The Widow and the Will Read Online Free PDF

spare bedroom had been Jack’s space since the day they moved into the apartment. She hardly ever went in there when he was alive, much less since he died. She probably wouldn’t have gone into the room for another year, if she could have avoided it. Now, she couldn’t. She was going to need information, whether she waited for the letter or not.
    Tess rose from the couch slowly and took grudging steps across the room to the hallway. A door on either side represented the bedrooms. One was the master with the door wide open, the other closed off to Jack’s domain. She turned to the right to face the closed door. She reached out to lay a flat palm against the cool surface of the door. Her heart was still racing from the phone call, but now it sped up even more, thumping against her chest like a ricocheting tennis ball.
    Timothy meowed from behind her, then pounced toward the door. He stood on his hind legs and scratched against it, showing the first bit of interest in the room since Jack’s death.
    “Okay, Timmy. Let’s do this.”
    Tess took a deep breath, grabbed the knob and twisted, pushing the door to peek in. The room looked exactly like Jack was still alive and would be returning to it any moment. The laptop was open on the desk. There were empty cans of various energy drinks, Coke, and Pepsi piled up in the makeshift recycle bin he’d made out of a copy paper box. The room even smelled like him. She caught the scent of his aftershave and the winter-green mints he liked to chew on while he worked. Her face scrunched up in pain, tears springing to her eyes. So much for getting better .
    “I don’t know if I can,” she whispered. From out of nowhere, Spencer scampered into the room and began meowing furiously, as if he was looking for Jack. She looked at him through her wet eyes and swore he was saying, “Where is he? Is this where you’ve been hiding him?”
    “I know, buddy,” she said, as she walked over and picked him up.
    Tess sunk to the futon against the wall and continued to cuddle with the cat, even though it was obvious from his writhing and twitching that he wanted to get down and explore the room. Finally, she released him and he nosed through the clothes and under the desk. He even went to the closet and pawed at the door. In spite of her sadness, Tess smiled at that. “No, goofus, he’s not in the closet.”
    Spencer hopped onto the desk and sat right on the keyboard of the laptop. The screen jumped to life, much to Tess’s surprise. She squinted from across the room, but recognized Microsoft Word immediately. She walked over to get a closer look. Wiping away the water in her eyes, she stared down at the screen.
    “Oh shit.”
    Tess picked it up and carried it into the living room. She plopped on the couch and began to read.
     
    Dear Tess,              December 12
     
    I love you with all of my heart. I can’t believe I am married and get to spend the rest of my life with you. I feel so lucky. This honeymoon is going to be the best vacation we’ve ever had. I just know it.
     
    I wanted to tell you all this in person, but I was kind of racked up about a lot of stuff that happened in the last month. I was afraid it would ruin our day and be a big distraction. I figured if I took care of it before hand, without telling you, then it would feel like we won the lottery instead.
     
    I don’t really know how to tell you, so I’ll just do it like my dad did. Six weeks before the wedding, he told me I was adopted.
     
    Tess stopped reading, glancing at the top of the letter. It was dated the day after their wedding and Jack had obviously planned on giving it to her on their honeymoon, she guess.
     
    He told me the weekend he and I went camping. My birth father was a football star and left me a shit ton of money, which my dad’s been managing for me since it happened. He says he never told me because they wanted to wait until I was “of age”, but I’m not sure I buy it. We got