Chapter 2: The Envelope With My Name On It

I followed Anna inside and sat down at her kitchen table.

My hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

She poured two cups of coffee, set one in front of me, and didn’t say anything for a long moment.

Then she looked at me and said:

“When I came to find you all those years ago, Carol answered the door.

She told me you had already moved on.

That you were engaged to someone else and didn’t want any contact.”

I stared at her.

“That’s not true,” I said.

“I never said that.

I never stopped thinking about you.”

Anna nodded slowly, like she had already made her peace with it long ago.