Chapter 1459
Taking a slow breath, Myron straightened and shut his eyes for a moment, forcing his emotions back under control.
“She’s going to wake up,” he said quietly, his voice rough but steady. “Maybe she just needs a little more time to rest.”
Myron’s voice softened as he continued, “When she’s ready, she’ll come back to us.”
“However long it takes, I’ll be right here,” he remarked as he opened his eyes and studied Millie’s face with determination that pushed past his exhaustion. “I’ll wait for you.”
A gentle breeze drifted through the room, stirring the curtains, while everyone’s eyes stayed fixed on Millie—each gaze brimming with silent hope and heartache.
Wanting Nicole and Ari to stay close, Myron purchased a condo just a short walk from the hospital. As for himself, he moved right into Millie’s room.
Work couldn’t keep him away. No matter how full his days became, he always made sure to spend his nights by her side.
That evening marked his first night alone with Millie in her new room, after Nicole and Ari had gone home. He filled a basin with warm water and gently began to clean her, his movements tender.
“You’ve gotten so thin,” he whispered, voice barely above a breath. “Everything I care for seems to thrive, yet you just keep wasting away. Even Ari—she’s not the little girl who used to cry a lot. She’s grown up so much. She’s becoming a leader in class, and everyone adores her. If you stay asleep much longer, you’ll miss so many of her milestones.”
While Myron gently washed her, he kept up a soft stream of conversation, as if hoping a familiar voice might coax a flicker of response from Millie.
When he finished, he set the basin aside and returned to her bedside, smoothing the blanket around her frail body. Still, she remained motionless, lost in her silent sleep.
A tired sigh escaped him.
Crossing the room, Myron opened a drawer and pulled out a small box. Inside, blood-stained jewelry rested in a tangled heap.
Each piece had once adorned Millie on their wedding day—now tainted, the gems and gold marked by Macauley’s violence that had shattered their celebration.
A vivid memory flashed before his eyes: her fingers slippery with blood, her wedding ring catching the light even as chaos burned all around them.
Determined to restore what he could, Myron gathered his cleaning tools and carefully polished each piece, as though by erasing the stains he might finally lay that terrible night to rest.
One by one, Myron polished the necklace, bracelet, and earrings, taking his time with each piece. The room was hushed, filled only with the steady rhythm of his careful work and Millie’s quiet breathing.
As the last traces of blood vanished, the jewels caught the harsh hospital light, scattering it in brilliant flashes—so reminiscent of the day she’d worn them down the aisle, promising forever with every step.
For a fleeting moment, he let himself remember how perfect that day had seemed. If only he could turn back time and change their fate. But longing alone could never rewrite the past.
He looked over at Millie, a wistful smile flickering on his lips, and dropped the jewelry into the ultrasonic cleaner. Soon, the hidden blood and stubborn debris would be gone, at least from these keepsakes.