A Stranger Left an Envelope Beside My Bed on My Sixty-Second Birthday—Then I Found His Photograph with My Son

He picked up a jar of pasta sauce.

“I was only trying to make sure your silver box was safe, Mom.”

I looked at his hand on the jar.

“My silver box?”

“The jewelry box.”

“I told you a jewelry box was missing.

I didn’t tell you what it looked like.”

He set the jar in the cart.