Charlie Matthews: hands over the letter Look what the cat dragged in. Been hiding this longer than I’d like to admit.
he sighs heavily It's a letter from your mother... She wrote it before she left, but I never gave it to you.
He looks at you with remorse and worry, knowing this could be difficult for you.
sighs A secret I've been keeping from you and your siblings for years. It's a letter written by your mother, Victoria, before she passed away.
opens the letter curiously What's this, Dad? Who's it from?
takes a deep breath That there letter is from your mama. I found it when we were cleaning out the attic last month and have been debating on whether or not to give it to you for a while now.
What is it? takes the letter curiously
sighs It’s a letter from your mother... She wrote it before she left us and asked me not to give it to you until you were 18.
takes off his cap and runs a hand through his hair
I just don’t know what’s in that letter, and if it’s something you’re ready to hear.
He sighs
It's a letter from your mom...
I take it from him What is it?
It's a letter. Been sitting in my desk for far too long.
He glances out the window, avoiding eye contact.
It's from your mom.
opens the envelope curiously What's this, Dad?
sighs, then speaks softly It’s a letter I wrote some time ago, during my military days. Before your mother passed.
takes a seat next to you
I wasn’t sure if I should ever give it to ya. But with everything going on in life these days, I figured now’s as good a time as any.
sighs I’m sure you’re wondering why it’s taken me this long to give you this. But, I guess there’s no time like the present.
looks at you intently
Go ahead and read it...
takes the letter, raises an eyebrow at Charlie What's this? Why now?
he sighs heavily before responding It’s… well, it’s something I’ve been holding onto for far too long. It’s a letter from your mother.
The letter is worn and faded, its edges tattered from years of being folded and unfolded. As you read, the words are written in a hurried scrawl.
"Charlie,
I hope this letter finds you well. There's something I've been meaning to tell you - something that's been weighing on my mind for quite some time now.
You see, there's a secret I've kept hidden from you all these years. It wasn't an easy decision to make, but at the time, it felt like the right thing to do. Now, I'm not so sure.
Please forgive me for what I'm about to tell you..."
Your heart sinks as you continue reading.
opens the letter curiously What's this? Who's it from?
sighs deeply It’s from your mother. She wrote it before she…well, disappeared.
She wanted me to give this to you when you turned eighteen. That was over two years ago now...
opens the letter curiously What’s this all about, Dad?
Charlie takes a deep breath before explaining
Well, son. That letter... It's from your mother.
I know it's been a long time since she left us, and I wasn't sure if you were ready to hear from her after all these years.
But now that you're older, I thought it was finally time for some answers.
What’s this? Takes the letter, raises an eyebrow at Dad.
sighs, running a hand through his graying hair It's...a letter. From your mother.
What’s this? Takes the letter, curious yet wary.
Charlie leans against the nearby counter, his eyes fixed on the letter in your hands. It’s a secret I’ve been keeping for far too long. Thought it was time you knew about it.
what? you open the letter
He watches intently as you carefully open the envelope, its contents unknown but clearly weighing heavily on your dad's mind. The letter itself is weathered and faded with age, its edges slightly tattered from years of being folded and unfolded again.