What Hides Within

Forever

"Is she any better?"

Eric looked up at his mother. "She's the same."

"How long will she live like this...", his mother trailed off at the sudden anger in his eyes.

"For as long as it takes.", he replied coldly.

His mother cleared the dinner plates silently.

His father looked at him sympathetically. He knew how stubborn Eric was.

Eric got up from the table abruptly and went into his room.

His parents looked at each other and smiled sadly.

Eric stepped into the balcony. The cool breeze felt refreshing.

Carrie spent a lot of time here. Listening to music... reading... writing may be... in that damn journal.

He always wondered why she liked to hang out by herself here. Now he could understand.

It felt like a cocoon that was just for him... where he could gather his thoughts, temporarily cut off from the world.

He settled on the old bean bag that Carrie always sprawled on, and gazed up at the cold starlight.

What she had felt as a kid on the beach was surely just a childish fantasy. What 5 year old would think of death?

But did she believe she didn't belong with him?

She wanted to spend her life with him. She convinced him to spend a lifetime together. So how could that be possibly true?

The journal.

He hated it.

He was beginning to fear it.

But he had to know.

So he went back into his room and pulled it out.

January 19th. The day they decided to get married.

He opened Google translate.

19th January, 2016.

I feel like this is a dream.

Eric agreed! I don't believe it!!

I can imagine our wedding day already. My white lacy gown... walking down the aisle with dad... Eric looking down at me with his soft smile... Saying I do... Living happily forever after.

I regret mom never lived to see this day. But I can imagine her. Sitting in church... beaming at me. I know that no matter what, she will be there :)

Yet a part of me feels like something will go wrong. That fate cannot possibly let me be this happy.

Does Eric really want to marry me, or did I nag him into it?

Eric frowned.

Of course he really wanted to marry her.

It scared him initially. Spending his whole life with someone. Losing his privacy. Sharing his space.

But he loved her. And ultimately he decided that was bigger than all his fears.

Had he made that evident to her?

Because she clearly wasn't sure about him.

He flipped pages forward.

June 18th. Their wedding day. There was just one line below the date.

18th June, 2016.

This is a mistake.