Emma took the photograph down.
She sat at the kitchen table with it in front of her.
For a long time, she simply looked at his face.
There were so many things she wished she could tell him.
She wanted him to know that Sophie had turned eighteen.
That she was intelligent, kind, and determined.
That she had dreams of attending university.
That she had grown into a young woman who knew how to stand up for herself.
Michael would have been proud.
Emma was certain of that.
Then she opened the drawer where she had placed his letter.
She unfolded it carefully.
Reading the words again brought back the same conflicting emotions.
Gratitude.
Love.
Sadness.
Disappointment.
She realized that she no longer needed to choose only one feeling.
Her father had protected her during a time of extraordinary vulnerability.
He had also made a decision that denied her access to information she had a right to consider.
