went into a frenzy as she threw away ever

dresses and jewelry, furnitu

and even

photo with

Father later bammed her man

nd it was like she had never existed.

El lost my mother already, and then | existed. My stepmother tried to

watch emrerase her. Hit wasn’t for me it

been like she’d

I was more than grateful some of her things ha

been saved, any of the

led it out.

I spotted a photo frame, tucked in the corner, and

Emotion swallowed me up as I saw her

She was beautiful, even more so than I remembered. She was smiling in the photo, a baby with

squishy cheeks being held up as the two smiled at each other so bright and beautiful

“She loved you so much. Adelaide, Grandma smiled tearfully

“Mom” I whispered, my fingers trailing past over her face

“When she got sick, she asked me to give you something in her place” Grandina said, quietly “Now, it’s

time to do so. Do you see the white box in there?”

I brushed away the building tears in my eyes, placing the photo down as I glanced down into the trunk.

Sure enough, there was a large white box at the bottom.

It took a bit for me to wiggle it out, all the other clutter being pushed away as I finally pulled it was quite

light.

Despite

ssive size,

“What is it?” I asked as I placed the box on my lap. My fingers itched to open it, to see what she’d left

behind for me, but I was also scared.

What if I didn’t like what I found!

“Something she wanted you to have before you get married,” Grandma told me gently,

With her encouragement and a burst of bravery, I swallowed my anxieties and opened the box.

I gasped in awe.

It was a white dress. A beautiful one, too.

Delicately, I reached inside and softly got to my feet, allowing the fabric to flow against my body. It was

incredibly soft. Off the shoulder with lace and beads decorating the entire body. It was floor-length,

softly falling around me like silk.

The pattern on the lace was intricate, handstitched lovingly.

“It’s beautiful,” I breathed.

“Yes it is,” she said with a rough voice.

At the choked sound Grandma made, I looked up. Grandma was smiling, tears in her eyes as she

gazed at me lovingly.

“It was her wedding dress.”

My heart skipped a beat, my fingers clutching onto the dress as a rush of emotions burst in my chest. I

couldn’t believe I’d be able to wear her wedding dress. It made the ache in my chest explode.

I missed my mother so much.

“She wanted you to wear it at your wedding.” Grandma smiled.

“I glanced at the beautiful dress, my heart aching as I realized my mother had worn this. Had asked

Grandma to save this.

For me.

“I couldn’t,” I trembled, “1-”

“Adelaide,” Grandma got to her feet, cupping my cheek in her hands, “Your mother wanted to be with

you on your wedding day, but life decided it wasn’t to be. This is what she left behind for you-the

memory of her to take with you on your special day.”

Oh

Tears flooded my eyes as Grandma’s words hit me.

I realized now why she saved these things.

“Thank you,” I sniffed, clutching the dress to my face. Grandma pulled me into her arms, clutching me

to her chest as I cried softly into her shoulder.

I could almost imagine my mother right here with me, holding me close.

“I wish she was here.” I sobbed.

“Me too, dear,” Grandma admitted. “Me too, but I’ll tell you what.”

I sniffed as Grandma cupped my cheeks, her aging eyes looking at me with such love and kindness it

brought more tears to

my eyes.

“If she could be here, she would take one look at you and tell you,” Grandma beamed, “just how much

she loves you and how proud she is of you.”

I smiled, her face blurring through the tears as my emotions poured out of me like a spilled drink. I tried

to keep them in. but they were too strong for me to fight.

“Just like I am.” Grandma leaned forward, pressing a kiss to my forehead, and I buried myself into her

arms-her warmth like

a beacon to me.

“Thank you, Grandma.”

“Now, no more tears, Grandma chuckled. “Try on the dress. We might have to adjust it quickly to make

sure it’s ready in time for your wedding.”

“Okay,” I giggled, wiping my face of my tears as I glanced down at my mother’s wedding dress.

I left the room, heading to the nearest bathroom. It was easy to slip on the dress. It felt like I was

surrounded by clouds as it hugged me tightly.

When I came out, Grandma was waiting for me. She gasped, covering her mouth.

“What is it?” I asked, worriedly.

She beamed up at me.

“You look just like your mother.”