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“Aaron Jones, the wealthy oil guy?”
Evan nodded. “I remember thinking that he was overly friendly.”
Evan started opening up some letters. He stared at one, and Colton could see the tears in his brother’s eyes.
“Evan?”
Evan didn’t say a word, he just handed Colton the letter as Colton knelt down beside him.
They sat there and read note after note. Love letters from a man that wasn’t their father and words from a woman who lusted for another.
Colton wasn’t sure how long they sat there, but as they looked at the letters and notes and stared at jewelry a stranger gave their mother, everything they had believed crumbled before them.
Colton rubbed his fingers across his upper lip and felt his hand shaking.
“Son of a bitch. He was telling the truth. She made him leave. She had us care for her and then this piece of shit dumps her. It’s all in the letters,” Colton stated in anger.
“Is everything okay?” Ava whispered as Colton and Evan turned toward her voice.
He shook his head and she walked into the room and sat down between them on the floor.
Colton held her gaze as Evan passed her the letters.
“She was cheating on our father,” Evan said as a tear rolled down his cheek, and he quickly wiped it away.
She nodded her head knowingly, and Colton felt his chest tighten.
“He told you all about it, didn’t he? That night at Dixie Chix?” Colton asked and she nodded her head.
“This is why you wanted us to talk with him?” Evan asked.
“He seemed so sad, and the Jeremiah I have gotten to know was nothing like the monster the two of you believed him to be. It’s understandable now.”
Colton cleared his throat.
“All these years we hated him and thought the worst,” Colton whispered as he reached into the box, avoided touching the jewelry, and grabbed hold of another envelope. He traced his finger over the letters.
“We enlisted in the military to get away from the pain and away from him,” Evan added.
“This one has Dad’s name on it,” Colton said as he opened up the sealed letter.
He began to read it when he realized that it was a letter from their mother to their father before she died.
“I can’t read it. I can’t,” Colton said as he passed it to Ava.
“Go ahead, Ava, you do it.”
Ava cleared her throat.
“My dearest Jeremiah. As I lie here dying, our sons care for me, and I know that they will one day be great men, great husbands and fathers. They are so much like you in so many ways. They are strong, they are trustworthy, and they have big hearts just like you. I hope one day soon you get this letter, so that you can forgive me for being such a terrible wife. You were right to hate me for wanting the material things when all that really matters is love and family. I hurt you badly and I know it. That is why I turned you away. You did not deserve to watch me die like this and nor do your sons, but you were right when you told me that they would need to be with me in my final moments. It is I that needs them so desperately, especially because as I lie here dying, I look at them and see you, the man who loved me unconditionally and who I turned away. I am weak. Too weak to pour my heart out in this note that you may never see. But know that in my final days, I love you. I am sorry for wasting time and energy on a man who was nothing compared to you. Tell my sons I love them, too.
Your wife forever and always,
Alicia
Ava could hardly get out the closing to the letter as tears blurred her vision and clogged her throat. Colton took the letter from her hands and looked it over as a tear escaped from his eye. He felt Ava’s hand against his cheek wipe the tear away.
“I love you, Colton,” she whispered then looked at Evan and took his hand into her own.
