I pressed the note to my chest.
For so long, I had thought Carl’s final wish was not to d/i/e alone.
Now I understood.
He had not feared being alone at the end.
He feared leaving without ever being known.
I returned to the cabin before sunset.
Anna was on the porch playing guitar. Lucas argued with Daniel about how to repair the dock. Thomas stood nearby offering advice no one had requested.
Evelyn waited at the edge of the water.
When she saw me, she smiled.
“Claire.”
Some days she knew me immediately.
Other days she needed time.
That evening, she opened her arms without hesitation.
I stepped into them.
Behind us, the cabin windows glowed gold. The lake reflected a sky streaked with pink and orange. Laughter drifted across the porch.
I had entered Carl’s life believing I was granting the final wish of a lonely, d/y/i/ng man.
