The Weight Of The Locked Drawer

My dad always kept one drawer in his desk locked.

Growing up, I thought it was boring stuff—tax returns, old warranties, maybe some embarrassing letters from his college days. He never made a big deal about it, but he also never left the key where anyone could find it. If you asked, he’d just shrug and say, “Old papers. Nothing interesting.”

After he died, it was the only thing in the house that felt unfinished.