“Matthew?”
“Yes, dad?”
“Come sit with me on the couch and watch the game with me.”
This is all Matthew remembers of his dad. When his dad died at age two, he became the man of the house because he was the oldest son. His mom never spoke of his father and never answered the questions he asked about him, so he decided that it wasn’t worth the effort when he got to middle school.
In the meantime, Matthew's dad, Paul, was living in California with his new wife that he has had for 12 years; alive and well. He had left his pregnant wife and his son with nothing. He went on a business trip and found someone else and moved in with her. Because of the heart break, Matthew’s mother got into a deep depression because now she had no money since Paul brought in most of the income. She now had to work full time, take care of a newborn and her toddler all at once. Matthew's mom had told her two boys that their dad had died to avoid the conflict and the anger issues when they became older; which was not something she was proud of.
When both boys started going to school, she started to come out of her depression, but never fully recovered. Everyday the boys would get up, eat, dress themselves, and walk to and from school for 6 years. Because their dad had left and their mother worked, they grew up fast and never really had a chance to have a childhood. All was going well and Matthew’s mom was able to support herself and her family. But as life had it, the company she worked for went out of business and she lost her job.
Matthew, now in high school, worked for John, a mechanic owner at the end of their block. He went there every day after school to earn money that was needed for food and rent. His mother could not find another job and soon went into debt. Matthew soon decided that he would give up his education and work full time at the shop in order to support his family, just like his mother did for years on end.
As connections had it, John knew Paul through church and promised Paul that he would look over his son while he was away. Matthew didn’t know it, but every day, Paul would call the shop and ask John how Matthew was doing. He told him that his mother lost her job, Matthew gave up school and was now working full time with him. At that very moment, Paul decided that his son needed to know why he left and what he was doing.
He drove 20 hours to get to the shop, which was in Portland, and as soon as he stepped out of the car, all he could hear were screams and cries as a loud crash finished. He ran over and had discovered that John had been crushed by the weight of the car he was working on because the jack holding it up had failed while he was underneath. Paul called 911 and quickly drove off. The sight of his son crying in pain, and his best friend covered in blood; quickly dying, was unbearable to him.
Matthew watched as the police cleaned up the body and took it away. Matthew cleaned up the shop and was about to turn off the lights when he noticed something strange on the floor. He slowly walked over to it. The blood stains on the floor revealed a puzzle that was almost solved. When he moved the last piece into place the doors opened and stairs led down to a dark hole. He slowly walked down the stairs where he discovered an empty room. He started looking around, he soon found another puzzle that he solved and walked through a thin hallway. It came to a dead end where there was only a door above him. He noticed that this door hadn’t been touched before, for it was full of dust and spiders. He started to gently open the door, using all of his might but it seemed like an object was in his way. He pushed harder, it turned out he knocked over a cabinet inside of a house. He was very confused, and didn’t know where he was or what house he was in. Then he realized that the room that he was in had ever been opened before, but there was a note that was slid under the door, reading; “To my dear boy, Matthew, I knew you could do it. You solved the puzzle to your future. This house is now yours and everything in it.” Matthew couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe that he had a house and something to live for now. He noticed that there was something on the back; it was a picture of him and his father a couple days before he died, but he still didn’t know that. It read underneath, “Your father loved you very much and he is still alive. Your mother told you that he died to avoid conflict and anger issues in your future. Here is his address, 2478 16th Ave. S. Riverside, California 52670. Choose what you want to do with it. Be smart. We both love you.”
Throughout this entire time he was crying lightly but lost it when he read the last phrase. He slowly got himself together as he opened the door to his house. He explored the house and found his father outside the door. He paused because he didn’t know who the man was. His dad showed him the same picture that John had left him under the door. He said;
“Do you recognize this picture?”
Matthew nodded yes. 
“That was me holding you just a couple days before I started a new life with my new wife”
“Why did you leave us?!” Matthew said frustrated
“Let me explain,” he said in a calm voice. “When you were born our lives changed for the better, but in order to support you, I had to work full time and never got to see you or your mother.” He paused as he put the picture back in his wallet. “I loved you and your mother but I thought leaving her would give a chance for your mother to find someone that she deserves, and for you and your brother to grow up to be better fathers then I was.”
Matthew was a little surprised by the answer he received and just stood there to think.
“Son?” his dad asked him like he wanted an answer.
In a very calm voice and with tears in his eyes, “I don’t want anything to do with you, get out of my life and stay away from my family.”
Paul looked at his son and realized that he had messed up more than he ever imaged, turned around, got in is car, and drove off back to California. 
Matthew slowly walked home to his mother and brother. Thinking about what his father had said and if he was going to tell his mother, and more importantly, to tell his brother that their dad was still alive.
He decided to keep quiet about his dad, and the house, but did tell her what happened to John. His mother was shattered by the idea that her son now really had no adult male to go to when he wanted advice or help. His mother decided it was about time they knew the truth. She sat her two boys down and explained everything to them; why their father left, where he was now, and that he wasn’t coming back because he didn’t love any of them. Matthew still didn’t say anything.
Matthew soon took over Paul’s shop and was making more money than ever before, but not enough for Matthew to return to school. His mother found another job and his brother continued to go to school. Matthew continued to work at the shop, never solving the puzzle where the blood stains were again. He grew up, got married and soon had kids of his own. He never mentioned his dad or the house to anyone, but he did always remember that one phrase;
“… for you and your brother to grow up to be better fathers then I was.” He lived by that phrase, caring and loving his kids as much as he could. He promised to give them the key to the puzzle in order to live happy and healthy lives of their own.