my lovely summer, emma myers √

t h i r t e e n

later that day, isla stood outside emma's house, the envelope and pendrive clutched tightly in her hand. isla took a deep breath, trying to steady herself before knocking on the door.

when emma opened the door, her eyes were red-rimmed, a mirror of isla's own grief. No words were exchanged at first; the air between them was thick with unspoken sorrow. isla held out the envelope and the pendrive, their hand trembling slightly.

“these… these are from charlie,” isla said quietly, their voice barely above a whisper. “i found them on their desk today. i think she wanted you to have these.”

emma took the envelope and the pendrive with shaking hands, her eyes filling with fresh tears as she looked at the familiar handwriting. isla stood there, unsure of what to say, feeling both helpless and grateful to have been able to deliver this final message.

“thank you,” emma finally whispered, her voice filled with emotion. “i… i don’t know what’s in these, but i’m glad you brought them to me.”

isla nodded, a silent acknowledgment that they understood. she turned to leave, giving emma a moment alone with the final words and memories left behind.

the room was quiet, save for the soft rustling of paper as emma unfolded the envelope with trembling hands. she had been staring at it for what felt like hours, the sight of her name in charlie's familiar handwriting both a comfort and a cruel reminder of her absence. finally, she gathered the courage to pull out the letter, her breath hitching as she began to read.

the first words on the page were simple, yet they carried the weight of a thousand unsaid goodbyes:

"my darling, emma,"

she choked back a sob, her eyes already blurring with tears. charlie's voice seemed to echo in her mind as she continued to read, every word a painful reminder of the girl she had lost.

"i’m so sorry i had to leave you like this. if there were any other way, i would have chosen it, but life had other plans for us. please know that even in my final moments, my thoughts were with you, always with you."

her tears fell freely now, staining the paper as she clutched it tighter, as if holding onto it could somehow keep charlie close, keep her from slipping away completely. she could almost feel charlie's presence beside her, could almost hear her whispering these words into her ear.

"i wish i could be there to hold you, to wipe away your tears, but i need you to be strong now, for both of us. remember that i love you more than words can say, and that love will never fade, no matter where i am. i'm sorry i couldn't tell you that,"

she shook her head, the pain in her chest tightening as if her heart was being squeezed by an invisible hand.

"i’ve left something for you. a little piece of me, so that you’ll never feel alone. it’s on the pendrive i’ve left with this letter. it’s not much, but i hope it brings you comfort in the days ahead."

her gaze flickered to the small drive she had set beside her, her heart aching at the thought of what it might contain.

"but for now, just know that you were everything to me. you made my life beautiful, and i’m grateful for every moment we shared. don’t mourn me too long, my darling. live your life, live it fully, for both of us. i’ll be watching over you, always, until we meet again."

the final words on the page were barely legible through her tears.

"forever yours, with all my love."

her sobs came hard and fast, her body shaking as she held the letter close to her chest.

the letter still in her hands, her tears soaking into the fabric of the sheets they had once shared. the world outside continued on, indifferent to her grief, but in that moment, time stood still.

she didn’t know how long she lay there, but eventually, the tears slowed, though the pain remained, a constant reminder of what she had lost.

after the tears had slowed and the weight of the goodbye letter had settled in her chest, emma wiped her eyes, glancing at the pendrive. she reached for it with trembling fingers, knowing she had to see what charlie had left behind.

emma grabbed her laptop, her hands shook as she plugged in the pendrive, and she held her breath as the device loaded. the screen flickered for a moment before a folder appeared, simply labeled with her name. her heart squeezed at the sight, and she clicked it open.

as the video starts, it showed sneak peeks of the full video with charlie's voice over it.

"hi, my name is charlie ford and this is my summer documentary. all of it was spent with you, my darling, emma myers,"

then screen filled with a video of emma. she remembered it was when they watched a movie together for the first time, in emma's bedroom. "what?"

"you look really pretty," charlie spoke through the video. emma let out a soft laugh through her tears, remembering that day. that was the day she knew she was falling in love with her.

the next video loaded automatically, a clip of them at the beach, splashing each other in the waves. she could hear her own squeals of laughter as charlie chased her through the surf, could see the way charlie looked at her with pure adoration. the sound of their laughter filled the room, the quiet emptiness she had felt since charlie's passing.

as she watched video after video, her tears flowed freely, but there was a warmth in her chest that hadn’t been there before. each memory he had captured was a reminder of the love they had shared, the happiness they had found in each other, and the life they had built together.

"hi, darling," charlie said, his voice warm and familiar, though it sent a fresh wave of tears down her cheeks. "if you’re watching this, then… well, i guess i’m not around anymore. but i didn’t want you to feel alone, even for a second."

she paused, looking down as if gathering her thoughts. " i made these videos for you because i wanted you to remember all the good times we had. i wanted you to smile, to laugh, even if it’s through the tears. you were the best part of my life, and i don’t want you to forget that, no matter how much time passes."

"i know you’re hurting right now, and i wish more than anything that i could be there to hold you. but i need you to know that i’m still with you, in every memory we made, in every moment we shared. i’m right there, by your side, always."

emma reached out, touching the screen where charlie's face was, her heart aching with the depth of her love for the girl.

"i love you," charlei said, her voice cracking with emotion. "and i always will. don’t forget to be happy. that’s what i want for you, more than anything."

the video ended, the screen going dark, but she sat there for a long time, her hand still pressed against the laptop, as if willing her to stay just a little bit longer.

with a shaky breath, she whispered into the quiet room, "i’ll never forget. i promise." and for the first time since charlie had gone, she felt a small, flickering light of peace amidst the darkness.

°°°