Inside were several smaller items, wrapped separately: a velvet pouch, a square tin, a cracked leather watch case, a folded envelope, and a flower-shaped brooch. James stopped breathing for a second when he saw the brooch. “That was hers.” He picked it up carefully.
Even dulled by time, it still caught a little light. Brian recognized it from one of the photos. Inside the pouch were two rings, a bracelet, and a thin gold chain. The tin held old coins and a small roll of cash. Not a fortune. Just the last protected pieces of a life that had almost come apart.