TWENTY-SEVEN

THE DAY sped by as Evelyn tried to catch up with her work, taking her mind off the events of that morning. When it was a few minutes past four she gulped down a can of cold lemonade— which seemed to be the only thing that could stay put in her stomach these days— and fixed her gaze at the black-velvet box on her table for the hundredth time that day.

She was dying of curiosity. Although there was no doubt about what was within it, she wanted to open it so badly and bombard into Locker 20 to retrieve her sister's belongings. But she waited patiently until the rest of the trio arrived.

Before she knew it, Julia and Doris were already at her front door and Doris, as expected, kept fussing over her.

"Are you okay?" Doris cupped Evelyn's face with both hands, searching every angle of it. "Nothing happened, right? He didn't hurt you, right?"

Julia chuckled behind them. "I think we should be more worried if she hurt him."

Evelyn flashed Julia a smile of agreement, then