Cassie smiled but did not immediately answer.
Instead, she turned and disappeared briefly into the bedroom. When she returned, she was holding a neatly wrapped gift box tied with a simple ribbon.
She placed it in Franklin's hands with deliberate care, as if the weight of it carried more than just what was inside.
"Give this to Mom," she said softly. "Let her give it to Julius if Frederick is around. Otherwise, you can give it to him yourself." She paused, then added with a faint smile, "I've already told him a few things about you."
Franklin's mind drifted back instantly. He remembered the phone call, clear as day, when Cassie had casually mentioned that she had someone. At the time, his chest had tightened with an emotion he hadn't wanted to name. He had been afraid it was N
