The letter had been written three months before my mother died. She explained that she had asked Diane to raise me if her cancer treatment failed. She worried that Ray was becoming more interested in money than in being a father. My grandparents had established a trust to provide for my care, with monthly payments intended for whoever raised me. Mother had specifically warned Diane that Ray might try to control those funds. I read the paragraph repeatedly, struggling to understand why she had kept this fear from me. Then I reached the final page.

Mother had written that she wanted me to know I was never unwanted. She had loved me deeply and hoped I would grow up surrounded by kindness. She also asked Diane to protect the truth until I was old enough to understand it. I immediately called my aunt. When I mentioned the letter, she went silent. Finally, she whispered, “Thomas, there is something else you need to know about the money your grandparents left you.”