Letting go was really tough for Michael. Cynthia had been his life, his everything. When he met her, she completely changed his world, but he has realized that no matter how much he missed her and no matter how deeply he loved her, he could not hold onto her forever, he could not keep hurting forever.
But there were moments when he felt like letting go would break him, times when h’d replay all the memories of them together and wonder how he was supposed to just… move on.
The very first time Ruby stepped into the room, she felt ill at ease. The coldness, the chill was not from the air conditioner and the moldy smell was because the room had not been used in two years, It was still Cynthia’s room.
"I don’t think I can stay in that room, Michael." She said, her arms folded tightly.
Michael looked up from his dinner, his eyes so tired. "But why not? It’s just a room."
Ruby hesitated. "It feels like someone is still living there."
He exhaled slowly, raking his fingers through his hair.
"It’s the only spare room in this house except if you don't mind sleeping in my room. I haven’t touched anything since she disappeared, I thought maybe one day she’d walk back in and...”
“You still believe she will?”
There was silence.
“She was my wife, Ruby” he said finally. “People don’t just vanish, her body is still not found, there's no closure for me.”
She was silent as she watched him battle with the pain of the past, then slowly she nodded, her voice softening.
“I understand, I really do. But are you still sure you are ready to move on.”
“I am, with you. But that room… it’s....its just so complicated.”
Ruby bit her lower lip. “Just make up your mind on what you really want, Michael.”
That night, she slept on the bed in that room, she felt like a visitor trespassing in someone else's memories. The curtains were pale green, faded by the sun and on the dresser was a single gold earring, covered in a thin layer of dust.
By morning, it was no longer there.
As weeks went by, Ruby began to hear strange sounds like soft humming just after midnight. One evening, as she folded laundry, she found an unfamiliar handkerchief in her clothes pile and the initials embroidered into the fabric were Cynthia's.
She confronted Michael.
“This...this handkerchief, what is it doing in my pile of clothes.”
He looked at it and went pale.
“That was Cynthia's, I had it buried in the backyard last year.”
“You buried it?” Ruby was taken aback.
“Yes I'm sure I did, because it reminded me so much of our time together shortly before she disappeared." Michael was shaken.
Ruby's voice cracked.
“Then how is it back in the house? In the midst of my things?”
He didn’t answer, he couldn't because he didn't know what was going on.
That night, as she lay awake because sleep eluded her, her ears tuned to every creak. The air was chilly again, then she heard the soft sobbing of a woman.
Out of bed, she jumped on her feet, heart pounding, and opened the door. The sitting room… was ajar.
Inside, the lights kept flickering but she could see no one.
Then she heard it, it was a whisper, almost inaudible.
"You took my place."
Ruby backed away, breath shallow. “Cynthia?”
The whisper came again. “You don’t belong here.”
She ran straight into Michael's room.
“Tell me the truth,” she whispered, so frightened. “Did you see her?”
He rubbed his face as he sat up, bewildered.
"Who?"
"I mean, your wife Cynthia! Ruby pointed towards the sitting room.
"Holy...... Michael screamed as he bolted out of the bed into the sitting room.
"No one's here." Disappointment written all over him as he ran his fingers through his hair.
“At night. Sometimes in my dreams, sometimes while wide awake, I smell her, I hear her footsteps, I hear her humming but I always thought it was grief playing tricks on me.”
“It’s not just you,” Ruby whispered. “She’s here....and she knows about us....and not too happy with me.”
He sank into the sofa beside her, burying his head in his hands. “I don’t know what else to do.”
“You have to say goodbye....properly.”
"Her body was never found, how do I do that?"
That evening, Michael lit a candle, placing Cynthia's photo on the table beside it. Then he knelt.
“Cynthia, I loved you more than anything else in this world,” he said, voice trembling. “But you’re gone, and I need to live again, I need to be whole again not haunted. If you really loved me and if we ever shared something very special between us, you will let me go."
The wind blew mildly through the window. The candle flickered as if in answer to Michael's plea. Then held steady, closing the window in a soft click.
The house fell quiet.
Ruby took Michael's hand as they stood in the hallway.
“I think she’s at peace now.” She whispered.
He nodded. “And maybe now... I can finally love you without any guilt.”
Image is by MetaAi.
Thank you for reading.
