It had been months since Diane passed. Diego still visited her grave sometimes with his journal. He would sit, talk to her, read her some of the words she left behind, and write his own. But he didn't just grieve anymore. He lived. Not in the workaholic way he used to but by living in Christ. He started spending more time with people. He even spoke at a church youth event. He shared his story, not as a man who had it all figured out, but as someone who was still learning to trust, and to heal but most importantly, to let God walk before him and make him perfect. He smiled more. Prayed more. Forgave more — even himself. One evening, he stood in front of a small class, teaching a group of kids how to journal their thoughts and prayers. A little girl asked him, "Did someone help you learn how to do this?"
Diego paused. Then he smiled gently.
"Yes," he said. "Someone very special did."
And in that moment, he knew that she lived in him.
There was a lady. Her name was Rachel. She was young and full of questions about life. She reminded Diego so much of himself. They met at a church youth event. She stayed behind after the session, holding one of the journals he'd passed out.
"You said writing helped you," she said. . "Did it really?"
Diego smiled. "Extremely."
" Um... Can I get to know you better? "
" Of course you can. What do you want to know about me? ", he asked with a warm smile across his face.
" Everything. ", her eyes were bright with curiosity.
" Alright, let's go over to the garden and talk. "
Over time, their conversations grew. Rachel would come by the church garden just to talk. She would ask about God and about growth. And Diego with patience Diane once showed him listened like a friend. He saw so much of Diane in her. He began to grow into what Diane was to him in someone else's life.
One morning, Diego was in his office reading through some files when a call came in. It was Rachel. It was quite unusual for her to be calling on a Monday morning. Normally, she would have been at work.
"Hello", he said.
A sob broke from the other end.
"What's wrong Rachel?", he asked.
"I'm going to end it all!", she screamed.
"Calm down Rachel, where are you?"
She just kept crying.
"Rachel please talk to me."
The call went off. He tried calling back several times but it went straight to voice mail. Quickly, he got up and rushed out of his office. From his calculation, he would get to her house in sixty minutes which was exactly an hour. He increased his speed and drove as fast as he could. He couldn't let her harm herself. Not when he could help.
Eventually, he pulled over in front of her apartment. He knocked but there was no response. It almost seemed as though no one was in. He had this feeling that she was inside so he stepped back and using his left side, he pushed the door open.
No one was in the living room. He ran upstairs and rushed into the first bedroom he saw. Then he found her. She was lying on the floor with a slit wrist. He quickly rushed to her side and took hold of her hand. Quickly, he tore his shirt and fastened it on her wrist. He made sure it was tight enough to reduce the bleeding. Her pulse was weak but she was alive. Then, he carried her in his arms out of the room.
"Hang in there.", he whispered running down the stairs.
He rushed her to the hospital and the doctors attended to her. When she was stabilized, he went in to see her.
"Hey.", he said as he took a seat beside her.
She looked away.
"It's okay Rachel, there's nothing to be ashamed of."
"Why did you come for me?"
"Because I needed to."
"I'm sorry Diego."
"No, you don't have to be sorry. What happened?"
"You know my best friend I told you about?"
"Yeah I know, Anne right?"
"Yes... She got into an accident last night."
He knew what happened. He just lowered his head and said a little word of prayer.
"She's gone."
He looked into Rachel's eyes and he remembered how broken he felt when his other friends died. He took hold of her hand. This was something Diane would always do whenever he was in pain.
"Rachel, everything will be fine."
"You know", tears rolled down her cheek. "I'm not upset with him."
He looked up at her. She was smiling but he could see the tears.
"I trust him, he took her for a reason. I don't even know why I slit my wrist, I wasn't even thinking about anything. I just didn't want to feel the pain."
Hearing her words, Diego became emotional. When she spoke about Anne, she told him how much she loved her and how she couldn't wait for her to come back because she hadn't seen her for two years.
" I know she's in a better place... ", before she could finish, Diego hugged her.
"Jesus loves you. Jesus loves her.", those were his words.
"Thank you for being here."
After they spoke for a, while, they prayed together and a lot of things changed after that day. Rachel smiled differently when she saw him. Her stare lasted longer. And Diego felt it. He remembered his promise to Diane. Live. Love again. So, he stayed patient. He kept guiding Rachel, kept being there for her. Not because he needed someone — but because someone once taught him how powerful love could be when it wasn't forced, when it was built in faith. And maybe, one day love would bloom again. Not to replace the past, but to honor its promises. Diego kept his distance at first, careful not to confuse guidance with emotion. He knew Rachel was still growing, still learning about her faith and herself. So, he stayed in his lane — a mentor, a friend, a safe space. . She admired him, not just for what he said, but how he lived.She started staying longer after sessions. They'd sit outside on the bench sharing stories about life, books, and how hard it was to trust God on the hard days.
One evening, she looked at him and said, "You came into my life for a reason. "
He smiled." I believe everything in life happens for a reason. "
Months passed. And somewhere between the prayers and quiet dinners, something shifted.
Rachel's feelings deepened — not just admiration, but affection. She didn't say it out loud, not yet. But Diego saw it in her eyes. And truthfully, he felt it too. It scared him.
He sat one night with Diane's journal in his lap and read her words: "Love again. Don't be afraid."
He prayed. He waited. And when he was sure that what he felt wasn't guilt or loneliness, but love, he took her for a walk.
"I need to be honest with you," he said. "I care about you… more than I expected to."
She stared at him. Her eyes widened
"But I won't rush this," he added. "I want us to keep growing in God, first. I want to make sure love finds us the right way."
Rachel nodded, tears in her eyes. "Me too."
And so, they kept walking, supporting each other and growing in faith and love. When they were ready, they got married.