My mom died giving birth to me. After that, it was just me and my dad.
Eventually, my dad married a woman named Camila, who already had two daughters from a previous marriage. Camila only treated me well when my dad was home. He served in the Army, and every time he returned to base, she became cold and distant with me again.
But I had my daddy. And that was enough. Six years ago today, my dad died while on duty. I felt my world shatter completely.
After that, Camila and her daughters stopped pretending. All of a sudden, I was the one cleaning the whole house, cooking, and doing everything they didn’t want to do.
Camila never missed a chance to remind me that I should thank her for raising me instead of sending me to a foster home. I couldn’t do much, so I focused on surviving and waiting for the day I could go to college.
My father always dreamed of seeing me at my prom. I knew it. So, months before the event, I found his military uniform tucked away in my closet and made a decision. I would turn it into my prom dress.
I spent a whole month secretly sewing it inside my room. Every stitch was a memory. Every detail was a way of keeping him close to me.
When prom night finally came, I walked down the stairs wearing my dress. Camila looked at me and started laughing. “Please… do you really think turning your dad’s uniform into a dress looks fancy?”
Then one of my stepsisters chimed in. “What happened? Was your waitress job not enough for you to buy a normal dress?”
The other one added, “It looks like you wrapped yourself in old rags. Truth is, it fits you perfectly.” I felt tears welling up in my eyes. Just in that moment, someone knocked on the door.
Camila opened it to find a military officer standing on the porch. She wore a gala uniform, and her expression was serious. “Mrs. Camila?” she asked.
Camila nodded. The officer continued, “I’m here to deliver something from Sgt. Michael Carter.” My heart completely stopped. It was my father’s name.
“It was his last will that this letter be delivered exactly on this day,” the officer said. Camila took the envelope right away and opened it without waiting.
But as she barely read the first line, her hands started shaking. The color completely disappeared from her face, and all the laughter in the house was suddenly extinguished.
(The contents of Sgt. Carter’s final letter are about to change everything! Click “Next Page” to continue reading…)
