My Elderly Neighbor Died — After His Funeral, I Received a Letter From Him Revealing He’d Buried a Secret in His Backyard 40 Years Ago

Richie came up behind me, arms around my waist.

“If you want, Tanya, I’ll be there. You don’t have to do anything alone.”

I leaned back into him. “I just need to know, Rich. He was always so kind. He always left an envelope of cash during Christmas, just so that we could spoil the girls with candy.”

“You don’t have to do anything alone.”

“Then let’s find out what he left you. Together, if you want.”

My husband kissed my hair and then went back to plating the girls’ dinner.

I felt steadier.

That night, I couldn’t sleep. I wandered the house in circles, pausing at the back window. I caught my reflection, brown hair pulled into a fraying ponytail, eyes tired, pajama pants sagging at the knees.

It wasn’t the picture of a woman ready to dig up the past.