Love & Second Chances

Chapter Twenty-Four - Garrett's POV

- 1860 -

I heard my beloved wife let out a small whimper as I stroked my hands through her beautiful midnight black hair, lying on the bed beside her as I tried my hardest to bring her comfort in these troubling hours. She had taken ill in the past few months. Many doctors came to examine her. Most of them were as helpful as thorns in the side, but a few had concluded as to what ailed her. They all claimed that the most likely cause was cancer, which was a disease with no known cure. The news had frightened her terribly, leaving her in a state of worry, which caused her to have difficulty sleeping at night.

It broke my heart to see her in this state. Her skin was as cold as ice and as pale as the bedsheets. She had lost so much weight that I could see her bones in certain parts of her body. When she was first diagnosed with the disease, she still possessed a healthy appetite, but she seemed to grow worse with each day that passed. She barely ate, and only consumed any nourishment when forced. She had told me that it felt like each piece of food that entered her stomach was poisoning her.

She was so weak that she could barely manage to pull herself out of bed. Last week I had to scoop her into my arms and carry her into the dining room to have dinner with our two eldest children. Jasper and Lizzie had not seen their mother since before she got sick, so seeing her in such a fragile state had startled them. I had warned them of Lucy's poor health, insisting that the grandchildren stay home for the evening. The oldest was no older than five years old. As much as Lucy might wish to see them, it was not good for them to see her. In a way, I was trying to shield them from having to endure the pain that came with watching their loved ones suffer so much. They could see her again once she was better.

Even though I knew that there was a very slim chance of survival for her, I was clinging to the hope that a miracle might yet occur. I knew all too well that everyone had to die eventually, but I could not bear the thought of living without her. It was rather strange to think of how my feelings for her had changed since the day we first met. I had decided to marry her on a whim after the loss of my first love but had come to love her over time. While I did still fantasize about what my life would have been like had I married Elizabeth instead, I never once regretted marrying Lucy.

I was snapped from my chain of thoughts as I noticed my wife beginning to stir. Her tired eyes slowly fluttered open, roaming across the room before coming to rest on me.

"You are such a good husband," she said weakly.

Shaking my head in disagreement, I placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "If anyone is fortunate, it is I. Not many women possess enough courage and patience to turn a rebellious youth into a loving husband, father, and now grandfather."

"That is true," she replied, managing to smile at me. "Such a task certainly was challenging. However, I was more than happy to accomplish it."

"I am all too aware of the grief I have caused you. There have been times when I was convinced that you would have been better off with a man who would never disappoint you."

She rolled her eyes briefly. "You are too hard on yourself, my dear. Such a man does not exist in this world. There will undoubtedly be lots of men like that to be seen when I am in heaven, but I do believe that I would still prefer you even then."

Hearing her speak of death brought forth a sharp stabbing pain in my chest. Had she grown so weary that she had given up on living? No! I could not bear to think like that. She would survive! She had to! Life would never be the same without her. I refused to give up hope on her. I had never thought that it would be so, but her life meant more to me than my own. Although I assumed that she would say something similar. For both of our sakes, I prayed daily that by some good fortune, we might die together, or at least considerably close together in time.