Chapter 2: The Envelope on the Table
His smile didn't fade.
Not yet.
"Name it," he said.
"Whatever you need."
I looked at him for a long moment.
Then I said:
"You're going to sit at this table and wait.
Jamie gets home from practice in two hours.
And you are going to look him in the eye and tell him exactly why you chose Claire over us.
Every word.
No excuses."
Dad's face changed.
"That's…
that's not fair.
He was so young.
He won't even remember—"
"He remembers," I said.
"He still has nightmares."
Dad went quiet.
He looked down at his worn shoes and said nothing.
I let him in.
I made coffee.
He sat at the kitchen table like a man waiting for a verdict.
Then my phone buzzed.
A text from Jamie: *Leaving practice early.
Coach cancelled.
Be home in 20.*
My stomach tightened.
Twenty minutes.
That was all the time I had.
I looked at my father across the table.
He was staring at the door like he was already thinking about running.
"Don't," I said quietly.
"You owe him this."
He swallowed hard.
Then he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, folded envelope.
He placed it on the table and pushed it toward me.
"Before Jamie gets here," he said, "there's something you need to know first."
---
What's inside that envelope?
May you like
What has Dad been hiding for 15 years?
The full story is in the link below — and what happens when Jamie walks through that door will break your heart.
