I unzipped the leather cover and opened it flat.

The right side held a clear plastic sleeve.

My new military commission certificate slid perfectly into it.

The gold foil seal caught the light from the overhead fluorescent bulb.

I turned the center divider.

The left side held an older, thinner piece of paper.

The family court adoption decree sat behind its own plastic sheet.

The adoption decree felt thin and fragile next to the heavy parchment of the commission.