When a mysterious package arrives at Kate and Josh\u2019s home, they are confused to see that the sender is Josh\u2019s estranged father. But things get even stranger when Josh finds a ticking box inside the gift \u2014 a beautiful pillow. A confrontation occurs, and Josh is left battling with the truth. Should he forgive his father, or act like their relationship is nonexistent?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Josh had just taken their daughter, Emily for a stroll around the garden when the doorbell rang, signaling that the day needed to begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have a package for you,\u201d the delivery man said as I opened the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I signed and carried the box into the kitchen. Our third wedding anniversary was this week, and Josh was always ordering things for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI just want to surprise you, Kate,\u201d he said one day while we were lounging on the couch. \u201cIt\u2019s just the little things, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, naturally, as I took the package to the kitchen, I just assumed that it was from him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Until I took a pair of scissors and cut through the thick tape. Opening the package, I found a beautifully embroidered pillow, a note sticking out beneath it. It would have matched our living room d\u00e9cor perfectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Happy Anniversary, Josh and Kate! \u2013 Taylor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a moment, I reveled in the kindness of the gesture. But then I remembered that there was no way possible that Josh would accept this gift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHey, what\u2019s this?\u201d Josh said, coming back into the kitchen with Emily on his shoulders. \u201cDid we order something?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, it\u2019s a gift,\u201d I said cautiously. \u201cFrom your father.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Josh pulled the note from me, his eyes flying across the paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I wondered what he was going to do. Josh and his father had a very complicated relationship. When Josh was a child, Taylor had abandoned him and his mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He had been seeing another woman, and when it finally came down to a choice, Taylor had chosen the other woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Josh had been seven, and he had never recovered from it. He told me all about it one evening when we went out for dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA father is supposed to choose you, Kate. But he went ahead and left us behind so that he could start a new life with his mistress. That\u2019s not how this works.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I understood his point of view. Of course, he had just wanted his father to be there for him and his mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, Taylor had other ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe said that he needed to be happy, and that my mother was too strict with him. He had a job, but he was always doing illegal things on the side. So he packed up his things and left.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d I asked, shocked that Josh had been exposed to something like that at such a young age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMoney, swindling it. Gambling, all that,\u201d my husband said as he picked up his glass of whiskey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And that was it. Josh didn\u2019t speak to him again until a year before we got married.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor had heard about our upcoming wedding through other relatives, and he thought it was the perfect opportunity to try and make things right between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Josh refused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want him around us on our special day, Kate. It\u2019s not going to benefit anyone. And if anything, seeing him will spoil everything for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd you don\u2019t think you\u2019d regret it?\u201d I asked as I folded wedding invitations into envelopes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot at all,\u201d Josh replied, picking up an envelope. \u201cFor all we know, someone will come and crash the ceremony because he owes them money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And that was that. Topic closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I didn\u2019t want to push it. I knew it was up to him to deal with it later if he regretted it. I would support him, but I wouldn\u2019t want to overstep anything, especially because Taylor sounded like a lot to deal with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Emily was born, Taylor tried to get into our good books one more time. He wanted to reach out and try to make things right with Josh so that he could have his role of being a grandfather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want him around us. I don\u2019t want him around our child. Please, Kate, don\u2019t fight me on this one. This man is bad news,\u201d my husband said, carrying our baby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So that was it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Which brings us back to the present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Josh picked up the pillow and felt it up and down; he even put it to his ear, his eyes widening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSweetheart, we can\u2019t keep this pillow!\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without another word, he rushed over and threw it out the back door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJosh, what\u2019s going on?\u201d I exclaimed, leaving Emily in her high seat with fruit slices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s ticking, Kate! There\u2019s something inside. He\u2019s up to something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTicking?\u201d I said. \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We both went outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We stood over the pillow lying innocently among our garden flowers. I hesitated, then reached down to listen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sure enough, there was a soft ticking sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh,\u201d I said, shocked. I had been convinced that Josh had been hearing things that weren\u2019t there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why would Taylor want to hurt us in any way?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTake out your phone and video this entire thing,\u201d Josh said as he bent to pick up the pillow. \u201cJust in case something happens or there\u2019s something illegal in there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a deep breath, Josh tore the pillow open to reveal a small, mysterious box equipped with a timer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat the hell is that?\u201d I murmured, dread creeping up my spine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLet\u2019s find out,\u201d Josh\u2019s jaw was set. \u201cCall him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I dialed Taylor\u2019s number, my hands trembling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHi, Kate,\u201d he said, his voice cheery. \u201cDid you get my package? I didn\u2019t know what to get you, but I knew that I had to get something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s something inside the pillow,\u201d Josh said. \u201cA box. It\u2019s making a sound. What is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPlease be honest,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a gift, Kate. For your anniversary,\u201d Taylor\u2019s voice was calm, almost soothing to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe sound is probably the timer; it\u2019s supposed to make a sound and open on the day,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s something in there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband snatched the phone from my hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo you really think we want anything from you? What\u2019s really in the box, Dad? Is there something that shouldn\u2019t be there? Something illegal?\u201d Josh demanded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPlease, Josh,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s just a gesture. I mean absolutely no harm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf you truly mean that, then stay out of our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWait, Kate,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cJust open the box, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor sighed deeply, and Josh reached out and cut the call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at my husband; he seemed confused by it all. I knew that he was curious about what was inside the little box, but he was traumatized by everything his father had done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat do you want to do?\u201d I asked him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d he said, holding his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLet\u2019s open it,\u201d I said. \u201cIf he wanted me to open it, then there\u2019s no way that he\u2019s trying to hurt us, darling. Okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Josh nodded slowly, finally accepting it for what it was. His father had simply wanted to reach out to us and give us a gift. That maybe everything was as easy as it seemed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut record it, okay?\u201d Josh said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I picked up my phone again and began recording.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband pried the box open, revealing its contents: a check for $100,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Josh stared at the check, his emotions flying across his face as he tried to make sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat is he playing at, Kate?\u201d Josh asked, stunned. \u201cThere\u2019s no way that this is clean money. He must be trying to cover up for something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But before we could process this further, Taylor called back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I answered, hesitant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe found the check,\u201d I said. \u201cWhy did you do that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause I\u2019m dying, Kate,\u201d he confessed quietly. \u201cI\u2019ve made my fair share of mistakes, and I know that Josh hates me. But that money is for you guys. And if Josh doesn\u2019t want it, then keep it for Emily\u2019s future. For school. Nobody needs to know that it came from me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I walked inside the house, realizing that we had left Emily alone for too long. Not that it mattered, because our daughter was sitting quietly by herself and eating her fruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Josh was right behind me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDad,\u201d he said, taking the phone from me. \u201cIf you\u2019re really serious about your health, then please, we need to talk. No more games.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you, Josh,\u201d Taylor\u2019s voice came through the phone. \u201cYou tell me when.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We arranged to meet Taylor at a park later that week; it wasn\u2019t far from us, and we often took Emily there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the day arrived, Josh was visibly nervous, fidgeting as we waited on a secluded bench.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Taylor arrived, he looked frail and worn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m so sorry for everything. I was a terrible father. I don\u2019t have much time left, but I want to spend it making amends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Josh took a long breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not easy, Dad. But I\u2019m willing to try. For Emily\u2019s sake, so that one day, she\u2019ll know that her grandfather carried her through school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Josh and my father-in-law spoke, I set up the picnic that I had brought along with me. I figured that if anything awkward happened, we all still needed to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we left the park, Josh squeezed my hand, a weight lifted from his shoulders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaybe it\u2019s good that pillow showed up, after all,\u201d he mused, a small smile breaking through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Things could only get better from here, right?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When a mysterious package arrives at Kate and Josh\u2019s home, they are confused to see that the sender is Josh\u2019s estranged father. But things get even stranger… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":201,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yxnews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yxnews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yxnews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yxnews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yxnews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=32966"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/yxnews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32966\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32967,"href":"https:\/\/yxnews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32966\/revisions\/32967"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yxnews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/201"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yxnews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yxnews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yxnews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}