Bureau of Collections || ONC2021

Epilogue: Millie

Millie folded shirts, wiping at her puffy eyes as tears threatened to fall once more at the loss she'd suffered. She lifted another shirt from the washing basket, lifting it to her nose and taking in his smell, her ache growing deeper. It had been so sudden, mugged and killed. Not her Colin, he was careful and kind. They were meant to raise their girls together, retire in the mountains and now it was all taken away.

Sniffing she resumed folding, her heart heavy, one shirt after the other until the basket was empty, pausing as she noticed a torn and folded note at the bottom. Curious, she carefully pick it up, almost too afraid, knowing just from the handwriting of her name written neatly in the corner of whom it was from.

Her breath held as she unfolded it, a hand rising to her mouth as she slumped down onto the sofa behind her, piles of sorted clothing sagging in like a warm embrace on either side of her, not quite making sense of what she was reading.

To my dear beautiful Millie,

No words can describe how much I love you all and if it were in my power, be with you as you go through this. I know this letter may seem strange and somewhat prophetic, but understand there are people that really tried to help keep me with you. This is an opportunity, no, a gift I don't think many get and I won't waste it because I know how much my absence will be felt, especially by you, my family.

You have given me everything I ever wanted in life, Millie. Your beautiful kind heart and warm wide smile have always been the light in my life and as the years have gone by and we have gone from the awkward teenagers we once were to the exhausted parents we are now I can't help but find you more incredible with each day. My heart is and always will be yours, forever.

Take care of our girls. I know you will, you always have. They would not be the incredible young women they are becoming without you.

Don't change a thing, they are perfect in every way. I love you, my darlings. I'm sorry I can't be there to watch our girls grow, create families of their own and find their own happiness, it is and always will be my greatest heartache but I'll always be with you and know I find peace knowing I did everything I could to protect you all and give you a comfortable and happy life. Thank you for it all. I love you. Always will.

Farewell, I'll see you again. I promise.

Colin. xoxo

"Mummy?"

Millie looked up from the letter, tears streaming down her face as her two girls stood in the doorway, each of them clutching to their soft toy bunnies. She reached out her arms to her girls, smiling through her sadness as they trotted forward and curled up beneath her arms. "Hello my darlings, its very late. You should be sleeping."

"I can't sleep without one of Daddy's stories." Lara murmured as she buried her face into her mothers shoulder.

She pulled them both in tightly, kissing each other their heads in turn. "I know sweetie. I miss them too."

"Mummy?" Lilly asked, her large blue eyes gazing up at her mother.

"Mmm?"

"Do you think the big nice man made sure Daddy made it safe to the afterlife?"

Millie paused, letting out a sad laugh, thinking back to these friends Colin had referred to in his strange letter before nodding. "Yeah, I think so baby."