Liza nodded, gripping the envelope tightly. “I don’t know what to do with all that damn money, so I’ll just leave the rest of the paperwork here for now.” At the doorway, she hesitated. “Maybe I should give it to charity.”
“Maybe.” We could talk about it more later, but I’d seen all those commas on the account information. It was a hell of a lot of money to simply just give away.
As soon as the door opened, the manager of the bank appeared. He was practically quivering with barely contained curiosity.
Fuck. Had he been standing outside the door the entire time? Did he not have a bank to manage, something better to do with his time? Security deposit boxes must’ve been his equivalent of crack.
“Thanks,” Liza muttered as she stepped past the manager.
I eyed him closely when he stared at the envelope in Liza’s hand. “So, what was in the box?” He tried to sound nonchalant, but his brow was dotted with sweat, and he shifted his weight from side to side.
Liza glanced at me, her eyes seeking reassurance.
He cleared his throat. “I know it’s intrusive of me to ask, but that box has been the object of much speculation over the years.” He laughed nervously. “We even have a running game where we place bets and come up with new theories every year at our Christmas party.”
I tried not to roll my eyes. “Sounds like a blast.” Bankers must have nothing fucking better to do.
Liza nodded at me, presumably letting me know she was fine sharing the disappointment of the box with this asshole. I watched his face.
“Just some account information and what I assume is a letter.” She held up the envelope as evidence that the box had been a bust and definitely nothing to get so worked up over.
The manager’s face fell. His eyes shifted between the two of us. I wasn’t sure he believed us. “Oh. That’s… kind of a let-down.”
We walked out the door, and I couldn’t help myself… I looked back over my shoulder and caught his eye. “Such a shame you wasted all that time trying to figure out the private property of one of your clients. What will you do at the Christmas party this year? Guess the balance?” I smirked and could almost see him shaking in his shoes. Served him right, the nosy fucker.
Liza squeezed my hand, a smile tugging at her lips, and we left.
As we drove away from the bank, Liza stared down at the envelope. I knew she wasn’t ready to open it just yet, so I respected her wishes and focused on the road. When she was ready to talk about it, she would. One thing I’d learned about Liza during our time together was that she couldn’t be forced. She did things at her own speed, and she’d never do something she wasn’t ready to do.
“Since we’re already in town,” Liza said, breaking the silence. “I’d like to stop by my parents’ graves. Is that okay with you?”
“Of course.” This was the perfect time to show Liza what I’d done for her. I hoped I hadn’t made a mistake. Maybe I should’ve waited and asked for her input. Oh well, it was too late now. All I could do was hope she’d like it.
The cemetery was quiet at that time of day, with only a few people visiting the dead. We pulled up near the gravesites, and as Liza stepped out of the car, she saw the surprise I’d prepared. Her parents’ graves now bore new headstones with their real names engraved into the stone.
JOSEF WYLDE. PORTIA WYLDE.
“Ty...” she said, tears forming in her eyes. “You did this?”
I nodded, wrapping my arms around her as she sobbed into my chest. “Nobody deserves to be forgotten. Everyone should have their names. Your parents didn’t deserve to be forgotten, and they sure as hell should have their true names on their memorial.” When I’d ordered the headstones, I was trying to right a wrong, to commemorate a pack that had been wiped out. I hadn’t realized how important it was for her.
“Thank you.” Liza slowly composed herself and pulled away, turning to examine the matching marble stones. She traced her finger across each name. As she wiped the tears from her cheeks, I took a step back, giving her some space to be alone with her parents.
Liza knelt by the graves, plucking a few weeds that had already sprouted near the headstones. She tucked her legs under her, talking softly. Though I couldn’t hear what she was saying, I knew those moments were important to her, and I watched from a distance, guarding her as she reconnected with her lost past, sending my own message to the long-gone couple, promising I’d do everything I could to protect their daughter.
After a while, Liza rose and walked over to me, taking my hand in hers without a word.
“Ready to go home?” I asked gently.
She gave a quick nod.
Liza seemed to have found solace after visiting her parents’ graves. She seemed more at peace, and I sensed a new calmness in her demeanor. Just as I went to shift the car into drive, she placed her hand on mine, stopping me.
“Wait.” Her tear-filled eyes met mine. “I want to open the letter now.”
“Are you sure?” I wanted to make certain she was ready for whatever the contents might reveal.
She gave a nod, her hands trembling as she reached into her bag to retrieve the envelope. She tucked her finger into the back flap of it and dragged her finger along, breaking the seal. As she unfolded the letter, she frowned and bit her lip. “Ty, look at this.”
