Our Anniversary, You Chose Her – I Chose Divorce

He touched the corner of her eye, wiping away the wetness. His voice was exceptionally gentle. ”Even though I want you to worry about me, to have me in your heart, to cry for me because you care... now that you’re actually doing it, my heart aches for you instead. Don’t cry. I’ll get better.”

A moment later, she took his hand. With his palm facing up, Chloe’s fingertip began to trace characters, one stroke at a time.

”You’re overthinking things. I just got sand in my eyes.”

Feeling what she wrote, Walker’s lips curved into a smile. ”In that case, the conditions in this hospital room must be terrible if it’s got sand in it.”

Chloe clutched his fingers and didn’t write anything else.

She looked at the man, his eyes wrapped in white gauze, and a bitter ache filled her heart.

She had wanted to divorce him, to make a clean break, but she had never wanted him to get hurt, or to die.

They had once loved each other; an amicable breakup would have been for the best.

’But now, how could I possibly leave?’

’He lost his sight protecting me.’

’From now on, I have to be his eyes until he makes a full recovery.’

’If I do that, maybe this bitter ache in my heart will ease a little?’

As Chloe’s thoughts ran wild, her long eyelashes trembled.

”Chloe.”

The hospital room fell silent. Even though she was holding his hand, he still felt a sense of panic.

He called her name. ”If you’re here, touch me. Give me a response. Otherwise, I don’t know where you are, and I’ll start to panic.”

His voice was slow and hoarse, laced with a panic he himself didn’t seem to realize was there.

’When had he ever shown this kind of emotion?’

’Now that he was blind, his only perception of the world was through sound and touch.’

’And I’m the one who can no longer speak.’

’He must be so scared.’

Chloe gently squeezed his fingers, signaling that she was still there.

After a moment, she began writing in his palm again.

”I won’t leave.”

”You’re a liar.”

But Walker’s tone was accusatory. ”You said you wouldn’t leave before, but you did. Do you have any idea how scared I was? What would I have done if something had happened to you?”

Chloe didn’t respond for a moment.

Walker tightened his grip on her hand. ”You’ve promised me again. That you won’t leave. You’re going to keep your word this time, right?”

Chloe made a noise of assent.

A smile touched Walker’s lips. ”You’re never leaving again?”

This time, however, Chloe didn’t respond.

The hospital room fell silent once more.

The curve of Walker’s lips flattened. After a long pause, he said, ”Chloe, I’m a little thirsty.”

A moment later, the hand holding his fingers slipped away.

Walker’s fingers twitched, as if trying to grab her.

’She’s still here. It’s just... there are some questions she refuses to answer.’

’Why won’t she answer? Because she’s dead set on leaving.’

’When she says she won’t leave, she only means for now.’

’Eventually, she’ll leave me.’

The realization sent a searing pain through Walker’s chest. As her unique, faint scent drew near, he suddenly shot out a hand, grabbing her arm and pulling her down toward him.

”Ah—”

A short, unpleasant cry rang out, broken and hoarse, like a chainsaw cutting through wood.

Chloe pushed against him. ’What’s gotten into him now?’

Walker’s voice was strained. ”Don’t move. You’ll tear open my wound.”