Short Story

The Letter

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Written for Kevin’s No Theme Thursday 10.24.24,
Fandango’s Story Starter #172 (#FSS), Eugi’s
Moonwashed Weekly Prompt (pretend), and
Gerry C & Sue W’s Weekly Prompts Wednesday
Challenge (fascination). This is my story.

© Kevin @ No Theme Thursday

The door was closed, and as I reached for the handle, I felt afraid of what I might find once I opened it. I braced myself. This was the door to my husband Alex’s study; the only time he ever closed it completely was when he had something weighing on his mind. I had to find out what that was.

I gave two quick knocks. “Alex, it’s me. OK if I come in?” My husband replied softly in the affirmative and asked me to close the door behind me. He never looked up; he sat eerily still in his chair, head in hands. Something of great importance was going on.

I walked to the bar and poured us both an inch of Glenlivet Single Malt Scotch. Placing one glass on the desk by Alex’s elbow, I settled myself in the large leather chair opposite him. I waited in silence, sipping my drink, then made the first move.

“You’ve been preoccupied by that letter ever since it arrived last week. Talk to me, Alex. What’s the fascination?”

My husband of 17 years exhaled and sat back in his chair. Noticing his drink for the first time, he lifted the glass to his lips and took a contemplative sip.  He tapped the opened envelope resting on the desk. “This is a copy of a DNA test from the North American Security Bureau. It says I have a son.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and nearly choked on my Scotch. “A son? You had an affair, Alex? You betrayed me and were reckless enough to have a baby?” I was shocked and devastated that some other woman was able to give Alex what I couldn’t …. an heir. I spat out those angry, accusatory words before I could think.

“No, Liz! I swear to you I did not!” Alex was quick to reassure. “This newfound son of mine is not a baby.”

“Excuse me?” I remarked, clearly bewildered. “I’m not going to pretend I understand any of this, Alex. Please enlighten me.”

“According to this DNA report, my son’s mother is Francesca; he was born after she and I split up …. long before I met you, Liz. Whatever was going on in her twisted little head, she obviously wanted to hurt me and kept her pregnancy a secret from me for 24 years! I never knew any of this.”

I was stunned! How could Francesca keep this secret for so long? It was cruel and heartless to keep Alex from his son but so very typical of her selfish nature. And why, after all this time, is she coming forward now?

“Francesca had 24 years to tell you about your son, Alex. Why now? What do you think she’s after?”

“I have no idea, Liz, but you can be sure that conniving bitch will have an explanation for her deceit. She always does. But there’s more, Liz.”

“What more could there possibly be?” I questioned; Alex continued.

“My son has been living right here in Cedar Hills for the last three years!”

“You can’t be serious! Alex, does the DNA test reveal who your son is? Could we possibly know him?” I asked in astonishment.

“It does and we do, Liz. It’s the golf pro at the country club …. you know, Paolo …. the one who’s been giving you lessons.”

At that moment I had no idea what Alex was going to say but it wasn’t that. I was speechless, shocked, and prayed it didn’t show on my face. Paolo and I had been having an affair for the last 10 months.

NAR©2024
PS: Apologies; I believe I missed the link-up deadline for Eugi’s prompt! 😔

No Theme Thursday: 10.24.24
Fandango’s Story Starter #172
Moonwashed Weekly Prompt – Pretend
Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge – Fascination

This is “Little Lies” by Fleetwood Mac

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.



57 thoughts on “The Letter”

  1. Pingback: NTT Showcase: 10.24.24 Edition – The Beginning At Last

  7. The truth always comes out, one way or another.

    She’s like all those preachers who go on and on about how awful something is, meanwhile behind closed doors, they are committing the same crime. She doth protest most hardily.

    Poor Alex. Because that truth will come out eventually, too!

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          1. Only two left!!
            Don’t you swing from one side to the other wondering what the truth is really?

            The Yanks… I couldn’t watch past the 4th inning.

            Clueless is an awful place to be once you find everything out. You feel like such a fool.

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            1. Totally! Gabriella is constantly flying of the handle and Elia is such a smooth talker. I don’t like his mother. Now that blonde just showed up at the hotel and he’s not thrilled!

              The entire game was muted; it was torture for everyone except LA.

              Ignorance is bliss …. until you wake up!

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              1. She flies off easily. Then again, he is so much younger than her and she has a bit of insecurity.
                His mother, at first, I did not like at all…
                And that blonde… oooh meet la la! Gonna be uuuughly 😉

                It was awful. I can’t believe how much Judge as lost his swing!

                I hate to admit it but on LA… Freemen is pretty friggen amazing. even more so than Ohtani. During these last three games, anyway.

                Ignorance is indeed a blissful bubble till someone comes by with a sharp needle.

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                1. I’ll be watching Netflix tonight , for sure.

                  Judge is in a bad place now and such a disappointment. Rizzo has been great for NY but he can’t carry the team. Freeman is getting it done; Ohtani may be out with a bum shoulder; we’ll see. My gut is telling me it’s going to be a 4-0 series. 😞

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                  1. I bet you will.

                    He really is. Rizzo has but nope. Takes more than one. Freemen really is. I was watching when it happened. Hopefully Ohtani will be ok.
                    Yeah… it’s lookin’ that way 😦

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              1. I just looked it up on Wikipedia. Obviously it’s big there, also in parts of the Caribbean, a bit of S America, and growing in some Asian countries. No mention of Italy or the rest of Europe, though. Maybe the page authors need to broaden their outlook if it is popular elsewhere? Here it is a game called rounders, mostly played by children, particularly girls.

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                  1. I can’t comment as it means nothing to me. It is shown on our sports channels but I’ve never understood what was going on! I hope they play better in the next game of your national championships – ‘World’ Series?

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