Cassie POV, 10 years ago
I sit in my room, Maggie's words playing in my head over and over again. Was I doing the right thing? Should I stay and take care of my family? It boiled down to one question.
Who did I care more about?
And the answer to that was my family.
So, sobbing, I sat down to write a letter.
Dear Andy,
I love you, and writing this letter is the hardest thing I will ever do. I want to marry you, and spend the rest of my life with you. I want to have kids with you, and buy a house with you.
But I can't. I have a responsibility to my family. I have to help take care of them. Ever since my father died, I've been helping take care of my family. Maggie needs an older sister, Mom needs someone to help bring in money, and Aunt Trisha needs someone to help her when she's in pain.
I love you so much, and I will never, ever forget you, even if I live to be 100. I will always love you, and you will always be the most important person to me. But I cannot marry you now.
I wanted to tell you this in person, but as hard as this is to write, it would be a thousand times harder to say it.
Never forget me, as I will never forget you.
Love forever and always,
Cassie
I started sobbing uncontrollably. I couldn't do it. I couldn't send the letter. But I had to.
"Cassie?" my mother's voice asks, worriedly, from the other side of the door. She opens it.
She comes to put her arms around me. She starts to ask what's wrong, but stops when she sees the letter.
"Oh Sweetie!" she exclaims sadly. "Don't do this! Don't throw your life away! We'll manage fine without you. You are in love! Love only comes once in a lifetime. Don't ruin it!"
I nod, still sobbing at the thought of sending the letter.
"Shh," my mom said. "It's okay Sweetie. You two love each other. You're going to be together forever."
Yeah. Right.