Third place winner: Yours, Forever and Always by lookatmybookshelf

Letters to my ex Challenge 

Ches,

My love.

I miss you more than words can describe.

I remember the day we met. You had come to my home with the intention of becoming betrothed to my sister. You sat on the worn couch in my family's small apartment across from my parents and older brother, as my sister and I made our way to the living room with refreshments. You immediately caught my eye and rose to help. After that moment my eyes couldn't leave you. I stared at you and saw you deflate realizing that you were to be betrothed to my sister.

I don't know what was said, all I could think about was you. When the time came for you to leave, it felt as though you took a piece of me with you when you left. You were meant to be betrothed to my sister, you were hers and my heart ached, painfully twisting in my chest, with that thought.

You visited us every week and with every visit my love for you grew. I saw in your eyes what I hoped was also love for me, but I couldn't be sure as you had never expressed your feelings, even when there were moments it was just the two of us.

November 4th was the last time you visited. Weeks passed and I hoped you would visit again. Weeks turned into months and gradually that hope diminished. I tried to have faith and hold on to the belief that we were meant to be, and would meet again as long as I could.

It was August 1st, a year after I first met you and when I heard my sister's fiancé was coming to visit I could not contain my excitement. Her fiancé came and went. It wasn't you. I found out later than evening that you had left the country, your family and moved to America for a better life. No one in my family spoke of you after that day. Still you were in my thoughts and when my parents chose to send me to America for further studies, hope blossomed anew in my chest with the thought that we may meet.

I arrived in New York City on a cold winter morning and spent months focusing on my studies; however, you were never far from my thoughts. On a lonesome visit to meet friends in Washington D.C we met again and spent every free moment I had that week together, but alas it was temporary, we parted ways again, only this time with promises to meet soon.

Our conversations were the highlight of my day and I was constantly asking my neighbor, Mr. Clark, if he had any messages from you. We exchanged I love you's for the first time over the phone and the smile on my face could not be contained. On your first visit to New York, you proposed and I wholeheartedly accepted feeling blessed to be yours. The following year we went back home to our families and finally got married. We made promises of forever and always and I had never been happier in my life, for you were mine and I was yours.

Our life together in America was difficult with my studies and your work, but we made time for each other and that is what mattered. I loved our long strolls every evening walking hand in hand, the spontaneous dates in the park and the days we went dancing at the local club. I loved the little things you did, bringing home flowers for me or surprising me at work with lunch.

When you found out we were expecting our first child, you twirled me around the room unable to contain your joy at the life we had created, the little piece of you and I. Our first child, a beautiful little girl Rosie, was absolutely perfect and in that moment my life was truly complete, I had you as my soulmate and a little bundle of joy that represented our love for each other.

Despite our ups and downs, the little fights and disagreements, I loved you very much. We spent 38 glorious years together, had 3 amazing kids and were grandparents to 5. Everything was absolutely perfect the day we had celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary with our kids, their significant others and our grandkids by our side.

It seemed as though we weren't meant to be forever as tragedy struck one fateful morning. You fell from the ladder while hanging up Christmas lights as I was working at the coffee shop. The neighbors rushed you to the hospital and when I arrived I received heart wrenching news. You had been placed into an induced coma and the doctors didn't know when they would be able to wake you up. I tried to stay strong and had faith that I would soon be back in the arms of my soulmate, gazing into your chocolatey brown eyes.

You were in the coma for six long months and when I got the news that you were awake, I immediately rushed to the hospital needing to see you and the love in your eyes. Fate is a cruel mistress, for I discovered that you had lost many years of memories and the doctors had no idea when you'd get them back.

Chester, the doctor has recommended I write you a letter detailing our life together in hopes that this will help you regain your memory of us and of our life together. It is too painful to recount all the good times we had together and I must settle for this short letter.

I should also tell you that many of my friends have said to forget about you, who you were, and try to move on since so much time has passed, but how could I forget the man who was formerly my husband, my soulmate, and my world. How could I forget the man I spent 38 wonderful years with?

Just know that I love you, I miss you very much and I have no intention of ever letting you go.

With all the love in my heart, yours, forever and always, Adaline.

***********************

I quickly folded the letter back up, wiping the tears that had formed in my eyes. Visiting Chester was always hard. Looking into his eyes, not being able to see the love that those eyes had held for me for 38 years was difficult, but today it was the most difficult it had ever been. Today was our 40th anniversary, we should have been at home celebrating our anniversary with our kids instead of me visiting Chester in an assisted living home.

After what seemed like forever, I looked up to meet Chester's eyes, knowing my heart would shatter again because my husband of 40 years would not be able to recognize me. I was met with tears and for the first time in too long I saw love and recognition in Chester's eyes.

"Ada", he said, calling me by my much hated nickname, Ches having been the only one I allowed to call me by said nickname. I broke down in tears and wrapped my arms around him. "Ada, my love, I remember. I remember everything and I'm so sorry you had to go through this."

"You're back and that's all that matters." I leaned my forehead against his and looked into his eyes. "I love you, Ches."

"And I love you Ada, forever and always."