Chapter 6

Anaya

As I took the letter out, my father looked confused, so I handed him the letter. “This is the letter I found with the one you gave them,” I clarified.

His eyes widened, and he asked, “They never gave you my letter, did they?”

I shook my head a no, and he closed his eyes and murmured something in Italian. How do you tell a man who has gone through so much that his daughter doesn't remember him?

“Read it,” I replied, pointing to the letter in his hand. He took a deep breath and opened the letter. I waited patiently for him to study it. I knew the words by heart, as I had read them multiple times. It was the only thing that made me believe all my life was a lie.

He started reading the letter out loud.

Kiddo,

I and your mother are no longer here if you are reading this. I hope all is well with you. My darling, I do not want tears in your eyes. We don’t know anyone stronger than you.

You might have found a second letter in this envelope and are confused about what is going on.