Home Entertainment Game Technology Advertisement Part 2: For eight years, my parents made me leave the house every time my brother brought his fiance over; Mom said, “She comes from a good family, don’t embarrass us”; Dad added, “Just disappear for the weekend”; I did; then one weekend, I never came back; it took them four years to find out where I went.

I began sobbing.

For months, I'd been working beside Nina's little brother.

And neither of us had known how to speak about the person who connected us.

Then Ben whispered something unexpected.

"Stacey, there's something I need to show you."

My heart tightened.

"What?"

He took a shaky breath.

"Nina left me a message."

I stopped breathing.

"When?"

"The day before she died."

My hands shook.

"What does it say?"

Ben was silent.

Then he whispered:

"It says your father wasn't the person she was most afraid of."

***

An hour later, Ben arrived at Ruth's farmhouse.

He carried a small cardboard box.

His eyes were swollen from crying.

When he saw Nina's photograph on the table, he stopped walking.

For several seconds, he couldn't speak.

Then he whispered, "She used to braid my hair when I was little."

I smiled through tears.

He laughed sadly.

"I hated it."

Avery placed a hand on his shoulder.