The final goodbye

Today did not feel like other days. It was the first day in many years that Peter woke up alone. He felt more rested than he had in years although his heart was aching. He checked his watch and realized that it was nearly midday.  

He drank a sleeping tablet last night and closed the shutters to sleep as late as possible. He literally had to catch up on eighteen months of lack of sleep.  

His heart ached when he turned to his side and saw the empty space next to him but he knew that it was better this way. They had said their goodbyes, and he knew that he had no other choice but to continue with his life. 

He missed her laugh, and their chats, but the last two years had been absolute agony. 

He will never forget the day they met, and they barely knew each other for six months before they got married. She was the most brilliant loving person he had ever known and the first time he saw her in the library, he knew that he was going to marry her.  She loved white roses, and he made a point of it to bring her a fresh bunch each week. 

Marriage was a bliss.  He could never understand why people complain about being married because nothing ever changed between him and Jenny.  

They decided from the start that they were not going to have children soon, and when they finally decided to, they got the worst news ever. Jenny had stage 3 ovarian cancer.  It was the worst day of their lives and it was even worse than the day he lost her forever. 

They tried everything the doctors told them to, and when her hair began to fall out from the chemo he was the one that shaved her head. She did the same for him and they both laughed when they looked in the mirror. 

The chemo did not work and it made her so sick. After the second set of treatments she decided to stop, and he supported her decision.

They moved down to the beach, and Jenny spent her days sitting on the porch watching the ocean. They talked a lot and she made him promise that he would go on with his life when she was not there anymore. It was a difficult promise to make, but he promised her that he would not put his life on hold after she was gone. 

For the last two weeks he spent every minute he could with her, and he told her the same stories over and over again. She was in so much pain but refused more pain medication. It was hard on him, but he promised that he would not go against her wishes.  He watched her turn into corpse, and there was nothing he could do to save her. 

He left the pain medication next to her to take when she needed it, and he never forced her to take anything she didn't want to. Two nights ago he noticed that the bottle was empty, and she fell asleep after telling him how much she loved him.  He kissed her and sat next to her while she slept. 

She never woke up again, and he knew that she had taken the easy way out, but he didn't blame or resented her. He calmly phoned the doctor and after the doctor left they came to take her away. He kissed her on the forehead and his heart broke at the thought of not seeing her ever again. 

She wanted to be cremated and her ashes sprinkled into the ocean. He respected her wishes. 

Peter got up and took a quick shower. He was just finished when the doorbell rang and when he opened there was a young woman standing there that instantly took his breath away. She reminded him so much of Jenny. She smiled at him, and he could see the resemblance in her eyes. 

"Hi neighbor...I moved in last week and I have been meaning to come over but I was still busy unpacking."

Peter smiled at her and took the bunch of white roses from her. He invited her in for a cup of coffee.  He smiled as he put the flowers in the vase that Jenny used.  

  

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