apartment in earnest. This place wasn' t ju

pany went under due to a series of bad investments he made in his final ye

t have to move into a tiny, rundown place. It was ano

h a ribbon. They were the letters I had written to her during the first year of our rela

page, full of a hope that now seemed pathetic. I remembered writing them la

sive dinners I couldn't afford, the weekend trips she dema

came after her. They had shown up at her door, threatening and aggressive. I had been terrified

aved me," she had whispered, clinging to me. "I

period, she seemed genuinely grateful, genuinely

ters, her promise felt

to the trash can, one by one. With each letter that fell, a weight

loe returned home, her a

ounced cheerfully, a stark contrast to her usu

way, to smooth things over after her hurried departure the nigh

ted som

ll of steak filled the ap

it up. "Oh, th

ed it to reveal Leo Sterling, ho

pulling him into a hug that was far t

s is my childhood friend, Leo. I invited him over for dinner. I thought i