My mom was in the hospital, so Dad and I went to gather her things. While opening her safe, I found a note that said, “DON’T SHOW LUCY.” I’m Lucy. Hidden beneath it was an old VHS tape.
The tape showed my late grandfather revealing a long-buried family secret. Following his instructions, I dug beneath an old oak tree and found a box filled with love letters and a sapphire ring. The letters revealed he had once loved another woman before marrying my grandmother. When I asked my grandmother, she admitted she had always known, explaining that love can be complicated—and that choosing a family never erased the love he once had.