All she could do was continue telling the truth:
She had not stolen the jewelry.
Eventually, the matter was turned over to the appropriate people so that the circumstances could be properly investigated.
Clara answered every question and calmly explained her side of the story.
At that point, there was still no conclusive evidence proving what had actually happened to the missing heirloom.
But Clara already felt as though she had lost almost everything.
One evening, she returned to her small apartment and sat alone in silence.
She had lost her job.
She had lost much of her peace of mind.
But more than anything else, she missed Leo.
She missed his questions.
She missed the drawings he used to leave on the table.
She even missed the endless stories he told after school.
Then, a few days later, someone knocked on her door.
Clara opened it.
Leo was standing outside, accompanied by an adult who had brought him there with his father’s permission.
