The jewelry.
But slowly, unwillingly, I began counting other things too.
How many steps from her bedroom to the kitchen before she needed to rest.
How her hands shook when she poured tea.
How she hid pain by humming old songs.
How lonely the house sounded when she went to bed early.
How much trust lived in the way she handed me her prescription bag and said, “Would you mind reading the small print for me?”
One winter night, the power went out during a storm. The house went black except for the fireplace. I found Evelyn standing in the hallway, gripping the wall.
“Are you scared?” I asked.
She smiled faintly.
“Of the dark? No. Of falling, perhaps.”
I helped her to the living room. We sat under a blanket while ice tapped against the windows.
She told me about Harold.
How they met at a county fair.
How he proposed after knowing her for six weeks.
