Two years after my father Robert’s death, I was barely scraping by, living in a small house with a workshop I inherited. One night, while fixing a clock, I stepped outside and found his classic 1967 Mustang parked in my yard—immaculate and restored. It couldn’t be real. Dad had told me he sold it years ago before he vanished.

Inside, I found a GPS with a single location saved, and a note from Dad: “Follow the path in the GPS, Danny. It’s time.” My heart raced as I drove through the night, the road leading me to a secluded house in the mountains. There, I met Clara, a woman who revealed that she and Dad had once been in love. She explained that Dad had faked his death to protect me from my mother and brother’s greed. He’d transferred everything to me, including the house, car, and his legacy.

Clara handed me the deeds and a letter from Dad, apologizing for his absence and urging me to make a life for myself. He had worked in secret to ensure my future. Over the following year, I built the house and a farm, reconnecting with the dream Dad had for me.

Though I still missed him, I found peace in the life he’d left behind, knowing his love and sacrifice would always be with me.