Then they disappeared together behind the door of his room.
The doors were closing.
And the conversations fell silent.
Every time I passed by, there was silence.
One evening I stopped at the door.
I heard Emily’s voice.
— But why can’t mom know?
I froze.
After a moment my father replied.
— Because it’s not ready yet.
My heart started beating faster.
I knocked.
Silence.
— This?
No answer.
I knocked again.
— Emily?
A few seconds later I heard a chair being moved.
Finally the door opened.
My father stood in the doorway.
He opened them just enough for me to see his face.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
— Nothing.
— Were you talking about me?
My father looked me straight in the eyes for a moment.
— Go to sleep.
It was so unusual that it chilled me.
— Dad, why was the door locked?
— Emily wanted to tell me something.
— Co?
— This is between me and her.
After these words he closed the door.
I hardly slept that night.
In the morning I asked Emily at breakfast:
— What do you talk about with your grandfather every evening?
The girl froze with the spoon in her hand.
– About nothing.
— Emily…
— I can’t say.
– Why?
She looked at me with a strangely serious expression.
— Grandpa said I had to wait.
– For what?
Emily lowered her gaze.
— You’ll want to know for yourself.
I didn’t understand.
Over the next few days I tried to observe them from a distance.
One evening I saw my father hand Emily a small metal box.
The girl immediately hid it behind her back.
“What is this?” I asked.
Emily ran to her room.
Father looked at me.
— Not yet.
— Stop telling me that!
For the first time in a long time, I raised my voice to my father.
“She’s my daughter. I have a right to know what’s going on.”
My father was silent for a long time.
Finally he said:
– I know.
— So tell me the truth.
— I can’t yet.
– Why?
He looked at me with pain.
— Because I promised your husband.
I froze.
My husband has been dead for two years.
— What does my husband have to do with this?
Father looked away.
— This is not a conversation for today.
That night I waited for everyone to fall asleep.
Around eleven o’clock I went down to the living room.
My father wasn’t sleeping either.
He was sitting in an armchair and holding an old photograph in his hands.
I walked closer.
My husband was in the photo.
My father stood next to him.
And there was one more person between them.
A young woman I had never seen before.
“Who’s that?” I asked.
The father immediately hid the photo.
– Nobody.
— Dad.
– Please.
— No. This time you will tell me.
Father sighed.
— This is a woman who knew your husband before he met you.
I felt anxious.
— Was she his girlfriend?
– NO.
– So who?
Father remained silent.
— Kim?!
Finally he looked me in the eye.
— She was his sister.
I was speechless.
— My husband didn’t have a sister.
— That’s what he told you.
The next morning Emily went to her grandfather’s room again.
This time I didn’t wait.
I walked up to the door and knocked.
— Dad, open the door.
Silence.
— Open up!
The door opened a crack.
Emily stood at the desk.
There was a metal box on the counter.
— Mom…
— What’s in it?
The girl started crying.
— Grandpa said I was supposed to give it to you when you were ready.
— Ready for what?
Father sat down on the bed.
He looked like a man who had been carrying a huge burden for two years.
— Your husband left me something before he died.
He took an envelope out of the drawer.
The envelope had my name on it.
“For her. Not until Emily turns eight.”
My hands started shaking.
I opened the envelope.
There was a letter inside.
I recognized the writing immediately.
It was my husband’s handwriting.
I read:
“If you’re reading this, it means Emily has turned eight. I know you’ll want answers. But before you get them, you need to know one thing: I never cheated on you.”
Tears welled up in my eyes.
I read on.
“For the past few years, someone has been trying to find my family. I didn’t want to drag you into it. I was afraid someone might use you or Emily to get to me.”
I looked at my father.
– What does it mean?
The father replied quietly:
— Your husband discovered that his biological mother was alive.
I froze.
