As the neighbors rushed in and out of the house with boxes and tables, Brooke couldn't help but check the time on her flip phone. 11:37. They'd better hurry. A minute passed by and she noticed her dad frantically searching for something. She couldn't tell what he was searching for, but he kept asking to check in boxes as the helpers passed by.

"Hey, can I check in that box there really quick? Thanks. ¿Puedo tener esta caja? Gracias."

He headed upstairs past the box-carriers. As she tried to get up to ask her dad what he was looking for, she heard an exclamation of joy coming from the attic. Dad rushed down, holding an old camcorder. Brooke's eyes gleamed with delight.

"Oh my gosh, Dad! Whose is that?"

As he walked past, he let out a deep sigh. Brooke turned her head toward him to see what he was doing with it. A teenage boy with windswept dirty blond hair and wearing a striped green tee and athletic shorts walked by carrying a box.

"Whose is that?" the teen asked.

Literally just asked that, Brooke thought to herself.

"It was Celia's old camcorder. Was pretty pricey back then, when I bought it for her, but works great, and has great quality for something of its time. Now it's just sitting there, not doing anything. Might as well give it to some collector. Still works pretty good. You know about all this technical stuff, Jace. How much do you think I should sell it for?"

"Oh, 'bout 50, I'd say, for an old one like that."

Dad didn't speak, despite his apparent frustration. Instead, he set the camcorder down and sighed again, as if giving in to an unchangeable fate. An aged, but well-dressed man walked in and asked why the sale was taking so long.

"I'm sorry sir," Mr. Mendosa explained, "you're going to have to wait a few minutes. We're running a little behind."

Jace continued, "Honestly, though, you should get, like, a collector to guess how much it's worth, or som'n like that. I don't really know much about those '90s cams."

Brooke butted in.

"Or, you could give it to your favorite daughter!"

"Nah, it's a little too heavy for Maria to carry."

"Daaaaad.."

"I'm sorry Brooke, but some things have to go. We need money."

"I know," she sighed, giving in.

The old man, who'd been eavesdropping on the conversation, looked away for a moment and spotted the glistening necklace sitting in a box a few feet away among a few other items. He examined the jewels carefully, a grin slowly taking over his face.

"Hey, uh, how much is that necklace over there?" the man asked.

"Oh, sorry, it's not for sale. Go outside and wait for us to finish, please," Mr. Mendosa ordered, frustrated.

"That's unfortunate. I would be more than willing to take it off your hands," the old man said, brimming with delight.

Brooke's father took on an annoyed tone of voice.

"I'm sorry, sir, I am not willing to part with it. It has... sentimental value."

"Will you be willing to part with it for 1 million dollars?"

"Sir, I don't want to-"

The old man reached into a briefcase and pulled out a contract, and simply put it on the table in front of him. Dad mouthed the words in front of him, eyes widening and the movements of his lips slowing with each word, the old man smiling as he watched the Spaniard slowly drift into a state of euphoria. Brooke sat still, her heart pounding heavily as she too drifted from the world around her. Is this real? Can our sad little lives all change with the stroke of a pen?

"I don't accept."

WHAT?!

"Sir, the necklace is priceless. It was once given by a Spanish conquistador to a young lover. He wrote about it in a journal of his travels, describing each detail perfectly. I had studied the attributes of this necklace since I was first given the task of finding old artifacts for the Museum of Natural History's new 'American Discovery' wing. That necklace over there matches the description perfectly."

Mr. Mendosa snapped. Attention was drawn to him from every corner of the room.

"Unlikely story. I know exactly who you are, Captain Moneybags. I can see through that fancy facade and the briefcase and everything. We don't want you here. False claims, false money, false everything! This is just another scam, so you and your buddies can continue to ride around in your fancy, gilded wheelchairs to impress the ladies over at 'Twin Unicorns Retirement Mansion'! Oh, I can see it now-"

As Mr. Mendosa angrily rambled, the old man took out his briefcase and opened it up to reveal stacks and stacks of money. Mr. Mendosa shut up quickly, looking embarrassed as hell, but was hesitant to apologize.

"May I?" He reached for a stack of money, after 'Captain Moneybags'' nod of approval. Dad took out a glorious $100 bill from the stack and held it under the light.

"100% genuine," the old man stated. "If you need further verification, we can make a call to the Museum to confirm.."

"Huh-uh. N-No need." He stood in awe as he examined each bill carefully. The old man noticed the crowd around them.

"What are you looking at, there's nothing to see here!" he griped.

Everyone scrambled, and carried the boxes as they were before, some gossiping among themselves. 'Captain Moneybags' leaned in close to Mr. Mendosa's ear and whispered,

"That's just the down payment."

Brooke laid unconscious on the couch. No one really seemed to notice, given the circumstances. Probably dreaming of spending quality time with her father and sister on a luxury cruise, only just days from then.

Once again, thanks for reading! Comments and faves fuel my writing, so if you like what you see, please don't hesitate!