Page 31 of Echoes of Eternity
Quickly unfolding it, he read it with trembling hands and welling tears.
Dear Ryan,
If you have found this letter, it can only mean one thing—I’m gone. To one degree or another, you have discovered I was not the man you believed me to be, and for that I’m eternally sorrowful. Knowing your heart, your character, and the type of man you are, I thought it best to leave the business to you alone. I felt like you would understand better than your siblings in what I’m about to tell you.
When your mother and I were younger, we had a lot of difficulties in our marriage. I blame myself for every one of them. I will spare you the details outside of what you need to know here, Son. You need to know your mother and I were separated for a time, and during that time, I made the mistake of sleeping with a woman named Linda McCammon. She ended up pregnant with a girl whom she named Tiffany. I spent weeks debating on what to do, seeking God and asking Him what He desired of me. I begged Him for a way out, but there was no easy decision to be made. I decided since I could not be a present father to Tiffany without ruining our lives as a family, I would send payments to help out. I felt it was the least and most I could do without ruining our family. This was my conviction. Your mother was okay with it at first, but she eventually grew wearisome of the arrangement. Your mother felt after the first few years that it was a waste of our money and Linda should take care of her own child. I, however, refused to cut her off.
I will not tell you what to do when it comes to Linda and Tiffany. Let God guide you, Son. Maybe God will prompt you to be more of a man than I ever could be in life.
One final thing before I say goodbye. I want to let you know I’m so proud of you, Son. I’m proud of the man you grew up to be in life, and I couldn’t have asked for a better firstborn. You taught me how to be a father when you were born, and you changed my world for the better. Until we meet again in Heaven, know that my love for you reaches into eternity.
Love,
Dad
Wiping his eyes, Ryan touched the words written by his father against his chest and looked up. “You changed my world too, Dad. I couldn’t have asked for a better father growing up and I love you forever.”
He peered at the letter again. He felt in that moment he understood why his father had never stopped the payments and couldn’t have imagined how difficult of a decision it was for him to not be in Tiffany’s life.
CHAPTER 8
As Emily browned the ground beef on the stove for dinner, she texted Elizabeth to come out and talk to her. She wanted to make sense of why her daughter was vaping in the bathroom at school. She had made the decision to not tell Ryan until she had a better grasp and understanding of what, if anything, was going through her daughter’s mind. As of a week ago, Elizabeth hadn’t even found a friend, and now she was doing drugs in a bathroom? It just didn’t make sense.
“I don’t know, Mom.”
Setting the spatula down beside the stovetop, she turned to Elizabeth and folded her arms. “I’m not buying what you’re trying to sell, missy. You had no friends last week, and now . . . ?”
Elizabeth’s eyes watered as she shook her head. “You don’t get it, Mom. It’s so hard! Everyone hates me, and Jasmine was the only girl who would talk to me. I just tried it once and we got in trouble.”
“Well, I need to talk to your father, and I will let you know what the consequences will be.”
“No!” Her eyes widened as she took a step toward her and touched her arm. Shaking her head, she pleaded. “Please, Mom! Don’t tell him.”
“You can’t ask me to do that, Elizabeth. He and I are a team.”
“Great! Now Dad is going to yell at me. He already thinks I’m such a disappointment.”
Just then, Jason opened the sliding glass door off the back of the house. He walked in with Chloe on his hip. “What’s up?”
“Hi, Jason.” Emily let her arms fall to her side as she turned toward him with a confused expression.
“Ryan didn’t tell you? He invited me over.”
“He didn’t . . . But it’s okay. Come on in.”
Elizabeth, on the other hand, wiped her cheeks and promptly left the kitchen without a word.
“What’s wrong with her?” Jason asked as he watched her leave the kitchen.
“High school drama. I’ll spare you the details.” Looking at Chloe, Emily came closer. “You’ll be there soon enough!”
“Don’t say that.” Jason laughed and shook his head as he set Chloe down. She walked over to the couch in the living room nearby to sit with the boys while they watched a kids’ movie. He watched his daughter climb up and sit right beside Jack. Sighing, he sat on one of the stools and shook his head. “She’s only three, but I feel like we just brought her home from the hospital yesterday.”
“Time flies. How is Natasha? She couldn’t come today?” Emily resumed cooking the ground beef.
“She had a women’s Bible study tonight.”
“That’s nice.”