Single Dad Cries Reading Late Wife’s Old Letters until He Learns He Needs to DNA Test His Kids – Short Story

When Oscar found an old box of romantic letters, they reminded him of the beautiful journey of love with his late wife – until they suddenly revealed her unexpected secrets.

“Sofie, Savannah, Saul! Aren’t you guys ready yet?”

Oscar was waiting at the door, holding the kids’ bike helmets. They lined up, barely able to contain their excitement.

“Here, put these on. Saul, you’re the adult of the group. Ride slowly. Do not leave their side for a second. Not even to say hi to your girlfriend, okay? And do not let Savannah talk you into a race. No fighting over food!”

“Dad! I’m 17, not 7. I got this!”

“Savannah, behave. No speeding, no stunts. And no racing. Take your little sister to the bathroom as soon as the movie ends.”

“Ugh, okay, dad.”

“And now for my little princess. Here, put the helmet on.”

“Dad, are you sure you don’t want to come? It’ll be fun watching a movie and having pizza together!”

“Thanks, baby, but there’s a lot of cleaning up to do before we move. Go, be good, and have fun!”

Oscar waved goodbye to the three cheerful children on their bikes, closed the door, and got to work. He finally had the calm and peace he needed to sort through the overwhelming mess in the attic.

‘If there is any hope of us moving to the new place in a month, I’ve got to get this sorted out today.’

There were dozens of boxes – of old clothes, books, showpieces, and even old official documents from every single job that Oscar ever had.

‘What’s this one? A box of plastic bags. Unbelievable! The things Ava used to do,’ Oscar chuckled.

Before old memories of his late wife could start stirring up emotions in his head, he quickly picked up another box.

Two hours had gone by, and Oscar was proud of himself. He had sifted through most of the stuff, made a towering yet neat discard pile, and picked only a small stack of things to carry to the new house.

‘It would’ve made her so uneasy, knowing I’m just giving this stuff away. “Sell it. At least you’ll get something for the scrap!” she would probably say.’

‘Perhaps there’s something scrap-worthy in here,’ Oscar said to himself, opening the last box in the room.

The box was sealed with an unusual amount of tape; Oscar had never seen it before. As soon as he pulled out what was in the box, his heart skipped a beat.

There was a worn-out styrofoam heart with the words ‘Ava weds Oscar’ painted on it. There was her corsage and his pocket square from their wedding day.

‘This is going to take a while,’ Oscar thought as he finally let the nostalgia set in.

There was a rolled-up bunch of little love notes they would leave each other on mirrors around the house.

There were old artificial rings, teddy bears, and gift boxes they had gifted each other throughout their college years.

Next to a bunch of old photographs, there was a thick bunch of old folded papers tied up with an old string.

He untied the string and opened up the most fantastic memoir of his and Ava’s story. It was a collection of every letter they had ever written to each other, right from their school days.

Dearest Ava,

Will you be my Valentine? Please accept this chocolate and leave the wrapper under my desk if the answer is yes…

My dearest O,

There’s literally been no sunshine on campus since you left. Come back soon from your stupid championship and kiss me already…

…I love you to the moon and back…

…I promise to spoil you with everything you can wish for…

…I want us to have three chubby babies…

…talk to my parents…

Every innocent letter made Oscar smile until they finally made him break down and cry. Even after four long years, Ava’s death still stung in the center of his chest.

And even though they went through many rough times together, struggling to survive in a brutal world, this treasure of letters was enough to remind Oscar of the beautiful bits in between.

He kept reading the letters and fighting back his tears of joy and sorrow. That’s when he noticed something strange.

There were letters he didn’t recognize at all. They were written in Ava’s beautiful handwriting, and intense feelings were packed in them. But weirdly, they weren’t addressed to ‘My dearest O’ or even ‘Oscar.’

Those few letters were simply addressed to ‘Darling.’

…I was so lonely before you showed up…

…I enjoyed our little flirtation over lunch…

…Would it be wrong to meet again?

…I think I’ve fallen in love with you…

…this can’t go on. I love O and our little baby girl too much…

That last line gave it away. How could she? Who was this man? And what did she mean by ‘our’ little girl?

Oscar stared at the letters in his hand addressed to ‘Dearest.’ And he couldn’t help thinking that his love story, the one people loved to hear him narrate, had been a lie all along.

That would explain the phase when Ava was distant and withdrawn from him and the family. And why it all got better about a year after Sofie was born.

The possibility that Sofie was not his child sickened him even more. Usually, Oscar was kind and always believed in forgiveness and taking the high road.

But this time, I just HAVE to find out. Saying this, he called a friend who worked at a clinical laboratory.

It has been two weeks since the day Oscar submitted the paternity test without the children’s knowledge.

His friend at the lab wouldn’t stop calling him. “Why aren’t you picking up the results, man? They’re just sitting there for more than a week now.”

The truth is, Oscar wasn’t sure he wanted to know. ‘What good would it do, finding out whether I am the father or not?’

‘What if I’m not? Doesn’t Sofie have the right to know? If not now, maybe when she’s older?’

Oscar was tired of the conflicting voices in his head.

One day, he drove to the lab, picked up the results, ripped open the envelope, and started reading the reports.

‘The alleged father is excluded as the biological father of the tested child. The possibility of paternity is 0%.’

The love of a parent runs deeper than blood.

Oscar collapsed onto a dining chair. He knew this was a possibility, but it still hit him hard. Where there was love and grief, anger had started to bubble up.

There were two more copies of the report. But looking closely, Oscar noticed that they weren’t just copies – they were reports of the other two children.

In a moment of pettiness, Oscar had decided to submit the samples of Savannah and Saul along with Sofie’s.

The message on both reports was the same. The alleged father is excluded as the biological father of the tested child. The possibility of paternity is 0%.

This can’t be right. This just can’t!

Oscar reread the report. He called the laboratory to double-check if he had gotten the right results.

While the children were out playing on the front lawn, he was looking at them through the kitchen window. He tried to look for any feeling of sudden detachment from them. He tried to look at them as a stranger’s kids. But those silly, fighting, laughing little monsters still felt like his own children.

He didn’t realize that the children saw tears rolling down his face. He didn’t know when they came rushing in to check on him. He didn’t realize that he had smashed a few plates and bowls on the kitchen floor in a bout of anxiety.

“Dad! Are you alright?” Saul swept the shrapnel under the kitchen cabinets.

“Dad?! Come, sit down.” Savannah held Oscar as he slowly walked toward the couch.

“What’s wrong, daddy?” Sofie jumped up on Oscar’s lap and wiped his tears.

“Whatever it is, you can tell us. Tell me, I’m a big girl.” the ten-year-old insisted.

Holding the hands of his three non-biological children, Oscar told them the truth.

“So, that’s the harsh truth, kids. I know it’s a lot to take in, but I’m here to help you through it. It has shattered my world, too. Your mother wasn’t happy with me, so she was with another man for quite a while. I had no idea she was that unhappy. And I have no idea who your dad is…”

“I do!” Sofie raised her hand.

“I’ve met him many times. In fact, I’ve met him every day of my life! His is the first face I see when I wake up, and it is my favorite face in the whole world,” she said.

“Yeah, I know who my dad is. He’s the guy who knows how to tie my unruly hair and the entire list of food I’m allergic to.”

“Ah yes, my dad is the guy who struggled to survive for years, working two and three jobs at times. And a month ago, he just bought us a new apartment.”

Tears rolled down Oscar’s eyes as he heard his children speak up for him.

“It’s you! You are our dad!”

Later that evening, the kids insisted on tearing each of their reports and flushing them away. They slept in one bed, huddled in each other’s arms.

It was the last night in the old house. To Oscar, moving away finally started feeling like moving on.

What do we learn from this story?

• The love of a parent runs deeper than blood. Oscar loved the kids with all his heart. Even after finding that they weren’t biologically his children, he didn’t love them any less.
• Children have a way of soothing our deepest wounds. Seeing how their dad was devastated, Saul, Savannah, and Sofie knew exactly how to make him feel better, despite the shocking revelation about him.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a woman who finds a letter from her first love in her jacket pocket. What she does after reading its contents might surprise you.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.

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