Dearest Shuichi

3. Strong and Fast

Dearest Shuichi—

I had no plans to write in this diary after the last entry, because I was quite sure that I would die before then. My illness came on strong and fast, and though I had planned to write here for a year or so, I had lost all the time I'd expected to have. The only reason I'm writing now is a miracle. It's something that I cannot explain, and if you can explain it then you aren't going to do so to me. I've tried to ask, but mostly all I've done is hug you and remember how much I love you. I wasn't going to write in the diary, but now I think I should. I should document every thing that I think about us, Shuichi, because I don't know when I'll get the next chance to do it. I'll keep writing, and with any luck, you won't inherit this diary until I've gone gray and you have your own children to love. In the meantime, thank you. I don't know what you did or how you did it, but thank you.

Signed,

Your mother.