Christmas pictures.
Anniversary pictures.
An entire life.
The first week I stayed there, I slept better than I had in months.
The second week, I started noticing things.
The silver tea set in the dining cabinet.
The antique clock in the hallway.
The jewelry box on her dresser.
The bank envelope she sometimes left near the telephone.
And something else.
No one visited.
No children.
No grandchildren.
Only a niece named Caroline who called every Sunday and lived three states away.
Evelyn talked about Caroline warmly, but there was sadness behind her words.
Caroline had her own life.
A husband.
Children.
A career.
She cared about Evelyn, but she was busy.
Evelyn was alone.
And I was exactly selfish enough to see opportunity inside that loneliness.
At first, I helped around the house because I needed to earn my keep.
I cleaned gutters.
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