My Parents Left Grandma at a Nursing Facility—Then a Brown Suitcase Led Us to the Deed Recorded in My Father’s Name

They were not things she would have brought to a garden cafe.

Nobody had packed a book, although she rarely went anywhere overnight without one.

I closed the case without commenting on that detail.

It was easy to read intentions into objects.

Harder to ask somebody what she wanted and then follow the answer.

“Where should this go?”

“Leave it for now.”

I did.