Chapter 7 - The Letter from a Missing Mother

Lily opened the envelope with shaking hands.

A small photograph slid onto the table.

A younger Melissa stood beside a dark-haired man in front of a diner.

On the back was written: JASON - SUMMER 2013.

Lily did the math in her head.

"Before I was born."

Mark nodded.

She unfolded the letter.

"Do you want me to read it?" Sarah asked.

"No."

Lily read silently at first.

Her eyes moved faster, then slower.

Finally, she spoke.

"She says she's sorry she left me."

Nobody moved.

"She says she was using pills."

Mark looked at the floor.

Sarah covered her mouth.

Lily kept reading.

"She says she thought leaving was better than letting me watch her destroy herself."

Her voice broke.

"That's a terrible excuse."

Margaret whispered, "Yes. It is."

Lily continued.

"She says Jason didn't know for sure I was his. She told him I might be. Then she disappeared on him too."

Austin sat on the stairs, listening.

Lily reached the bottom of the page.

"There's a number."

Mark's head snapped up.

"It's eight years old."

"I can still try."

"No."

The word came too fast.

Lily stared at him.

Mark corrected himself.

"I mean... not tonight. Not without thinking this through."

"Why?"

"Because this man is a stranger."

Austin spoke from the stairs.

"So was I once."

Mark closed his eyes.

Austin came down.

"You trusted yourself to become my dad. You don't trust Lily to ask one question?"

"That's different."

"You keep saying that."

Sarah stepped in before Mark could answer.

"Austin, give him a second."

"He had six years."

Then Austin walked away.

Mark watched him go.

Lily held up the old number.

"I'm calling tomorrow."

Mark sat across from her.

"If you do this, I want to be there."

"Why?"

His voice softened.

"Because if he disappoints you, I want to be close enough to catch you."

Lily's anger flickered.

Not gone.

But changed.

The next morning, she dialed.

The line rang once.

Twice.

Three times.

Then someone answered.

"Hello?"

Lily's face went blank.

"Is this Jason Cole?"

Silence.

Then the man's voice changed.

"Who is this?"

Lily gripped Mark's hand without realizing it.

"My name is Lily. Lily Bennett. My mother's name was Melissa."

On the other end, the man stopped breathing.

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Then he whispered a sentence that made Mark's stomach drop.

"I've been waiting twelve years for this call."