Empty Mess

Empty Mess

READY TO RETIRE

Maybe Not...

Stephanie Mason-Teague's avatar
Stephanie Mason-Teague
Jun 03, 2023
∙ Paid

The letters started arriving a couple of weeks before my husband’s fiftieth birthday.

The first was disguised as a birthday card. I added it to the top of the stack of a few other birthday cards for him to open. Almost every day, another letter would arrive, each one less festive than the one before, a little more business-like … then I noticed the embos…

This post is for paid subscribers

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2026 Stephanie Mason-Teague · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture