Red_Roses_and_Black_Dahlias_-_Macy_T

Reaching a hand to my erratic heart, I nodded slightly.
“Just a minute.” Gripping the bedding, I held it up and bent over to get the
small box hidden under my bed.
Once I had my hands on it, I sat on my haunches and stared at it for a beat.
Flowers were engraved into the wood: roses, dahlias and jasmine. It was
old, had probably seen better days and a thick layer of dust had settled right
on top, but it didn’t change a thing in what it meant for me.
That was mama’s old jewelry box, she’d given it to me when I was nine,
and since then it had become my treasure trunk. It was full of memories, of
trinkets, and pictures from my childhood.
This box contained my identity.
All safely locked away, for my eyes only.
“What’s that?” his voice was way closer than it was when he arrived.
“Nothing. It’s stupid.” I did my best to hide the box with my body, I didn’t
want him to see it, I didn’t want him to think it was childish.
“Nothing that brings such a big smile to your face could ever be stupid.” I
hadn’t even noticed I’d been smiling while looking at it, and his saying that
got my heart warm. “Is it a treasure box?” He knelt next to me, a small smile
grazing his lips.
I could feel myself grinning at the fact that he guessed what was in there.
“It is. Mama made it herself, she gave it to me when I was little. It used to be
hers.”
“Woah, your mom made this?” He looked truly impressed as he took in
the intricate designs, the flowers swirling around each other, petals and
leaves on the corners. He let his fingers follow the engravings. “I had no idea
Marcella Raymond was an artist.”
My smile dimmed at that, and I worked hard not to let it fall completely.
“Yeah, well, there are a lot of things nobody knew about her. She wasn’t just