has a secret pocket.”
Elise’s gaze snapped to the bear.
I kept my face calm.
“May I see?” I asked.
Owen hugged Captain.
“No one takes him.”
“No one takes him,” I said. “You can hold him the whole time.”
His fingers trembled as he turned the bear around. Beneath the green ribbon, along a seam at the back, was a small line of stitching slightly different from the rest. Not torn. Not obvious. Hidden by someone who knew how to mend fabric.
Lily reached into her sweater pocket and pulled out a tiny plastic zipper tab.
“Daddy gave me this,” she said. “He said it was for Captain’s coat, but Claire threw Captain once and it came off, so I hid it.”
My mouth went dry.
Maya nodded to me. “Slowly.”
With Owen holding the bear firmly, Lily guided the zipper tab into a nearly invisible track beneath the
