“He’s drinking and driving now as well,” Marcus said. “He thinks he’s above the law. You know, he makes me want to vomit.”

“We’ll work something out,” Grace said and took his hands in hers.

Marcus slumped into a chair and burst into tears.

“What’s wrong, Marcus?” she asked gently. “Did something happen at school today?”

“No, nothing like that,” he said between sobs. “Dad is having an affair.”

“How do you know?”

“We stopped at the bottle store on the way home. He left his phone in the car when he went in. A whole lot of messages started to come through.”

Grace couldn’t answer. She just nodded.

“I picked up his phone and read the messages. They were from a woman called Penrose. The messages were very explicit.”

“I’ve seen her in church,” Grace said. “She’s married, with a couple of young children.”

“Her husband owns a grocery shop in Springfield. They are always in church with their kids.”

“I wonder how long it’s been going on?” Grace asked. “Do you think Mum knew about it?”

“I don’t know,” Marcus said. “And I think even if she did, she wouldn’t care. The week before she died I noticed a big bruise on the upper part of her arm.”

“I never saw it,” Grace said sadly.

“I only noticed it because I put my head around her bedroom door to ask her something. She was changing her blouse at the time.”

“Did you ask her how she got it?”

Marcus nodded his head. “She said she slipped and fell against the cupboard door in the kitchen.”

Later that same night, Marcus was in bed, fast asleep. He was worn out from the events of the evening.

Grace was sitting on her bed but she was wide-awake. She had deliberated about telling her brother what Mum had told her before she died. But after seeing the way he reacted to their father’s words, she realised that Marcus should not be told, not right now anyway. First she’d wait and see what was in the box hidden at the back of her mother’s cupboard.

Leonard was still out. Grace checked on Marcus. He was snoring softly.

Grace rummaged around Mum’s cupboard until she found the old tin box. She cradled it in her arms and went back to sit on her bed.

The box was full. Lying on top was an envelope with Grace’s name on it. Grace opened it, to discover a letter, dated just ten days before her mother died.

My darling daughter, Grace read.

There have been many times I wanted to tell you about your origins, but the time never seemed right. I suppose in a lot of ways I was a coward, and still am for that matter.

I know now that I should never have allowed Leonard to keep that hold over me. But as time went on I found it harder and harder to get away from him.

Grace brushed away a stray tear and carried on reading.

***

Tell us what you think: Is it possible for a man to accept a child who is not his biological child?