Another box revealed envelopes of cash, bundled and labeled. Maggie’s stomach turned. Was this money he had hidden from her? She thought of neighbors whispering about secret lives, of relatives who hinted Daniel had been “too good with numbers.” Suspicion swelled, poisoning her grief with doubt.
Yet mixed among the papers were photographs: birthdays, anniversaries, even candid moments she didn’t remember being captured. Daniel had tucked these between files as if anchoring the cold numbers to warmth. Maggie clutched a photo of them laughing by the lake, tears staining the edges.