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Chapter 22
During this period, Tara has been searching for a cemetery for Melanie.
Although Melanie didn’t leave behind even her ashes, she thought that she would have to be buried alone in order to find peace.
After searching around, she finally found a piece of land facing east on the South Mountain and bought it.
She knew that Melanie had destroyed everything before leaving, but fortunately, this daughter–in–law had given her a bracelet when they got married.
Tara prepared to place the bracelet into the cemetery and erect a tombstone.
And this time, I came to take a copy of that memorial photo and stick it on the tombstone.
In the future, on special occasions and holidays, she would also go to pay respects and worship.
But little did I know that I would unexpectedly learn the truth about Melanie’s passing.
She was in a mess in her mind, not knowing how to face this matter and not wanting to see this son
again.
So, after she calmed down, without even looking at the collapsed Nathen on the ground, she pushed
the door and went straight into the room.
It had been a few days since I last came, and the house had become a mess again.
She didn’t want to tidy up for him anymore, so she walked straight to the bedroom, ready to search
for that photo.
The results were searched in every corner, but still not found. She turned around and went into the
study.
Nathen didn’t know what she was looking for, silently following behind her.
When Tara opened the drawer next to the printer, both the mother and son were stunned to see
what was inside.
A thick stack of paper was placed neatly.
At the top, densely written with words, Nathen immediately spotted the four words “bucket list“.
The next day after he had booked the ticket to Ashedge, a scene appeared slowly in his mind.
Melanie sat at the desk, meticulously writing down these words.
He remembered that she had said a very unusual sentence that day, which made him anxious for a long time.
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She said that she hadn’t seen him smile so happily in a long time.
He thought at that time that she had seen through something, so he dared not respond and could only change the subject.
Looking back now, this sentence actually doesn’t mean anything else. It was just a casual remark she made when recalling the past.
But with this unintentional remark, it exposed the rotten interior of their seemingly happy and perfect marriage.
After losing her, Nathen finally realized, upon looking back, that Melanie had always seen through
his forced smiles.
Otherwise, why would she have said such a thing?
He thought she knew nothing, he thought he was the only one carrying everything.
In fact, she knew everything and she could also see the countless difficulties he carried.
She just didn’t want to add any new burden to him, so she pretended to know nothing, quietly becoming an invisible person, not disturbing him, just silently waiting for him to come home.
And what did he do? Nathen dared not think any further.
Those tears that had dried up for a long time, in the moment of seeing these long–lost, familiar handwriting, gathered in the eyes once again.
Some sorrowful and melancholic cries filled the entire room.
Continuous and enduring.
By the end of crying, Nathen was completely confused.
He didn’t know when his mother left, nor did he know how long he had cried.
He only saw that the black ink on the white paper had been smudged, blurring its original
appearance.
He trembled as he reached out his hand, wanting to pick up the last memento left behind by
Melanie in the corner.
But he had drunk too much alcohol, hadn’t eaten properly for a long time, and had cried so much
that he couldn’t muster any strength in his hands.
With a loud noise, dozens of papers scattered and floated down to the ground, like magnified
snowflakes.
How
However, the colors of these snowflakes were not pure; on each piece of paper, there were ink
stains.
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Nathen knelt down on the ground with difficulty, ready to take a good look at what was on top.
His blood–red eyes, when he saw the content on the first piece of paper.
In an instant, it reached its peak.
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Chapter 23
