Without a word, she wiped the blood from her mouth and sat back on the bed. She picked up the book she’d been reading earlier, flipping through its pages as if nothing had happened.
***
An hour later, the book lay finished on her nightstand. Evelyn changed her clothes, grabbed her coat and left the house.
Her surgery was scheduled for the next morning—an operation she wasn’t sure she’d survive. Tonight was all she had left and she intended to use it to revisit the places that had once held meaning.
On her way out, she sent Christopher a single text:
[Goodbye.]
He didn’t reply. Of course, he wouldn’t. He was probably at the hospital, pacing anxiously over Charlotte.
As she trudged through the snow, Evelyn’s thoughts turned dark. For a fleeting moment, she wished Charlotte would die. If Charlotte were gone, there would be no need for the surgery tomorrow.
But the bitterness subsided almost as quickly as it had come. Evelyn let out a dry, humorless laugh. No, it’s better if she survives. I’m the one who should be gone, after all.
The pain in her legs made her stagger, but she kept moving, her footsteps slow and deliberate. Snowflakes fell gently around her, blanketing the city in silence.
***
She passed the movie theater where she and Christopher had gone on their first date. They had sat in the back row, sneaking popcorn and whispering jokes during the previews.
Now, the theater was dark, the doors locked and a closed sign hung in the window. Evelyn lingered there for half an hour, lost in the memories, before moving on.
Her feet carried her to her father’s house, where the lights were still on despite the late hour. It was past one in the morning and yet…
The sight of the warm light stirred something in her chest—a pang of guilt, a sliver of regret. She pulled out her phone, her thumb hovering over the call button.
But then she stopped. It was late. She didn’t want to wake him.
Instead, she sent a single text message to both her parents:
[Let’s be a family next time.]
She stared at the message for a long time before hitting send.
***
The city was quiet, the streets empty, as Evelyn wandered aimlessly through the night. Snow crunched beneath her boots, her breath forming pale clouds in the frigid air.