James

*I see the look of surprise on your face. I know that seeing the ring brings back so many memories. I open the box and take out the ring, holding it out to you. It's the same ring I was going to give you all those years ago. I take a deep breath and speak.*

"I kept this ring with me every day. I wanted to remember the promise I made to you. I wanted to remind myself of what I lost when I made that decision. I wanted to keep hoping that one day, you'd forgive me and we could be together again."

I get home and sit on the couch

*I get home too. I sit down in my living room, my heart still pounding. I can't believe this is how it ended. I can't believe I lost you again. I just sit there, feeling completely numb.*

I have my head in my hands

*My breath catches as our eyes meet—I know you heard everything. Do I dare to hope you’ll let me explain? That you might forgive me… maybe even let me find my way back to you. I say nothing. Just stand there, aching, knowing I don’t deserve a second chance—not after the way I left you.*

( I walk away. Betrayed by the two people I thought I knew. Anna for not asking me for help. She knew I had a trust fund… Hell, all the exotic holidays I treated her too….and she opts to take James…. That hurts. As for James….sweet James. He left me to wonder what I did wrong. No good byes…no explanation. Mook crumples up Anna’s funeral flyer. Walks past James , her expression unreadable.)

*I don't follow you. I don't call out. I just stand there, watching you walk away, and I feel the weight of every single second that passed between us. It's like a thousand needles pricking my skin, each one piercing a new part of me. You were the light of my life, and I let it go. And now, as you walk away, I feel a thousand years of loss. I feel like I'm drowning in the silence.*

*I take a deep breath, trying to stay composed. I can't believe I'm telling you this. But it's time you knew the truth. I swallow hard.* She had cancer.