Chapter 28
Ethan went into the hospital in March.
Pneumonia.
Complications from his heart.
The doctors said it was serious.
Very serious.
I sat by his bed every day.
Held his hand.
Talked to him.
Read to him.
Sang to him.
The family came.
One by one.
Two by two.
Everyone got their chance to say goodbye.
Elena cried.
James held her.
Diego sat with Ethan for an hour.
Told him what a good man he’d been.
What a good brother.
Liam and Sophia came with their families.
Little Elena—only two—climbed up on the bed and kissed her great-grandpa’s cheek.
Ethan opened his eyes.
Smiled at her.
“Hey, beautiful,” he whispered.
“Hi, Grandpa,” she said. “I wuv you.”
“I love you too, baby. More than anything.”
She kissed him again.
Climbed down.
Ran off to play.
That night, it was just me and him.
The family had gone home to get some rest.
The room was quiet.
Just the beep of the monitors.
The hum of the machines.
Ethan squeezed my hand.
Weakly.
“Mari.”
“I’m here, baby. I’m right here.”
He opened his eyes.
Looked at me.
His brown eyes were still the same.
Still full of love.
Full of me.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.
I laughed through my tears.
“I’m seventy-eight years old, Ethan. I’m an old woman.”
“Most beautiful old woman I’ve ever seen,” he said. “Still takes my breath away. Just like the first time I saw you. In your office. All business and fire and broken heart. I knew right then. I knew I was going to love you for the rest of my life.”
Tears streamed down my face.
“You did, Ethan. You loved me through everything. The worst parts. The broken parts. You loved me back to life.”
“Couldn’t help it,” he said. A small smile. “You’re impossible not to love.”
He coughed weakly.
I wiped his forehead with a cloth.
“Mari… I’m tired.”
“I know, baby. I know. You can rest. It’s okay.”
He squeezed my hand.
As hard as he could.
“Promise me… you’ll be okay.”
“I promise. I have the family. I have Elena. The kids. Diego. Everyone. I’ll be okay. I promise.”
“Good.”
He was quiet for a moment.
Staring at me.
Memorizing my face.
“Remember that trip to Italy?” he said softly. “The Ponte Vecchio. When I proposed. Best day of my life. Until Elena was born. Then the twins. Then little Elena. All the best days of my life had you in them.”
“All the best days of my life had you too, Ethan. Every single one.”
He smiled.
Tired.
Peaceful.
“I love you, Mari Carter. Forever and always. Even after this. Even when I’m not here. I’ll love you. Always.”
“I love you too, Ethan. Forever and always. No matter what.”
He closed his eyes.
His breathing got slower.
Softer.
The beep of the monitor got further apart.
I held his hand.
Kissed his forehead.
Whispered in his ear.
“It’s okay, baby. You can go. I’ll be fine. I’ll see you again. I promise. One hundred and ten, remember? I’ll be there before you know it. Go be with my parents. With Carlos. With Abuela. Tell them I love them. I’ll be along soon enough.”
He took one last breath.
Soft.
Gentle.
And then he was gone.
The monitor went flat.
The room was silent.
I sat there.
Holding his hand.
For a long time.
Not crying.
Not screaming.
Just… holding him.
Memorizing the feel of his hand in mine.
The warmth of his skin.
The memory of his love.
Thirty-nine years.
It wasn’t enough.
It would never be enough.
But it was more than most people got.
More than I’d ever dreamed I’d have.
I kissed his hand one last time.
Laid it gently on the bed.
Stood up.
Walked to the door.
Opened it.
My family was there.
Waiting.
Crying.
Holding each other.
I looked at them.
At Elena.
At Diego.
At all the people who loved me.
Who would get me through this.
And I nodded.
“He’s gone.”
And then the tears came.
All of them.
And my family was there.
To catch me.
To hold me.
To love me through the worst pain of my life.
May you like
Just like they’d always done.
Just like they always would.
