I hope you remember my smile like I remember yours. I hope the smell of you never fades from both the TARDIS and my memory so that when I turn suddenly, I'll catch a note of you. I hope every adventure that we've ever had is ingrained in your memory, like they are mine. Every adventure that plays back like a home film in my brain. There are certain colours that remind me of you: usually yellow, pink, and orchid, though a Union Jack has been known to bring thoughts of you to mind. I've never seen another pair of eyes stare at me the way you do. Did. Hopeful. Joyful. Demanding. Angry. Quizzical. Always full of love.
Did you know you'd fall in love? I didn't.
Did you know you lied. You weren't with me forever. Not even close. It wasn't your fault. What could you have done? The universe just wasn't big enough for the both of us. Our love. So I had to let you go.
Physically.
Because I can never let you go, Rose Tyler. You've saved me more than I can count. You're in my heart; you're in my mind. You're in my dreams; you're in my memories. I can never escape. Even if I wanted to.
Which I don't. Not ever.
Because as long as I know you're out there, I can go on. As long as you're living your life day after day, normal, like you're meant to, then I can go out and risk everything, knowing you're safe and happy and alive.
Because it's the only way that I can let go.