Chapter 3: The Envelope at the Mailbox

It had started a few days earlier, when I saw Mrs. Adele standing by her mailbox with an envelope clutched tightly in her hand.

Oliver waved from beside me.

“Hi, Mrs. Adele!”

She smiled, but it came late. “Hello, my favorite dinosaur expert.”

“Not yet,” he said seriously. “I still mix up the meat eaters.”

She laughed softly, and I stepped closer. “Everything okay?”

Mrs. Adele tucked the envelope behind the rest of her mail.

“Just bills, honey. They come whether you invite them or not.”

“Do you want me to read anything with you?”

“No, Carmen. Thank you. Elias handles most of that now.”

“Your nephew?”

She nodded. “Since my eyes got worse, he put everything online.”

Something about that made me pause. “Is he nearby?”

“Two hours away,” she said. “Busy, I suppose.” Then she looked at the envelope again… Continue Reading ⬇️