Intertwined Souls

Chapter 18 (part 1)

My Love,

Just sitting here, trying to pack, and realizing how heavy my heart feels. Knowing I'll be so far from you even for a short while is tearing at my heart. How I wish I could pack you in my suitcase!

I am taking your journal with me and I plan to fill its empty pages with everything I'm doing and feeling while I'm away. It's my way of keeping you close, of letting you live these days with me even when we're apart. Can you please write about your days as well, while I am gone? When I get back, we'll swap stories, and it'll be like you were right there with me and I was right here with you.

I can almost hear you teasing me about being a sentimental fool, with that beautiful, soft smile that lights up your face. Oh, Beth, how I'll miss that smile! Keep smiling for me, won't you? Laugh, enjoy the beauty of our favorite places, and save some of those moments to share with me.

Take good care of yourself, my heart. You know how I tend to fuss over you, and though I'll be miles away, my heart stays behind, making sure you're taking good care of yourself. So, here's me, asking from afar: please, eat your meals on time. You tend to skip dinner often, and it worries me. And remember, too much coffee is not breakfast! I know how you get lost in your books and forget to eat, but you need more than caffeine to fuel those beautiful thoughts.

Make sure you're keeping yourself warm, alright? The evenings can turn chilly, and you get a runny nose. Speaking of which, wear those thick socks I bought you last week and don't worry about looking silly; they're just for you to see.

If you're feeling under the weather, don't brush it off. See Dr. Ellis if you need to, and don't just rely on that stubborn will of yours to get better. Promise me you'll do these things while I'm not there to nag you.

And Beth, keep smiling, love. It brightens your day and everyone else's around you. I know my absence might make the days seem longer and a bit gloomier, but I'm counting on your smile to carry you through until I can return and share in its warmth again.

Taking care of yourself in these little ways means the world to me, and knowing you're well and happy is all I need to manage the distance. I'll worry less knowing you're looking after yourself as tenderly as I wish to.

Beth, darling, your love is the sanctuary of my soul. The thought of coming back to you will carry me through each challenging day. Our love is the thread that connects us, no matter the distance, no matter the time. Hold onto us, hold onto our dreams, and wait for me.

I love you more deeply than these words can express, and each day apart will only make my love for you grow stronger. Soon, I'll be back, and we'll turn these pages of separation into memories together.

Remember, Ann is Beth, and Beth is Ann.

Yours, forever and always,

Ann

Beth pressed the letter to her heart after reading it for the nth time, a single tear rolling down her cheek, then carefully placed it on the table, as if it were a fragile treasure. Ann had left this letter before she was gone.

Beth gazed out of the window, her mind replaying Ann's words, each one echoing in the stillness of the room.

With a deep, steady breath, Beth stood and walked over to the bookshelf, where a new journal rested. Picking it up, she returned to the desk, opening it to a new page. Her hands hesitated for a moment before she began to write.

"Ann, I miss your laughter. I miss the way you insist on breakfast, even when I'm too stubborn to admit I need it. I miss how you wrap your arms around in this cold and make me feel so comforted, even when I insist it's not that cold."