The letter is one of the short stories in Richard Paul’s collection The Christmas Box. The narrative follows the Parkin family who are grieving the death of their three-year-old daughter Andrea who died in a fire.
After her death, David Parkin and his wife Maryanne started marital problems which led to the departure of Maryanne. The loss of her daughter took a toll on her, and she could not bear living in her house, so she went back to her hometown in England. David is left grieving his daughter and his wife’s apparent departure. His friends try their best to console him but the pain is too much. The household maid, Catherine is also depressed after her mistress leaves her home. To add to their misfortune, David’s friend Lawrence Flake is dying of old age. Flake is aware of his imminent death and has put his things in order.
During one of his regular visits to his daughter’s gravesite, David finds a letter that he believes is from his mother, Rosalyn King. Rosalyn abandoned her family years ago in search of fame and fortune, David was three years old at the time. The letter leads David to Chicago where his mother spent most of her life. In Chicago David meets a young woman with whom he has a short relationship.
In his search for his mother, David finds a theater where his mother performed and lived. To his dismay, David realizes that his mother committed suicide years ago. David heads back home only to find his wife has returned. However, his friend, Lawrence is dying. Lawrence’s daughter has also come to see her father for the first time. After his death, David hands her a letter from Lawrence explaining why he never claimed her as his daughter. Lawrence is buried in the family mausoleum.
David and his wife reconcile but David falls ill shortly after. A few months after the burial, goons try to exhume Lawrence’s body. When David confronts them, he is struck down and left dead. David is also buried at the family cemetery, Maryanne stays behind grieving her dead husband. She notices an old woman crying nearby, she goes and sits with her. The old woman identifies herself as David’s mother, she leaves a toy on her son’s grave and disappears.
