Avery Came Home From Overseas and Found Her Name on the Lake Deed

I turned the brass key fob over in my palm once, feeling the weight of the metal against my thumb.

My adoptive father had spent three years building a legal vault around my future while Victoria spent three years trying to hollow it out.

I didn’t feel anger, and I didn’t feel fear.

Every logistics detail had been checked, stamped, and delivered to the right desk.

I climbed off the dock and went up the wooden steps to the small side entrance of the guest quarters, where my canvas bag sat on the wooden bench.

I unzipped the side compartment and took out my formal military dress uniform.