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227 Goodbye Ashlyn (Jayden)

The room feels like the end of the world. Ashlyn lies there, a shell of the person I once knew. Machines beep, a dull reminder that life still clings to her, but barely. I stand over her, grappling with the storm Inside me. Everything is crashing down, but this is where it all endo for her.

The nurse stands by the door, her eyes filled with kindness. "Mr. Brennan, we'll give you some time alone before we switch off," she says, her voice soft.

"Thanks," I manage to reply, barely recognizing my own voice.

The door clicks shut behind her, leaving me alone with Ashlyn. I reach out, taking her hand in mine. It's cold, unmoving. I close my eyes, letting the memories rush in.

The times we laughed, the times we fought, the way she smiled when she thought everything would work out. The way we were together. The times we shared when I was sure our love story would work out. But it didn't, did it?

"Ashlyn," I start, my voice catching. "I don't even know where to begin."

I swallow hard, forcing myself to speak. "We had something real, didn't we? Back then, I really thought we could make it. But I was blind. Blind to what was happening to you, to the pain you were hiding. I was too caught up in my own mess to see how deep you were drowning."

I feel the sting of tears, but I blink them away. "I loved you, Ashlyn. I did. But I didn't love you the way you needed. And that's my fault. I should have known better, should have seen the signs with your mother and mine. But I didn't."

I look at her, hoping for something-anything-that would tell me she hears me. But there's nothing. Just the lifeless rise and fall of her chest, the machines doing what her body can't.

"I wish you'd told me about your mother, about the pressure she put on you," I continue. "I wish you'd told me how much my mother's expectations crushed you. But you didn't, and I didn't ask. I failed you, Ashlyn I failed us."

My grip tightens on her hand. "But I swear to you, I won't fail our son. He's going to have the life we both wanted for him. A life full of love, security, and freedom from all this... madness. And I'll protect him from Judy. I promise you that."

I pause, the words heavy on my tongue. "I named him Henry. After your dad. I thought you'd like that. But I didn't know... I didn't know how much he really meant to you. How losing him destroyed your life."

A memory flashes in my mind-the conversation I had with Ashlyn's mother earlier. The bitterness in her voice, the way she spoke of her husband and her daughter.

"I never knew your mother was so cruel and uncaring. I wish I had. At least my mother used love as an -excuse for her shitty behavior but your mother...?"

I guess it's no point telling her now, I understand what she lived with all those years.

227 Goodbye Ashlyn

"She told me your father was weak, that you were weak that you both could have been more if you'd just tried harder. She blamed me for not loving you enough, for not saving you from yourself. And maybe she's right. Maybe I didn't do enough."

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My breath hitches as I try to hold it together. "But that's not how I'll remember you, Ashlyn. You strong in your own way. You loved fiercely, even when it hurt you. And you deserved better. You deserved to be loved for who you were, not who you could have been."

I press the button to call the nurse back in, my hand shaking. "I'm sorry I couldn't give you that. It's time you were at peace now. Free to be who you are."

The nurse returns, followed by the doctor. They move around the room with quiet efficiency, checking the monitors, adjusting the equipment.Content is © 2024 .

I feel like I'm watching from a distance, like none of this is real.

"We're ready to proceed, Mr. Brennan," the doctor says, his tone professional, detached. "Are you?"

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. The doctor glances at the nurse, and she moves to the ventilator. I can feel the silent countdown to the inevitable.

I take a deep breath, leaning down to whisper in Ashlyn's ear, "I'm going to make sure Henry knows how much you loved him. I'll tell him every day. And I'll protect him, Ashlyn. I won't let what happened to you happen to him."

I straighten up, watching as the nurse begins to turn off the machines, one by one. The beeping slows, then stops. The only sound left is the quiet whir of the ventilator as it winds down.

The doctor checks her vitals. "She's gone, Mr. Brennan. I'm sorry for your loss."

I nod, my throat is tight. My eyes burn. But this is it. It's done.

I lean down, pressing a final kiss to her forehead. "Goodbye, Ashlyn. I hope you're at peace now."

As I step back, I take a moment to absorb the finality of it all. This is the end of a chapter that's been haunting me for years. But as much as it hurts, it's also a relief. I can finally move forward, finally focus on what matters. I walk out of the room, feeling a strange mix of emotions. Sadness, yes. But also a sense of closure, of resolve. Ashlyn's story is over, but mine isn't. I have a family to protect, a son to raise, a future to build.

Winona is waiting for me by Henry's incubator, her eyes search mine. I walk over to her, pulling her into a tight embrace. She's the one constant in this storm, the one person who's been there through it all. "Are you okay?" she asks softly, her voice laced with concern.

I nod, holding her close. "Yeah. I think I am."