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

nearly undone him. Years of silent

all of it seemed to dissolve

It was enough.

few words from

felt as if the clouds parted

finally breathe. He sat there, watching over Elodie as she slept,

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

surge of

know how long he sat

tucked the blanket around her before

to

already gone

the smoking lounge, bought a pack of cigarettes,

fingers. It was the only thing that eased the ache in his

even a little.

with the hospital

low on

"Talk to everyone involved-doctors,

even the

evidence. Leave

stone unturned."

hearing Elias

had gone

fill Jarrod with

of self-loathing. Her pain,

echoed inside him

thousandfold. He couldn't stand

fraction of

But this

or anger. Not now. Elodie

afford recklessness.

to uncover, he was determined

make sure they never had

a bench, sitting there for what