Dear Ex-wife, Marry Me novel Chapter 1976

Shirley, at 21, stumbled upon an unexpected letter while rummaging through some family documents. The envelope was dusted with the kind of dirt that spoke of long distances and rural origins. The return address pointed to Maplewood, a name that rang no immediate bells in her family's collective memory.

"Mom, do we know anyone from Maplewood? There's a letter," she queried, puzzled by the unfamiliar sender.

Her mother, Mrs. Davis, drying her hands on a kitchen towel, frowned upon hearing the name. "Maplewood... Wasn't that where you went last year with your college group for that community service trip?"

Indeed, a year ago, Shirley had visited Maplewood with her student organization. There, she had met a tall, skinny middle schooler. Moved by his situation, she had left some money for him, along with her contact details, promising to send $2,000 every six months to support his education through high school.

The letter, Shirley realized with a start, must be from him.

Mrs. Davis returned to her cooking, remarking that another letter had arrived two months prior and had been inadvertently thrown away by Shirley's father, suspecting it to be junk mail.