Christie believed she was in a loveless marriage as her husband would always be drowning in work and never had time for her. In the end, she realized her husband loved her more than anything in the world, but it was a little too late.
Christie and Alex had been married for ten years and had no children together. Instead, they were focused on each other’s careers, and it ended up taking a toll on their relationship.
During special occasions like Valentine’s Day and their anniversary, Alex and Christie would always head out to a simple dinner at a restaurant. Instead of thinking that these dinners were romantic, Christie would often find it more of a routine as it’d be the same thing happening year after year.Christie always dreamed of traveling the world and experiencing new cultures. As they didn’t have children, she thought this would be possible, and they could strengthen their relationship through these travels.
However, Alex would always turn down her trip proposals, saying they were expensive and unnecessary. He insisted on saving up for the future so they could go on these trips once they’ve retired.
Eventually, Christie fell out of love. She felt her life was a routine, and that she would simply go home to sleep and eat.
To make matters worse, Alex was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that numbered his days, making it difficult for Christie to leave him.
One day, while she was headed home from work, Christie received a call from the hospital. “Mrs. Carson, your husband is not in good condition. It’s best you head over here immediately,” the nurse said.
Admittedly, the thought of Alex dying so young still broke Christie’s heart and made her stomach twist. While she felt their love was stagnant and had no spark, he was still her husband who she spent most of her adolescent years with.
She drove to the hospital, trying to hold back her tears. She started to think about where it all went wrong, and how things could have changed if they both just tried harder as a couple.When Christie got to the hospital, Alex was connected to several machines and could hardly speak. However, he still tried his best to speak to Christie to let her know how he truly felt.
“Christie,” he started to say. “I know I didn’t get to prove this to you, but I want you to know that I love you more than anything in the world. I realized at one point that this love might not be mutual between us,” he shared slowly, as he had a hard time breathing.
“I do love you, Christie, and I didn’t expect to leave this world so early. I had so many things planned for us,” he said, searching for Christie’s hand. She reached out and held on to him as he continued to speak.
“These are my last hours, and there’s nothing more I’d like than to spend them with you. And when I die, I’d like to bring a piece of you with me. So please, at my funeral, please put something in my pocket of yours so that I can keep it forever.”
At this point, Christie was in tears. Even though she fell out of love with Alex, she still loved him and considered him a great part of her life. “I promise to do that, Alex. Don’t you worry about me, too. I’ll take care of myself. So you rest easy and watch over me from up there, okay? I’m glad you don’t need to be in pain for much longer,” she assured him.Alex nodded as he continued to hold Christie’s hand. “If it’s not too much to ask, would it be alright if I was buried in my favorite blue suit? You know which one that is,” he asked.
Christie nodded her head. “Of course. But don’t think about that now. Let’s just enjoy these moments together. Okay?” she said, trying her best to smile.
For the next couple of hours, Christie sat beside Alex. They listened to music, reminisced about their younger days, and sometimes sat in silence, simply enjoying each other’s company. That night, Alex slowly drifted to sleep and never woke up.
“Goodbye, Alex. Thank you,” Christie whispered as he flatlined. Tears fell from her eyes, and she wept quietly as the doctors and nurses started taking out the wires connected to his body.At his funeral, she approached him one last time and carefully put her locket in his coat pocket. The locket was significant because it was the first-ever gift Alex gave her when they were still in college and had one of their first photos together in it. “I wish to remember you for our good times, and not what happened late in our marriage. Thank you for the wonderful years, Alex,” she said to him quietly.
As she placed the locket inside the pocket, she noticed a piece of paper inside and carefully pulled it out. “For Christie,” it read in Alex’s handwriting. She had never seen it before but realized Alex must have anticipated his death before placing it there. She decided to read it later and put it inside her pocket.
Dear Christie,
I’ve loved you all my life, and I’m glad that it’s you I chose to spend the rest of my life with. I am sorry that in the process of wanting to prove my love to you, I forgot to live in the present, and because of that, somewhere along the way, we became distant.
I remember when we were younger, you’d talk about your life-long dream of putting up a cafe by the ocean, where you could bake your delicious cake recipes and serve hearty meals to customers. I never forgot about this, so every day, that was my motivation to work so hard. I’m sorry that it took up all of my time that I neglected you in the process.
I was so close to watching you fulfill this dream, Christie. In my safe, there is a bank passbook under your name. There, I’ve saved up enough money for you to open your business. There is also an envelope in there with documents for the purchase of a plot of land with a small cottage overlooking the sea. This is where you can put up your cafe.
I didn’t plan to leave the earth so early. I wanted to open this cafe with you. I am sorry I a won’t be there with you as you make this a reality, but know I am always with you in mind and spirit.
I love you with all my heart, eternally. Alex.
After reading the note, Christie was in tears. For the longest time, she believed Alex simply didn’t care about her or their relationship. She regretted not speaking to him about their issues and not working it out when she still had time.
“I’m sorry for letting go so quickly, Alex,” Christie sobbed to herself. “I wish I could turn back time,” she cried.
That night, she prayed to Alex the entire time, speaking to him about his regrets and wishes. Although it took her some time to get over his death, she slowly got back on her feet and started planning the cafe opening, as it’s what Alex would have wanted.
After a couple of months, she was ready to finally launch her cafe. She named it after her husband – Uncle Alex’s Seaside Cafe.