12/09/2024
I RECEIVED A "LETTER FROM THE PAST" — INSIDE WAS A NOTE FROM MY HUSBAND SAYING, "I DID THIS FOR US, BUT YOU MUST STAY SILENT."
My husband and I have been together for 15 years and have two teenagers. Recently, I received an envelope postmarked 20 years ago. It was addressed to me from my husband, Ernest, back when we were teenagers. I felt a rush of excitement at the idea of receiving a "letter from the past."
But that excitement faded fast. Inside was a note that read: "I DID THIS FOR US, BUT YOU MUST STAY SILENT." Along with it were 10 small photos. Some showed kids from our school, including me, classmates, and a few I didn't recognize. Then I noticed a photo that sent chills through me — a picture of my friend who drowned at 16. He had gone to the lake alone and never came back.
As I examined the photos, the door swung open. Ernest walked into the kitchen, sweaty from working in the yard. My heart pounded as his eyes fell on what I was holding. His face turned pale.
"Where did you get this?" he asked, looking me straight in the eyes.⬇️