Chapter 13: The Safe Deposit Box**
Two days later, James and Rebecca stood together in the vault of First National Bank. The teller handed James a long, metallic safety deposit box and left them in the private viewing room.
Inside lay the remnants of Claire’s final days: a leather-bound baby journal, letters written to an unborn child, and a handwritten letter addressed to Rebecca.
James opened the letter and read aloud:
> *“Dear Rebecca, If you are reading this, it means you kept your word and stood as Lily’s guardian angel. Do not let James drown in bitterness. Teach him to laugh again. Tell my daughter that every heartbeat she has is my love echoing forward. Be happy. You earned this life together.”*
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James folded the letter carefully, pressing it against his heart. The final ghost of his past had not brought a curse, but a blessing.
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