The rain hadn't stopped since morning.
The sky seemed to cry with her, gray and endless, as the small crowd stood around Ethan's grave.
Aria couldn't move.
Her black dress clung to her skin, soaked through, but she didn't care. Her hands shook as she held a single white rose — Ethan's favorite.
The priest's voice faded in her ears, replaced by the sound of her heartbeat and the soft patter of rain on the coffin.
This can't be real.
She watched as they lowered him into the ground, her vision blurring with tears.
Each second felt like another piece of her soul being buried too.
Ethan's little sister stood beside her mother, holding a teddy bear close. She looked up at Aria with red, tear-streaked eyes.
"Big brother said you make him happy," she whispered softly.
That was all it took for Aria to break again.
She dropped to her knees, the rose falling from her trembling hand as she whispered,
"Why did you leave me, Ethan? You promised we'd make it through this. You said we'd have forever…"
Her father came to her side, holding her close, but Aria couldn't feel anything. Not the rain, not the arms around her — just emptiness.
When the ceremony ended, most people left. Only Aria stayed.
She sat by his grave, tracing his name on the stone with her fingertips.
The world had gone quiet.
Then Ethan's guardian approached her, his eyes full of sadness.
"Aria," he said softly, "Ethan told me… if anything ever happened to him, I should give you this."
He handed her a small brown envelope, her name written on it in Ethan's handwriting.
Her breath caught.
With trembling fingers, she opened it.
Inside was a letter — slightly wrinkled, like he'd held it many times before deciding it was ready.
She unfolded it, and the moment she saw the first line, her heart shattered all over again.
"My Aria,
If you're reading this, it means I couldn't keep my promise to stay.
But please don't cry too long. You gave me the kind of love people wait their whole lives for.
I was scared of dying until I met you — then I became scared of leaving you.
Thank you for making me feel alive, even when my time was short.
When the wind touches your face, that's me.
When the sun warms your skin, that's me too.
So don't say goodbye… because I'll always be here, just in a different way.
I love you more than forever.
— Ethan Gray."
By the time she finished reading, her tears had soaked the paper.
She pressed the letter to her chest, shaking as she whispered,
"I love you too, Ethan. More than forever."
The wind blew softly, carrying her words away.
Somewhere deep in her heart, she swore she could feel him smile.