Nella never expected her life to change so suddenly. Everything seemed fine until the night her husband, Eric, said something that turned her world upside down.

One evening, as they sat together, Eric looked at her seriously and said, “Nella, I need some space. Just a little time to think.”

They had been married for 12 years. Through every challenge and joy, Eric had always been her constant—calm, strong, and reliable. But this… this was different. This was the first time he’d ever said anything like that.

“It’s not about us,” Eric tried to reassure her. “I just need to clear my head.”

Nella felt a cold shiver run down her spine. What did he mean? Was he seeing someone else? Was he trying to leave her?

She didn’t want to pressure him, but she offered, “You can stay in the guest room or the pool house. Whatever you need, Eric. But you don’t have to leave.”

Eric smiled faintly, but there was exhaustion in his eyes. “It’s not about us, Nella. Trust me, please. I just need this.”

That night, Eric packed a small bag and drove off. Nella couldn’t help but watch him go, wondering where he was going, what he was doing. For the next ten nights, Eric followed the same strange routine. Every evening, after dinner, he would leave, only to return just before sunrise. When he came home, he looked worse—his hair a mess, dark circles under his eyes, and moving slowly, like every step was a struggle.

Nella asked him each time, but he just brushed it off with a forced smile. “I promise, it’s nothing bad. Trust me.”

But how could she trust him when everything about his behavior felt off? By the fifth night, Nella’s curiosity turned into suspicion. She had to know what he was hiding.

So, she decided to follow him.

That night, she waited until he left, then quietly tailed him from a distance. Eric didn’t go far. He drove to the local park. Nella parked a few blocks away, watching as he pulled his car into a spot under a tree, turned off the headlights, and sat there in silence, staring at his phone.

Hours passed. Nella waited, expecting someone to join him, but no one came. It was just Eric, sitting alone in his car, then curling up in the front seat with a pillow and blanket, trying to sleep.

This made no sense. Why would he be sleeping in his car? Was he hiding something from her?

On the tenth night, Nella couldn’t take it anymore. She drove to the park, parked right next to him, and knocked on his window.

Eric jumped in surprise. His face went pale as he unlocked the door.

“Nella?” he asked, his voice shaky. “What are you doing here?”

Nella slid into the car next to him, her voice sharp. “What am I doing here? What are you doing here, Eric? Why are you sleeping in your car every night? Are you cheating on me? Just tell me the truth!”

Eric’s face crumpled, and for the first time, Nella saw something deeper than exhaustion in his eyes. It was grief, pain… heartbreak.

“There’s no one else,” Eric whispered. “I keep telling you, it’s not that.”

“Then what is it?” Nella’s voice cracked as she fought back tears. “You’re scaring me, Eric.”

Eric took a deep breath and reached into the backseat. He pulled out a stack of books and a small recording device. Nella’s heart pounded as she tried to figure out what this all meant.

“I didn’t want to worry you,” Eric said softly, his hands trembling. “A few weeks ago, I went to the doctor. They found something. A tumor. It’s cancer, Nella. It’s advanced, and the prognosis isn’t good.”

The words hit Nella like a punch to the stomach. She couldn’t breathe. Cancer? Eric was sick?

He continued, his voice shaky but firm. “I didn’t tell you because I wanted to protect you and the kids. I’ve been coming out here, recording bedtime stories for them. I want them to have something of me, something to remember me by… even when I’m gone.”

Tears filled Nella’s eyes. Her mind raced to understand everything, but one thing was clear—Eric wasn’t leaving her. He was just trying to leave something behind for them, for their kids.

She reached over, grabbing his hands tightly. “We’re going to face this together, Eric. You’re not alone in this.”

For months, they fought the disease side by side. Doctor visits, treatments, sleepless nights—they faced it all. Eric poured everything he had into making memories with their kids, cherishing every moment, even though the cancer was winning.

One quiet winter morning, Eric passed away, leaving Nella to navigate the world without him. The house felt unbearably empty without his steady presence, and Nella couldn’t imagine life without him.

A few days after the funeral, Nella found the recorder Eric had used. She scrolled through the files, seeing titles she recognized. But one stood out: Our Story.

Her heart skipped as she pressed play. Eric’s warm, steady voice filled the room.

“Once upon a time,” he began, “there was a princess. She was kind, smart, and braver than any knight in the land. But most of all, she had the biggest heart anyone had ever known.”

Nella smiled through her tears as she listened.

“The princess met an ordinary man, just a guy from a village with no title, no riches. But from the moment he saw her, he knew his life would never be the same.”

As Eric’s voice faltered, he spoke softly, almost as if he was speaking only to her. “So, my love, if you’re listening to this, know that you were my fairytale. You turned my ordinary life into something extraordinary. And even though I can’t be with you anymore, your fairytale must go on.”

Eric had given Nella the gift of his love, the strength to keep going, and the courage to live life fully. Whenever the weight of his absence felt too heavy, she would play his recordings, letting his voice remind her of the extraordinary love they shared.

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