A Love That Lasts Forever
Nella always thought she knew her husband, Eric, like the back of her hand. After all, they’d been married for 12 years, and Eric had always been her rock—steady, dependable, and full of love. But when he started acting strangely, everything she thought she knew about him began to unravel.
It started on an ordinary evening. They had just finished dinner when Eric, with an unusual seriousness, said something that shook her world.
“I need some space, Nella,” he said, his voice calm but distant.
Nella stared at him, trying to process his words. Space? Eric was the last person she’d ever expect to say something like this.
“What do you mean, space?” she asked, her voice trembling. “We can figure things out together, right? If you need time, you can use the guest room or the pool house. You don’t have to leave.”
Eric gave her a small, tired smile. “It’s not about us,” he said softly. “I just need to do this. Please trust me.”
But trust wasn’t easy when Eric started leaving every night after dinner and returning before sunrise. For ten days, he stuck to this strange routine, becoming more withdrawn and exhausted. Nella’s mind spun with possibilities—was he cheating? Planning to leave her? Every scenario felt worse than the last.
Whenever she pressed him for answers, he’d only say, “It’s nothing bad. Trust me.”
By the fifth night, Nella couldn’t take it anymore. Her imagination was running wild, and she decided she had to find out the truth.
Following the Mystery
On the tenth night, Nella waited until Eric left, then grabbed her coat and followed him. Her heart pounded as she trailed his car to a nearby park. From a distance, she watched him park under a tree.
What happened next only deepened the mystery. Eric didn’t meet anyone. He didn’t even leave his car. Instead, he pulled out a pillow and blanket, settled into the driver’s seat, and stared at his phone before lying down to sleep.
“What is he doing?” she whispered to herself. “Why would he put himself through this if there wasn’t something—or someone—he was hiding?”
Nella decided enough was enough. She wasn’t going to spend another sleepless night wondering.
The Confrontation
That same night, she returned to the park and approached his car. Her heart raced as she knocked on the window. Eric jumped, startled, but quickly unlocked the door.
“Nella?” he said, his voice filled with surprise.
She slid into the passenger seat, her eyes blazing with questions. “Eric, I can’t do this anymore. Are you seeing someone? Is that why you’re here every night?”
Eric sighed heavily, his face etched with exhaustion. “It’s not that,” he said, shaking his head. “I promise, there’s no one else.”
“Then tell me!” she pleaded. “Why are you doing this? Why are you sleeping in your car?”
Eric hesitated, then reached into the backseat and pulled out a stack of children’s books and a small recording device.
“I didn’t want to worry you,” he said quietly. “I’ve been recording bedtime stories for the kids.”
Nella blinked, her confusion growing. “What? Why would that worry me?”
Eric’s hands trembled as he explained. “A few weeks ago, I got some bad news,” he began. “The doctors found cancer. It’s aggressive.” He paused, his voice breaking. “The prognosis isn’t good.”
A Gift of Love
Nella felt like the ground had been pulled out from under her. Tears streamed down her face as she reached for his hand.
“You should have told me,” she whispered. “We’re supposed to face things like this together.”
Eric nodded, his eyes glistening. “I didn’t know how. I just wanted to leave something for the kids—something they could have when I’m not here anymore.”
From that night on, everything changed. Their days became a whirlwind of doctor’s appointments, treatments, and moments they tried to make count. Eric threw himself into creating memories with their children—pancake breakfasts, family movie nights, and silly dances in the living room.
As his strength faded, his love only grew stronger, pouring into every story he recorded and every moment he shared.
A Final Goodbye
One quiet winter morning, Eric passed away. The house felt unbearably empty without him. A few days later, Nella found his recordings on the family computer. Among the bedtime stories was a file titled Our Story.
With trembling hands, she clicked play.
“Once upon a time,” Eric’s voice began, warm and steady, “there was a princess—kind, smart, and braver than any knight. But most of all, she had the biggest heart.”
Nella listened, tears streaming down her face, as Eric wove their love story into a fairytale.
“And even though the man grew old and weary,” his voice wavered, “his princess would go on. She would rule their home with love and strength.”
Love Endures
Whenever the days felt heavy and the grief too much to bear, Nella returned to Eric’s recordings. His voice was a balm, a reminder of the life they’d built and the love that would never fade.
Even in loss, Eric’s love endured, wrapping around Nella and their children like a warm embrace, guiding them forward—proof that some bonds are too strong to ever be broken.
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