At first I assumed it was a thank-you note.
But the handwriting looked familiar.
My hands started shaking as I unfolded the letter.
“My dear Tanya,
If you’re reading this, I’m no longer here.
For forty years I have kept a secret. Under the old apple tree in my yard, something is buried.
I protected you from the truth for as long as I could.
But now you deserve to know.
Please don’t tell anyone.”
I read the letter three times.
It made no sense.
I barely knew the man.
Why would he leave something like this for me?
That night I barely slept.
The words kept repeating in my mind.
Under the apple tree.
The next morning curiosity finally won.
After Richie left for work and the girls went to school, I grabbed a shovel and walked next door.
The apple tree stood near the fence where it always had, its branches crooked with age.
I pushed the shovel into the ground.
The soil was soft.
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