Her name was written on it.
For Emily, when truth becomes safer than silence.
Dad made a sound, low and broken.
Emily opened the envelope with trembling hands.
Inside was a letter.
My darling Emily,
If you are reading this, then either I became braver than I was when I wrote it, or the past finally found its way back to our door.
I hope it is the first. I fear it may be the second.
There are people in this world who do not begin as monsters. Sometimes they begin as frightened people who learn that control feels safer than honesty. Sometimes they wrap their fear in polite words, paperwork, concern, and tradition. They learn to smile while taking choices away from others.
If Linda Whitaker ever appears in your life again under any name, do not ignore the chill in your heart. I once ignored mine because I wanted to believe kindness could fix what truth revealed.
