florence appel

“She glanced at me as if looking for confirmation. I opened my mouth, then closed it. My mind was a chalkboard wiped clean. My fingers found the edges of the folded letter inside the envelope. “Thank you, Vernon.” Dot stood. “It’s time for us all to go home. We’ll eat, then we can talk about everything.” She looked at me. “We’ll see you at the house.” I pried open the manila envelope before I even closed my car door. Aside”
― Lauren K. Denton, The Hideaway: A Southern Story of Family, Secrets, and Second Chances