"Every picture he had."
Malik's smile disappeared.
"What did he say?"
Reed reached into the box.
He pulled out a folded piece of paper.
"He wrote this."
Malik took it.
The handwriting was unmistakably his father's.
**For Malik, when he's old enough to understand.**
His heart began beating faster.
He looked at Angela.
She hadn't seen the letter before.
"Can I?"
Angela nodded.
Malik unfolded it.
The first line was simple.
**Son, if you're reading this, I'm probably not there to explain it myself.**
Malik stopped.
His eyes moved across the page.
His father wrote about courage.
About mistakes.
About how being strong didn't mean pretending nothing hurt.
But near the end was one sentence that made Malik stop breathing.
**There are things I kept from your mother because I believed I was protecting her. I was wrong.**
Malik looked at Reed.
"What does that mean?"
Reed didn't answer immediately.
Angela stood.
"Give me the letter."
Malik looked at her.
"Mom?"
"Please."
He handed it over.
Angela read it.
Her face went pale.
"Why didn't you tell me this existed?"
Reed lowered his eyes.
"Because Marcus asked me not to."
Angela looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because he thought someone might come looking."
"Who?"
Reed didn't answer.
A knock came from the front door.
Everyone froze.
It was David Cole.
He entered carrying a folder.
"I think we need to talk."
Angela stared at him.
"About Marcus?"
"Yes."
Malik closed the door.
David placed the folder on the table.
"Before Marcus died, he contacted an attorney."
Angela frowned.
"Why?"
"He believed information from his military service was being mishandled."
"What information?"
"We don't know."
"Then why are you here?"
David looked at Malik.
"Because Marcus left instructions."
"For what?"
"For the possibility that something happened to him."
Angela shook her head.
"My husband died in a traffic accident."
"That's what the official report says."