As the silence settled back into the room, I could scarcely believe the man standing before me. I felt an overwhelming flood of emotions—confusion, disbelief, and a flicker of hope. My father, the ghost from my past, had materialized at a moment when I had never felt more alone.
“How?” I managed to croak, my voice barely above a whisper. “How are you here?”
Thomas Reed took a tentative step closer, the weight of years of separation evident in his eyes. “It’s a long story, and one I want to share with you,” he replied, his voice softening. “But first, you need to know that I only learned of your existence a few months ago. Your mother… she hid you from me.”
