At first, I assumed someone had just stepped away — maybe to take a phone call or use the restroom. But the minutes stretched on. Ten. Twenty. Thirty. No one returned.

I walked over, glancing around. The dining area was nearly empty now, the last few patrons finishing their breakfasts. My stomach twisted a little. Something that expensive — left behind like that? It felt wrong to ignore it, but it also felt intrusive to touch it. Still, leaving it there seemed worse. So, I carefully lifted the purse, its weight surprising me, and brought it behind the counter.

“Lost and found,” I told my manager, setting it down gently on the shelf.

He nodded without much interest. “Put it with the others.”

And that was that. Or so I thought.

Days turned into weeks. The purse sat untouched on