Chapter: Where the Wind Still Speaks

Olivia climbed up to the lookout where she used to go with Tom. That place where the sky felt wider and the wind whispered secrets through the trees. She carried the notebook in her backpack, along with a blanket and a thermos of tea. Beside her, Merlyn and Alejandra walked in silence, knowing that this wasn't just any day.

"Are you sure you want to read it out loud?" Alejandra asked, sitting next to her.

Olivia nodded. Her hands trembled slightly, but her voice held something new. Strength.

She pulled out the notebook, opened it to the page marked with a dried flower, and began reading Tom's letter. At first, her voice was soft. But as she continued, it grew steady, as if each word fit perfectly into the cracks of her heart.

When she finished, there was a long silence.

"I've never heard something so... generous," Merlyn whispered, tears in her eyes.

"He gave me permission to move on," Olivia said. "He loved me so well that he even worried about the day he wouldn't be here anymore."

Alejandra took her hand.

"And that's real love. The kind that doesn't demand. The kind that sets you free."

The wind blew gently, and for a moment, Olivia could swear she smelled his scent. That unmistakable blend of his cologne with coffee and rain. She closed her eyes. It wasn't a hallucination. It was a goodbye—but also an invisible hug.

"I love you, Tom. Thank you," she whispered to the sky.

And for the first time in a long while, the silence didn't hurt. It was peace.