A Twenty-Dollar Bill Dropped Into the Dust Beside a Tennessee Highway

“I slept just fine,” I said.

“The housekeeper’s coming at two to drop off the dry cleaning,” she said.

“Don’t leave the front gate unlatched.”

“I’ll lock it,” I said.

“Did you take your blood pressure pill this morning?” she asked.

“I took it,” I told her.

She patted my arm twice and turned to the car.

I stood on the gravel and watched the red taillights vanish down the long asphalt drive.