A box of treasures neatly tucked away in the back of her moms closet. A box of letters written decades ago. Love letters. Love letters from her estranged father.

“DAY 1,” the first envelope read. Listed all the way to Day 365. Some of the envelopes lay torn apart, while others remain untouched. May fumbles through the box of letters until she comes across “Day 176”. She quickly snatched the unopened envelope and tucked it into her pocket, before setting the little ornate box back where she found it.

May secluded herself in the nearest bathroom, to rip into the love letter. Once she was comfy on the floor in front of the sink, she began to read the words left by her father.

“DAY 176

_My Dearest Alyssa,_

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_It has been 176 days since I have hurt you and our daughter, May. I have still yet to forgive myself, and I know you haven’t forgiven me either… not that I could ever blame you for my mistakes. _

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_I have began therapy to heal myself, so i will never hurt you and our little princess again. I still have a long road to go before I can let myself come back to you. _

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_You make my heart beat faster, you make my pulse race! My love for you is infinite and beyond anything I could have ever dreamed of! My wish is to be a better husband and father, and I know my love for you makes me know that I can be! _

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_You are my heart._

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_You are my next breath._

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_You are the love of my life._

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_Alyssa, as you read this… remember my heart is always with you._

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_Love, _

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_Your Husband <3”_

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May’s heart races as she tries to piece together the puzzle of her parents life before he left. All he hears are the stories from her mother. Did he really leave and never come back on his own? Did her mom force him to leave and never return.

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All May can think about is going back for the last letter written, Day 365. She tucks the questionable piece of paper back into her pocket and slowly makes her way back to her mothers closet. To where the rest of the secrets lay.

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Once the coast is clear, she sets the Day 176 back in order and snatches the very last one out of the secret box of letters. The need to know what happend overcomes May, and instead of seeking hide out in the near by bathroom, she gets comfy infront of the little box and begins to read the ending.

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_“DAY 365_

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_Alyssa, _

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_I have finished my rounds of rehab and I am still seeing my therapist, to get better. I want to be better for you and for May._

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_I stopped by the house last night, for the first time since I left, to tell you how far I have come. I also came to ask for forgiveness in person, when before I was too much of a coward to tell it to your face._

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_You were busy._

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_I understand that your life and dreams did not stop, when I stopped being a husband and father. _

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_I wish I could have been a better man before I lost you, and before Mr Abrams from down the street became that for you. _

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_This will be my last letter, as I do not want to infringe on your new life with someone so much better for you and May than I could ever be. _

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_My love for you will never waiver. My love for you is as infinite as the ocean. _

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_My one hope in life is that ocean, will bring me back to you as a better man. _

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_Sincerely,_

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_D.”_

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May’s heart shatters as she finishes the letter. Confusion rattles through her brain as she tries to figure out who her real father is. Alyssa always told May that Todd Abrams was her father, who died when she was 10.

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The only thing that she knows for sure is that she has been lied to by her mother and that she has no idea what a true fathers love feels like. __

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