Autumn

　　I am at a loss for words. Both of them are staring at me, bewilderment etched across their faces, while my heart pounds furiously in my chest.

　　"I received a letter from a friend," I say, masking my anxiety with a cough. "From a friend I didn't expect to hear from again," I add, my voice quivering.

　　Taking a deep breath, I wrestle with the decision to tell them the truth. I could have been honest from the start, but uncertainty grips me. I have ...