I sighed. Might as well come clean. “It’s just, I saw something at Erick’s dig site that reminded me of something I saw with Dad’s stuff—”

As soon as the word “Dad” came out of my mouth, Mom blew her stack. “That’s what all this is about?” I wouldn’t say she shouted, but she wasn’t exactly quiet. “Here I was thinking you were expressing an interest—”

“Well, technically I am. I’m interested in knowing why, exactly, Dad had something in this box that looks like something from Erick’s dig site.”

“Like what, a piece of equipment? He probably stole it.”

“Not equipment! It was… like… a thing they dug up. There was a picture of it. Sort of. In here.” It sounded completely insane, once I said it aloud. What was I expecting, aliens?

“Isaak,” Mom groaned, “you know that’s not possible.”

“No kidding! But that doesn’t change the fact that—”

“I hid this box for a reason, Isaak. I saw the way that you were looking at it the last time you found it. Your father is gone. He hasn’t even contacted you or Celeste once since he went back to Earth. The last thing I want is for you to spend your time chasing the shadow of a man who doesn’t want anything to do with you.”

Her words stung like a slap in the face. I knew they were true, but to hear them spoken aloud hurt in a way I wouldn’t have expected.

“I’m not chasing anyone’s shadow, Mom,” I argued. “But I just… don’t you think it was weird, how he just… disappeared like that? I mean, leaving is one thing, but to take off with no warning, not even bringing any of his stuff with him?”

“No, Isaak. I don’t think it was weird. It happens every day. It’s a coward’s move.” Mom’s voice went from livid with anger to hollow, almost dead. Maybe she wasn’t as over it as I’d thought she was. “We all knew your father was on his way out. It was only a question of when.”

My shoulders slumped. “Okay, but… why’d he bury the box? Why not take this stuff with him?”

“That, I don’t know. But there’s no point obsessing over it. Sometimes you need to know when to let things go. Let this go, Isaak.”

So I let the box go.

She took it but didn’t go back in her bedroom with it. She would have to hide it somewhere new, now, to keep it away from me. Maybe this time she’d throw it away after all.

It didn’t matter. I wouldn’t look for it again. The coin was in my pocket.

◦ • ◦