When Nella noticed her husband, Eric, acting strangely, she decided to follow him and uncover the truth. What she found was far beyond anything she could have imagined—and it changed her life forever.
It began on a quiet evening when Eric broke their 12 years of routine with an unexpected announcement.
“I need some space, Nella,” he said, his voice steady but distant.
Eric had always been the rock in their marriage—reliable, calm, and grounded. So when he told her he’d be sleeping in his car for a few nights to “clear his head,” Nella’s mind went to the worst possible places. Was he che:a:ting? Was he planning to leave? Every possibility seemed worse than the last.
“I can give you space here at home,” she offered desperately. “The guest room, the pool house—we can make it work.”
“It’s not about us,” Eric replied with a small, weary smile. “I just need to do this.”
For ten nights, Eric followed the same pattern: leaving after dinner and returning before sunrise. He grew more disheveled and exhausted with each passing day, brushing off her questions with a strained promise: “It’s nothing bad. Trust me.”
But how could she? By the fifth night, Nella couldn’t take it anymore. Her imagination was running wild, and she had to know the truth.
So, she decided to follow him.
Tapping on his car window, she startled Eric, who quickly unlocked the door. The tension was palpable as she slid into the passenger seat.
“Eric, what’s going on? Are you seeing someone? Is that why you’re here?”
“It’s not that,” he said quietly. “I promise, there’s no one else.”
“Then what is it?” she demanded. “Why are you doing this?”
He hesitated before reaching into the backseat, pulling out a stack of children’s books and a recording device. “I didn’t want to worry you,” he admitted. “I’ve been recording bedtime stories for the kids.”
Nella’s confusion deepened. “Why would that worry me?”
“I wanted to leave something for them to remember me by,” he explained, his voice breaking. “Something they could hold onto when I’m gone.”
When the disease finally claimed him on a quiet winter morning, the house felt unbearably empty. Days later, Nella discovered Eric’s recordings.
Among the files of bedtime stories, one titled Our Story caught her eye. With trembling hands, she pressed play.
“Once upon a time,” his voice began, warm and steady, “there was a princess—kind, smart, and braver than any knight. But most of all, she had the biggest heart.”
As Eric recounted their love story, weaving it into a fairytale, Nella felt his presence wrapping around her. His words were a gift, a reminder of the extraordinary life they’d built together.
“And even though the man grew old and weary,” his voice wavered, “his princess would go on. She would rule their home with love and strength.”
Through tears, Nella smiled. Whenever the days felt heavy, she returned to his voice, letting it guide her forward—proof that even in loss, love endures.
