How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

"My feelings for him-whether it was family affection or any kind of emotional

dependence-never once crossed into our marriage."

Elodie spoke with a calm that came from deep exhaustion. There was nothing left

for her to hide; Jarrod knew everything now.

She was done letting him believe that during those three years of marriage, she'd

been unfaithful in her heart. If nothing else, she owed herself that much honesty.

Jarrod's lashes trembled. Red tinged the corners of his eyes as he kept his gaze

fixed on her.

Elodie closed her eyes, her voice steady and soft. "Jarrod, I did love you."

During those three years, she had given him everything-her whole heart, her

entire self. But she wasn't one for grand declarations; her love was quiet, almost

weightless in the air, yet it landed in his chest like a stone cast into a still lake,

sending ripples through everything he thought he knew.

He felt his heart twist painfully, realizing that in all the years she had loved him, he

had only ever misunderstood her.

Elodie was so tired. After those words, she simply closed her eyes and rested,

leaving Jarrod alone with a flood of emotions he couldn't begin to contain.

His ears rang; his vision burned with the image of her pale, narrow face, tinged

with the faintest flush. He bent his head and drew a shaky breath, feeling as if her

had nearly undone him. Years

seemed

It was enough.

from her, and

the clouds parted and he could finally see

there, watching over Elodie

side. Her illness felt like a ticking time bomb in his chest, filling

fresh surge of

know how long

Jarrod got up and gently tucked

room to take

already gone to handle

to the smoking lounge, bought a pack of cigarettes,

with numb, icy fingers. It was the only thing that eased the ache in his

even a little.

with the hospital

low on the

"Talk to everyone involved-doctors,

the

concrete evidence. Leave

stone unturned."

Elias

had gone

fill Jarrod

self-loathing.

inside

thousandfold. He couldn't stand

a fraction

this wasn't something he could

anger. Not now. Elodie needed him to be

afford recklessness.

fail to uncover, he was

never had the

the call, Jarrod slumped onto a bench, sitting there for what felt like