At my brother’s funeral, I expected sorrow and silence, not a sealed letter that would turn my world upside down. What he confessed inside rewrote everything I thought I knew about my family.

“Are you okay, Mom?” I whispered. She nodded but didn’t look at me. “Fine, Lily. Just tired. ”She wasn’t fine. She was strange. Distant. My dad leaned toward a cousin in the second row, whispering something I couldn’t hear. When he noticed me watching, he turned away fast. Something felt off. Not just sadness. Something else. I kept catching them looking at me. My mom. My dad. And then looking away like they were guilty.

Eric’s widow, Laura, sat alone a few rows ahead. Her shoulders shook as she wiped her face. Real tears. Real pain. She didn’t fake it. When the service ended, people left in twos and threes. Some hugged me. Some said nothing. I barely noticed. Outside, the wind picked up. I stood by a tree near the parking lot, just needing air. That’s when I saw Laura, walking toward me with something in her hands. “Lily,” she said. Her voice cracked. “I need to give you this.” “What is it?”