, I clasped his hand, silently offering my strength., Dr. Yates had said the surgery would take at least six hours, and by the third hour of waiting with Ernest, he suddenly got a nosebleed., It was clearly stress-induced, a clear sign of how much he cared for Susie.,

"I'll go get you some water,

" I said, realizing we hadn't had a sip in three hours., Even the night before, when Susie was fasting for the surgery, Ernest had abstained from eating in solidarity.,

"I'm fine. You should go take a break. Come back later,

" Ernest insisted, always looking out for me even at a time like this., I nodded and headed to the hospital's convenience store for water., On my way back, I spotted Mack leaning against a wall near the surgery rooms, lost in thought., Remembering the scene in the ward two days earlier, I knew Judie must have passed, and he shouldn't still be here., Yet, there he was., Looking around, this floor was filled with operating rooms. Was another family member of his ill? Or had there been some miracle with Judie?, The latter thought quickened my pulse. I approached him,

"Mack.

", He looked up, a fleeting panic in his eyes,

"Hey.

", Mack looked even more gaunt than he had two days ago, painfully so., I tightened my grip on the bottled water,

"What are you doing here? Is someone in surgery?

", Mack straightened up, dark circles and a hint of red in his eyes suggesting he'd been crying., He didn't answer, so I ventured,

"Is it about Judie? Has... everything not been settled?

", I hoped for a miracle but knew that was fanciful thinking.,

"It's done,

" Mack's voice was hoarse.,

"Then why are you still here?

" I gestured to the surrounding operating rooms., Something flitted across his eyes,

"I was waiting for you.

", For me?,

"Something you needed?

" I asked., He shook his head,

"Just wanted to see you.

", His words left me feeling conflicted; he was seeing me but probably seeing Judie through me., I didn't want to be anyone's shadow,, nor did l, I want him to continue suffering,

"Mack, you need to get back to living. That's probably what Judie would've wanted most.', ||,

"I know,

" he said, eyes downcast., Looking at his disheveled appearance, I could imagine his last few days were filled with anguish., I reached out, squeezing his arm,

"It's all in the past now.

", He nodded slightly.,

"Look ahead, Mack,

" I tried to encourage him., He looked up, meeting my gaze for a few seconds,

"Can I add you on social media?

", Considering our few interactions, I shouldn't have refused., But thinking of my resemblance to Judie, I decided against it,

"Mack, it's time to let go completely. Only by cutting ties with the past can you truly move forward.

" FindNovel.net, His eyes dimmed, then quickly shifted towards where Ernest was., I followed his gaze to Ernest, then shared,

"That's my boyfriend. Before him, I had another relationship that lasted ten years...

", I suddenly spilled my personal life to him, hoping to show that people can move on from seemingly insurmountable pasts.,

"Mack, let go of the past. You've, seen, now, it's time to leave,

", Said the bottle of water het, r brother-in-law is het, He nodded, and after a final glance, I walked towards Ernest., I didn't say goodbye to Mack, hoping for his sake and mine that it would be our last meeting., That way, he wouldn't be reminded of Judie every time he saw me, trapped in his guilt., Reaching Ernest, I handed him the water, only to see Mack still standing there, not having moved. I turned away, resolved not to look back again., Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.