Mrs. Sycamore

It is enough to be visited by a leaf.

In my case, a grand elder with gracious lines and an 18-inch wingspan. I invited her into my home and she stayed for the holidays, recalling the traditions passed down from my parents.

As our city caught on fire, many friends lost the talismans that invoked their fragile past. The items are merely touchstones, valuable only to those who mourn their loss. But what happens to our lives when they are all gone?