How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Elodie's fever kept coming back, and she never regained consciousness.

Everything she'd been through lately had pushed her to the breaking point, and in

the end, her body just gave out.

Jarrod stayed by her side all night.

By morning, he'd already called Rosemary and Emile, asking them to get to the

hospital as early as possible. He made sure Esmeralda and the others didn't get

left out, either. He knew they were Elodie's closest friends-they deserved to

know what was happening, and he didn't want them kept in the dark.

If he was being honest, part of him just wanted as many people there as possible,

hoping that maybe their presence could give Elodie some strength.

Elodie came to for only a brief moment before she was wheeled into surgery.

Jarrod forced himself upright and, using his wheelchair, made his way to the

doors of the operating room.

His grandmother arrived soon after. Seeing Jarrod in the wheelchair, she

approached, her eyes full of concern as she studied him for a long moment. "At

least you're stepping up," she said quietly. "Your mother told me you've made up

your mind?"

Jarrod nodded. "This is the best option we have."

She hesitated, almost as if she wanted to say more, but finally just sighed. "I used

to hope you two would give us a child. But now, with Elodie's health like this,

more than her getting better. As long as you

of us have

to know when to let

would it do to add

hand gently. "You know

was far from perfect, but when he said he'd do something,

worried sigh, but didn't

arrived with

the surgery consent form

it. If she wakes

decision for her."

her, it just seemed like her daughter's

nothing but suffering. With the risk this

help but be anxious.

Rosemary and gave Jarrod a

his name, Jarrod realized his

stretched taut, and a rare,

panic gnawed at him.

thought of himself as someone easily

hands wouldn't

in scrubs and

came over

"We'll

can," he promised.

vow to

looked up and, after a

turned and disappeared behind

shut with a finality that

was so

barely move; her

in

she begged

noticing

posture, started nervously digging