I stopped reading aloud.
Daniel put his hand over mine.
I continued.
If there is one thing I hope you believe, it is this: you were never second choice.
Nunca fuiste conveniente.
You were the bravest person I had ever met.
I thought choosing you to protect the children was an act of love.
It wasn’t.
It was an act of fear disguised as sacrifice.
A tear landed on the paper.
You deserved the truth.
They deserved the truth.
Margaret deserved the truth.
Even I deserved enough courage to face what I had done.
Tuve que parar de nuevo.
Outside, through the basement window, I could see the lake.
The same lake Julian and I once imagined beside our future home.
I read the final paragraph silently first.
Then aloud.
There is one last surprise.
Everyone groaned.
I laughed.
Por supuesto.
La casa no es tu herencia.
He fruncido el ceño.
