The morning light filtered softly through the curtains, casting a golden glow over their condo. The air smelled of coffee, lingering from the cup Orm had made earlier, and a quiet stillness filled the space.
Lingling sat at the dining table, her fingers idly tracing patterns on the wooden surface. She stared blankly at nothing, her mind lost in the weight of today.
This was it.
The day she feared the most.
The day that, no matter how hard she fought in the past, always ended with Orm slipping through her fingers.
A gentle presence broke through her daze as Orm walked past her, moving behind her chair. Without a word, Orm rested her chin on Lingling's shoulder, her arms lazily draping around her waist.
"Hey," Orm murmured softly.
Lingling turned her head slightly, cupping Orm's cheek with one hand, her thumb brushing along her soft skin. "Hey back," she whispered, her voice tender but strained.
Orm pressed a lingering kiss to her cheek. "What do you want for breakfast?" she asked, her voice light and carefree.
Lingling forced herself to smile. She didn't want Orm to see the turmoil in her heart. "Anything you want to cook, my love."
Orm grinned. "Okay, but no complaining if it turns out terrible."
Lingling chuckled, but the sound was hollow. Her chest felt unbearably tight. She had spent so many days dreading this moment, fearing the inevitable, but todayâtoday, she wasn't going to let fear control her.
She was fighting.
This time, they were fighting together.
Before Orm could move away, their puppy, Mochi, came bounding into the room, her tiny paws clicking against the floor as she jumped up excitedly, licking at Lingling's bare feet.
Lingling scooped the small golden retriever into her arms. "Oh, good morning to you too, Mochi," she cooed, nuzzling her nose against the puppy's soft fur.
Orm leaned against the counter, watching the interaction with a fond smile.
After a moment, Orm cleared her throat. "Hey, babe... I was thinking... Can we visit my parents today?"
Lingling tensed.
Orm's voice was casual, but there was something in her eyesâsomething deep and unspoken.
She wasn't just asking to visit them. She needed to see them.
Just in case.
Lingling wanted to say no. She wanted to lock the doors, keep Orm here, keep her safe.
But she couldn't.
If this was the last time Orm saw her family, she would never forgive herself for taking that away from her.
She took a deep breath and smiled. "Of course, baby. Whatever you want."
Orm beamed, placing a soft kiss on Lingling's lips before heading to the kitchen.
Lingling exhaled shakily, holding Mochi close to her chest.
Not this time, she promised herself. I won't let you go this time.
_______________
The drive to Orm's parents' house was quiet, but not uncomfortable. Orm had her hand resting over Lingling's on the gear shift, occasionally rubbing small circles with her thumb.
The sky was a perfect blue, the city bustling with life. Everything looked normalâlike it wasn't the day fate was supposed to take Orm away.
Lingling tightened her grip. Not this time.
When they arrived, Koy and Oct greeted them warmly. Koy hugged Orm tightly, brushing her hair back like she was still her little girl.
"My beautiful daughter," Koy murmured, cupping Orm's face. "You've been glowing lately. Marriage looks good on you."
Orm chuckled. "It's all Lingling's fault. She takes such good care of me."
Oct grinned at Lingling, patting her shoulder. "That's what a good wife does. I'm proud of you, daughter-in-law."
Lingling swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Thank you, Pa."
They spent the afternoon in laughter, eating Koy's home-cooked meals and reminiscing about the past. Orm showed them pictures from their honeymoon, her eyes sparkling with joy.
Lingling watched her, memorizing every detail. The way her dimples showed when she laughed. The way she absentmindedly played with Lingling's fingers under the table. The way she leaned into her touch every chance she got.
As the sun began to set, Orm sat with her mother in the garden, talking quietly. Lingling watched from a distance, standing beside Oct.
"She loves you," Oct said, his voice deep but kind.
Lingling turned to him. "I love her, too."
Oct sighed. "Then take care of her."
Lingling's heart clenched. "I will," she whispered.
_________________
The drive back to their condo was quiet, almost too peaceful. Orm sat in the passenger seat, watching the fading light of the sun, her fingers intertwined with Lingling's as soft music played in the background.
"I wish we could've stayed longer," Orm murmured, tilting her head to look at Lingling.
Lingling smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "We'll visit again soon."
Orm sighed and squeezed Lingling's hand. "You always say that."
Lingling held her grip a little tighter. There will always be a next time, she repeated in her head, as if saying it enough would make it true.
But deep inside, she knewâthis time, she wasn't sure.
Today was the day.
She didn't know how, she didn't know why, but every time the clock struck this hour, Orm would die. No matter what Lingling did, fate always took her.
But what if.....
What if she could cheat it?
_______________
The intersection ahead was empty, the red traffic light casting an eerie glow across the pavement. Lingling's grip on the steering wheel tightened.
Then, it happened.
A truck.
Barreling toward them at full speed, just like before.
Her heart pounded violently in her chest.
Every time she had tried to stop this, she had failed.
But this time, she wouldn't try to stop it.
She would try to change the target.
A split-second decision.
Lingling jerked the steering wheel sharply to the left, positioning the car so that her side would take the full impact.
Thenâ
CRASH.
A violent explosion of sound.
Metal twisted. Glass shattered. The force of the impact slammed into Lingling's side, knocking the breath from her lungs.
Pain.
Blinding, unbearable pain.
The car spun wildly before skidding to a stop.
Smoke. The acrid scent of gasoline. The distant sound of sirens.
But then,
A voice.
"LINGLING!"
Orm's voice.
Lingling gasped for air, her vision flickering in and out of focus.
Orm was alive.
Had it worked?
Her body screamed in agony, but she couldn't tell how bad it was. She tried to move, but everything felt so heavy.
Orm's hands grabbed at her, trembling, desperate.
"Lingling, hold on! Please, don't close your eyes!"
Lingling let out a weak, trembling breath.
She wanted to tell Orm it was okay. That as long as she was alive, nothing else mattered.
But the words never came.
Darkness took over before she could find out if fate had finally been rewritten.
_____________
The condo was silent. Too silent.
The once warm and lively home now felt empty, suffocating even. The absence of Lingling was a wound Orm couldn't heal. Every corner held memories of herâher laughter in the kitchen, her sleepy murmurs in the morning, the way she'd randomly hug Orm from behind while she was working.
But now... all that was left was silence.
Orm sat on the floor of their bedroom, Lingling's duffle bag in front of her. It still smelled like herâfaint traces of her perfume, the comforting scent of home. Orm swallowed the lump in her throat as she carefully unzipped the bag, her fingers trembling. It's been weeks now without Lingling.
She wasn't sure why she was doing this. Maybe she thought organizing Lingling's things would make the ache in her chest less unbearable.
Maybe she thought it would help her.
But nothing could have prepared her for what she found inside.
Her own journal.
She hadn't written in it in months. Maybe even years. But here it was, tucked away in Lingling's things. Why did Lingling have it?
Orm's hands trembled as she flipped through the pages, expecting old notes, random thoughts, unfinished letters she had never sent.
Then, something slipped from between the pages.
An envelope.
Her heart pounded as she stared at it, her name written in Lingling's delicate handwriting.
"For Orm."
Orm's fingers trembled as she opened the envelope, pulling out the letter inside. A breath she didn't realize she was holding escaped her lips. And then, she read.
â
My love,
If you're reading this, it means you're alive and well. And that means I did what I had to do.
I know you must be hurting right now, and I wish more than anything that I could be there to hold you, to wipe your tears, to tell you that everything will be okay. But since I can't, I need you to do something for me.
Live.
I don't just mean breathe and go through the motions. I mean truly live, my love. Smile. Laugh. Find happiness even if I'm not there beside you. That's all I ever wantedâfor you to be happy.
I know you might hate me for what I did. You might call me selfish. But if loving you this much makes me selfish, then I accept it. Because I would choose you every single time, in every lifetime.
You once told me you wanted two kids, so they'd never feel lonely. You wanted a house by the beach, a place where we could grow old together. I wish I could've given you all of that. I wish we had more time.
But fate had other plans.
I fought so hard, Orm. I fought against something bigger than us, bigger than time itself. And even though I don't know if I won, I hope I did. I hope you're reading this as proof that we finally beat fate.
You once asked me if I believed in soulmates.
I never answered you that day, did I?
I do.
I believe in soulmates because I found mine. I found you.
And if there's another life after this, I swear I'll find you again. I'll love you again.
Until then, live for me, my love.
Love,
Lingling
â
Orm didn't realize she was crying until the ink on the letter started to smudge.
She clutched the paper against her chest, sobbing uncontrollably, as if holding it close is like holding Lingling so tight.
She had fought so hard to save Orm.