I kept it because he asked me to, the carrier told Anwen. Her father's final letter to her had never reached her, and she had come prepared to accuse him of losing it.
Her father handed it over, then called the carrier back before the cart left. He wanted to rewrite a paragraph. The carrier put it in a separate pocket for collection the next morning. By then, her father was in hospital. After the death, the carrier could not decide whether an unsent letter belonged to its intended recipient.
Anwen read it at his kitchen table. It contained an apology and, beneath it, a complaint she knew her father might have removed. She was glad to see both, although she could not know which version he would have chosen.
She thanked the carrier for keeping the envelope and told him that keeping it indefinitely had also been a decision. He accepted the distinction without defending himself. She left with the letter and its interrupted history, understanding that delivery could preserve words without resolving every question about whether their author still wanted them delivered.