All Your Firsts Without Me

by L.M. Terry

she will continue to live. She will go out with our friends because they will beg her until she has no other choice. But she won’t look for love again. She won’t look outside herself at all. Our love story is unique, it is a love that can never be diminished or forgotten. I know she will never be able to replace what we have. But I do know there will be love for her again. A different kind of love— not better, not worse. That is why I go into this arrangement with another man without jealousy or animosity. I go in with nothing but love for my beautiful, young wife. He is giving me the greatest gift. A chance to remain in her life after I’m gone. He’s giving me the opportunity to make sure she doesn’t slip into the depths of despair. Most importantly, he will ensure she receives the family I could never give her. She deserves that. Now I know some of you are not going to understand how I can do this. Maybe you are wondering what right I have to manipulate her life after I’m gone. It’s not something I set out to do, but just as fate brought her to me, fate will guide her to Westin with a little nudge from me. He and I believe this has the potential to be one of the greatest love stories of all time. She is deserving of that. Her very own fairytale romance. She didn’t get that with me, our love story was born of fear and tragedy. Soon you will learn why I am doing this. Then you will understand why I went to such great lengths to ensure she falls in love again. She will. She ...