Emma felt a knot tighten in her stomach.
“What am I about to read?”
Elisabeth folded her hands.
“The truth about something that happened after Sophie was born.”
Emma opened the envelope.
Inside were several old photographs, copies of documents, a folded note, and a handwritten letter.
She recognized her father's handwriting immediately.
For a moment, the sight overwhelmed her.
There were the familiar rounded letters.
The slightly uneven spacing.
The distinctive way he wrote her name.
It was as though a small part of him had unexpectedly returned.
Emma unfolded the letter.
And began reading.
The Secret Michael Had Carried for Years
My darling Emma,
If you are reading this, then Sophie is turning eighteen.
I wish more than anything that I could be there with you.
I wish I could see the young woman she has become. I wish I could celebrate with you, complain that the cake has too much icing, and pretend that I am not getting emotional when she blows out her candles.
