His father’s final months.
The fights.
The silence.
The last conversation Mark had refused to finish.
Emily watched realization move across his face.
“What did he want to tell you, Mark?”
Mark lifted his eyes.
“I don’t know.”
And for once, Emily believed him.
-END OF PART 2, –PRESS NEX PART IN BOTTOM OF PAGE TO READ NEXT PART
PART 3
Emily placed the envelope on Claire’s kitchen table.
Mark recognized his father’s handwriting immediately.
For Mark — when he’s ready.
The words appeared faint and uneven across the front.
His father, Thomas Carter, had written them during the final year of his life, when illness had weakened his hands.
Mark did not touch the envelope.
“How did this get in the folder?”
“I don’t know,” Emily said.
Claire stood near the sink, giving them space while remaining close enough to help with the babies.
Grace and Lily slept in bassinets beside the window.
