The sudden letter shocked all the invited relatives, but this time they felt compelled to come. Susy, Paul’s daughter, arrived at the family house and saw it bustling with joy and crowded for the first time in years. It felt like a dream come true for her father, except he wasn’t there to see it.
As Susy began to weave through the crowd, her mind raced with possibilities. Maybe her father was just inside, fussing over the final touches of the meal.
Or perhaps he had stepped away for a moment, lost in thought, as he often did in recent years.
But as she approached the back door of the house, a feeling of unease settled in her chest.