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“Can you two stop snacking and start helping?”Morgan asked.

Charlie and Abby each ate another cracker, then opened cabinets and piled baking pans, platters, and the waffle maker on the countertop.Morgan rushed to get everything into boxes before they ran out of room on the counter and had to heap things onto the floor.

Hours later, moving boxes filled the garage, and the kitchen was empty except for what they’d need for the next few days.Morgan wiped the counters down.

“I’ll get the vacuum,” Morgan said, heading to the hall closet.

Charlie and Abby went into the living room.While Charlie took the framed photos off the bookshelves, Abby arranged the books by color, and Morgan began to vacuum.The vacuum’s low hum echoed off the empty walls.First, Morgan went over the hardwood floor and then pushed the vacuum onto the rug.

“Can you guys help me move the couch?”Morgan asked.“I hope Albert’s hair hasn’t mixed with the dust bunnies and created a new creature.”

Charlie and Abby each took a side of the couch.

“One, two, three, lift,” Morgan said.Charlie and Abby grunted as they pulled it onto the hardwood floors.

Abby reached down, picking up something on the carpet.“I just found a Lego,” she said,

holding it up.“Oh, cool.It’s my mini figure of Yoda.I always wondered where that went.”She blew the dust off it.

“Mom couldn’t have moved this couch in years,” Charlie said.

Morgan noticed a small piece of blank paper lying on the ground.She picked it up, turned it over, and immediately recognized her mother’s writing, although it was messier than usual.As Morgan read to herself what was on the paper, her face went slack, and she began to cry.Abby and Charlie stared at her.

“What’s the matter?”Abby asked.

Morgan couldn’t say anything; she just kept crying.

“Morgan?”Charlie’s hand shook as she took the paper away from Morgan.Tears streamed down Charlie’s cheeks as she scanned what was written.

“What is it?”Abby asked.

“It’s a suicide note,” Morgan said, finally getting the words out.

“Oh my God,” Abby said, taking the note from Charlie and reading it out loud.

My dear, sweet daughters, by the time you read this, you probably already know I’ve been lying to you about your father.I lied to him, too.He didn’t have any clue that I was pregnant with Abby when I took you and ran away.I am so sorry for all the damage I caused in your lives by not letting you have your father.I know that the three of you will be so angry at me that you’ll cut me out of your life, and I don’t blame you, but I can’t live with that.I’d rather disappear than be on this earth knowing my girls hate me.I love you all so much and I’m sorry for all the pain I caused.

Abby barely got through the final sentence before she began sobbing.

“I didn’t think I had any more tears in me,” Abby said.

Morgan handed her a tissue, and she blew her nose.“So, Brian is my father,” Abby said.

“I’m glad,” Morgan said.

Charlie’s crying stopped.“Mom makes it sound like she had no choice, but she always had a choice.She could’ve told us the truth; the lie wasn’t worth ending her life over.”

“Didn’t she know we would’ve forgiven her if she’d been honest with us?”Morgan asked.

“She thought it was too late,” Abby said.

“It’s never too late,” Morgan said.“We would’ve been mad, but we would’ve gotten through it.There’s no way we would have stopped speaking to her.”

“I guess she didn’t trust that,” Abby said.

“How could she not know how much we loved her,” Charlie said.

Morgan sat down on the couch.“Part of me feels sorry for Mom,” she said.