Lowering her gaze, she couldn’t bear to watch the sweetness unfolding inside the room any longer.
Quietly, Halle placed the small gift box on the wooden table by the door.
Inside were two things: the Maasai beaded ornament she had strung as a blessing for him and a goodbye note tucked beneath it. The note carried only a single sentence: [Terence, I’m leaving. I wish you happiness, and I hope we never meet again.]
Originally, she had planned to give it to him the day she left. But now, today felt like their true farewell as Terence was on a mission that afternoon and likely wouldn’t return anytime soon.
The sun was low in the sky, casting a golden hue, by the time someone picked up the box.
Terence smiled as he recognized it—he’d seen Halle holding it before. It was probably the gift he had jokingly pestered her for.
Before he could open it, the sharp sound of a car horn interrupted him.
“Captain Bacchus! Get in the car! We’re running out of time!”
Glancing at the carefully wrapped box, Terence gently slipped it into the inner pocket of his coat, making sure it stayed clean and untouched by dust.
Hidden behind a tree, Halle watched him leave, letting out a quiet sigh as tears streamed down her face.
“Goodbye, Terence,” she whispered.
This was likely the last time she would ever see him.
Tanzania to Washington was thousands of kilometers apart—a distance too great to cross again. Once missed, it would be forever.
Wiping away her tears, Halle turned and walked back toward the camp. On her way, she ran into a group of newly arrived support doctors.
“Dr. Dolton!” one of them called out excitedly. “Could we get your autograph? We both came here because of you!”
Halle froze, caught off guard.
“Me?” she asked, pointing to herself in disbelief.
“Of course!” they gushed. The two normally serious doctors had transformed into starstruck fans.
“Your three years of service here in Tanzania have been such an inspiration. Your story is posted on our university’s honor board—and even made it onto social media a few times! And everyone online is obsessed with your love story with Captain Bacchus!”
Hearing that, Halle managed a faint smile, though she could feel how bitter it was. She accepted the pen they handed her and signed her name on their white coats.
“Thank you, Dr. Dolton! We’ll treasure this forever!” they said, their eyes sparkling with excitement.