Stay Strong

Full Circle

The years had begun to blur together. Carina stood at the window, watching the world pass by, the streets of London unchanged in their rhythm. The sky was a soft gray, clouds stretching across the horizon like the weight of a forgotten memory. It felt as though time itself had lost its meaning, as if the ticking of the clock had slowed and all that remained was the quiet echo of what had been and what was yet to come.

Carina was no longer the young woman who had stumbled through that mysterious door all those years ago. She had seen decades come and go, had lived through wars and changes, had built a life, a family, and a love so deep it felt woven into the very fabric of her being. But now, the years had caught up with her. She was no longer the woman George had fallen in love with. Her once-dark hair had turned silver, her steps had become slower, and her hands, once delicate and soft, were now marked by time.

It had been five years since George had passed. The grief still lingered in the quiet moments, when the house was still and the world outside continued its frantic pace. She missed him in ways that words couldn’t fully express. He had been her constant, her partner, her home. And now, without him, Carina felt a hollow emptiness, a longing for something she could no longer reach.

But as much as she missed him, she had come to understand that her journey had always been about more than just love. It had been about survival. About resilience. About accepting the life she had been given, no matter how unexpected it had been.

And so, Carina had moved forward. Not without pain, not without moments of doubt, but she had moved forward. She had lived on, carrying his memory with her like a quiet companion, a soft whisper in her ear.

But as the years passed, something changed. She began to notice things that hadn’t been there before. Subtle changes—shadows in the corners of her vision, a sense of familiarity in places she had never been before. And then, one day, it hit her.

She was standing at the edge of the park, a place she had walked through countless times in her life. It was a peaceful place, filled with trees and benches, where the world seemed to slow down. It had always been a place of reflection, a place of memories. But today, it felt different. The air was thick with something she couldn’t explain. And then, she saw her.

The young woman, with pale skin and wavy black hair, walking through the park, just as Carina had done so many years ago. She looked so much like her, like a reflection in a mirror, but younger, untouched by time. The old woman’s words—“Stay strong”—echoed in Carina’s mind, and suddenly, she understood.

It was her. She had come full circle. She was seeing her younger self.

For a moment, Carina stood frozen, her heart racing. Her breath caught in her throat as the realization settled in. She had always wondered who that old woman had been. She had wondered why she had been told to stay strong, why that message had haunted her for so long. But now, standing in the presence of her younger self, the answer became clear.

She had been the old woman. She had been the one who had told herself to stay strong.

It was a strange, surreal moment, and Carina didn’t know how to react. The world seemed to pause as she watched the younger version of herself walk down the path, unaware of the future that lay ahead. The life she had lived, the choices she had made, the love she had found—all of it was before her younger self now, unfolding like a story yet to be written.

Carina took a deep breath, her hands trembling slightly as she stepped forward. She walked towards her younger self, her heart pounding in her chest. The younger Carina glanced up, her eyes bright with the optimism of youth, and for a moment, the two women simply stared at each other.

Carina swallowed, her throat tight with emotion. She couldn’t help but smile, the sadness of the years fading away in the presence of the girl she used to be. She reached out, her voice soft but steady, “Stay strong.”

The younger Carina blinked in confusion, but before she could respond, the older woman stepped back, watching her younger self walk away. She couldn’t explain why, but she knew in that moment that everything was as it should be. The cycle had completed itself. The journey was done.

With the weight of the world lifting from her shoulders, Carina turned back towards the bench. She sat down, the cool stone beneath her comforting. The park around her seemed to settle into a peaceful silence, the world continuing on as it always had. She closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun on her face, and let herself breathe.

Her mind wandered back to George, to the life they had built, and to the days they had shared. She remembered the love they had given each other, and the promise they had made to face whatever came their way. That promise had carried her through the hardest of times.

Now, as the end of her journey loomed closer, Carina felt a deep sense of peace. She had lived, she had loved, and she had endured. And now, it was time to rest.

She closed her eyes one last time, her breath slowing, her heart quieting.

And with that, she was at peace.