It was worth more than a piece of silver to me.

Brenda knew that.

I meant the price of contact had become greater than the price of leaving one thing missing.

We packed the returned jewelry into a blue cardboard box for safer storage elsewhere.

I would not put forty-two thousand dollars back behind the mirror.

I would not test the old safe by asking it to protect my whole future again.

“Do you want me to stay for dinner?” Brenda asked.