I Cut My First Love Out of Every Photograph – 20 Years Later, My Daughter Introduced Me to Someone Who Looked Just like Him

“The thing where you pretend you’re asking an innocent question.”

I sighed. “Fine.”

She laughed. “What do you want to know?”

I hesitated, then asked, “What’s Miles’s last name?”

Maddy blinked and told me. The room seemed to tilt slightly, because it was a name I hadn’t expected to hear again.

I spent the rest of the afternoon telling myself I was being ridiculous. People shared names. Families overlapped.

Coincidences happened.

Then, just as Maddy was getting ready to leave, I asked one more question. “What’s Miles’s father’s name?”

Maddy looked surprised. “Jack.”

I closed my eyes. Of course it was.

When I opened them again, Maddy was watching me carefully.

“What is going on?”