Chapter 3

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I found the box fairly quickly. I mean it had "Letters from Alex" on the top of the box. I sighed and took them downstairs. I was thankful he and my mom started dating the letters, it made it easier to put them in order.

The first letter was from my mom.

-Alexander,
This isn't something I thought I would put in a letter to have to hunt you down to give you but here we are. Listen, I think you need to know that I'm pregnant. I went to the doctor to confirm it and I know it's only yours. Trust me when I say I won't need anything from you. You get to make that choice on your own. No pressure.
Listen, I went to the post office downtown and got a PO box, I have a key and I'm giving you one. I figured if we kept this up and just kept it to letters, we could drop them there.
If you don't want to just put the key back in the box and I will check it every week. I can go on Fridays if you want to go on Mondays. God, I feel like an idiot Alexander. I know you said you lead a dangerous life, but this is stupid.
Not sure if you will even read this letter...I hope so.
Yours,
Tessa-

I just read the letter and was in shock by the one line...dangerous life? What the hell was he? I saw a biker but that's not dangerous just to be a biker.

I moved on reading a few letters back and forth. I got to one 7 months later.

-Alex,
She's here. Jules Marie Richardson was born on October 31st at 10:34pm, my Halloween baby. I gave her my last name so no link to you. I'm sending you some pictures of her, she is beautiful but I might be biased. I would love for you to come and at least see her once, once we get home. You need to see your daughter. If you can't see her again, I would understand.
She is perfect though, she has your eyes. The nurses keep telling me they are going to change but I hope not. I love that she has your eyes.
I'm having someone drop this off at the PO box so it's there on my drop off day. Hope to see you soon. Or at least hear from you.
Love,
Tessa and Jules-

The letters were pretty mundane after that even though there was a lull in letters for about 6 months. His absence was explained in a letter written and left by someone named Gemma.

-Tessa & Jules,
I don't know what this is but Tig asked me to leave a letter explaining the situation in the PO box and gave me the key for safe keeping.
He wanted me to let you know that is serving 6 months in prison and will be back soon. He says he is sorry to do this to you and will be back as soon as he can.
Regards,
Gemma-

Well, that Gemma seemed like a cold-hearted bitch, and I didn't know who the hell she was. Probably his wife since he never thought of marrying my mother.

I wasn't even sure how late it was when I stopped reading but I know my mother and Alex wrote each other once a week and I was only up to the elementary school years. I couldn't stop, this was like a book I couldn't put down. I leaned my head back on the couch as I heard my cellphone go off on the coffee table and it was a text message, I grabbed my phone.

ALICE: Just checking on you. You okay?

I didn't know what to tell her. She didn't know about my visitor or these letters. I just thought I would keep all of that to myself.

JULES: Yeah, just going through some of her boxes, deciding what I want to keep and everything. It's a process.

ALICE: Do you want help? I mean I could come over.

JULES: No, it's okay. Easier if it's just me since I know what means something and I like seeing everything.

ALICE: Well, I'm here if you need me. Just know you don't have to do everything alone.

JULES: I know. How about we get coffee tomorrow?

ALICE: Sounds good, same place as usual say around 10?

JULES: Yep, see you then.

I put my phone down and went back to reading the letters from parents to each other.

🖤 🖤 🖤

I woke up the next morning on the couch with the letters on my chest. I couldn't stop reading them all night. I looked at the clock and it was 8am. I needed to get up and get ready to go meet Alice for coffee. I put the notes down and got ready. I hated leaving them, but I knew I needed to get out of the house.

As I parked at the small bakery, I saw some motorcycles parked outside as well and sighed. I walked in seeing Alice and she smiled.

"Hey!" Alice said and we hugged as we then both got in line to get our drinks.

"Hey, sorry, I really thought I was going to be late. I got lost in my thoughts in the shower this morning." I said and Alice smiled.

"That's okay, its been a crazy couple for days for you." Alice said and I nodded. We got to the counter and ordered our drinks. I looked around the bakery as we waited on our drinks and I saw him, the man from my door that morning, the man who had been writing my mother since she found out she was having me...Alexander, Tig as he was also known and most importantly...my father. He started walking towards me but then nodded outside and I sighed.

"Can you get my drink, then get us a table? I need to go outside for minute." I said and she nodded. I walked outside and didn't see Alex.

"Hey." I heard him whisper and looked to see him down the side alley and I groaned following him.

"Hi." I said when I got in the alley with him.

"I didn't expect to see you." Alex said and I sighed.

"I'm having some coffee with my friend. She was around when mom was sick and was always there for me." I said and Alex just hung his head.

"I wanted to be there Jules, but it wasn't safe."

"But it was safe to come to her funeral with your goons." I said matter of factly.

"Goons, that's funny..." Alex said with a small smile, more annoyed than anything.

"You getting to read the letters?" Alex asked and I nodded.

"Yeah...I found moms, so I put them together and I'm reading them like a book." I said and he gave a small smile.

"Do you think I could read it when you're done?" Alex asked and I nodded.

"Yeah, we will figure something out." I said and he sighed.

We were silent for a minute.

"Did you ever come and see me once I was born?" I asked and he smiled. He pulled out his wallet pulling a picture from the wallet, and he showed me it was a much younger him holding a baby wrapped in a pink blanket. I smiled.

"I held you, you were giving your mom some trouble with fussing. I came in, picked you up and you stopped immediately." Alex said and I just handed the picture back.

"Will you ever tell me why you couldn't stay? You never told mom much just a biker and not safe." I said and Alex went to say something.

"Tig." We heard a voice say and there was a guy who was with him at my house standing there. Younger, my age, right above his shoulder blonde hair. He was wearing baggy jeans, white t-shirt, biker vest. He just looked at me, his blue eyes hit me hard the minute I made eye contact with him.

"Yeah, I know." Alex said and then looked at me. "I have to go. Your moms usual drop date was Friday. Will you make it by this Friday?" Alex asked and I sighed but nodded.

"Yeah...if I don't write a letter, I will just leave you the letters put together." I said and he nodded.

"Thanks Jules." Alex said and went in for a hug then stopped. He looked at the guy at the end of the alley. He just nodded his head at me, and I half smiled. I heard their bikes all ride away and groaned.

What was he into that everything has to be a secret?

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