Life slowly moved on, but there was always an empty space at every holiday, every dinner, and every quiet night. The last time I saw Laura, she was glowing with happiness, dancing barefoot under string lights as music and laughter filled the backyard. At the time, everything felt perfect, though now I remember how her smile faltered for just a moment.
The next morning, she was gone. Her wedding dress was folded neatly, her phone untouched, and no sign of where she went. Ten years later, while looking through old boxes in the attic, I found a letter with my name on it in Laura’s handwriting.
In it, she revealed she was expecting a baby before the wedding and felt she couldn’t stay. Overwhelmed and unsure, she chose to leave and start a new life. At the bottom of the letter, she had written an address, giving me the chance to find her.
I traveled to that address and discovered Laura living peacefully in a small yellow house, with a little girl playing happily in the yard. We embraced, and she told me she had built a life filled with love and honesty. When I returned home, I kept her secret to protect our family’s peace.
Knowing she was safe and happy was enough to finally bring me comfort.
