I Never Told Anyone I Can't Read

I'm forty-three years old, and I've hidden this my entire life. I memorized enough to get through school. I fake my way through meetings. My wife reads the kids' bedtime stories. I've built entire systems to hide it — memorizing menus, pretending my glasses are dirty when asked to read a sign. Last week, my daughter asked me to read her a story, and I couldn't say no. She handed me her favorite book, and I stumbled through every word. She didn't laugh. She just leaned against me and said, 'That's okay, Daddy. I can read it to you.' I'm enrolling in adult literacy classes next week.