The hospital room smelled of antiseptic and quiet dread.
Zayden sat across from the doctor—his hands calm, but his heart… exhausted. Decades had passed, but time had a cruel way of catching up when no one was looking.
The doctor hesitated before speaking, but Zayden already knew.
> "Mr. Wolfe," the doctor said softly, "The scans… show that the disease has progressed too far. I'm afraid you have… about a month. Maybe less."
Zayden didn't flinch.
He nodded slowly, then looked out the window. A single tear slipped down, uninvited.
> "I figured," he said, his voice steady. "Thank you for being honest."
---
That Night
He returned home quietly, the estate bathed in soft golden light. The magnolia tree swayed gently in the evening breeze.
Zayden walked to the attic, where a wooden chest sat untouched for years.
He opened it.
Inside were all the letters, photos, Elena's notes, their wedding photo, drawings Elio and Liora had made, and the video message Elena left before her death—one he hadn't dared play in years.
He pressed play.
> Elena's voice filled the room, trembling and beautiful.
"Zay… if you're watching this, I'm probably long gone. And knowing you, you've spent all these years loving me when I'm no longer there. But I need you to do something… forgive yourself. Live, Zayden. Laugh again. And when our children grow, tell them everything. Tell them how much I loved them. And you."
Zayden's hand trembled as the screen went black.
He picked up a photo—him and Elena in Santorini, smiling under the sunset, their foreheads pressed together.
> "I kept it all, Lena," he whispered. "Every moment. Every smile. Every fight. Every kiss."
He picked up the journal, now nearly full. And slowly, he wrote one last time.
---
Zayden's Final Entry
> To the love of my life, my Elena,
I'm tired now. Really tired. But don't worry—I'm not scared.
They told me I have a month. One month left to breathe the air you once shared with me. One month to look at our children and remember what we created together.
One month to say goodbye.
But how do I say goodbye to a life that only made sense with you in it? How do I let go of the eyes that saw me when I couldn't see myself?
I still remember the night you wore that red dress and whispered "I love you" like it was the most dangerous thing. And it was. Loving you ruined me for everyone else.
Our twins are grown now. They're strong. They carry your fire, your grace. And their kids… oh, Lena. They would've adored you.
Sometimes, I still talk to you in my sleep. Last night, I dreamed of the beach house, you twirling with your hair flying and that unstoppable laugh.
If heaven is real, please be waiting. I'll come running like a madman. Like I always did.
Don't ask me to fall in love again.
I already did—once. Enough for a thousand lifetimes.
I'll see you soon.
Forever yours,
Zayden.
---
He closed the book gently.
Then, with every photo spread across the room, every letter open, every memory dancing around him like fireflies, Zayden lay back on the old leather couch—the one where Elena once fell asleep on his chest.
He stared at the ceiling.
And whispered into the still night,
> "I'm coming home, Lena."