Daddy, listen to this. Lily sat cross-legged on the couch, the journal open in her lap. Victoria wrote, "Today I brought Lily chocolate chip cookies. She told me they were the best cookies she'd ever had. I wanted to cry.
I wanted to tell her that I used to make those cookies for myself when I was pregnant with her. That it was the only thing I craved for 9 months. That every time I bake them, I think of her. She was thinking about me the whole time." Daniel smiled. She thought about you every day.
And look at this one. Lily flipped to another page. Daniel smiled at me today. A real smile, not the polite one he uses with clients. I felt like a teenager again, nervous and hopeful and terrified all at once.
Is this what it feels like to fall in love? I'd almost forgotten. Daniel's chest ached. Maybe we shouldn't read that part. Why, it's romantic.
Lily grinned. She loved you, Daddy. Like really loved you. I know. Did you love her back?
Daniel hesitated. It was a question he'd asked himself a thousand times. He'd known Victoria for less than 2 years. They'd never gone on a date, never kissed, never done any of the things couples do when they're falling in love. But he'd felt something for her, something real.
I think I could have," he finally said. "If we'd had more time," Lily nodded, accepting this. I wish you'd had more time, too. One month after Daniel told Lily the truth, a package arrived at their door. There was no return address, just Daniel's name written in handwriting he didn't recognize.
Inside was a small video camera and a note. Mr. Carter Victoria gave me this camera 3 years ago with instructions to send it to you if anything happened to her. I apologize for the delay. I've been living abroad and only recently learned of her passing. The video was recorded for her daughter in case Victoria never got the chance to meet her in person.
I hope it brings you both some comfort. Sincerely, Diana Mitchell, Victoria's college roommate. Daniel's hands were shaking as he connected the camera to their television. "What is that?" Lily asked, coming into the living room with a glass of juice. "A video from Victoria for you." Lily set down her juice and sat on the couch, her eyes wide.
She made a video apparently 3 years ago. "Before she found me, before she found you," Daniel pressed play. Victoria's face filled the screen younger than Daniel remembered with fewer lines around her eyes and more hope in her expression. She was sitting in what looked like an office. Her hands folded in her lap, her voice steady but emotional.
Hello, sweetheart. Lily grabbed Daniel's hand and squeezed. If you're watching this, it means I found you, but didn't get the chance to tell you myself. I've been preparing for that possibility for years, hoping it won't happen, but knowing it might. Victoria took a breath.