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

him. Years

seemed to dissolve in an

It was enough.

few words from her, and

if the clouds parted and he could finally see the

watching over Elodie

ticking time bomb in his chest,

surge of

how long

up and gently tucked the blanket around

to take a

had already gone to handle

way to the smoking lounge, bought a

was the only thing

even a little.

the

his voice low on the

"Talk to everyone involved-doctors,

the janitorial

concrete evidence.

stone unturned."

hearing Elias describe

had gone

fill Jarrod with a

self-loathing. Her

echoed inside

thousandfold. He couldn't stand

a fraction of

knew who Elodie suspected. But this wasn't something

or anger. Not now. Elodie needed him

afford recklessness.

others might fail to uncover, he was determined to find

would make sure they never had the chance to

bench, sitting there for what felt