But I should have told you the truth a long time ago.
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Lila is my daughter. I had her when I was 20. I wasn’t ready to be a mother, not really, and I believed that I was doing the right thing by placing her with a family who could give her a stable life.
I never stopped thinking about her. Then I found her again…
I found her again, quietly, just before your accident. That was when everything became complicated.
I filed for divorce while you were still recovering. Your memory was fractured, and we had grown distant. I was overwhelmed by guilt. I should never have allowed the divorce — not so soon. I mean, we were separated on paper, but when you came home, and we found our rhythm again, I couldn’t let go.
I wore my ring. You wore yours.
And you forgot about the divorce.
And life moved forward as if nothing had changed.
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I know you feel betrayed. But please know that the love we shared was never a lie. Not one moment of it.
Lila has had a difficult life. I’ve done what I could behind the scenes, but she doesn’t know the full truth. I hope, after I’m gone, that you would reach out to her. You can be her father… if you want to be. I hope you will.
Always yours,
Claire. »
I didn’t even realize my hands were trembling until the letter brushed against my knee. I sat there in silence for a while, not ready to look up, not ready to let the moment end.
« She never told me any of it, »
I said finally, the words almost a whisper.
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« She said she didn’t want to break the life you rebuilt together, » Mr. Johnson said, nodding slowly.
« She did that for me? » I asked, staring down at the final line. « Even after I forgot… she chose to stay. »
« She loved you, James, » he said simply. « All the way through. »
I read the letter twice,
maybe three times.
My hands wouldn’t stop shaking, and my eyes kept landing on the same lines, as if reading them again might somehow undo them.
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Mr. Johnson sat quietly across from me, giving me space, until I finally looked up.
« She left a trust for Lila, James, » he said. « Claire wanted her to be supported, but she also wanted Lila to know where she came from. She asked me to give you her contact information. »
« Does Lila know? » I asked.
« And does her… biological father know? »
The lawyer shook his head gently.
« She only knows that someone might reach out. She doesn’t know the full story. Be gentle with her, if you choose to call. And as for the father… as far as I know, he doesn’t exist. I asked Claire countless times, but she was determined not to reveal his name. »
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