“What is it?” Olivia echoed, her smile widening. “I don’t know. I remember asking my mother the same thing when she first showed it to me. All I know is that it’s special, as my eldest daughter -when you come of age, it will belong to you.”

“But haven’t you ever opened it?” Dom’s voice rose slightly, her impatience bubbling to the surface.

Again, Olivia laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “I’ve tried, dear. But what you saw -that’s as far as I’ve ever gotten. When my mother showed it to me, she told me that it had only been opened twice in all its history -that she knew of. And the last time? Was over a hundred years ago.”

Dom’s brows furrowed, her mind racing to piece together the puzzle her mother was describing. “But if it’s been opened, why don’t we just open it now?”

Olivia’s expression softened, a mixture of patience and pride lighting her face. “Because, sweetie, once it’s unlocked, the sequence to open it changes. Randomly. It’s as if it has its own mind, a self-generating security system built into it. Once it’s closed again, the sequence resets. It’s different every single time.”

She turned the box over in her hands, her gaze lingering on the intricate patterns as though searching for answers that had eluded her for years. “In our family, it has always been the responsibility of the eldest daughter to try to uncover the next step. The true history of the puzzle box has been lost for generations. All I know is that it contains something powerful -something that will forever change the person who opens it.”

Dom stared at her mother, the weight of Olivia’s words settling heavily on her young shoulders. Her voice came out small, almost hesitant. “Change them? How?”

Olivia’s gaze grew distant, her fingers absently tracing the scrollwork. “That’s the mystery, isn’t it? My mother could only teach me how to get as far as she could, and I managed to take it a little further. But I’ve been stuck at the same point for years. That’s why, when I’ve taught you all I know, it will be your turn to try. Maybe you’ll be the one to unlock its secrets.”

In her best impression of a certain wizened Muppet, Dom pronounced, “Do, or do not -there is no try.”

They both fell into laughter, and then they got to it.

They spent what felt like hours sitting together, Olivia patiently guiding Dom through the process. She taught her daughter with meticulous care, her voice steady and encouraging as they worked through each twist and turn. Every movement of the box’s pieces felt deliberate, each adjustment requiring focus and precision.

Dom’s nimble hands mirrored her mother’s, her brow furrowed in concentration. The box felt alive beneath her fingertips, the patterns shifting almost imperceptibly as though responding to her touch. Slowly but surely, the lines began to disappear, just as they had when Olivia demonstrated.

When she finally reached the point where the surface of the box was completely unadorned, Dom let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Her mother’s delighted laughter broke the tension, and Olivia pulled her into a warm embrace.

“Very well done!” Olivia exclaimed, kissing the top of Dom’s head. “You learned it in less than half the time it took me. I’ll bet you will be the lucky one to discover what it contains.”

Dom beamed, her chest swelling with pride. “You really think I could figure it out?”

“I do,” Olivia said, her voice soft but firm. She cupped Dom’s cheek, her thumb brushing away a smudge of dirt from her daughter’s face. “I’m so proud of you, baby. I want you to know that. And no matter what happens, just remember -I love you.”

The warmth of her mother’s words wrapped around Dom like a blanket, anchoring her in the moment. She hugged Olivia tightly, her small arms clinging to the woman who was her world.

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For a fleeting moment, everything felt perfect. The breeze from the open window, the scent of gardenias and lemon, the sound of her mother’s heartbeat as she rested her head against her chest -it was all etched into Dom’s memory, a snapshot of love and connection that would stay with her forever.

∞

Dom let the tears fall freely as the memory of that day flooded back, each detail sharp and vivid. She clutched the puzzle box tightly, her knuckles whitening, as though holding it closer might somehow anchor her to the bittersweet moment. Despite the box’s recurring presence in her dreams, the day spent learning its secrets with her mother had remained frustratingly out of reach -until now. The physical weight of the box in her hands seemed to unlock not just the patterns etched on its surface but also the long-hidden vault of her memories.

“I love you too, Mom,” she whispered, her voice breaking under the weight of emotion. She pressed the box to her chest, her tears dotting its polished surface like scattered rain.

Jacque moved closer, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. His steady hand stroked her hair, his familiar scent -a mix of old books and cedar- grounding her amidst the storm of her emotions.

“It’s okay, Dad,” Dom said softly, leaning into his embrace. “I’m okay.”

Jacque chuckled, the sound warm and reassuring, though his grip didn’t loosen immediately. “I know, sweetheart. But let me hold on a little longer anyway.”

He finally let her pull away, both of them turning their attention to the box resting in her lap. Its intricate patterns caught the light, the grooves glinting as though alive, making the object seem almost otherworldly.

Dom’s fingers tightened slightly around the box as she stared at it, wondering what secrets it held, what mysteries her mother had entrusted to her.

“It’s... just like I remember,” Dom murmured, her voice breaking slightly. “I thought maybe I’d dreamed it. But it’s real.”

“So what is it?” Jacque asked, breaking the moment.

Dom quirked an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. “It’s a box.”

“Ha ha, very funny,” Jacque replied dryly, though the sparkle in his eyes betrayed his amusement. “You know what I mean. I remember your mother had it when we first met. She used to spend hours fiddling with it -sometimes I’d catch her muttering under her breath, like she was arguing with it.”

“Yeah,” Dom said, her voice tinged with melancholy and wonder. “It’s like... some kind of crazy puzzle box. Mom told me it hadn’t been opened in forever, and that when I came of age, it’d be my turn to figure it out. But seriously, if she couldn’t solve it, how am I supposed to stand a chance?”

Jacque placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, his gaze steady and full of belief. “You’ll figure it out. I know you will. And so did your mother. She always believed in you -more than anything. And hey,” he added with a soft smile, “I’m pretty good at solving mysteries, and I raised you, didn’t I? So you’ve got a head start.”

Dom glanced at the old cuckoo clock perched on the mantle of the disused fireplace. Its hands pointed accusingly at the time, and her stomach flipped. “Oh, shit! I gotta go! If I’m more than five minutes late, Nile’ll say I automatically forfeit. That’s the only way he can beat me -on a technicality!”

Jacque laughed as Dom leaned in to hug him, planting a quick kiss on his cheek. “Love you, Dad. You’re the best.”

“Love you too, sweetheart,” he said, his tone full of warmth and pride.

Dom sprang up from the couch, the motion so sudden it startled the box in her lap, which she caught just in time. Setting it on the table, she bolted upstairs, snatched her backpack and reappeared moments later, a whirlwind of motion as she headed for the door.

“Wait!” Jacque called after her, holding the puzzle box aloft in one hand. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

Dom skidded to a halt, her eyes widening. “Damn! Thanks! Love you!” She sprinted back to him, snatching the box and slipping it carefully into the larger compartment of her bag.

“You sure you want to bring it with you?” Jacque asked, his brow furrowed with concern. “I can put it in the safe for you if you’d like.”

Dom shook her head, adjusting the strap on her shoulder. “Nah, thanks, Dad. I’m gonna show it to Nile. He’ll totally freak when he sees it. And who knows? He might have some good ideas about how to open it.”

Jacque chuckled, his face brightening. “Tell Nile I said hi -and remind him he doesn’t come around here enough. The computer equipment is feeling neglected.”

Dom laughed, waving as she headed for the garage. “Sure, Dad. I’ll tell him -after I finish humiliating him at laser tag!”

Jacque grinned, following her to the door as she hopped onto her bike and revved the engine. The familiar roar echoed through the driveway, a sound that always gave him a mix of pride and paternal anxiety.

“Drive safe, honey,” he called after her, his voice laced with affection and a touch of warning. “And no speeding unless you need to! Call me if you need anything, okay?”

Dom glanced back, her smirk as sharp as ever. “Sure thing, Dad! Bye!”

The bike roared beneath her, the vibrations thrumming through her as she pulled out of the driveway. The wind caught her hair as she sped away, the weight of the box in her bag a comforting reminder of the legacy she carried.