The next morning they sat in a quiet vault, box 312 unlocked between them. The tape said “Play together,” and the sealed letter carried both their names. The locket felt heavy for its size, warm from their palms.

They digitized the tape at a local shop and watched in the parking lot. The screen flickered to two young women in nurse scrubs and a gray cardigan. Evan’s mother stood beside Mia’s grandmother, shoulder to shoulder, laughing through tears. “If this finds you,” the grandmother said to the camera, “we kept a promise for you.” The last line mentioned one more clue inside the locket. The truth was on the edge of the frame.