The world kept moving, but for Aria, time had stopped the day Ethan's heart did.
Weeks had passed since the funeral, yet his voice still echoed in her dreams. She still woke up expecting his morning text, still turned her head in class whenever someone laughed the way he used to.
But he wasn't there.
One late evening, she walked back to the quiet hill where he was buried. The sunset painted the sky in gold and rose — his favorite colors. She knelt down before his grave, placing a fresh bouquet of white lilies and the letter he once wrote her.
"Hey, Ethan," she whispered softly, her voice trembling.
"It's been a month since you left. Everyone says I should move on, but how do I move on from the only person who ever made me feel alive?"
The wind brushed her hair gently, as if answering her.
She smiled through her tears. "You always listen, don't you?"
She closed her eyes and remembered his laugh, the way he looked at her — not like she was perfect, but like she was his.
"I got accepted into the university you always wanted to go to," she said with a small smile. "I'll study medicine like you told me. I'll help people like you. And maybe… that's how I'll keep you alive — through the lives I save."
A tear rolled down her cheek.
"I miss you, Ethan Gray. I miss everything about you."
As she stood to leave, something caught her attention — a white feather floating down from the sky, landing gently on her palm.
She froze.
Her heart ached, but in that moment, she felt warmth all around her — like arms wrapping her in comfort.
"Ethan…" she breathed.
Then, as if the world itself whispered, a soft voice echoed in her heart:
"I told you I'd always be here… more than forever."
She smiled, tears falling freely now.
"I know, my love. And I'll carry you with me… until we meet again."
Aria placed the feather on his grave and walked away slowly, the evening sun setting behind her.
Somewhere beyond the fading light, she could almost see him — standing there, smiling at her the way he used to.
And for the first time since he left, she didn't feel alone.
THE END