One Last Night Together - The Conclusion

One Last Night Together – The Conclusion

By Brandon Palzkill

            “Okay,” Duncan said, without hesitation.

            His mistrust toward Angela had inexplicably evaporated, and for Duncan, the biggest shock of her revelation was how much it had failed to shock him. Even stranger was the unconcerned feeling that he had towards the discontinuation of his life. 

“I die, now,” he slowly repeated, “and you and I will be together, forever?”

Angela nodded apprehensively. Duncan became gleefully lighthearted at the thought of spending eternity with the woman who held his heart.

“That… is wonderful!” Duncan exclaimed. “Can we go now? I don’t want to… what’s wrong?”

A smile belied the disappointment that grew within Angela, but she had never been able to hide her feelings from Duncan and he quickly saw the truth behind her smile.

“You’re not happy,” Duncan observed. “Don’t you want eternity together?"

“It’s not that,” she remarked, awkwardly. “It’s just… you shouldn’t be hasty. You can’t undo this decision.”

Duncan eyed Angela shrewdly. Something was definitely bothering her; he could always tell. He took her hand, which felt like a star burning within a block of ice, and was surprised that he could touch it. As he gazed into her eyes, a pearlescent tear streamed down her cheek, and she tried to look away.

“What’s wrong?” Duncan asked, softly.

“I would happily share forever with you,” Angela began, shakily, “but I would rather see you live, again.”

 “I’m living now,” he stammered, indignantly. “Why would you say...”

“I didn’t get a full life,” she blurted out. “Mine was cut short. I wasn’t happy about it, but it happened. All that I had left was the comfort of knowing that you’d go on, living the life I couldn’t… but you didn’t.”

Duncan had been idiot, so busy dwelling on Angela’s death that he failed to respect her memory. For her, it must have been a real slap in the face to watch him squandering his life away. He could vividly imagine the heartbreak that Angela might have suffered, while he shut himself off from the world, and a surge of guilt and shame rose up inside of him, dwarfing the grief that had long defined him.

“I didn’t mean to…” he choked. “I mean, I feared that if I’d moved on, I’d… you know, forget about you.”

“I know,” Angela whispered, squeezing his hand tighter. “But you won’t. I’ll always be in your heart, no matter where life takes you. You need to keep living, though; I want you to.”

            Duncan understood why she referred to herself as his “guide;” she pointed him toward the right path, as best she could. However, the decision to walk that path rested solely upon his shoulders, though he now knew what the right choice was. 

“I could stay… try to do things properly.”

It was what Angela had been waiting to hear. A genuine smile lit her face and the entire room shone, in kind. She rose from her seat and Duncan stood with her, where they pulled each other into tearfully loving embrace. For long moments, they held each other in silence. 

“You’ll be fine,” Angela finally whispered, hoarsely.

He knew she was right; she had always been right.

“Will we ever see each other again,” he asked. 

“Maybe,” she answered, looking into his eyes. “Perhaps when you time finally ends, we’ll be together. Until then, make the most of your life; it’s fleeting and should be cherished.”

Duncan nodded, wordlessly.

“Goodbye, my love,” Angela tenderly whispered.

Before Duncan could utter a farewell, she kissed him with a passion that could ignite the sun. Angela’s glow became brighter and brighter, and Duncan, eyes closed, felt her luminescence warming his face. In the space between heartbeats, the heat had cooled, and Angela was gone. Duncan opened his eyes and wiped a tear from his cheek. 

“Goodbye,” he moaned.

He left his scotch on the table and decided that he was done drinking alone. Putting on a jacket, he walked out the door, finally ready to reintroduce himself to the world. As his new life began, Angela watched from a place, far beyond the world… they were both finally happy.