Chuck sat on the sofa in his new apartment with a notebook and sharpie. Boxes surrounded him even though he had moved in nearly eight months ago. Dressed in jeans and a sport's jersey, he enjoyed his morning drinking coffee and sorting through everything.

He knew one day he would have to do it, and today just seemed like this was it. Sitting there, he went through things, his heart dulling aching in his chest. He opened another box.

It was most of Lucy's clothes.

He had everything in the self storage box delivered to the apartment. Today he was sorting through what he would give up to good will and what he would keep. The last year had been hard, in fact some times it was downright awful.

Lucy's parents had moved, sending him a brief letter explaining how sorry they were and how they would very much like to stay in contact. Chuck crumpled the letter the minute he finished it, knowing he would most likely never see or hear from them again. That very same weekend he drove up to the summer home to find it empty and a for sale sign up front. Walking to the back he looked at the pool, now drained.

Thinking back to the accident, he stood on the edge and looked down.

That's when he simply turned away and never looked back.

Gary and been a great help, he told him maybe he should talk to somebody about what had happened…get some of those feelings out and maybe then the nightmares would stop. Chuck at first didn't like the idea of having to go see a shrink…in fact he found it downright shameful…but after the first three or so visits he began to see comfortable. For once he didn't feel embarrassed and felt more open to talk about Lucy. The man he went to go see was older, almost sixty with kind eyes. He himself had lost two wife's during his life and was currently living alone while his eldest daughter finished college. Chuck found him lucky…at least he had children.

But Chuck opened up and mostly just talked about his few years married to Lucy. How they met, what their interests were, and how much he really did love her. Often talking about it brought back pleasant memories he thought were forgotten for good. Instead he just laid on the leather couch and laughed thinking back when he had a wife.

And he was loved.

Soon afterwards he began to talk about Lucy's death and how badly he had dealt with it. Slowly he began to see that really it was an accident, and that ring or no ring…he didn't cause his wife's death.

It was hard to talk about…but it helped.

It didn't let Gary know about this, instead he kept it locked inside deep in his heart.

He found himself laughing more, and getting out. Gary and Marcia pushed him to start dating again, but that was one path he didn't dare go down. He felt as though it was still too soon, and beyond unfair for Lucy. His heart was still healing from what happened and he didn't think he would meet anyone in his entire life that would match up to her.

But Gary pushed and pushed and he began going on blind dates. Most of them were downright awful and awkward. Usually he would find himself during the entire date comparing whatever woman he was with to Lucy. Time went on and he worked and tried to feel alive again.

But it was hard.

He began seeing two women. One a teacher, the other worked in a office. Both were pretty and very interesting, but the attraction really wasn't clicking. He really felt unsure about moving on while Lucy was still dead. He felt as though he was doing something terrible and unfair. But Gary was right…Lucy would of wanted him to just live his life and move on.

But it was hard.

Chuck began having fun again, slowly. He tried getting out more and more and thought mentioning Lucy would make him back peddling from all the progress he made. It still hurt, and he still cried sometimes in private…but the truth was…all his change was for the best.

He began dating more, even though nothing really turned into anything…guilt still heavy in his heart.

Then he began seeing this girl from his office named Jenny, she was a sweet enough attractive girl with beautiful red hair. He slept with her after nearly a month of on and off dates. Having sex was refreshing, but he felt sick afterwards. It wasn't at all like it was with Lucy…in fact he felt as though he had cheated on her and never called Jenny back again.

His shrink told him that was normal, it was just him getting used to his old ways and that having a physical relationship with women wasn't wrong at all.

Chuck dated some more, some of the women interesting and nice…the others not so much.

He slept with two other women he dated, but like always he never called them back.

He felt bad, but still he couldn't believe that a year ago he was married…and happy.

He worked, and tried to move on…but things were hard.

Today he was sorting through the last of Lucy's things. He knew this was another step in moving on. It had been hard giving her things up. Her clothes, her jewelry, her coats, her shoes, her photographs…

So many memories…

But he knew this stuff was really just stuff. Lucy would of thought of it at way. It was painful, but he knew it was for the best. As he sat there drinking his coffee, he finished with one of the last boxes.

He folded the clothes, that still faintly smelt like her.

In the end he packaged up five boxes in all and kept only one.

This box mostly had photographs, things he didn't dare part with. The rest was just odds and ends Lucy kept.

One was an old cat collar from a cat she had growing up. She explained to Chuck the collar was her good luck charm whenever she had to travel for a job. The next were a few books of hers, some of her favorites she would read whenever they were in bed together.

The next was her wedding dress.

He really didn't know why he kept it…but he just didn't want to see it go.

So he packed everything up in that box, and slid it in the crawl space above his closet. He didn't know if he would ever look at these things again…but he felt better with them being with him.

The only things he kept out were the photographs.

Sitting back down, he knew he would have to call up delivery to get the rest of the boxes packed away. Tonight he had another date, which he was still a little unsure of. She seemed like a nice enough girl…but he didn't know.

Sitting there in the early morning sun he glanced at one of the framed dusty photos he had taken from Lucy. It was of her, twelve or thirteen sitting on the front steps of her childhood home. She was smiling and holding a cute orange cat.

Chuck never paid this any further mind until a few months later.

He wanted to tell Gary once the paper started to arrive, but he thought nothing of it. There were millions of cats…so what?

Chuck moved on, and even fell in love again for a brief period of time. But then again…that was taken from him. He was sure Theresa was Lucy…somehow back in a different form. She looked so much like her…

But when she was taken, Chuck tried to pretend it didn't hurt. Maybe…just maybe she was still alive.

The paper kept coming, and Gary kept saving people.

Chuck helped, and watched everything play out…while still thinking of that orange cat his beautiful wife once held as a child.

Time went on…but Chuck never forgot.

The end