Mr. Reed read slowly and clearly.

“I, Patricia Anne Donnelly, being of sound mind…”

There were small gifts first. Mom's church got some money. So did the children's library where I worked. Her best friend, Dot, got her pearl necklace.

Then Mr. Reed turned a page.

“My savings and investments, totaling approximately two hundred and forty thousand dollars, I leave in equal shares to my son, Kyle, and my daughter, Lauren.”

Lauren and Kyle looked at each other. Lauren frowned. A hundred and twenty thousand each. Less than they'd expected. But then there was the house.

Mr. Reed turned another page.

“My house at 14 Spa Creek Lane, Annapolis, with everything in it, I leave to my daughter, Claire. In full.”

The room went silent.

“I'm sorry,” said Lauren. “Can you read that again?”

“My house at 14 Spa Creek Lane, Annapolis, with everything in it, I leave to my daughter, Claire. In full.”

Kyle sat forward.

“The whole house? To Claire? That's a one-point-four-million-dollar house!”

“Yes,” said Mr. Reed. “It is.”

I couldn't breathe. I hadn't known. I swear I hadn't known. Mom had never said one word.