“Melanie,
If you’re reading this, it means you’ve done exactly what I expected. I overheard your conversation with your sister about taking Anna’s gift for yourself. I thought about confronting you, but I wanted to give you a chance to prove me wrong. Instead, you’ve shown me exactly who you are. You’ve disrespected my daughter for the last time. Consider this my goodbye. Merry Christmas.
– Greg.”
Melanie’s face turned ghostly pale. Her hands shook as she opened the ring box. Inside was the emerald ring my dad had used to propose to her—the one that had belonged to my grandmother, and the one I’d always dreamed of inheriting.
Just then, the front door opened.
“Greg?” Melanie stammered.
“Dad!” I cried.
There he stood, calm and composed, as if he’d been expecting this moment.
“I thought you were on a work trip,” Melanie said, her voice shaking.
“I wasn’t,” Dad replied coolly. “I stayed close to see if you’d make the right choice. Instead, you proved me right.”
“Greg, it’s not what it looks like!” she pleaded.
“It’s exactly what it looks like, Melanie. I trusted you to be my partner and a stepmother to Anna, but you’ve shown nothing but cruelty and greed. Pack your things. You’re leaving today.”
Melanie’s face crumpled as she tried to protest, but Dad was resolute. A few hours later, she was gone, dragging her suitcase out the door.
For the first time in months, the house felt peaceful.
Dad and I spent the rest of the day together, making pancakes, drinking hot chocolate, and watching old Christmas movies. Later, he handed me another gold-wrapped box.
Inside was the same velvet ring box, along with a new letter addressed to me:
“Anna,
You’re the best thing in my life. I hope this Christmas marks a new beginning for us. I love you more than anything.
– Dad.”
Tears filled my eyes as I read his words. “Dad, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to make things harder for you.”
He smiled gently. “You didn’t. You’re my family, Anna. This ring belongs to you now, and one day, a man worthy of you will place it on your finger. Until then, it’s a reminder of how much I love you.”
That Christmas, I realized the true gift wasn’t the ring or the letter. It was knowing I had a father who loved me unconditionally, willing to stand up for me no matter what. That’s the kind of magic I’ll never forget.