“I used to think boring was something to escape.”

“It turns out to be rather precious.”

We opened the letter to Sadie next, not to make it dramatic but because she had a right to hear what her father wanted her to know.

He read only the parts she wanted him to read.

When she grew restless, we stopped.

The third letter was for his colleagues.

He rewrote it into a practical note thanking them for covering his patients and acknowledging the difficulty caused by his secrecy.

He sent it the next day.