Sun Mote Copse Make it a point to tell me when you get to the end

It was hard not to feel panicked in the silence that grew between them. It gave Eljay all the time to think about what a future they might've had had they gotten together sooner. Still, the thought of them growing older together, having more years together, and then still running into this obstacle at this point in time was equally sad no matter what perspective he took on this.

When Wiffle spoke again Eljay looked up, looking distraught. If... If what? Eljay still fully believed that she would live at this point. She couldn't go. He needed her here. And her children needed her especially. The thought of what he had gone through when mommy was gone for just a month in his childhood tore Eljay apart. How would his children ever survive that? Nope, she couldn't leave. He blinked through the tears when she followed up on that statement, saying that he shouldn't be sad forever and that he should be happy for both the children and himself. But how could he? Knowing what the children were going through... Knowing how little time they had had together... Trying to keep everything together...

Eljay blinked the tears away and said, his voice small, quivering and tight, Please don't leave us. He knew she could not help it, that she didn't want to go, but the rational way she spoke about leaving just tore him apart. As if she was somehow at peace with it, even though she clearly had a hard time too. He didn't want to make it even harder for her to go, but he just couldn't help it. Eljay didn't want to promise anything he couldn't keep.