She called me the night after I drove to Leo’s house. She said, “He called me. He said you’re trying to cause problems.” I asked her what she told him. There was a pause. Then she said, “I told him I didn’t think you’d come all the way out there unless you had a reason.”

I haven’t talked to Leo since I was standing on his porch. I don’t know if I ever will. I don’t know if my mother fully understands yet what might have happened to her if that letter had sat on the table another week, or if I hadn’t opened it. I think about that a lot. The sealed envelope next to the cold coffee. One more day and she might have thrown it away herself.