The last letter

Sophie stared at the envelope on the kitchen table, her heart pounding in her chest. The edges were worn, the ink slightly smudged, as if the letter had traveled through time. It was the last thing she expected to see today, a letter from Daniel, sent a year after he left her without a word.

She hesitated, the sting of his departure still fresh despite the passing months. Sophie had spent countless nights awake, replaying every moment, every conversation, searching for signs of what went wrong. But Daniel was always a mystery, even to her. He was the kind of person who hid behind a smile, who buried his thoughts under layers of charm and wit. And then, one day, he simply vanished, leaving Sophie with nothing but an empty bed and a thousand questions.

Her hands shook as she picked up the envelope. She had imagined this moment so many times—receiving some sort of explanation, a reason for the pain she had endured. But now that the moment was here, she wasn’t sure she wanted the answers.

Finally, she slid her finger under the seal and opened the envelope. The letter inside was written in Daniel’s familiar scrawl, and as her eyes moved over the words, she could almost hear his voice speaking them.

*Dear Sophie,*

*I know this letter is long overdue, and by now, you’ve probably moved on. I hope you have. I hope you found the happiness I couldn’t give you. But I owe you an explanation, and though it’s taken me a year to find the courage, I can’t leave this world without telling you the truth.*

Sophie’s breath caught in her throat. What did he mean, "leave this world"?

*When I met you, I was already sick. I didn’t want to burden you with my illness, so I hid it. I thought I could manage it, that we could have our time together without the shadow of it hanging over us. But as things got worse, I realized I couldn’t keep pretending. I couldn’t let you watch me fade away, Sophie. You deserved more than that. You deserved someone who could be there for you, fully and completely, without the weight of what I was carrying.*

Tears welled up in her eyes as she read on, the words blurring.

*So, I made the hardest decision of my life. I left, hoping you’d find someone who could give you the future I couldn’t. It broke my heart to walk away from you, Sophie, but I did it out of love. I didn’t want your memories of me to be tainted by what I knew was coming.*

Sophie could barely breathe, her chest tightening with a mix of anger, sorrow, and understanding. All this time, she had thought he didn’t love her enough, that she wasn’t enough. But the truth was far more complicated, and infinitely more painful.

*I’ve been living in a hospice for the past six months. They say I don’t have much time left. I don’t expect forgiveness, Sophie, but I needed you to know why I did what I did. You were the best thing that ever happened to me, and I’m sorry I couldn’t be the same for you.*

*Take care of yourself, Sophie. Live the life we dreamed of, even if I can’t be there to share it with you.*

*With all my love,*

*Daniel.*

Sophie sat in silence, the letter trembling in her hands. The pain that had haunted her for the past year now mixed with a deep, aching sadness for the man she loved. He had been fighting a battle she never knew existed, and he had fought it alone, to protect her.

She folded the letter carefully, placing it back in the envelope. There was no going back, no chance to change what had happened. But in that moment, Sophie knew she had to find a way to forgive him, to let go of the anger and embrace the love he had tried so hard to preserve.

Sophie walked to the window, staring out at the world beyond. The sky was a brilliant shade of blue, and the sun was shining brightly. She closed her eyes, feeling the warmth on her face, and whispered a goodbye to the man she once loved, the man who loved her in his own, tragic way.