A/n: Eeeeeepppp I love this chapter! It's so emotional! Asdfghjkl; (Yeah, Wolfgang will be outta character for this. But only a smidgen). HA! A smidgen.

Disclaimer: blah, blah, blah. I don't own Hey Arnold, obviously.

P.S. Review? (:

Wolfgang then decided he wasn't ready to face Gloria, or his friends at school. For fear of making things worse. Which, he probably would anyway. So, he spent the next three full days in bed or in front of the T.V. His father came home on Wednesday. Noticing Wolfgang's slightly odd behavior, his dad got curious and began asking the tough questions.

"What's wrong?" his father said as he sat down on his recliner.

"Nothing." Wolfgang lied again. He wasn't the best liar, was he?

"Bullshit." his dad said, in a way that caused Wolfgang to turn his head. Only slightly so that he could see his face.

"I found the letter. Okay?" Wolfgang told him in a mumble as he began changing channels.

"What?" Hank sat there, more shocked than confused. He thought he hide it in his safe! Stupid, Hank. Stupid, stupid Hank. Now he let Amanda down and now Wolfgang was hurt because of his carelessness.

"You know which letter. The one you hid from me!" Wolfgang rose his voice. Hank just stared at his son. At the moment, it was all he could do. By now Hank had memorized every single damn word she had written. After reading it at least four times a day for fifteen years, it was kind of hard to just forget or ignore.

"How could you keep something like that from me? Why couldn't you just tell me I'm the whole reason she left? Why couldn't you just say something instead of ignoring me all this time?! Huh?" Wolfgang was so angry that he had tears streaming down his cheeks. They were tiny tears, but tears nonetheless.

"You have to understand something, Wolfgang. No matter what you think or how you feel right now. You weren't the reason she left! From the very beginning she knew she wouldn't stay with me forever. She even told me that. I can't blame her for wanting to explore the world. That's who she was. Carefree, adventurous, and oblivious to how other people around her felt. I kept that letter from you so you wouldn't feel any worse about the situation we are in now. Guess I didn't do such a good job of it." Hank yelled in a loud voice. Wolfgang just let more and more tears escape his eyes. But he cursed himself for it on the inside. His whole entire world just crashed on the floor in front of him. All he wanted to do was die and stop feeling. But that was cowardly, wasn't it?

"She didn't even care about me." Wolfgang could only manage a whisper as his voice cracked. He couldn't look his father in the eyes, he was too ashamed from crying. Too ashamed from feeling so much.

"It may look that way, son. But it's a damned lie. She loved you more than well anything. See, each year on your birthday. After you turned 4. She wrote you a letter. I kept them from you for selfish reasons. But now I think, you should read them. If you want to see them that is." Hank swallowed some saliva quickly. The truth was hard to get out. Wolfgang didn't know what to think. His mother had been trying to keep in touch with him? Why?

"Fine." Wolfgang nodded his head while he wiped his eyes clean from the salt water that already stained his now rosy cheeks. He adjusted himself on the couch.

"I'll go get them." Hank said before getting up and leaving for his room. Wolfgang couldn't believe how emotional he was being. Even in front of his own father, it was embarrassing. A couple of seconds later Hank re-entered the living room carrying a small closed shoebox. Without a word, he handed the box to Wolfgang.

Wolfgang took it and set it in his lap. Hank sat back down on his recliner and watched his son as he opened the box slowly to reveal fifteen letters and already opened envelops. Each with many different stamps. Some from Africa, France, Australia, and even Madagascar. So, she liked to travel huh? Wolfgang then opened the first letter from his fourth birthday.

'Wolfgang,

I hope that you can read by now. You always were a smart boy. Always one step ahead of me at least. You may be wondering why I left. I left because I wanted to see the world and all that it had to offer.

This may not make sense to you at the moment. So I'll keep this simple. I love you, don't forget that. No matter what happens. I'll always be your mother. Even if I'm not there with you to show it. Happy birthday.

Love Always,

Mom.'

Wolfgang started crying all over again. All this time he thought she didn't care. All this time, he hated her for leaving. But she did care. She loved him! Hank watched Wolfgang cry in silence. He wasn't sure what to do. But he left him alone. Wolfgang skipped around a couple letters and read one from his thirteenth birthday.

'Wolfgang,

I assume you probably don't remember me now. Which hurts me to even think about. But it's our reality now. I'm just a stranger writing to you on your birthday. I can only blame myself for this feeling, I know. I hope you're doing well.

Before you forget me completely, I'll give you a photo of us that I look at every day. It's my favorite. I want to share it with you.

*Wolfgang picks up an old photo from the box*

It's not much. But it's the only picture I had of you smiling. You always were grumpy, just like your father. Anyway Hank took that on a day we all went out for a picnic. And the only reason you're smiling is because I made funny faces at you.

This might not mean much. But I miss you. Every day. I want to come back because I miss you too much. But I can't face my fears, not yet. Maybe later on I'll grow up and come home. Happy Thirteenth Birthday.

Love Always,

Mom.'

Wolfgang's face was drenched with tears. As much as he wanted to, he didn't wipe them away. He couldn't explain the sudden feeling of relief he felt, knowing that his mother cared. Wherever it was she had been on the day of his birth, she always thought of him. It was enough. Even if she didn't believe so. Those eighteen letters he was holding in that one shoe box were more valuable to him than his own life. So, with a small breath he looked through the letters for the most recent. His eighteenth birthday.

'Wolfgang,

So, you're a full blown adult now. You can't even begin to imagine the regret I'm feeling today for not being in your life.

It upsets me. Maybe you think I deserve it. And you're probably right. I don't deserve a child as wonderful as I already know you are. Over the years I bring it upon myself to call your father. But I always hang up before it reaches the second ring.

The truth is, I'm still in love with him. No matter how much I tell myself I'm not. I hope that when you find someone special in your life, that you don't let them go. No matter what they say, or do. Don't let them leave. If they mean that much to you, you'll regret it. Another lesson on love I'd like to share with you is that if you ever want to go somewhere. Take the person (or in my case people) that mean the most to you, with you. Don't abandon them for your own selfish desires. It will haunt you for the rest of your life.

I've been thinking, I want to go back to New York. I want to come back home. But I'm not sure if I'd be welcomed back. I'm not sure if I should come home. Not unless you and Hank both want me back. I guess I'll head off to New York and think this over. It may take days for my decision, it may take weeks. Or even months. But I will come home, soon. Happy Birthday.

Love Always,

Mom.'

Wolfgang lifted his head up so that he faced his father. He however was staring at the ground.

"She's coming back?" Wolfgang could only whisper through fresh tears.