The holiday specials that landed on Netflix on November 30th, wrapping up Season 5 of the romantic drama, explored the Mel's dad storyline and sent Mel and Jack on a Christmas quest to find the mysterious resident of Virgin River.
As they discovered it was someone named Everett Reid and went to his remote cabin in the woods, the man refused to even acknowledge his daughter. Naturally, this rejection hit Mel hard and almost spoiled the festive mood.
Fortunately, by the end of the specials, Everett came to his senses and showed up on Mel's doorstep, ready to talk and take the first steps toward bonding. He brought Mel her mother's old letters and created a new cliffhanger by saying, 'I've got something important I need to tell you,' before the episode faded to black.
Now we have to wait until Season 6 to find out what Everett has to tell, and that gives us plenty of time to speculate. So let's speculate.
He is dying
This would be a heavy twist, but the kidney joke might not have been a joke after all. We know that Virgin River is never shy about putting its characters in life-threatening situations, so it is possible that Everett is trying to tell his newfound daughter that their time together is limited.
He has a genetic disorder
Another health scare that might not turn out to be so bad. While it's unlikely that Mel doesn't know something about her own health, Everett might want to tell her that there's a hereditary condition she wants to be checked for.
If this possible condition is somehow connected with Mel's infertility issues, this revelation might even lead to something positive going forward.
He has another child
Where there is an estranged father, there may be another family. Everett presumably lives alone, but in his past he could have had relationships other than with Mel's mother, and even a marriage. So it could be that Mel has siblings living in Virgin River.
He is a town pariah
Everett lives on the outskirts of town and apparently does not mix with the residents of Virgin River. So his revelation could be related to his alienation from the community. Something serious may have happened in the past that caused him to fall out with some key people in town, like an accident, a huge feud, or a relationship scandal.
He has a dark past
This theory is similar to the previous one, but implies more serious stuff, like falling in with the wrong people after the breakup with Mel's mother, or spending time in prison, or both. It would also explain why he does not participate in the social life of the town.