“I didn’t hear it.”
I almost interrupted, but Conrad raised a hand.
“He’s right.”
He turned toward me.
Everyone nearby fell quiet.
“Cecily, I was selfish. I decided what I wanted to believe because it made leaving easier. I should have listened. I should have checked. I should have given you the respect you deserved.”
He looked toward the children.
“And because I didn’t, I missed eight years I can never get back.”
I appreciated the apology.
But I understood something important.
An apology could acknowledge the past.
It could not automatically create a future.
“Thank you for saying it,” I replied.
Parker looked at Conrad.
“Mom always says words matter more when your actions match them.”
Conrad gave a sad smile.
“Your mom is right.”
PART 5: The Envelope in the Library
I thought the biggest surprise of the day had already happened.
I was wrong.
After dinner, Eleanor quietly asked me to follow her into the library.
Conrad came with us.
She closed the door and walked toward an antique writing desk near the fireplace.
From a locked drawer, she removed a yellowed envelope.
“I haven’t looked at this in years.”
She handed it to me.
Inside was a letter supposedly written by a physician.
