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“Alastor, my love, are you trying to tend the fire or kill it?” A soft voice asked humorously. Alastor paused for a moment, realizing he had been lost in thought as he stabbed at the fire aimlessly. He set the poker down and hastily straightened up, “Forgive me, mon cher, I… was just thinking for a moment.” He quickly walked back to his lover, anxious to miss even a moment of their quickly diminishing time together.
Trembling arms reached out and pulled him closer to her small form, embracing him. Alastor hugged her back, burying his nose in her hair, taking in the warmth that radiated from her fragile frame. That was until suddenly, her hands removed themselves from the comfortable place they had found beneath his shoulder blades, instead retreating back and pushing meekly on his chest. He backed up and looked down at his wife quizzically. She kept her hand where it was as she stared at him with concern, “My love, your heart is racing. Whatever is the matter?” He stared back at her, throat dry. He took her hand in his much larger ones as he plopped down beside her on the loveseat, she attempted to shift up beside him, but her strength proved insufficient. The lump in his throat grew as he helped–gently–to pull her up and support her against his side.
”I.. I just…” He struggled to come up with the correct words, once again falling silent as he dejectedly held her hand. His eyes scanned the space around them, our room, he noted, in our house. For a moment, his resolve slipped, and his mind raced through the hundreds of dreaded thoughts that lingered in the darkest recesses of his mind. What will it be like without her? How will it feel to come home to silence? He felt as though someone had doused him in ice water, the idea of this place, their home, devoid of her. To wake up to an empty space on the other side of the bed, to eat alone at the dining table. His grip on her tightened, almost as if he held on long enough he'd be able to keep her here with him forever.
A loud laugh tore through the stillness of the moment, tearing Alastor from his morbid stupor. He looked down at his wife with raised brows, shocked to see her as lively as she had been in weeks. The woman wiped a tear from her eye as she caught her breath, “Sorry, I… I’m sorry. It’s just, I’ve never seen you so quiet before, Al.” She giggled again. “And all I had to do was die to finally see it happen! The Famous Radio Star, Alastor, silent!” Her laughs evolved into weak hacks and coughs for breath, but the loving mirth never left her eyes.
He stared at her bewilderedly, the edges of his everlasting smile twitched. They twitched again, and again, before dropping altogether. I will never understand you.
She looked back at him, despite the state of her body, the fatigue and the weakness, her eyes shone the same love they had held for him since the day they had married. Soft yet passionate, and so, so adoring and genuine it still knocked him off his feet. Her delicate, withered hand cupped his cheek, as she chuckled again at the ironic humor she found in the reality of the situation. His hand shot up to clutch hers, staring at her, wide eyed and panting. “I’m afraid,” he murmured, she gave him a confused look, “I’m afraid.” He repeated, “You asked why my heart was beating so fast, mon amour. It’s… I… I can’t…please, don’t leave me.” His voice became hoarse, “please don’t.”
Her eyes impossibly softened, her other hand quivering as it reached up to his face, bringing him close, nose to nose. “Oh, Alastor. You are such a silly man.” She said, “It’s okay, my love. It’s not forever. Oh my Alastor, my dear Alastor, I promise I will find you in the next life my love. And the next, and the next, anywhere you go I will find you and I will fall in love with you over and over again.” Each word punctuated by a tear slipping down her cheek. Alastor shook his head slowly, “but Darling, what about this life?” He whispered, our only life, he added mentally, for I cannot follow you to where you are going, mon Cher. She just shook her head in reply, “This life was destined to be short for me, Alastor, but I don't regret it. Not for a second, there's no other life I would have preferred to live. This life with you, no matter how short, was more wonderful than I could have ever hoped for.”
She looked off to the side for a moment, before meeting his eyes once more, pleading, “so please, Alastor.” She started, “please finish living a good life. For me. Have good times, do good things... find a good woman for yourself.” “I could never.” He shot back, “It’s okay, I want you to be happy, my love.” He bristled, “I can only be happy with you...” He paused for a moment, "so don't leave me!“ He demanded. "I wish I didn’t have to, my love.”
He sighed, sorrow taking over his body as the reality of defeat dawned upon him. There was nothing he could do. She may believe they’d meet again, but he knew the truth. Where she was destined to go was somewhere an unholy creature like him had no right to even think about trying to follow. This, this was their One Lifetime Alone.
Silence between them followed, only the sounds of the crackling fire remained. Alastor stared at her face cupped in his hands, thumbs trailing over the ridges and curves, trying like a man possessed to memorize every detail. “Never.” Was his simple statement, to her or himself, neither quite knew. “I’ll Never forget.” Never in this life, never in the next. I’ll remember this face–this soul–till the end of time. I’ll remember it even in madness. I’ll remember till the heavens crash down from the stars and our separate worlds burn.