Then his voice, low and a little shaky, but determined.
“Close your eyes.”
I obeyed, heart pounding.
“Now open.”
His voice was rough, almost strained.
When I opened my eyes, there it was—a small velvet box resting in his palm.
Inside, a ring—a simple gold band with a small stone, modest but beautiful. Barely more than a whisper of a promise.
My breath caught. My hands trembled as I touched it, as I looked at him.
But what truly stole my breath wasn’t the ring itself.
It was the engraving inside.
I love you.
Nothing else. Just those words—simple, honest.
He turned me to face him, cupping my face in his hands, his thumbs brushing away the tears that had already begun to fall.
His eyes locked into mine—steady, burning, as if he could see every part of me.
“Will you be mine forever, Della?” he asked, his voice low, thick with emotion.
My heart exploded in a thousand pieces. I could barely speak, tears clouding my vision as I whispered back.
“Always and forever.”
He smiled then—soft, relieved, almost boyish—and pressed his forehead against mine.
“I’ll come for you,” he whispered, his breath warm against my lips. “Finish your studies and I’ll come to get you. We’ll get married. Build our life together…I’ll give you the Universe, Goddess.”
And, I believed him.
* * *
I blink hard, swallowing the lump in my throat.
The bride’s laughter echoes—bright, innocent, untouched by time.
I wonder what she’ll remember in five years. If she’ll still believe in forever.
A tear slips down my cheek before I even realize I’m crying.
Not for him.
For everything we never lived.
For everything we could have been.
I stand, wiping my face, chest tight, steps heavy.
Some things are better left buried.
