I heard my daughter whisper "I miss you, Daddy" on the phone – I buried her father 18 years ago

Suddenly, nothing in my world seemed certain anymore. Not even the pain I'd clung to like a life preserver.

The next morning, after a night spent pacing and imagining the most horrific scenarios, I met Susie for breakfast.

“Sit down,” I told him.

My daughter hesitated but obeyed.

"I heard what you said yesterday. Please, darling. No more lying."

His shoulders slumped. He stood up without a word and disappeared upstairs.

A few minutes later, he returned with an envelope. He handed it to me and sat down again.

I opened it slowly. The writing shocked me  .

"My name is Charles. If you're reading this, it means I've finally found the courage to contact you. I'm your father."

I swallowed as the letter painfully opened.

"I've followed your life from afar. I panicked when you were born. I wasn't ready. My mother helped me disappear. I thought I was doing the right thing. Now I realize I was wrong. I'd like to talk to you. If you want."

At the bottom of the page was a phone number.