When Her "Death" Couldn't Break Him (Cecilia and Nathaniel)

Chapter 13 Only Love

However, Cecilia had proven that, despite her disability, she could play the piano, dance, and sing just as well as anyone else. She was in no way inferior to those without disabilities.

These news reports had served as a beacon of hope for Calvin, helping him find the strength to pick himself up during his darkest days.

As Calvin recounted his own accomplishments, Cecilia found herself almost forgetting the person she had once been.

After Calvin escorted her to her place of residence, Cecilia offered him a small, grateful smile. “Thank you,” she said softly. “I almost forgot who I used to be.”

Calvin, noticing her fragility, took her out for a meal. Throughout the day, he considerately avoided asking about what had transpired after Cecilia’s marriage.

After settling into her new place, Cecilia realized there were only a few days left until mid-May, the day she and Nathaniel had agreed to finalize their divorce.

Reflecting on the promise she had made to Paula, she journeyed to the graveyard one morning.

She first visited her father’s tombstone. Gazing at the kind image of her father in the photograph, a roughness caught in Cecilia’s throat. “Dad, I miss you so much.”

A gentle breeze softly caressed Cecilia’s cheek, bringing a bittersweet sting to her nose. “Dad, you’d be mad at me if I came to see you, wouldn’t you?” she whispered.

She reached out, gently removing the fallen leaves from the tombstone, one by one. “I know I should be strong, but… I’m sorry…”

After standing in front of the tombstone for a considerable time, Cecilia finally decided to leave.

Before heading back, she bought an urn and visited a photography studio. Under the curious gazes of the staff, she had a black-and-white photo taken.

On the way back, she stared out the car window, lost in thought. Her phone rang, breaking her reverie—it was Martha.

“How have you been lately, Ceci?” Martha’s gentle voice asked.

Cecilia forced a smile. “I’ve been doing well.”

Martha sighed in relief but then scolded her lightly, “Who told you to sneakily give me money? I didn’t use it—I saved it for you. If you ever want to start a business or something…”

often sent Martha money in secret. Martha, being a simple country

nagging, tears unwittingly covered

take me home like you used to when I was little?” Cecilia

puzzled. Cecilia repeated, “On the fifteenth, I’d like you to

understand why she had to wait until then, she agreed. “All right, on the

messages, asking her to come in for a

decided to leave and didn’t want to squander any more money on treatment. She glanced at her account, noting she still had over a hundred

in Tudela had been marked by

hearing impairment had worsened. Often, when he knocked on her door, she wouldn’t hear him.

be fireworks by the river. Do you want

moment to respond. “All

riverside every Saturday. It was

married, Cecilia had once tried to see the fireworks with Nathaniel,

Cecilia and Calvin went to watch

Boom!

up the sky, their beauty

in her eyes. “Calvin, thank

that she wasn’t truly happy. “I’ll be staying in Tudela this year. From now on, we can watch the fireworks together every week,” he

didn’t agree because she knew she couldn’t make

offer to walk her home, choosing instead to

people, but despite the crowd, Cecilia thought she caught a

parted ways, she had often mistaken others for Nathaniel. Whenever she saw someone who even slightly resembled him, she would think it

to change, she noticed an entertainment news segment on a large screen across the street. The person being interviewed

“Stella, you mentioned that this time you returned to win back your first love. Have you achieved your

confirmed nor denied it. Instead, she said, “At eight o’clock tonight, he and I

As Cecilia crossed the street, a song dedicated to Stella played on the television—Only

In my entire life, I’ve only ever loved Nathaniel. How did I come to

back to an afternoon ten years ago when she returned home

school, after she had been bullied, Nathaniel’s intervention felt like divine intervention. There were times when their parents teased them, saying that when they