Chapter 20
Time was the best medicine.
A year later, Shailey returned to the house where Warren used to live.
The house had been well–maintained and kept clean all these years at her orders. Every ornament was unmoved and placed in its original position, and the house still bore traces of Warren, as if he had just left a few minutes ago.
Shailey let the cleaners off early and decided to clean the house herself.
It was then that the letter was delivered. The postman had long since left when she found it lying on the doorstep. Only the handwriting on the letter told her of its origins.
Shailey hurried out, hoping to get the sender’s contact information from the postman, but she was unsuccessful. All she could do was return to the house and open the letter.
The envelope contained little–just a postcard with “Merry Christmas” printed on it and a photograph.
Christmas was the day after the next, Shailey remembered.
In the past, no matter what happened, she would always spend Christmas with Warren.
However, since last year, she spent the holiday alone.
Just then, Freya came in with the cleaning tools she had requested. When she saw her standing in the doorway staring at the postcard, she did not dare to interrupt and just stood by, waiting.
Finally, when Shailey moved, Freya asked cautiously, “Ms. Ralston, is this from Mr. Gardner?”
“Yeah.”
Gently and full of care, Shailey held the postcard and the photograph.
The photograph was slanted downward, allowing Freya to take a peek. The subjects were clear -Warren was dressed as Santa Claus with Thandie beside him. Standing before a Christmas tree, they were both making silly faces at the camera.
Though they were pulling weird faces, they still looked adorable,
Shit.
Shailey was going to get triggered again.
At that thought, Freya glanced at Shailey again cautiously, not even daring to say anything for fear of making things worse.
“Warren says he’s doing well now. He said he had despaired and lost hope before, even on the brink of giving it all up. However, just as he was drowning, Thandie appeared. She gave him
the hope and the motivation to keep going.”
She sounded like she was just repeating what Warren had said in the postcard, but she was also reminding herself that he was doing well. The last thing he needed was her interference.
Still, her voice trembled.
It had been a year. She thought that she had gotten over him.
Freya asked with concern, “Do you want to sit down?”
Shailey suddenly realized that she had been standing there for who knows how long. Reaching for the table to support herself, she lowered herself onto the couch rigidly, pressing her back to the back of the couch like she didn’t have the strength to hold herself up.
“He also said that he hoped that I could get over the past soon and find my own happiness. He doesn’t want me to lock myself away. He really still sees me as his sister–in–law.”
She looked at his photograph and tried to smile unsuccessfully.
In the end, she covered her face with her hand, hiding all her emotions.
Worried that she would relapse into the insanity of the past year, Freya quickly thought of an idea. “Ms. Ralston, give me the address on the envelope. It’ll only take me ten minutes to find out where Mr. Gardner is. Even if he’s already moved away, we can still know where he went.”
This seemed like a good idea.
Shailey was tempted. She raised her hand and was just about to order Freya to go ahead when she shook sense back into her head. Lowering her hand, she picked up the photograph again. No need. He’s living the life he wants. I’m fine. Really.”
She looked up. “You should go home for Christmas, too. It’s the holidays.”
Freya did not insist. Placing the things down, she turned and left the house that was filled with memories of Warren and Shailey.
Shailey sat there for a long time until time began to blur. She thought she saw Warren pushing open the door, but it was just a hallucination.
She continued to run her fingers across the familiar handwriting on the postcard.
Warren had written, “Merry Christmas, Shailey“.
After a long time, she took out a piece of paper and penned a short reply, “Wishing you happy marriage with Thandie, my dear brother–in–law.”
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