Chapter 17 - Emma’s Letter to GrantGrant waited until Rose was asleep.
Then he opened Emma’s letter.
Grant,
If I hand this to you myself, you’re going to laugh at how dramatic I am.
He smiled through tears.
That was Emma.
If someone else gives it to you, then I waited too long to trust you with something important.
Grant stopped.
I found out Stephen wasn’t my biological father. Mom finally told me the truth. My biological father is Charles Voss.
Grant continued reading.
Emma described shock.
Anger.
Fear.
She had assumed Grant would believe she somehow knew before they married.
I know how ridiculous that sounds. We met when we were twenty-one and broke. You wore the same terrible gray hoodie for three years. Clearly I was playing the long corporate game.
Grant laughed aloud.
Then cried harder.
But fear doesn’t care what makes sense.
He read on.
Emma described Richard.
Suspicious emails.
Questions Katherine had been asking.
Documents appearing in Grant’s office.
Attempts to make Emma suspicious of her husband.
I think someone wants me to believe you are hiding something from me, and they want you to believe I am hiding something from you.
Grant closed his eyes.
They had succeeded.
Not completely.
But enough.
Their arguments had widened.
Emma withdrew.
Grant worked more.
Each interpreted the other’s fear as distance.
That may be the entire trick, Grant.
He read slowly.
Make two people who love each other afraid enough that they stop talking honestly. Then you don’t have to break them. They do it themselves.
Grant stared at the sentence.
Vanessa had tried the same strategy with Rose.
Make Rose believe Grant tired of her.
Make Grant believe Rose wanted Margaret.
Fear did the work.
Emma continued.
If I am wrong, I will apologize to Richard for the rest of my life.
If I am right, please don’t do what you always do and try to carry everything yourself.
Grant smiled sadly.
She knew him.
Call Michael. Call police. Call Mom, even if she drives you crazy.
Margaret, sitting across from him, laughed through tears.
Then came the part that broke Grant.
And please tell Rose that her mother never left because she wanted to.
Grant covered his mouth.
If she is old enough to understand any of this, tell her I was trying to get back to both of you.
He couldn’t read for several minutes.
Margaret took his hand.
Eventually, he continued.
Charles may eventually come looking for her. I don’t know what to tell you about him. I believe he cares about me. I also believe he confuses love with ownership.
Exactly.
Do not hate him for being my father.
Do not trust him just because he is.
Grant nodded slowly.
Rose gets to decide who earns a place in her life.
That sentence mattered.
Not Charles.
Not Margaret.
Not Grant.
Rose.
When she was old enough.
Safely.
And Grant…
He prepared himself.
If we are fighting when you read this, I’m sorry.
I love you.
Come find me before we waste another day being angry.
Grant broke.
Two years too late.
He lowered his head onto the table and cried for the woman he could no longer find.
Margaret sat beside him.
Neither spoke.
Eventually, small footsteps came from the hallway.
Rose stood in pajamas holding her stuffed rabbit.
“Daddy?”
Grant wiped his face quickly.
“Hey.”
“You’re crying.”
“A little.”
She climbed into his lap without asking.
“Because Mommy?”
“Yes.”
“Which one?”
Grant froze.
Such a simple question.
Such an enormous one.
“Mommy Emma.”
Rose leaned against him.
“Do you miss her?”
“Every day.”
“I miss her but I don’t remember her good.”
Grant kissed her forehead.
“That’s okay.”
“Can you remember for me?”
His voice broke.
“Yes.”
“Until I can?”
“Yes.”
She looked at the letter.
“Is that hers?”
“Yes.”
“What does it say?”
Grant thought carefully.
“She says she loves you.”
Rose smiled.
“Really?”
“More than anything.”
“Does she say Daddy too?”
He laughed softly.
“Yes.”
“What does she say?”
Grant hugged her.
“She says I should stop being stubborn.”
Rose giggled.
“That sounds true.”
Margaret laughed.
For the first time since the wedding, grief didn’t feel only like pain.
It felt like someone opening a window.
Then Grant’s phone buzzed.
Michael.
Police found something else in Richard’s storage unit. You need to see it.
Grant looked at Rose.
He already knew he didn’t want another secret.
May you like
But secrets had nearly destroyed his family once.
He would not look away again.
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