Chapter 19 - The Unexpected Witness
Emergency lights from the street filtered through the windows as Daniel carried the envelope downstairs.
Rebecca and her family gathered in the living room, pretending to be confused.
"What happened to the electricity?" Rebecca asked.
Daniel studied her face.
She seemed nervous.
Not because of the outage.
Because she wanted to know where he had been.
A knock interrupted the silence.
Three firm knocks.
Samuel opened the front door.
An elderly man stood outside wearing a faded postal service jacket.
His hands trembled slightly.
"Mr. Carter?"
Daniel nodded.
"I'm Daniel."
The old man smiled sadly.
"I've waited fifteen years to say that."
"Lily..."
He looked toward her.
"I'm sorry."
Tears immediately filled Lily's eyes.
"Mr. Harris?"
The retired mailman nodded.
"I kept something that never reached your father."
From his leather satchel he removed dozens of unopened envelopes.
Each one addressed in Lily's handwriting.
Every letter bore foreign postage prepared by the local post office.
None had ever been delivered.
Daniel picked up the first envelope.
The postmark was dated twelve years earlier.
The front read simply:
Dear Dad, I'm trying to be brave.
No one in the room spoke.
Rebecca's smile disappeared for the first time since Daniel had returned home.
Mr. Harris looked directly at Daniel.
"I didn't lose these letters."
"They were taken from the outgoing mail before they could leave town."
May you like
He slowly pointed toward Rebecca.
"And I know exactly who ordered it."
