Chapter 14
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As Murphy opened the envelope, Gemma’s delicate handwriting appeared before him once more: [Uncle Murphy, you must be the one reading this letter, right? Because I can’t imagine anyone else coming to look for me.
[It’s a bit sad, isn’t it? Even after all these years, you’re the only person I can think of who might come looking for me if I were to disappear. And what’s even sadder is that I’m not entirely sure you’ll come. After all, you have Evangeline now…
[I’m sorry. I’ve said something you don’t want to hear again. Please don’t be upset. I’m not blaming you. In fact, I’m happy for
you. It’s lonely being alone in this world. To find someone you love and share your life with is a kind of blessing.
[Uncle Murphy, I don’t know why, but whenever I wish you happiness, you don’t seem to believe me. You always think I still have
lingering feelings for you and that my blessings are insincere, deceitful, or have ulterior motives.
[But that’s not true. I admit that I still like you—a lot. This feeling might not change even in a thousand or ten thousand years.
But my feelings are real, and so are my blessings for you.
[By the time you read this letter, I’ll probably already be lying in the cryo–casket, right? At this moment, I have no reason to lie.
So, Uncle Murphy, can you believe me now?
[I truly, from the bottom of my heart, wish you happiness. I hope you and the person you love grow old together and have a
family filled with children and grandchildren.
[I want you to experience all the beauty the world has to offer, even if the person sharing it with you isn’t me.
[Uncle Murphy, please don’t feel sad about my departure, and don’t blame yourself. My decision has nothing to do with you.
[When I was little, every time my parents fought, I would hide in the wardrobe. It was dark and cold in there, but only in that
small space did I feel safe. Back then, that tiny wardrobe was my entire world. Later, Uncle Murphy, you carried me out of that
wardrobe.
[The world outside was vast and empty. It wasn’t dark anymore, but somehow, my heart felt lost, like it had nowhere to belong. I
think I overestimated myself. Having spent so long in small, confined spaces, I wasn’t equipped to handle such a big world.
[Thankfully, I had you, Uncle Murphy. As long as you were by my side, I wasn’t afraid of anything.
