North Carolina Boundary Lines Drawn on an Oak Desk

across her desk, past the neat stacks of letterhead and the heavy brass pen holder. In a small glass dish usually reserved for paperclips sat a silver key with a blue plastic tab.

I knew that key. I had written the words “Vault Spare” on that exact blue tag with my old fountain pen five years ago, using the blue ink that always ran slightly at the margins.continue reading …