That, my story, tells of what happened to me with a former love who bid me farewell. Living with this memory is not easy. Here, I leave you this report with the freedom to believe it.

At the age of fifteen, I had a breathtaking girlfriend whom I loved as much as any teenager could manage. However, it was also a constant back and forth, saying goodbye, and then we came back together again. More or less, two years passed. One day, tired of this unstable boat ride, I quietly ended this relationship. I didn't seek her out, nor did I call her. She did the same with me. No doubt, she understood my immature behavior. After that, I devoted myself to pleasure; I was still a child, at least that's how I see myself looking back today. I didn't care much for commitments and decided to go out with other girls. Although, I felt uncomfortable and couldn't forget my Elizabeth. Liz, as I lovingly called her. After her middle name. I have no idea why I developed that splint.

Several years went by without hearing a soft tone from her. Through friends, I learned that she was getting married, and those words hurt deeply in my soul. The worst part, aside from the fact that we didn't keep in touch anyway, was that I was the one who distanced myself from her. It had been five years since we left school. Despite everything, I still remembered her and her face belonging in a fairy tale adorned with grace; she was lovely and delicate.

Two more years elapsed, and I got married. Unfortunately, this marriage didn't work out; we couldn't have children and grew bitter, drifting apart. Even more, I blame myself for not ending this marriage sooner, while I didn't hesitate to finish something good for me. I am a coward.

A year ago, unexpectedly and surprised, I bumped into her while waiting for a taxi. I immediately recognized her in a group of people surrounding her. My heart pounded in my throat, a sensation I hadn't felt since saying goodbye to her. She was just as beautiful as ever, more mature, hardened, and radiated a seemingly otherworldly self-confidence. I became as nervous as I did in the years past when I was an awkward teenager professing my love to her. Motherhood hadn't harmed her. Instead, this, combined with the passing forevers, allowed her to flourish into a goddess. I seized a seemingly opportune moment to greet her and no longer thought about the promised taxi. I became so stirred up that I greeted her thoughtlessly by embracing her. I deserved otherwise, but she responded to my overeager emotion. She expressed her immense joy upon seeing me again. I replied with an inappropriately excessive kiss on the cheek while absorbing her perfume as if it were inseparably clinging to me, attempting to transport us back to our united beginnings as fifteen-year-olds. Forgetting all obligations, I offered to accompany her to work; she accepted, and we spent another tiny, uplifting moment together.

We talked about many things at that moment. Elizabeth became divorced, much to my delight. She had a daughter who seemed to be a spitting image of her. And from what she told me, she hadn't started a new relationship either because she wanted to devote herself entirely to her daughter.

"I regret your divorce." My words elicited a laugh from her, as typical of her. I understood [...]

"In truth, better alone than in bad company, as they say. Isn't that right, Daniel?" She then reported on the humiliation by her ex-husband, which was inhumane and degrading.

"That's what they say!" I confirmed eagerly.

I knew [...]

I still fostered feelings for her. But Elizabeth? She didn't know about my marriage, carried out disharmoniously and pathetically to maintain appearances, and now perceived that as an exceptional burden than ever before. I wished for her strength and firm character.

"I'm living alone again with my daughter." She told me that. "Do you know where?" Mutual friends revealed it to me a while ago. I nodded hesitantly in anticipation of where the path she opened for me would lead. "Whenever you want, visit me."

"Of course!" I replied in unbridled excitement.

I tried to control my emotions regarding the rekindled enthusiasm for an old romance. Then, after a few days, I had to see Elizabeth every now and again. I visit her. It was the perfect moment. It was her company that I desired and missed all those years. I realize it now and that I had never stopped loving her. No other woman was able to fill her place. And I also remembered that I was it who had turned away from her. I had been such an idiot. How could I have hurt her like that? Despite everything, she never blamed me, not even a hint. She quite said that it had all happened so long ago when we were practically still kids. And that none of it seemed important anymore, not in this moment. She was still that adorable being, that gentle angel from the past. Understanding as always. Someone everyone sought out for advice without ever uttering a word about her suffering. She was such a fine person.

"She is perfect," I thought. "Why did I ... I fool have to inflict this pain on you? It's not what you deserve! I should have been by your side."

This night glide by in the blink of an eye. Before I knew it, it was already 3 a.m. Everything happened so quickly. And love received an answer. The desire to always be together was there. Now we were a couple again. The impression grew that the past years had been nothing more than a bad dream. We relived our youth and love again, which had been so abruptly interrupted back then, caught up with us.

Furthermore, it became harder and harder for me to say goodbye to her each time. I just wanted to linger with her and never leave her side. But the best part of all this was that she returned my affection. Then Liz said she loved me, that she had loved me all along. So, I promised to return to her every next and any other day.

I blasted the thought of returning to my house and to a woman I didn't love. And I hated never having told Liz the truth about all of this.

Then she said at that very moment, "Only God knows why he brought us back together again." Those words burned in my memory and haunted me until the end of my days.

And God knows, deep in my heart and soul, I didn't want to let go of Elizabeth. Reluctantly, I went back to my wife and home.

I wished so much that this moment with Elizabeth would never end. Detached from the world and time, I desired that this moment would be frozen, where she and I stood facing each other, touching, and our gazes merged. But in the end, I had to leave, back to my home and wife, to hear the complaints and accusations, as I did every other day.

The weekend was long without Elizabeth, and it was hard not to think about her. What was she doing right now? Was there someone else who desired her? I fell into jealousy without any reason. I had no right to be interested in her after what I did to her. I acted like a fool.

But for heaven's sake, what was I doing? I shouldn't be falling in love! I was married! Certain things in life are beyond our control. Damn my luck!

I continued to visit Elizabeth for months, and she considered me her fiancé. She introduced me to her parents on a new one and presented me to her daughter, the daughter I had always wished for. Together, we forged plans for the future. We talked about marriage. And I swear I truly wanted to be with her forever, until the end of time. Everything could have been so perfect if [...]

Yes, if I hadn't been married. I had never separated from my wife. Elizabeth was such a noble and decent woman. How could I do this to my true love, make her the mistress of a married man? And that, after I had already hurt her so much once? What if her family and friends found out? What would the neighbors say behind her back? How could I do this to her?

"My love, you deserve so much better, and I wish you all the happiness in the world, as true as I love you."

I didn't want to lose her, but I had to make a decision. More days passed, and I could have been the happiest person in the world if my conscience hadn't weighed so heavily on me.

Then came that dark day when I stopped visiting Liz. I didn't see her anymore or call her. I felt like a despicable creature. As much as I loved her, I couldn't continue lying to her. Yet, I also lacked the courage to look her in the eyes and say, "No more!" I did it again! I hurt her, the one I loved above all. But better this, a pain at the moment, than bringing dishonor upon her.

She tried to call me several times. But when I saw her number, I didn't answer. Then the calls stopped; she only sent me a short text message: "I understand." At that moment, I felt like I was dying, as if someone were at that moment, and all-time later ram an icicle into my heart.

I thought this was the best for her, to spare her from first-class suffering. And I couldn't leave my wife either. She was alone and had no family left, just me. I stayed with her out of pity, not out of love, because I feared she would harm herself.

It felt like a terrible eternity. I went through a period of complete isolation from everyone and everything. My damn soul was afraid they would ask questions. Similarly, I didn't want to hear if Liz went out with someone else. I wished her all the best. Oh yes! She deserved all the happiness, but I couldn't bear to hear it. But yes, it wasn't right. Nothing I had done was right. And if I hadn't messed everything up again, maybe things would have taken a different course.

On the day of my birthday, February 22nd, my phone rang at a very early hour. An unfamiliar number, yet it was her! My beloved Liz! What should I say? I felt ashamed. She still remembered me. Elizabeth wanted to congratulate me after what I had done to her. She said she always remembered this day, all those years gone by. And she wished me all the best in the world. I felt miserable and wished to tell her how much I still loved her, that I wanted to fall in love with her, not only in this world but also in the next. But how could I have even addressed a word to her anymore? Was I worthy to breathe the air she breathed? She was such a dignified lady: admirable, so noble, and I was not worthy of her. We talked for a moment, and she never complained about anything. Liz exuded such unearthly dignity and calmness. Unbelievable after all that. The only thing Liz reminded me of was how much she had always loved me, that she would love me forever, despite any distance and time, and nothing no longer matter what happened in the past. Elizabeth would always be there for me and wait [...]

On that same day, Joel called me. He was a mutual friend of mine and Liz's. Joel seemed strange in his behavior, hiding something. At first, I thought he was making his usual odd jokes, in his silly way, and called to congratulate me. But since he didn't get to the point, I asked, "What's up with you?"

He didn't speak smoothly, constantly interrupting himself with pauses. "Since you're asking [...] But I don't know how to tell you [...] After all, it's your birthday today [...] I didn't want to tell you, but maybe it's necessary."

"Tell me what's going on!" I demanded, feeling alarmed. He startled me.

"It's [...]" he struggled with words again. And his next word sent me into a panic. "Liz [...]"

"WHAT?" I shouted at him. "Tell me what happened to her!"

"Liz is dead, Daniel. There, I said it." There was a pause. I felt like my soul was shattering into thousands of pieces, and I was paralyzed, unable to react minimally. It wasn't until I realized Joel was ending the call that I pulled myself together. With the last strength, I whispered into the phone, but it felt like I was screaming, "What... what... happened to her?"

"This world was probably too rough for her," he interrupted with a sigh. "She had been feeling lonely for a long time, then seeking a chemically generated relief, and she lost control while bathing and drowned."

Shock consumed me. Not long ago, I was talking to her. Why did I miss telling her that I would rush to her immediately? She might still be alive.

He starts again and reports, "At the New Year's Eve party, when I spoke with her last, she asked me to convey a message to you. She said that she has always loved only you and that her love for you will never fade away, no matter what happens. Liz will wait for you until you are ready to be with her."

I couldn't bear it anymore and began to cry. And Joel also found it hard to tell me everything. He had always been the closest to both of us among all our friends. He knew the family's pain like a brother and son, mourning with the little one who now had no mother. Joel was with them every moment of this challenging time. He told me that he had taken the little one to her father yesterday, reluctantly, because this cretin didn't even have enough decency to pay his last respects to the mother of their child together. "Shortly after the ceremony began, he left again." Then he cried with a vengeance.

But I reacted, sure that I had misunderstood. "What did you say? When was Liz buried?"

"Three days ago," he answered through tears. "Near Elizabeth's father."

"That can't be!" I whispered. But Joel didn't understand me correctly. He believed I didn't want to accept reality.

"That is not possible!" I repeated my astonishment. "She called me. To wish me a happy birthday this morning."

"Daniel, you're hallucinating. Elizabeth died at the beginning of this month! Maybe you just dreamed it."

"Never! That cannot have happened."

I ended our conversation like a mentally confused person, ranting about Joel, thinking he was playing a cruel joke on me. After work, I went home unable to explain my agitated state to my wife, brushing her off with a vague reference to inexplicable discomfort. The night goes away, unable to find sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face with that distinct cheekbones. And then those captivating eyes that I couldn't stop looking into. Her gentle and lovely face, smiling at me. I feared it would never smile again. The uncertainty drove me to madness.

I let another day pass in this state, another entire day. Then I couldn't take it anymore.

It takes just a little over ten minutes to get there via South Avenue. From Fanwood, New Jersey, I drove to the nearby town and visited her mother, daring to show my face, burdened with all shame and guilt. But I needed certainty. I found her in mourning and tears. Everything was as Joel had reported.

I confided in her about the call. They couldn't believe it either. The mother wept, accusing me of a wicked prank. I showed her my phone, the call made from Liz's phone. She said her daughter, even in the afterlife, cared for others. But doubts remained about whether a third party was playing a heinous prank on both of us. One of Elizabeth's brothers retrieved her phone, and to everyone's astonishment, there was a call to my number at 8:07 a.m. on February 22nd. But nobody could believe it. It was impossible! They had tombed their sister and daughter three days earlier. I felt a cold breath on my neck and saw that her phone had become covered in frost.

"She wanted to say goodbye to you. You can't imagine how much she loved you," said the mother, tears streaming down her face.

"Yes, I know," I replied, holding back tears. Pretending to be strong when I was closest to breaking down. "But I was unworthy."

I thought of offering comfort to the mother, the least I could do.

With that, I bid farewell to the family, especially the daughter, whom I recognized Elizabeth in her face. Then a sound came from Elizabeth's phone. Her brother saw the text message, and suddenly, I noticed a look of surprise on his face.

"What's wrong?" everyone asked at once.

"The message..." he trembled and handed me the phone. "It's for you."

And I read there: "Distance and time don't matter. I will wait for you, be happy, my beloved Daniel."

They were words as if spoken in the call, as she talked to me, even though she must have already vanished.

"She's gone, but she wanted to send you one last greeting," said the mother, and I felt the urge to cry.

I held Liz's phone in my hand as I stumbled through the streets like a drunken man, not letting anyone touch this phone anymore.

A gentle snowfall began against the gray sky, with large flakes, beautiful and soft like feathers from angel wings, yet cold as death. Kids frolicked about and rejoiced while parents nestled comfortably in their warm homes. The air smelled of roasted apples and goose with chestnuts. But I only perceived it all peripherally, feeling intoxicated, and perhaps passersby thought so too when they glanced at me. "Looks like someone started celebrating early!"

I reached Wychwood, Ebroad Street, in a dreamlike state, propelled by adrenaline and sheer madness.

I don't know how it happened, but suddenly, I found myself at the cemetery, searching for Liz's tomb to bid her farewell and finally say what I should have said so many years ago. But I couldn't hold it in anymore and collapsed in tears in the thick snow, which fell thicker and thicker. I didn't feel the cold; the memories warmed me. My thoughts took me back to my teenage years when it all began: "My little Elizabeth! How much I miss you." My words grew weaker amidst the overwhelming pain.

There were the shared hours, the first kiss [...] I relived it all. This time, I said nothing. No tears flowed. The well had run dry. Now, I only smiled weakly.

The memory faded, and I opened my eyes again, seeing the dancing snowflakes. Briefly, I was reminded of the cold once more. But then I saw Liz again, my Liz, and forgot everything around me. Liz and I, dancing on a white evening in the city cemetery. A pleasant warmth washed over me. Yes, it was warmth and weariness.

"Elizabeth!" I thought I shouted as the memory melted away. Only a whisper escaped my lips. Then I was alone!

I felt a hand warming against my cheek. That snapped me out of my dreams and lifted my head [...] Elizabeth!

"My Liz!" I laughed joyfully. She smiled at me as gently as ever, seeming like a heavenly being. A breeze rose, and a candle in one of the houses flickered out. "I love you, Elizabeth!" I called to her. "I have always loved you and don't want to lose you anymore. Let me stay with you! Time and space mean nothing. You are the love of my life!"

She reached out her hand, and I took it in mine. Then we walked away together and never returned.

It was the next day when Daniel's body was found. He was still smiling, even though he had been dead for hours. And people wondered what could have made him smile while he was freezing to death.

As I mentioned to you at the beginning, this story is true. Although I have revised it in a literary style, this is a true story of something that happened just a few years ago. I leave it to you to believe it. But I hope you learn from it not to neglect the significant things in life. Above all, tell that unique person in your life how much you love them whenever you can. Tomorrow it may be too late.