Six Vintage Dresses Left in a Cedar Trunk on Oak Street

as I climbed the steps.

I sat down beside her, the cold wood pressing through my wool skirt.

“Did you find something?” I asked.

Jane opened her notebook and pulled out a folded piece of lined paper, yellowed at the edges.

“I took this from Mother’s desk before the funeral,” Jane said, handing it to me. “I know I shouldn’t have, but I continue reading …