27 November 1846
My Turtledove,
After 15 years of being unable to gift you anything for your birthday I have a surprise for you: I'm on a ship heading home!
After years of planning and waiting, I'm a free man and I get to finally come home and see you on your special day! If I'm being honest, I barely escaped with my life. I almost drowned in the sea right when I thought I finally made it...then a miracle happened. A young sailor around your age came to my aid and rescued me from the deep waters.
His name is Anthony and he's been keeping me company on this journey back to London. He's a sweet boy, full of wonder and optimism, (how I envy his spirit, even if it's doomed to be crushed by the world soon enough) though I fear he believes we're closer than we actually are. He's a great kid, don't get me wrong, I hope you find a man like him someday when you're ready to be wed (if you haven't already been of course, god who knows what I've missed) but, right now my mission is to get home to you and the chipper sailor going on about how lovely the world is all the time has grown quite tiresome.
I'm so excited to see the woman you've become Johanna, I'm sure under the care of your mother you've blossomed into the most amazing young woman the world has ever seen. I hope you'll be excited to see me too. I hope I'm worth the wait. (I'm probably not.) I hope even though I've come into your life so late that you'll be able to accept me as your father and love me like one. I hope to be the best father to you I can in spite of the circumstances, because that's what you deserve.
As for whatever comes ahead for us, I'm ready. I'm ready to face it together. Happy 16th Jo, I love you so. Can't wait to finally hold you in my arms again.
With love,
Your father
(PS. Do not be shocked if you hear someone utter the name "Sweeney Todd" in reference to me, now that I'm on the run I've had to take on an alias. Not like it'll change anything for you, I'll still be "father" or "dad" or whatever you want to call me my little lamb.)
YOU ARE READING
The Letter
Poetry"And in that darkness when I'm blind with what I can't forget..." A series of letters written by the wrongfully imprisoned man who would become "The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" addressed to his beloved wife, daughter, and best friend. (Based on th...
