Dear Wigleaf,

Yesterday I walked up to campus to get a book from the library. It's the only reason I go there these days. They wrap the books in brown paper, like a gift, which I will miss. It was a windy day. On the way home, I saw a woman tying a sapling to a stake. We made eye contact. "Got to tie them, it's very cold," she said. "Windy too," I replied. We nodded. I went on. The woman's hair was grey and flying away in the wind. The rope she used was frayed and fibrous and had a little red ribbon attached to it. I do not know if this means anything. I do not know if going a year without such encounters means anything. But I felt somehow, I wanted to tell you.

Yours,
Alyssa