Eighteen Years After Ray Abandoned Him on a Dirt Road, Thomas Found His Mother’s Letter

I nearly smiled.

Then I looked at the letter again and the smile disappeared.

After I hung up, I stood at the counter holding both pages.

The kitchen light was the only light on in the house.

The paid-off van loan statement on the fridge said balance zero.

For eighteen years I had been the runaway boy.

Ray had seen to that.

I turned the letter over and read the date in the top corner one more time.