Colleen Whitmore — The Suitcase Dennis Never Thought to Open
Halfway up a hill I stopped to catch my breath.
Lena asked whether I was all right.
“Yes,” I said, surprised by how completely I meant it.
For a long time I’d measured my life by whether Dennis was pleased.
That afternoon I had no idea what he was doing.
And the world remained beautiful anyway.
PART 26
Dennis learned what the suitcase contained when excerpts of the independent investigation became part of a public civil filing concerning the disputed vendor arrangements.