Chapter Twenty Five: The Letter
The envelope arrives on a Tuesday afternoon. Thick. Official. Unavoidable. Eli knows what it is before he even sees his name printed across the front. He stands in the kitchen holding it longer than necessary, thumb tracing the edge. Mrs. Callahan notices first. “Is that from Northbridge?” she asks, already smiling. He nods once. Nora looks up from the counter. Just for a second. Then back down. “Open it,” Mrs. Callahan urges. He doesn’t. Not immediately. Because once he does, something becomes real. Something permanent. And permanence feels heavier lately. He tears it open anyway. Reads silently. Reads it twice. “You got in?” Mr. Callahan asks from the doorway. Eli nods. Mrs. Callahan lets out a small, proud laugh and pulls him into a hug before he can step away. “
- Writer
