Chapter 273
Yes, that’s right.
Even after all these years, Fortune still kept Caitlin’s childhood clothes safe.
Originally, Fortune had planned to give Caitlin these things on her wedding day.
But since Fortune didn’t approve of Caitlin’s marriage to Julian Chandler, he refused to attend the ceremony.
That’s why, when the Chandler family offered a house as Caitlin’s dowry, the deed ended up bearing Ernest Kensington and Iliana Hadley’s names instead.
From the very beginning, Fortune had disagreed with the marriage.
So Jarvis had no choice but to approach Ernest and Iliana, since at the time, they were Caitlin’s uncle and aunt in name.
Even the wedding witnesses were Ernest and Iliana, who stood in for Caitlin’s side of the family.
When Fortune mentioned this, Hannah and Keira both nodded in agreement. “Grandpa, would you mind getting them for us p>
Fortune nodded. “All right, just give me a moment p>
He got up and made his way upstairs.
A short while later, Fortune returned to the living room carrying a small wooden chest.
It was burgundy, not very large, and the paint had chipped away in places with age.
Fortune reached into his pocket, pulled out a key, and unlocked the chest.
Inside, right on top, lay a blue padded jacket and a pair of tiny black pants.
Fortune picked up the jacket, his eyes warm with memory. “This was the jacket Catie wore as a child p>
Keira immediately rose from the sofa, her hands trembling as she reached for it. “I I bought this outfit for Freya myself p>
Nineteen years had passed, but Keira remembered every detail like it was yesterday.
She recalled how, because it was still chilly in early spring, she’d asked her daughter-in-law to dress her granddaughter in that blue jacket before the family left the house that morning.
After Caitlin put on the jacket, Keira had complimented her fair skin, saying she looked adorable—like one of those rosy-cheeked children in a storybook.
Never in her wildest dreams did Keira imagine that after their goodbye that morning, it would take nineteen years before she’d see her granddaughter again.
“And these—” Fortune lifted out a pair of tiny tiger slippers, “—are the shoes Freya wore back then p>
Stephanie accepted the slippers, her voice catching. “Do you all remember? The eight of us made these together p>
There was a family tradition in their hometown: all the aunts would pitch in to make shoes for a new baby.
Carey had been pregnant at the time, and the eight sisters-in-law had gathered to make these little slippers for the baby.
“That’s right! I remember—I sewed the tiger’s ears!” Babette exclaimed, her eyes shining with emotion.
“And I did the eyes,” Hedwig said softly, her own eyes glistening with tears.
The eight aunts held the slippers in their hands, studying every stitch, their hearts aching. Even though so many years had gone by, it all felt as fresh as yesterday.
“These are the bracelets Catie wore as a baby.” Fortune produced two delicate gold bangles.
Hannah stood up abruptly. “Those those are the bracelets I gave Freya when she was a month old p>
She’d never expected Fortune to keep them safe all these years.
Most people would have sold them long ago, especially considering how hard life had been for Fortune and Caitlin back then.
But this just went to show how much Fortune had truly cherished Caitlin as his own granddaughter.
“And these these are photos of Catie from age one all the way to nineteen,” Fortune said, handing over a thick stack of photographs.
Back then, money was tight. They didn’t have a camera or even a phone that could take pictures. So every summer, Fortune would take his granddaughter to a photography studio to capture a memory of her childhood.
Keira took the photos and passed them around for everyone to see.
Fortune had raised Caitlin with so much love.
One-year-old Caitlin was plump and adorable.
At two, her clothes were a bit shabby, but her bright, innocent smile was genuine.
At three, she was still beaming, leaning against Fortune like a little dumpling, the
kind of child you just wanted to scoop up and smother with kisses.
At four, at five… Nearly every photo was labeled with the date it was taken. Though they hadn’t been part of Caitlin’s childhood, looking at these photos made it feel like they’d been right there all along.
The Richards family and Keira looked through the photos, their hearts heavy, as if stuffed with cotton. They had missed out on nineteen years of Freya’s life-years they could never get back.
Everyone pored over Caitlin’s childhood belongings again and again, but found no clues about the accident that had separated the family all those years ago.
Warren looked up at Fortune. “Mr. Kensington, was there anything else in Freya’s pockets that day? A note, perhaps p>
Fortune shook his head. “No, nothing p>
Hannah frowned, worry etched deep on her brow. “Then where on earth did Carey go p>