My Son and His Wife Took Their Son on a $20K Cruise, Leaving Their Daughter Home — By Noon, I Was Standing at Their Table

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Chapter 50

THEME:
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It was her way of grounding herself. The crunch of gravel on the driveway announced the arrival of the mail carrier. I walked out to the mailbox at the end of the lane. The air was crisp, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth. I waved to the mailman who waved back. He didn’t know who I was. He didn’t know I was the man from the viral video on the cruise ship.

To him, I was just Bill, the old guy who bought the Miller place. I sorted through the mail as I walked back. Electric bill, seed catalog, a coupon for tractor supplies, and then I stopped. The last envelope was plain white. The return address was stamped in red ink. Federal Correctional Institution, Low Security.

The name on the corner was Austin Slater. I stood there in the middle of the driveway. The sun felt warm on my shoulders, but the envelope felt cold in my hands. I had not heard from him in 6 months. Rachel told me he had tried to call, but I had blocked the number. I had blocked the prison system from contacting the house phone. I had severed the line.

But letters still find a way. I walked back into the house. I did not hide the letter. I placed it on the counter next to the rising dough. What is that, Grandpa? Leo asked, coming in through the back door, wiping his muddy boots on the mat. Just a bill, I lied. A bill we do not have to pay. I waited until that evening.

The kids were asleep. The house was quiet. I sat in the armchair by the stone fireplace where a fire was crackling softly, keeping the chill of the evening at bay. I picked up the letter. I used my pocketk knife to slit it open. I pulled out the single sheet of lined yellow paper.

The handwriting was messy, desperate. Dear dad, it began. I scanned the words. It was exactly what I expected. There was no remorse. There was no inquiry about how Leah was doing in school or if Mia was happy. It was a litany of complaints. The food is terrible. The guards are mean. Monica is filing for divorce and trying to pin everything on me.

I need money for the commissary. I need you to appeal the case. I found God, Dad, and he told me you would forgive me. I read the lines about finding God and almost laughed. Austin hadn’t found God. He had found a new angle. He was a chameleon trying to change his colors to blend into a new environment, but the lizard underneath was exactly the same.

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