Page 45 of There Are No Words

I turned away from it, a hand over my mouth. I couldn’t help myself. It was so bad. I wasn’t sure which part was worse—the seashells that formed the base or the putrid green color of the lampshade. It wasn’t light green, it wasn’t mint. It didn’t know what it wanted to be. I could tell you this—ugly was what it was.

Maria laughed. “That’s why it’s up here.”

Facts.

Meanwhile, Bianca was still standing at the edge, like she didn’t want to come all the way in. “Find what you were looking for, Allie?” she asked me hopefully.

I rolled my eyes. “It’s not going to take a second, Bibi. You might as well just come in,” I replied before directing my gaze elsewhere. There was so much stuff up here, I didn’t know what to look at first.

“Seriously, just come in here,” Maria insisted as she walked around until she revealed a dusty old cedar trunk in a corner. “Hey, wait! Could this be something?”

I walked over and stood behind her, peering over her shoulder. It definitely had potential. I could see it holding baby stuff. I nodded and moved to the side of her. “Maybe. Open it and let’s find out.” Best-case scenario, it’d be exactly what we were looking for and we’d get out of here before Bianca broke out in hives. Worst-case scenario, we’d tap into some weird stuff Mom or Dad once hid. Although, it seemed we’d already done that with the lamp, so unless there was a skeleton in that thing, I didn’t see how it could get worse. Kidding, by the way. There was no way they had a skeleton in here or anywhere for that matter. We were not skeletons-in-the-closet people. If anything, we werebrush-it-under-the-rug people, but that was a whole other topic of conversation.

Maria seemed to be struggling with the lid. She let out a groan, like the struggle was as real as it got.

Not feeling the most patient, I asked, “What’s up?”

“It’s locked.”

Perla walked over with a strand of pearls—costume jewelry—hanging around her neck. “Hmm.”

Looking around, Maria looked to be at a loss. “Maybe this isn’t it.”

“Or maybe it holds kinky stuff,” I said, giving voice to what I felt could make this the new worst-case scenario.

Bianca gasped and finally walked in. Go figure this would prompt her interest. “Or a sex tape,” she said and kneeled down to fidget with the lock. I didn’t know how Knox put up with her. Honestly, he deserved an award.

“The fact that this was what made you finally come in here is sick,” I pointed out and crossed my arms before sitting down on a short stack of boxes.

She looked up at me and gave me a you’re-funny look when really she was silently sayingkiss my butt. “It wasn’t really, but the sooner we get this open, the sooner we can go back downstairs and start the movie you promised me.” And there was her ulterior motive, my friends. There always was when it came to Bianca. Had to love her for that.

“Maybe this isn’t it,” Maria repeated while Perla and her started moving around stuff to see if there were any other possibilities.

Then Perla came over and tapped me on the shoulder. “Get up. Maybe the baby stuff is under your butt.”

I looked between my legs and sighed, standing so she could check while I helped myself to another licorice. If you were keeping count, that was only three. Okay,maybefour. But thiswas going to be my last one—promise. And I hadn’t had any other sugar today, so no need to worry about me or Baby.

Perla shouted, “Not it! Any luck with the lock, Bibi?”

Looking around, the chain under the lightbulb caught my attention, and suddenly I had no idea what my sisters were saying. I was fixated on what was hanging from it. It wasn’t just a chain or even an ordinary decoration or hook dangling from the chain. It looked like a key.

To an old wooden chest.

Totheold wooden chest.

The one that currently held Bianca’s interest.

The very one that could have all our baby stuff in it.

That I could use for my baby.

That would make me feel close to Mom again.

“Guys!” I called, my eyes never once leaving the chain, but my hand instinctively going to my belly. “I think the key’s hiding in plain sight.”

Following my gaze, my sisters raced over under the light, and Perla grabbed it first. “This is it. It has to be,” she exclaimed, unhooking it from the chain and waving it in the air before Bianca ripped it from her hands.

Laser-focused, she announced, “I’m opening it.”

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