The last letter
Evelyn sat by the window, the autumn leaves swirling outside in the evening breeze like golden whispers. In her trembling hands was a yellowed envelope, its edges frayed with time. The postmark read 'To Evelyn - 1945.'
She had found it tucked inside an old book while clearing the study, one that had belonged to him- Daniel. Her fingers traced his handwriting, the ink faded but still achingly familiar.
With a deep breath, she unfolded the letter.
"My dearest Evelyn,"it began, and her heart clenched.
"If you're reading this, the war has taken me. Forgive me for leaving you with only words. But I need you to know—I never boarded that train without wishing I could stay. Every moment with you was a lifetime of happiness."
Tears blurred her vision. She remembered that day—the way he had held her, the promise in his voice. "I'll come back,"he had said.
But he never did.
The letter continued, "There's a jar beneath the oak tree where we first met. Inside is everything I couldn't say aloud. Don't mourn me too long, my love. Live—for both of us."
Evelyn clutched the paper to her chest. Fifty years had passed, yet his voice echoed as if he were right beside her. They had been so young, just twenty.
With newfound determination, she grabbed her coat. The old oak still stood in the twilight, its branches stretching toward the sky like silent sentinels of memory. Kneeling, she dug beneath its roots until her fingers brushed against glass.
Inside the jar were more letters, a pressed flower, and a small silver ring—the one he had promised to give her when he returned.
Her breath hitched as she slid it onto her finger. It fit perfectly, as though time had folded back to the day he left.
Exhausted but at peace, Evelyn leaned against the trunk, Daniel's letters held close. The wind sighed through the leaves, carrying the scent of earth and distant rain. She closed her eyes, just for a moment.
And for the first time in decades, she smiled.
Daniel had kept his promise after all.
When they found her the next morning, her face was serene, the ghost of a smile still lingering. Beneath the oak tree where golden leaves now crowned her silver hair. Evelyn had finally gone home.