A Second Chance at Forever novel (Eleanor and Bernard)

On the anniversary of Liana's passing, it was soon Caleb's, and the couple, along with their children, set off for Greenwood Cemetery.

No sooner had their black Lincoln pulled to a stop than Damian caught sight of a fawn darting out from the woods.

Whether it was the thrill of the chase or a bid to wriggle free from Bernard's watchful eye, the young boy pushed open the car door and bolted into the forest the moment the adults were distracted.

Eleanor, seeing her son's sudden dash, hurriedly exited the car and gave chase, while Bernard, seated inside, simply waved his hand. Aidyn and Scott immediately got out and followed Eleanor and Damian.

Bernard gazed toward the distant graveyard, lost in a silent reverie, before stepping out of the car. He opened the trunk, retrieved a bouquet of chrysanthemums, and made his way to Caleb's gravestone, where he bent down to place the flowers.

"Caleb, I've brought the kids to see you again."

at the gravestone, staring at the now-yellowing photograph of Caleb, and imagining. Imagining if Caleb were still alive, would

have been even more indulgent-scooping up his son, perching him on his shoulders, letting little rascal Damian climb all over

a blurry vision of how Caleb might have held his son's hand, strolling down a street bathed in the glow of a setting sun, their shadows stretching behind them. And even though it was just a vision, Bernard cherished it deeply, tinged with the regret that over

as if the final credits of a movie had rolled; everything became ethereal, faces disappearing into

of Caleb's face, a figure clad in a black coat and a beret, leading a boy and a girl,

painful memories, he touched Caleb's gravestone one last time and swiftly left the cemetery by

from the woods with Damian and returned to the car, not seeing Bernard around, she assumed he had gone ahead. She asked

Bernard but brushed past a woman in a beret who was walking briskly with her

preoccupied with scolding Damian for running off to

Caleb's gravestone and saw two bouquets of chrysanthemums on the ground that she realized