Chapter 60
“Antonio, are you really not going abroad with me?” Laney asked, her voice tinged with a hint of sadness.
Antonio shook his head. He had grown accustomed to a simple, humble life. Plus, living so far from Grace felt too difficult for him. He knew that even though he would always care for her, he no longer mattered to Grace.
Laney settled abroad, while Antonio continued to live quietly in the mountains. Three years later, he passed away. He hadn’t left with Laney because he had known, deep down, that his time was running out. The doctors had told him that though he appeared strong, his vitality was
gone.
In his final days, Antonio made a quiet trip to see Grace one last time. It was the day she went to pick up the children from school. She walked toward him, one hand holding each of her kids, who bounced along, laughing joyfully.
“Hey, why did that man start crying after smiling?” the boy asked, pointing at Antonio.
Flustered, Antonio quickly stepped back into the alley. A quick glance was all he needed. He didn’t want Grace to see him weeping.
Grace was puzzled but patted her son’s head, trying to ease his confusion.
“Maybe he just had something in his eye. Let’s go home now, your dad has dinner ready for us.”
Antonio watched them leave, before heading in the opposite direction.
“Grace, I wish you a lifetime of happiness, each year better than the one before,” he whispered softly to the wind, his voice almost lost.
The day Antonio passed away was during the graduation season. He lay in bed, watching the breeze move through the trees outside his window, and his thoughts drilled back to the girl who had smiled with her eyes full of joy
“Antonio, I’m willing to marry you! Here!” she said.
“I’m willing to marry you too. I will be there for your mother, walking through her last days with her,”
Antonio had promised, a smile lighting up his face as he held the ring in his hand, rubbing it over and over as if grounding himself to her.
“Grace, in the next life, will you marry me again? I will make sure to get you the perfect ring and love you forever,” he said, knowing in his heart that this promise would be his last.
He passed peacefully. Laney buried him with their parents. As she sorted through his belongings, she found many diaries–letters to Grace. Antonio had written about his days, each entry a quiet testament to his longing for her, and the growing ache in his heart as the years went on. Laney cried. uncontrollably as she read, heartbroken for her brother. She had always appeared to be doing well, but there was always a thorn. She felt responsible for destroying his happiness. If she hadn’t interfered, Antonio wouldn’t have left so soon. He had burned all his hopes for Grace into ashes, as he had once promised that he would never disturb her peace again. Laney vowed to honor that, to let Grace live her life without more disruptions.
Laney took many antidepressants, but nothing seemed to heal her pain. Eventually, she went to Africa, working as a volunteer, seeing the suffering of so many children and helping as best she could. She finally
died in a war zone, saving a child. She was just 32, never married, never having children, all alone in a foreign land.
Many years later, when Grace returned to the city for work, while there, heard someone mention the stories of Antonio and Laney. It was then that she learned they had both passed away.
Shane, worried about how Grace might react, stayed by her side those days. Yet, she comforted him instead.
“Shane, I’m not sad. I’m just reflecting on how fleeting life is. We don’t have much time together, so we should cherish every moment we have.”
Shane nodded, understanding. He would do everything in his power to live longer, to stay by her side. To be with her, even for just one more moment, was the greatest honor of his life.
They had been together for many years, and as they grew old, Grace and Shane had children and grandchildren. They still held hands as they walked through life, side by side. In Shane’s eyes, Grace was still that beautiful girl he had fallen in love with all those years ago–she always
would be.
The end.