Careful not to cross the county line, I turned around at the exit before I reached the edge. I sure didn’t want to spend my last days in jail.

On my way home, I remembered the wooden box in the trunk. I didn’t know how to go about opening it, so I took it into the hardware store and asked a clerk. He suggested cutting it with bolt cutters. He set the box on a counter and pulled out the biggest pair of scissors I had ever seen. With a couple of quick snips, he cut both links of the padlock. “Who’s Dora?” He asked, pulling the lock free.

“Hopefully, I’m about to find out.”

I drove to Violet’s house. It seemed fitting we open it together.

“What are you doin’ here?” She asked, surprised to see me at three o’clock in the afternoon. My new highlights and flashy convertible must have thrown her off, too. I supposed it looked like I was going through a midlife crisis. An end-of-life crisis was more like it.

“I got the lock cut off the box. I thought you might want to help me open it.” I carried it into the kitchen and set it on the island. We both sat on stools staring at it as if we expected the lid to pop open on its own.

“I’m scared to find out what’s inside.” I finally admitted.

“I know. Me, too.”

“But we’ve got to find out sometime, right?” So I grabbed the lid in both hands and flipped it open.

At least nothing flew out.

I pulled it closer and Violet and I both looked inside. A diamond engagement ring lay on top of a stack of papers. Lifting it out, I twisted the ring in the light, watching it sparkle.

“Whose is that?” Violet asked in awe. “I never saw Momma wear anythin’ like that.”

“I don’t know…” my voice trailed off as I studied it. It was a big diamond, about a half-carat, with tiny diamonds surrounding it on a white gold band. “It’s beautiful.” I placed it on my right ring finger. It fit perfectly. The sparkly stone was so mesmerizing, I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

Violet shook her head. “I can’t believe Momma gave you something like that.”

“Neither can I.” I couldn’t even imagine where she would have gotten it.

“Well, what else is in there?” Violet sounded excited, her giddiness infectious.

I pulled out the next item, what appeared to be an old savings account passbook. I opened the cover and read the inside page. “Dora Middleton.” I turned to Violet. “I guess we found out who Dora is.”

“Well, not really. We found her saving account book, but I don't remember any Middletons in our family, and look,” she pointed to the address below her name. “She lived in Shreveport. I don’t recall any family living in Shreveport.”

“Shreveport’s not very far, Violet. That doesn’t mean anything.” But she was right. I didn’t remember any of our family living in Louisiana, either. I opened the book and checked the balance. I felt like I was snooping in someone else’s business, but reminded myself it belonged to me now. “Violet, there’s twenty thousand dollars in there.”

She took the book out of my hand. “Why on earth did Momma give this to you?” she asked in amazement, then raised her face, wide-eyed. “It has Dora Middleton’s name on it. How could it be yours?”

I shrugged and looked inside the book. “The last entry was in 1986.”

“The year you were born.”

We were silent for a moment, staring at the book. My right hand felt heavy from the unaccustomed weight of the ring.

“There’s more in there,” Violet said.

I pulled the papers out of the box, attempting to wrap my head around the fact I might own twenty thousand dollars. Unfolding the papers, I read the top line. “The Last Will and Testament of Dora Colleen Middleton.” I stopped to see Violet’s reaction. “Why is the will of someone neither one of us know in a box left to me?” And by Momma, no less. That part surprised me the most.

“I don’t know,” Violet said in a gasp. “Read it!”

“Blah, blah, blah…and to Rose Anne Gardner, my daughter…” My voice trailed off in shock. “My daughter?”

Violet jerked the papers out of my hand and scanned down to my name. “How can that be?”

“I dunno…”

We looked at the will, trying to make sense of it.

“Aunt Bessie said one day I would want answers and she would tell me what she knew.” I looked into Violet’s blurry eyes. “Do you think she knows about this?”

She wiped a tear trailing down her cheek. “How could she not? The big question is how did we not know? You know people in this town can’t keep a secret to save their life.”

“Is she your mother too?” I asked. Did this mean we weren’t sisters?

Violet bit her trembling lip. “No, I have pictures of Momma holding me in the hospital. I never thought of it before, but I don't recall ever seein’ any of you in the hospital when you were born.”

I slowly shook my head. “I don’t understand. This doesn't make sense. Could I be adopted? Do you remember anythin’ about when I was born?”

“I’m only two years older than you. I don’t remember anythin’ about when you were a baby. But I do remember spendin’ a long time at Aunt Bessie and Uncle Earl’s farm. I never really thought about it before. During the wintertime and spring, I think. I remember snow…” Her words sounded like they were tumbling off a ledge as she fell into her memories.