The Attic Box
At dawn I was stirring the attic of my mother's house. At the bottom of an old box I found a shoebox sealed with tape. PRIVATE. NOT OPENING.
Inside were yellowish letters exchanged with a woman named Marjorie. I read the first letter twice before I understood what I was saying.
“Dear Ruth, the girl arrived on Tuesday. He's about to turn six months. He's still asking if Walter knows about the baby. I assured him, like
You told me, that looking to contact him would only make things worse.”
My hands were shaking. The following letter had a date of four months later.
“The young woman finally signed the resignation papers. She remains convinced that Walter has remade his life and does not want to be disturbed.”
I stopped breathing. But Anna had not been the only person my mother had cheated on. Another letter appeared.
