“To Sage:
‘I miss you.
‘Truth be told, there isn’t a moment since you left me that I haven’t missed you. ‘Every sleepless night, I
would hold the only thing you left with me like I’m holding on to dear life. I would look at every nook and
cranny of it and hope to see something new.
‘As of now, it’s the dawn of a new day here in Saleem City. It should still be nighttime in Birmingham. Is
it cold? Is it raining? ‘The only thing I can do is check the weather in Birmingham, but what I really want
to know is your situation.
‘How are you? Who am I kidding? You’d be fine. After all, without me by your side and with your loving
brothers around you, there’s no way you wouldn’t be fine. ‘Do you know how many times I’ve tried to go
to Birmingham? I was under explicit orders from my doctor not to get on a plane after my surgery. If I
took a ship, would you throw me into the sea?
‘I know how bad your temper can get; you’re like a cat. You seem like a harmless little thing. but if
something were to trigger you, you’d instantly blow up.
‘Even your brothers want to stay on your good side, much less somebody like me who did you
wrong
‘I know you probably wouldn’t even care enough to throw a tantrum when you see me, but even your
gaze is enough to hurt me.
‘I’ve always wondered how I didn’t discover you for who you are, even when we lived together for three
whole years.
‘In the end, I can only blame myself for how dumb I was.
‘You have no idea what those three years meant for me. I felt like someone who fell into the very
depths of purgatory and was saved by an angel.
‘I would occasionally dream that I was falling into an endless pit, and an angel in white would swoop
down from the heavens to save me. However, no matter how hard I try, I can’t make out the angel’s
face.
‘I could’ve never figured out that the angel was right next to me. Up until the day you left, suddenly,
everything made sense to me.
‘I remember, after I told you about the divorce, I was returning from the hospital, and the servant told
me that you left.
“The moment I pushed open the doors to your room, I could vaguely make out the scent of roses, like
what you would smell like if you were there. After that day, the scent became ever so faint, until it
seemed like something that I had imagined.
“Only then did the notion that you left become real to me.
‘I know that I hurt you.
‘I know you tried your best to care for me for three years, but I didn’t even treat you well for a day.
‘I know the time for me to treat you has probably already passed. I know, but I can’t accept it. ‘That’s
why I wrote this letter, to tell you… To tell you that I love you and I would do anything to be together
with you!
‘Looking forward to the day I’ll be able to see you.
‘Jace.’
After Sage finished reading the letter, she did not know what to feel, especially when she saw the bright
red stamp left behind by Jace, the stamp that signified his identity. Sage felt her heart tighten, as if
somebody had her heart in a tight grasp.
Sage felt her knees buckle as she fell into her chair. She could only tell herself that since she had
already started, she may as well finish reading all three letters.
Collecting her thoughts, Sage slowly opened up the second letter. ‘Sage, I still miss you. Even if
nothing seems to be going right for me, you’ve finally added me back to your friend list.’
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