June 2, 1965
Dear G,
You did it! You followed your dreams and didn’t give up. And proved my father wrong in the process. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I looked up and saw your beautiful smile on the big screen. That smile kept me going for the last ten years on days I didn’t think I had it in me. I still miss you madly. The pain still feels as raw as the day I drove away from you, but I now know it can never be for us. My heart aches, but I am so proud of you. And our daughter would be too if she knew.
She covered her mouth, feeling a tide rise in her eyes. “I can’t. You finish it.” Dahlia had a feeling of where the puzzle pieces were leading her, but the words still stung like the tentacles of a Portuguese man-of-war. They were leading her to a lie six decades in the making.
Noah reached for the letter, which was firmly in her grip, and continued where she had left off.
It’s her tenth birthday today. I took her to seeThe Best Man, not realizing you’d be in it. She looks so much like you, G, with her green eyes and thick, wavy hair. And she is as smart as a whip, a perfect combination of both of us. I named her Rose after our summer together. How could I not? There is so much more I want to tell you, but for now, I have solace in writing this.
All My Love,
L
Dahlia’s mind swirled like a cyclone. She paced the floor, piecing together dates. She remembered Gran’s story about the anniversary vase, and how she’d just come back from a trip. That had to have been the summer of 1955, when Dahlia’s mother was conceived.
“This, along with the inscription in the book,”—and the call from Daisy—“confirms it. Gran cheated on my pop, and my mother is the product of their affair. Oh God, to hear it aloud makes me sick.” She plopped on a chest and held her stomach. “But why would she hide this letter where anyone could have found it? That’s ballsy, even for her.” Dahlia narrowed her gaze on the box of cassettes. “How could she do this to my pop? My mother died never knowing the truth.”
“I wish I had an answer for you,” Noah said.
“I’ve been lied to all my life.” Her lips quivered; she felt sucker punched.
“Hey.” He knelt in front of her and wiped the single tear with his thumb. “We’ll figure this out.”
We’ll.For a brief second, that little word felt nice. “Noah, my life has just been uprooted by a category-five hurricane. The man Icalled Pop for thirty-eight years of my life isn’t …” She shook her head, holding back the tidal wave of tears.
“Listen to me.” Noah held her chin. “Heisandwill always beyour grandfather, no matter what or who you find. Biology doesn’t make you a parent or grandparent; love does.”
Dahlia shrugged, wiping her nose. Her throat tightened as she tried to search her memory for any clues she may have missed. Had her pop said something or acted a certain way that she hadn’t understood at the time? Was she too blind to see the truth? Who else in their family knew? Did Lil? The questions ran through her mind like a ticker tape of never-ending hypotheses. How could this be happening?
“He was obviously in the movie business. It can’t be that hard to find him,” Noah said with easy confidence. “A simple Google search will do it.”
“This could lead to something I’m not sure I can handle,” she said, feeling her posture cave inward.
“I think the worst part is over, D.” He reached for her hand.
“Yeah, maybe so.”
“Tomorrow, I can call a producer friend of mine fromHamptons Houseif we can’t find him online tonight. We can track him down,” he said, assuring her with a light squeeze. “Only if that’s what you want.”
“Noah, I don’t know. I need to digest this first. I have no idea what to think or what to feel.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “Lil had to have known. This has to be the secret she needed me to know about.”
And the truth was, Dahlia wondered if some secrets were better off staying buried.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
July 15
Dahlia’s hand hung over the steering wheel as she hummed the lyrics of “Sparks.” The escape to Shelter Island was the break she needed emotionally and physically. Organizing Lil’s belongings and items collected by her family for over a century had become a daunting task with no end in sight. In some small way, the family revelation made her feel that the decision to leave was the right one. The house was now filled with heaviness, tarnishing her warm memories with soot. She looked for signs anywhere and everywhere, but nothing revealed itself—aside from Noah, that was. He was her beacon in the storm.
It had been four days since Dahlia uncovered the glaring details of her grandmother’s affair. After the shock wore off, her anger bubbled to the surface. Her jaw ached from all the nighttime grinding. It was often how she’d dealt with Spence’s condescending ways and affairs. It seemed there was more than one. She buried her emotions so it became actual physical pain. But this wasdifferent. On the one hand, there was this mystery that rerouted the past, and on the other, the birthing of a family connection. She could water the flowers or let the truth starve them. Every day felt like a balancing act between anguish and joy.
There was still no sign of Lil’s safe deposit key, but Dahlia was sure whatever secret lay hidden in that box was about Gran, this man, and her mother. Which meant Lil had known. At this point, if she didn’t find the key, it wasn’t the end of the world. I mean, what more could she discover? It couldn’t get worse than finding out her pop had likely been duped for five decades. Her heart felt as empty as the tin cans in Lil’s barn. She was torn between being in the present, where the sun showered her with warmth, and traveling to the past, where she might get stuck.
The ferry line was slowly shrinking, and Dahlia couldn’t wait to feel the breeze from the boat. It was ninety-two degrees, but it felt like one-hundred-twenty in the car, with its black leather seats and no air conditioning. The aroma of basil and sauce from the neighboring pizza shop filled her nostrils as she inched her car closer to the ferry’s opening. She fanned herself as she voice-texted Spence.
“Did you email the papers? I still haven’t received them.”
