My parents had slept on the same mattress at their country house for thirty-one years. It was sagging, stained, and far beyond replacement, yet whenever I suggested buying a new one, they refused. I assumed they were simply being stubborn and frugal.

So I finally ordered a new mattress and arranged for movers to remove the old one while my parents and I spent the day at the beach. Around lunchtime, the mover called. “Sir, we’ve stopped. It’s what we found underneath the mattress.” His voice changed. “Come alone first. Don’t bring your mother into that bedroom.”

I looked at Mom. She had gone completely white. “We have to go home,” she said. “Right now.” During the drive, neither parent would explain. My father finally whispered, “They found it?” Mom nodded. “After thirty-one years.” I realized they had been hiding something beneath that mattress for longer than I had been alive.