Standing in my backyard, in the dim light, was a man I hadn’t seen in over thirty years.
Marissa’s father.
My legs nearly gave out.
“How—” I couldn’t finish the sentence.
Graham stepped closer, his voice low so Marissa couldn’t hear from inside.
“He contacted me six months ago.
Said he’d been looking for her for years.”
“He left us,” I whispered.
“He walked away from his own daughter.”
“I know what he did,” Graham said.
“He told me everything.
That’s why I wanted you here first — before Marissa.”
I turned to the man standing a few feet away.
He looked older.
Smaller than I remembered.
His hands were clasped in front of him like a man waiting to be sentenced.
“I’m not asking for forgiveness,” he said quietly.
“I just need her to know something.
Something that changes everything.”
“You don’t get to decide what she needs to know,” I said.
“There’s a letter,” Graham said.
“He’s been carrying it for fifteen years.
It explains why he left.”
Before I could respond, the back door opened.
Marissa’s voice cut through the night air.
“Mom?
Graham?
What’s going on out here?”
She stepped into the light — and froze.
—
What’s in that letter — and how will Marissa react when she sees him?
The truth behind Graham’s “deal” is more emotional than anyone expected.
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