his life.”
My throat went dry.
“What did you destroy?”
He lifted the lid.
Inside were old photographs, envelopes, and a small red box.
On top lay a photograph of a woman.
A beautiful young woman wearing white.
I recognized her immediately.
It was my mother.
But the man standing beside her wasn’t my father.
It was my uncle.
And Richard had his arms wrapped around her.
I froze.
“What is this?”
My uncle sat on the edge of the bed.
“Long before you were born, your mother and I had a secret.”
I felt my hands turn cold.
“You and Mom…”
He lowered his head.
“Please, let me explain everything.”
I picked up a second photograph.
Once again, my mother was standing beside my uncle.
On the back, someone had written:
“The most important day of our lives. 1998.”
I couldn’t hold back my tears.
“Were you having
