My name is Linda. I packed my things, ready to finally move in with the man I love. He’s Eric.

After five years of heartache, after my ex-husband Tom left me for his young mistress, I never thought I’d find happiness again.

But Eric was like a breath of fresh air! I was finally about to start my new life…

Until a knock on the door changed everything.

I opened it, and there he was -my ex, standing there like a ghost from the past. His hair was messier than I remembered, his face etched with lines that hadn’t been there before, and his eyes were filled with a sorrow that I couldn’t quite place.

But he wasn’t just there to say hi… He had the strangest request in the world.

“Moving?” Tom asked.

“Yes, moving into my boyfriend. Tom, what do you want from me?”

Tom winced slightly, then quickly masked it with a weak smile.

“That’s… that’s good. I’m glad you found someone.”

“Linda, I… I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t need to be. I know I don’t have the right to ask you for anything after what I did, but… I need your help.”

He looked at me with desperation.

“The woman I left you for… she’s gone. She d-ied two weeks ago.”

“And I… I have a daughter now. Ava. She’s just a little girl, Linda, and I’m all she has. But I can’t do it alone. I thought I could, but I can’t. I need you.”

God, he was asking for help—for his daughter’s sake. The irony wasn’t lost on me.

“Why me, Tom?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why come to me?”

My name is Linda. I packed my things, ready to finally move in with the man I love. He’s Eric.

After five years of heartache, after my ex-husband Tom left me for his young mistress, I never thought I’d find happiness again.

But Eric was like a breath of fresh air! I was finally about to start my new life…

Until a knock on the door changed everything.

I opened it, and there he was -my ex, standing there like a ghost from the past. His hair was messier than I remembered, his face etched with lines that hadn’t been there before, and his eyes were filled with a sorrow that I couldn’t quite place.

But he wasn’t just there to say hi… He had the strangest request in the world.

“Moving?” Tom asked.

“Yes, moving into my boyfriend. Tom, what do you want from me?”

Tom winced slightly, then quickly masked it with a weak smile.

“That’s… that’s good. I’m glad you found someone.”

“Linda, I… I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t need to be. I know I don’t have the right to ask you for anything after what I did, but… I need your help.”

He looked at me with desperation.

“The woman I left you for… she’s gone. She d-ied two weeks ago.”

“And I… I have a daughter now. Ava. She’s just a little girl, Linda, and I’m all she has. But I can’t do it alone. I thought I could, but I can’t. I need you.”

God, he was asking for help—for his daughter’s sake. The irony wasn’t lost on me.

“Why me, Tom?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why come to me?”