I found the missing earring in the washing machine seal

Dear Delyara, I had been looking for it for three days. Not because it was expensive, just because it was mine, and I am tired of losing my own things in the middle of holding everybody else’s life together. This morning, while pulling out a load of damp school shirts, I saw a tiny flash of gold tucked into the rubber seal and felt a ridiculous amount of relief. I stood there with one wet sleeve over my arm and the earring in my palm, thinking how often women recover little pieces of themselves from places full of chores. The bathroom shelf, the bottom of a handbag, the car cup holder, the laundry basket, the kitchen counter. A lipstick, a receipt, a ring, an earring, a thought. I put it back on straight away. It felt good to wear something that belonged only to me while continuing with the school shirts.