Ariana shook her head, a faint smile playing on her lips. “I’ve always wondered about his appearance.”

Taking a breath, she confessed, “A part of me has never accepted that Theodore is truly gone. Their voices, Holden’s and Theodore’s, are uncannily similar. Sometimes I wonder… could this all be some elaborate ruse by Theodore?”

Ariana’s voice quivered, “Sometimes, these thoughts seem so irrational, yet the idea gnaws at me. If this is some cruel jest of Theodore’s, I’m not sure if forgiveness is within me. But the longing for him to be alive is so intense. And if Holden were truly Theodore, what path should I tread? He has a family now. Do I yearn for a Holden who’s alive but distant, or a Theodore who’s gone but cherished me?”

Mitchel, lost in Ariana’s torrent of emotions, took a moment to process. He never envisioned their lives entwining like this.

Drawing a deep breath, he began, “Theodore’s chapter in your life has closed.

He’s a memory now. Why would Theodore, if he were Holden, not reach out? Why a different life, a different family? Can you truly build a life with someone who’s juggled your heart like this? You’ve got to see it clearly,

Ariana. Theodore is a memory; Holden is reality. And they’re different people. You can’t let the past tether you forever. There’s a whole future ahead.”

Ariana’s gaze dropped to the floor, her shoulders shaking as tears streamed down. Taking a moment, she said, “I get it. I really do. But letting go of him isn’t easy for me.”

She was caught in a torrent of emotions. Recognizing Holden for who he was and not seeing Theodore in him was a daily struggle. Aware of Holden’s upcoming wedding, she chided herself for not distancing from him sooner.

a place in the world.

in his stomach. He reached out, his hand comforting

his secret; he knew the truth about Holden’s real

Holden was indeed Theodore felt like a_ potential

witness her love marry someone else? Or let her discover that her years of pain had been

the peace, even if it was built on an illusion, felt

Ariana, her face hidden in her hands. Her voice

just miss him so, so

uttered only added to her

day, perhaps I’d

the weight of her

“Don’t say that.”

accident wasn’t on you. Neither was

weathered so

residence, Holden had just coaxed Adele to sleep when

his response icy. “Handle the wedding

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