Then months became years.
Every time I thought about telling you, I convinced myself that protecting your peace was more important.
Now I understand that I should have trusted you with the truth.
Please forgive me for keeping silent.
You have every right to know what happened.
And only you can decide whether those people deserve a place in your life.
I love you, sweetheart.
Dad.
Emily slowly lowered the letter.
For several minutes, she couldn’t speak.
Finally, she looked at Elizabeth.
“So he wasn’t hiding another family? Or some secret inheritance?”
Elizabeth shook her head.
“No, dear. He was trying to protect you. But sometimes even people with the best intentions make decisions that should belong to someone else.”
Emily reached into the envelope and pulled out an old photograph.
A dark-haired teenage boy stood beside a woman in her forties.
On the back was a handwritten address.
