H̶i̶ ̶D̶a̶d̶.̶
D̶e̶a̶r̶ ̶f̶a̶t̶h̶e̶r̶.̶
H̶e̶l̶l̶o̶ ̶J̶i̶m̶.̶
Hey.
I̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶n̶’̶t̶ ̶s̶p̶o̶k̶e̶n̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶a̶ ̶w̶h̶i̶l̶e̶
̶Y̶o̶u̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶n̶’̶t̶ ̶b̶e̶e̶n̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶o̶u̶c̶h̶
It’s been a while.
A̶ ̶l̶o̶t̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶p̶p̶e̶n̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶p̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶f̶e̶w̶.̶
̶A̶ ̶l̶o̶t̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶p̶p̶e̶n̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶l̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶2̶0̶ ̶y̶e̶a̶r̶s̶.̶
This essay is featured in our 2020-2024 book. You can buy it in the shop.
H̶i̶ ̶D̶a̶d̶.̶
D̶e̶a̶r̶ ̶f̶a̶t̶h̶e̶r̶.̶
H̶e̶l̶l̶o̶ ̶J̶i̶m̶.̶
Hey.
I̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶n̶’̶t̶ ̶s̶p̶o̶k̶e̶n̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶a̶ ̶w̶h̶i̶l̶e̶
̶Y̶o̶u̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶n̶’̶t̶ ̶b̶e̶e̶n̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶o̶u̶c̶h̶
It’s been a while.
A̶ ̶l̶o̶t̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶p̶p̶e̶n̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶p̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶f̶e̶w̶.̶
̶A̶ ̶l̶o̶t̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶p̶p̶e̶n̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶l̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶2̶0̶ ̶y̶e̶a̶r̶s̶.̶
“I’ve moved house and moved house and moved house and finally made a home. It’s far away from the home we shared, the one I have tattooed on my arm. But I haven’t forgotten it. Or the love shared in that place.”
A lot has happened since we last spoke properly. I’ve built a career for myself. I kept our surname and I turned it into something good, a mark of quality, a name to be trusted.
I’ve moved house and moved house and moved house and finally made a home. It's far away from the home we shared, the one I have tattooed on my arm. But I haven’t forgotten it. Or the love shared in that place. In that time.
I want to tell you that I have some exciting news. I met someone. I love them. They love me. We live together. I proposed. We’re getting married.
I̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶l̶o̶v̶e̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶
I̶’̶d̶ ̶l̶o̶v̶e̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶p̶a̶r̶t̶
W̶e̶’̶d̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶i̶t̶
I̶’̶m̶ ̶s̶o̶r̶r̶y̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶
“Maybe sometime soon we can catch up on all of the things that have happened in our lives. Your new family. My new family. Maybe sometime soon I can introduce you to my wife. I’d like that. ”
We’re having a small wedding. It’ll be intimate. My mum will be there of course, and my brothers and sisters. Y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶d̶a̶u̶g̶h̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶s̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶o̶o̶,̶ ̶I̶ ̶m̶e̶a̶n̶.̶
But this is a special time we want to spend celebrating us and our family and I would hate to upset anyone.
I̶t̶ ̶d̶o̶e̶s̶n̶’̶t̶…̶
I̶’̶m̶ ̶s̶u̶…̶
I hope you understand. Maybe sometime soon ̶w̶e̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶c̶e̶l̶e̶b̶r̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶g̶e̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶we can talk.
Maybe sometime soon we can catch up on all of the things that have happened in our lives. Your new family. My new family. Maybe sometime soon I can introduce you to my wife. I’d like that.
Y̶o̶u̶r̶s̶ ̶s̶i̶n̶c̶e̶r̶e̶l̶y̶
T̶h̶a̶n̶k̶s̶
L̶o̶t̶s̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶l̶o̶v̶e̶
K̶i̶n̶d̶l̶y̶,̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶s̶o̶n̶
K̶i̶n̶d̶l̶y̶
Kindly, your son,
Jack
This is the first one!
Published tomorrow!