Chapter 16

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August 1—Bill.

Almost two years after the anniversary date of Seth’s death, a manila-colored envelope arrived in the mail, which I carried upstairs, into my apartment, and opened. I sat down with a lemon-flavored iced tea at the two-person table in the kitchen where Seth and I shared our most intimate conversations. The content within the envelope was a mystery to me: a handwritten letter from Billy Anders (three sentences long, dated two days before, and signed in blue Crayola marker), the nineteen-year-old pretty boy who used to live across the hall was now twenty-one; a certain nobody at one time in a lost life with Seth who liked to drink and drive, and smoke a lot of pot when I knew him; Seth’s secret attraction; his private sweetheart.

I pulled the single page out of the envelope and read:

Tom:

I found this photograph out of many; it has always been one of my favorites. I thought you would want to keep the original. Please come and see the remaining ones at…