The taxi pulled away from the lonely curb, leaving me as its only inhabitant, standing in the midst of a summer storm’s fury. My eyes could make out only dimly the building that I had come solely to visit, the fierce rain blurring the quality of my sight. And so, with a sigh, I trudged on until I had abandoned the harsh outdoors for the dry interior of my intended destination. But it was no warmer in there—it was all the more frightening and cold. Weighed down by the water drenching my clothing and a heavy heart, I began the ascent up the stairs. Slowly I climbed, each step taking longer than the next. Then I was there, standing in the doorway. How my hand shook as I held the rusted brass doorknob in my hand, as I turned the key in the lock.

How empty it looked—a barren wasteland of shattered dreams. The aged wooden floor groaned beneath me as I ventured within, as if to scare me away, a warning to turn around and leave. But I didn’t.

Amidst the drab scene though my eye caught hold of something different, something that twinkled in contrast with the rest of the deserted room. It was a ring, carelessly misplaced upon the dusty floor. I knelt down almost reverently and scooped the jewelry into my hand.

“Jeffrey?â€