A Phone Call
I couldn't stop thinking about it.
Eventually, I picked up the phone.
Claire's father was away on a business trip, but she had once given me his number.
After several rings, he answered.
I introduced myself.
At first, we exchanged polite conversation.
Then I asked about the necklace.
The silence that followed seemed endless.
Finally, he sighed.
"I always wondered if this day would come."
The Family Secret
What he told me changed everything.
Years ago, before my mother died, she had quietly visited an antique jeweler.
The necklace had always been precious to her, but she feared it might be lost forever if buried with her.
So she made a decision.
She commissioned an exact replica.
One necklace remained with her.
The second was given away.
Only a few people knew the truth.
When Claire's father was a young man, he had worked for my grandfather.
Over time, he became like family.
Before my mother passed away, she gave him the duplicate necklace as a gift and asked him to keep it safe.
Eventually, he passed it down to Claire.
