MY 18-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER DIED GIVING BIRTH.

PART 3 — THE NAME INSIDE THE LETTER

“Maya… Noah’s father isn’t the man you think he is.”

I stood frozen.

“My name is Maya,” I whispered.

Sarah’s eyes widened.

“I’m sorry. Chloe told me your name so many times that I—”

“Forget my name.”

My voice trembled.

“What did you mean?”

Sarah looked toward Noah.

He was almost back.

“There isn’t time.”

She reached into her coat and pulled out a small photograph.

She pressed it into my hand.

“Look at this after you get home.”

Then she turned and walked away.

“Wait!”

I called after her.

She didn’t stop.

Noah reached me a few seconds later.

“Grandma?”

I quickly slipped the photograph into my purse.

“What was that woman doing here?”

I forced a smile.

“She knew your mom.”

Noah looked toward the cemetery entrance.

“Who was she?”

“I don’t know.”

He frowned.

“You’re crying.”

I touched my cheek.

I hadn’t even realized tears were running down my face.

“I’m okay, sweetheart.”

But I wasn’t.

Not anymore.

That night, after Noah went to bed, I locked myself in Chloe’s old room.

I placed the envelope on the desk.

For ten years, I had dreamed of knowing what my daughter had wanted to tell me.

Now I was terrified to find out.

My hands shook as I opened it.

Inside was a single sheet of paper.

The first line nearly made me collapse.

Mom, if you’re reading this, I’m already gone.

I covered my mouth.

Then I kept reading.

I’m sorry I never told you everything.

You deserved the truth.

Especially about Noah.

My heart began pounding.

Then I reached the next paragraph.

The man you think is Noah’s father is not his father.

I stopped.

Sarah’s words echoed in my head.

I read on.

I know you think I got pregnant because I was young and careless.

That’s not what happened.

There was someone who knew about Noah before he was born.

Someone who promised me he would protect him.

My hands began trembling harder.

Then I saw the name.

Daniel.

I stared at it.

Daniel?

Who was Daniel?

Chloe had never mentioned anyone by that name.

I continued reading.

Mom, please don’t look for Daniel because of what he promised me.

He didn’t abandon Noah.

I made him stay away.

I couldn’t understand.

Why would my daughter deliberately keep her child’s father away?

Then I reached the final paragraph.

If Sarah gives you this letter, it means she finally believes it’s safe.

There is something else you need to know.

Daniel wasn’t the only person who knew about Noah.

My breath caught.

The next sentence was underlined three times.

Someone in our family knew the truth too.

I dropped the letter.

For several seconds, I simply stared at it.

Someone in our family?

Who?

My mind raced through every relative.

Then I remembered something.

Ten years earlier, when Chloe was pregnant, my older brother Michael had suddenly stopped visiting.

At the time, I thought he was simply upset about Chloe’s pregnancy.

But now…

I remembered one strange conversation.

Michael had once asked me:

“Does Chloe know who the father is?”

I had said yes.

He had looked relieved.

At the time, I thought nothing of it.

Now my blood ran cold.

I grabbed the photograph Sarah had given me.

I turned it over.

There were three people standing together.

Chloe.

A younger Sarah.

And a man I had never seen before.

But there was something familiar about him.

His eyes.

His jawline.

I stared at the photograph for almost a minute.

Then I heard footsteps behind me.

I spun around.

Noah stood in the doorway.

“Grandma?”

I quickly hid the photograph.

“What are you doing awake?”

He looked at me carefully.

“I couldn’t sleep.”

He walked closer.

“Is that Mom’s letter?”

I froze.

“How did you know?”

“Because that’s her handwriting.”

He pointed toward the desk.

Then he asked the question I had been dreading for ten years.

“Does it say who my dad is?”

I couldn’t lie to him anymore.

“Yes.”

His eyes widened.

“You know?”

I nodded slowly.

“I know a name.”

“What is it?”

I opened my mouth.

But before I could answer, my phone rang.

Unknown number.

I almost ignored it.

Then I answered.

A man’s voice came through.

“Maya?”

“Yes. Who is this?”

There was a long silence.

Then he said:

“My name is Daniel.”