Chapter 2
I stared at Grandma Evelyn.
For eleven years, she had been the person who told me to respect family.
She braided my hair before school.
She brought soup when I was sick.
She sat beside me during thunderstorms.
And every birthday, she told me how lucky I was to have a father who never abandoned me.
Now Vanessa was saying Grandma had kept us apart.
"That's a lie," Grandma whispered.
But her voice wasn't strong.
Vanessa looked at her.
"Then tell Maya where my letters went."
Grandma flinched.
My heart began pounding.
"What letters?"
Nobody answered.
I turned toward Dad.
"Dad?"
He looked exhausted.
"Maya, we should discuss this inside."
I stared at him.
"Are you going to tell me the truth?"
He hesitated.
That hesitation hurt.
I took one step backward.
"Dad, please."
His eyes filled.
"Yes."
Vanessa looked at him.
"All of it?"
He swallowed.
"All of it."
I moved toward the living room.
Vanessa followed after Dad stepped away from the doorway.
Grandma remained near the staircase.
She looked like she wanted to disappear.
Nobody sat down.
The envelope rested on our coffee table.
It was thick.
Its edges were slightly worn.
On the front, written in black ink, were three words.
FOR MAYA BROOKS.
I reached toward it.
Dad spoke quietly.
"Before you open that, I need to explain something."
I looked at him.
"Then explain."
He rubbed his forehead.
"When you were five, your mother and I were separated."
I nodded.
That much I knew.
Dad continued.
"We were arguing about money, work, and where you should live."
Vanessa lowered her eyes.
"Marcus was traveling constantly."
Dad nodded.
"I was trying to keep my construction business alive."
He swallowed.
"And Vanessa was working two jobs."
I looked at my mother.
She nodded.
"I worked at a medical billing office during the day and cleaned offices three nights a week."
I stared.
"Why?"
"Because we were struggling."
Dad looked away.
Vanessa continued.
"Your grandmother offered to help care for you."
I glanced toward Grandma Evelyn.
She didn't move.
"At first, I was grateful."
Vanessa's voice cracked.
"I thought she wanted what was best for you."
Grandma suddenly spoke.
"I did."
Vanessa turned toward her.
"Then why did you tell the court I disappeared?"
The room went silent.
I felt my stomach twist.
"What court?"
Dad looked toward Grandma.
His expression hardened.
"Mom?"
Grandma began shaking her head.
"It wasn't like that."
Vanessa reached for the envelope.
She removed several pages.
Then handed one to Dad.
He stared at it.
His face changed.
I watched his eyes move down the paper.
Then he whispered.
"Oh, God."
My heartbeat became painful.
"What does it say?"
Dad sat heavily on the sofa.
Vanessa looked at me.
"Your grandmother submitted a sworn statement during our custody case."
I swallowed.
"What statement?"
"She claimed I had abandoned you."
I looked toward Grandma.
Her eyes filled.
"Grandma?"
She whispered, "I was protecting you."
Vanessa's voice rose.
"From your own mother?"
Grandma snapped.
"You weren't stable!"
I flinched.
Dad stood immediately.
"Mom, lower your voice."
But Vanessa didn't back away.
"I was exhausted, Evelyn. I was poor. I was trying to work enough hours to keep a roof over Maya's head."
Grandma folded her arms.
"You left that child with me for weeks."
Vanessa shook her head.
"Because you offered to help!"
I looked at Dad.
"Did you know?"
He stared at the paper.
"I knew your grandmother filed a statement."
My stomach sank.
"But?"
He swallowed.
"I didn't know some of these details were false."
I felt tears rising.
"How could you not know?"
He looked ashamed.
"Because I didn't ask enough questions."
I stepped backward.
The answer hurt more than I expected.
My father had always told me to check my facts.
He made me redo homework when I guessed.
He reminded me not to believe rumors.
Yet when someone accused my mother of abandoning me, he hadn't asked enough questions.
Vanessa handed me another page.
It was a copy of a letter.
The date was eleven years earlier.
My sixth birthday.
The words blurred as I read.
"My sweetest Maya,
I hope you have a birthday full of balloons, cake, and laughter. I miss your hugs every day. I am working hard to find a way to see you again."
I covered my mouth.
The letter continued.
"I haven't forgotten you. I haven't stopped loving you. And I never will."
My knees weakened.
Dad caught my elbow.
I pulled away.
"Don't."
His expression broke.
I looked toward Grandma.
"Where was this?"
She stared at the floor.
"Grandma!"
Her lips trembled.
"In a box."
I felt sick.
"What box?"
She didn't answer.
Vanessa placed another letter on the table.
Then another.
Seventh birthday.
Eighth birthday.
Ninth birthday.
Every year.
Letters.
Cards.
Photographs.
All addressed to me.
All hidden.
I began crying so hard that I couldn't read anymore.
Eleven years of birthdays.
Eleven years of thinking my mother didn't care.
And she had been writing to me the entire time.
I turned toward Dad.
"Did you see these?"
He shook his head.
"No."
I looked at Grandma.
Her face crumpled.
"I didn't want her getting her hopes up."
I stared at her.
"My hopes?"
She stepped closer.
"Maya, sweetheart—"
I backed away.
"Don't call me that."
She stopped.
I could barely breathe.
"You watched me cry every Mother's Day."
Grandma began sobbing.
"You watched me ask why she didn't love me."
She reached toward me.
I moved away.
"And you had her letters?"
Grandma covered her face.
I looked toward Vanessa.
She was crying too.
Then I noticed another document inside the envelope.
It carried an official court heading.
There were several signatures.
A photograph.
And a date.
I picked it up.
My stomach tightened.
"What's this?"
Vanessa looked at Dad.
He read the first paragraph.
Then his face went pale again.
It wasn't just a custody document.
It was an application to amend my identifying information in several records.
And attached to it was a signed declaration claiming Vanessa had voluntarily surrendered her rights to contact me.
May you like
Vanessa stared at the signature.
Then whispered, "That's not mine."
