It happened because Samuel helped.
He did not arrange a surprise.
He gave Lily my phone number.
Then let her choose.
One evening, I was sitting by the fire.
Patch was asleep beside me.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
“Hello?”
Silence.
Then a young woman said.
“Is this Rebecca?”
My heart stopped.
“Yes.”
Another silence.
“This is Lily.”
I could not speak.
I had imagined her voice for eleven years.
But the voice in my head belonged to a child.
This was a young woman.
“Hi.”
That was all I managed.
She started crying.
So did I.
Then she asked.
“Why did you stop writing?”
I felt as though someone had punched me.
“I didn’t.”
Silence.
“What?”
“I wrote constantly.”
“No.”
“Grandma said you stopped after two years.”
“She lied.”
I hated saying that.
But it was true.
Lily breathed shakily.
“I got six letters.”
“Six?”
“Yes.”
