It was the most ordinary object in the world and it was a relic, and holding it I could barely stand.

“This belongs to your family,” Raymond said gently.

“One of your boys pressed it into my grandson’s hand that day, after.

Told him to keep it.

Said everybody on the water should have one.” He closed my fingers around it.

“I’ve kept it on that nail ever since.

I couldn’t throw it away and I couldn’t stop looking at it.

Now I know why.