Chapter 10 - THE UNLOCKED SUITCASE
Later that evening, after my parents had gone home and the house had settled into a quiet, beautiful stillness, I walked upstairs to the master bedroom.
Resting on the center of the queen-sized bed was my open leather suitcase—the exact same suitcase Florence had emptied onto the bedding a lifetime ago, sneering that she wanted to make sure I wasn't stealing anything.
I stood beside the bed, looking down at the empty interior lining.
I didn't pack ground coffee, fresh pastries, or blouses for my mother this time. Instead, I reached into my closet and pulled out a stack of crisp, independent travel brochures: a two-week trip to Italy I had booked entirely for myself, funded by my own salary, and planned without asking a single person for permission or approval.
I neatly folded my clothes, placed them inside the suitcase, and zipped it completely shut with a smooth, effortless motion.
May you like
No one was going to search it. No one was going to question my right to pack it. And no one was ever going to make me feel small in my own home again.
I clicked the brass latches, picked up the handle, and walked out the door toward a future that belonged entirely to me.
