Fading Vows

ped our son's funeral to pick u

was dyi

ays, I chose

d, why did she

di

oddler, he turned into

ffering their sympathies, some genuine,

three, and his moth

doesn't care. She went to pick up her old flame from the airport. If it weren't for T

the mother doesn't show. Being a

ome to this, would I have ins

t find an

d by illness and grief, unable

echoed in my ears, but her pr

if it took me that long to realize

n't she

Palmer returned to

. Ian, trying to find his mother, stum

y nestled his face into my shoulder, ca

thing r

finally understood

adopting him, the warmth of being called Daddy, and h

my mind, only to fade like old

my heart t

on, struggling against threads that

t my chil

ness, I stood until midnigh

ne neve

glanced at me cautiously and

therine

y she didn't know I was gravely ill. So b

ge was somethin

sured her to marry, she had no choice. So she settled

n't love, jus

er, knew I loved her desperately. Marry

does it still hurt so much? You knew from

ts of warmth over the past two years, th

thy was back,

o him, I w

rved parents who cherished hi

ep on the living room couc

ned in the morn

g home. It felt like she was stop

hat's the point of acting like this now? Wh

unable t

an ran out looking for h

t even know I had a

e she'd care

y, I said, "It

for dragging I

"I never agreed to the adoption

left fo

son, as if he'd nev

herine's hear

my low voice echoing in

ears, and she bare

Ian be any

could have a normal, happ

iculous co

wanted child,

d bring us happiness, but people

gone, and I

years of watching her, I knew every str

r who'd just lost a child. T

joy she felt pic

iff of cedarwood col

ar men's

y's fa

e went t

he prominent Reynolds

and nights before, I

to wash

it up, her p

one with Catherine yesterday. I'll come by to grab it. Sebastian, is that y

we were kids, loved ta

, my mother,

ughing together, her face lit with a rare, ca

as always comp

how she was

rked, a glint of tr

was tyin

s times to tie mine, li

ing, "I run a huge company. I don't have time fo

ard for my wife

it, what wa

me. I couldn't

ly familiar, the same o

ole of husband be jus

t soaked in

I handed the phone to th

n't do it. She just didn

a

able to bring Mom

y opened a box of pastri

always bought them for

iving, but I still

e had been my h

able, handed me car keys, and said casually, "Go

miled as if it didn't matter. "Just

Catherine let out a s

ike be

I always had pastries ready,

ine nestled into m

ng time since we

just guilt, a

e been overjoyed

like a bone

dull waves of pain, like a

I held her and opened

like cars. S

ed for years, I wanted to as

e something out of

aved by a bold,

lived in my world, and

in competitions, watched her hair dance in the su

half-brother

loved him. As an adul

noth

had

he was

nothin

writing a diary t

used to be occasional aches t

d been driven under my skin,

much, but I suddenly

she abandoned me.

d crushing poverty-w

st an ordi

e used to fan away the summe

she left. She built a new

up to watch me

her hair turned gr

w Timothy walking w

therine, wa

like a lov

the café. I quietly followed

savings. With my condition wo

the three of them ca

me, and her fa

eel somethin

ther, who didn't recognize the st

turned, pretending not to know Ca

from the start. That's wh

n't ne

ad long for

e came home with roast

aid it w

g couple, eating, cha

entioning the sce

illness, Catherine could be with

ng them today f

asn't entirely

h everyone else f

one b

erine nestled in

n't even like greasy

did because

e car, the goose-the

ts to ease

e, do you remember your wedding vows? No matter sickness or pove

athing

face to my chest, soothing me. "Don'

art s

er pause and

ne hate

ime, she l

ut she'd always carry

f the Reynolds family started c

I'd set out, a famil

y, "Go ahead and eat.

d in and

n was worse

s, spreading through people's body. Even chemotherapy only de

he host

ked my phone. Half

tumor had likely sp

ack, sat at

shed eating and wa

ing me to an island vacatio

always wanted to go,

couple of days. Are y

enough to cause fainting, I

back in the country,

hat... Catherine, w

self to the

rate to see how far Cathe

gh and talk, I hu

ing off my frame, nothing but b

e Timot

ng grimly on the sideli

g to Timothy and

ain, maybe to

want to

t her and

the car

othy's smugness flashed in my mind, settl

living room, I realized I'd bought

on the floor. The fo

marriage, it wa

everyone a

wife. Why wasn'

ly, stomping the

it-I didn't e

ss off the tabl

se or cars either! I di

I tore the liv

n't en

ard, cutting my arm.

dn't i

ed myse

hoed in the

ng, then swe

oarsely. It

're pathetic!"

inst my chest. I pull

miling u

him call me Daddy

ieted. I calmed down an

explained. "Sebastian, don't overthink it! You said you weren't coming. Timoth

love you. I remember the wedd

at her,

me fiercely, eyes

was always c

I smiled gently at her

ne remembered the vows. Sh

I was the only one who

id my chest feel like a gaping

ur wedding

epared a lav

tion spreading, I

let's live well. I'll come home more

t stay okay. You don't know how scared I was at

ay something whe

oth

owed, like it

s, grabbed her coa

"Sebastian, next time, we

need my p

never requir

nown that sin

and cake, I swept

wine, forming an

a while, t

anks for Catherine's help. It's too far, so

here, he added,

read rumors to the bullies who tormen

secretly visit

r hug Timothy

rner like a rat? Why look for my mom? She's my mo

thy still thought

wrote my final diary

Apr

Catherine went

ld on, but it

taking Catherine

as w

al. No one can comp