She placed her hands on the table and waited.
Silas pushed the book toward her.
“You said the map was important.”
“It is.”
“Why?”
“Because the boy thinks he’s lost, but the path has been there the whole time.”
Silas opened the back cover.
“The path is hard to see.”
“Yes.”
“Did you pick this book because of me?”
Elena glanced at Daniel.
Then she answered honestly.
“Yes.”
Silas nodded, almost as if he had expected that.
“Did you know I would find the letters?”
“No.”
“Did you want me to?”
“I wanted you to know I had not forgotten you. But I wanted your father to decide when you were ready.”
Silas looked down at the map.
“Dad didn’t decide.”
“No.”
“Grandma didn’t decide.”
“No.”
“I found out anyway.”
Elena’s eyes filled, but her voice remained steady.
“You did.”
He turned a page.
“Are you still sick?”
