Isabella, now 29, had endured hardship but survived. After losing her hotel job, she found work in a small restaurant. The pay was modest, but it sustained her and her daughter, Vera, now 4 years old. Vera was bright and beautiful, inheriting her mother’s eyes and intelligence.
One evening, Vera asked, “Mommy, where is my daddy? My friends talk about their daddies.”
Isabella’s heart ached. She retrieved the gold necklace from her drawer. “This necklace belongs to your daddy,” she said gently. “It is the only thing he left behind.”
Vera’s eyes shone with wonder as Isabella placed it around her neck. “Please don’t let anyone touch it,” Isabella cautioned.
“I won’t, Mommy,” Vera promised.
Far away, Kelvin sat with his father, Chief Williams, discussing marriage. Kelvin had been considering marrying his girlfriend, Trisha, yet he felt an unexplained emptiness. His father
