Chapter 2: The Forgotten Room
That night, Jonathan couldn't sleep.
Emily's words echoed endlessly in his mind.
She says you stopped coming to visit her.
Near midnight, he found himself standing outside Sophia's old art studio.
The room had been locked since the day she died.
His hand trembled as he opened the door.
Dust floated through the moonlight.
Paintings covered the walls.
Landscapes.
Family portraits.
Half-finished sketches.
And in the corner sat a wooden box.
Jonathan opened it carefully.
Inside were dozens of letters.
All addressed to him.
Sophia had written them during her treatments, knowing she might not survive.
The first letter nearly shattered him.
"If you're reading this, then I'm gone. And if I know you, you've probably buried yourself in work because that's how you hide from pain."
Jonathan swallowed hard.
The next page continued.
"But promise me one thing. Don't disappear from Emily's life. She will need you more than you realize."
His vision blurred.
Letter after letter carried the same message.
Love your daughter.
Be present.
Don't let grief turn you into a stranger.
By sunrise, Jonathan had read every single one.
And he finally understood.
May you like
For three years, he had been mourning his wife.
But during that time, Emily had been mourning both parents.
