NovelsFreeBook3 Chapter9.
Ethan Harris - Epilogue We returned to Maplewood at sunset. The first thing we did was visit my parents’ graves.
As | looked at their pictures, | finally understood where | got my features from— the gentle eyes from my mother,
the stern expression from my father.
After lighting incense, | asked everyone else to leave, wanting stalone with my parents. | spoke to them
about the past five years.
By the t| descended the hill, the traces of tears had long dried on my face, leaving only the smell of incense
smoke on my clothes.
But as | took in the increasingly familiar surroundings, my heart still felt empty, as if something was missing. It
felt like | had forgotten something really important.
Detective Parker drove us to my parents’ house, an old-fashioned neighborhood with all the amenities. The
moment we opened the door, a cloud of dust rose into the air.
"Wow, it's really dusty in here," | said, coughing.
I made my way to the living room wall, where a large family portrait hung. Something insidestruggled as |
looked at it. In the photo, | was in my police uniform, arms around my parents, all of us smiling contentedly. It
was a picture of a happy family.
But something felt off, like | was missing a crucial detail.
Jessica and | spent stcleaning up the house. When | saw the old mountain bike on the balcony, a
memory flashed in my mind - blue skies, a boy riding a bike with a girl fast asleep on the backseat, her softness
making my heart ache.
The image was fleeting, but it lingered.
We found many old photos from my childhood. Jessica was fascinated by them, but | felt nothing. When we were
nearly done cleaning, Jessica askedto go buy sessentials at the store. | had no idea where the store
was, but as soon as | stepped outside, | instinctively turned right and lifted my right hand as if | were supposed
to be holding onto something.
As if on autopilot, | walked to the end of the alley and found a small grocery store.
The store owner's wife looked surprised to see me. "Ethan, you're finally back. You have no idea how long Sienna
waited for you."
She kept talking, saying how, after I left, she often saw Sienna sitting alone outside her little store. Whenever she
asked why | wasn't with her, Sienna would just smile and say, "Next time."
But each time, she was alone.
Sometimes, as she spoke, her eyes would well up with tears.
The store owner's wife toldshe had never seen such a heart-wrenching girl and urgednot to fight with
her anymore, to take good care of her.
| listened to her, but | didn't know how to respond.
Images of Sienna kept flashing through my mind -her holding my hand, chatting endlessly about what our future
life together should be like, the way she looked at me, love shining in her eyes.
But | had Jessica now, and Sienna had moved on. Whatever we had... it should be in the past by now.
Almost in a panic, | quickly bought sessentials and left the store.
| couldn't understand why, but the thought of Sienna disappearing from my life for good made my chest ache.
| lit a cigarette, standing on the street corner, looking at this familiar yet strange town. An indescribable feeling
washed over—I just wanted to leave, to go back to the island.
When the cigarette was done, a bus pulled up in front of me. The doors opened, and | inexplicably got on. The
bus was filled with students in blue and white uniforms, and in the hazy fragments of my memory, | saw
someone dressed like that, sitting by the window.
It was as if | could see eighteen-year-old Sienna waving at me, askingto sit down and explain a problem to
her.
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The bus had thirteen stops, but | got off at a crossroads. Just ahead was a new community, Maple Grove Estates.
It felt strangely familiar.
Just as | was about to walk in, Jessica called me. | hailed a cab to head back home, watching the community fade
away in the rearview mirror. But as | drove away, it didn't feel like | was getting closer to home. Instead, it felt
like | was moving farther away.
Jessica and | had been in town for three days, meeting old friends and colleagues.
Their faces were unfamiliar, but their enthusiasm was overwhelming. | felt guilty.
They patted my shoulder, often crying, "It's just good to have you back.
It's just..
good to have you back!"
They were clearly happy | was alive, but there was something else in their eyes, something they weren't saying.
It was as if they expectedto ask them something, as if | shouldn't be the way | was now.
On the third day, Grace found me. She said | had another apartment, and suddenly, a place cto mind. When
she brought us to Maple Grove Estates, it matched exactly with the image in my head.
It was Unit 302 on the third floor. When Jessica asked, "Which one?" | was already standing at the door on the
left. Grace, holding the key, looked atin surprise.
"Yes, it's 302."
It was around eight or nine in the morning, and the sunlight flooded the apartment.
It was a three-bedroom, two-bathroom place, and every room was bathed in warm "The sunlight is amazing here.
Is that why you bought this place, light.
Ethan?"
| wasn't sure, but a more perfect reason seemed to exist somewhere in my memory.
The whole apartment was filled with shades of orange-orange curtains, an orange sofa cover, orange bed sheets,
giving the place a warm, cozy feeling.
There were marks on the walls, as if picture frames had once hung there.
In the living room, there was a large bar counter, but strangely, no alcohol-just an assortment of herbal teas, at
least a dozen varieties. Jessica laughed, "Now | know why you like herbal tea so much."
"Ethan, | have a surprise for you."
As soon as she said that, an orange cat dashed out of the bedroom, his fur completely orange except for a white
patch around his neck. Strangely, the cat ran straight to me, circling my legs and rubbing against me
desperately, meowing insistently. | finally bent down, and he jumped into my arms as if he had been waiting for
"Oh, what a friendly kitty! Lethold him."
Jessica reached out to pick him up, but Buddy swatted at her twice.
"He's actually your cat, Ethan. His name's Buddy. You adopted him, and he's been keepingbusy these past
few days."
No wonder he was so affectionate toward me.
| carried him into the bedroom and took a can of food from the bedside cabinet. The little one pounced before
| could even open the lid, as if he was starving.
Grace laughed, "It has to be you. He won't eat when anyone else feeds him."
"Well, | have to go now. If you need anything, just call me."
After Grace left, Jessica suddenly let out a yelp - Buddy had scratched her. | quickly pulled out the first-aid kit
from under the TV caband found siodine to disinfect the wound.
"Ethan, how did you know there was iodine there?"
I. didn't know. It just felt natural.
Jessica looked at Buddy, who was eating contentedly. "I guess he doesn't likevery much!"
We had planned to stay a few more days, but something cup at the restaurant, so Jessica had to leave
to handle it. She askedto stay behind and finish seeing the people | needed to see. | had met a lot of people,
but it still felt like | hadn't seen the one who mattered most.
That night, | cdown with a fever, my whole body burning up, lost in a deep sleep.
| dreamed of a boy being born in this apartment, attending the nearby elementary.....
and middle schools, eventually going to the best high school in the community. He rode his bike to school every
day, always leaving the back seat empty for someone special, always carrying two bottles of milk in his
backpack...
Years passed, and he went to college - police academy. Everyone was so proud of him. At the celebration, he
wrapped his arm around a girl and made an exaggerated promise, "The next twe all get together, it'll
be for our wedding."
The girl blushed, but he took the promise seriously.
The girl was gentle and kind to him. She even tied a red string around his wrist, wishing for his safety. He gave
her one in return, hoping she'd stop teasing him about the mole under his eye.
Year after year, he meticulously planned his proposal. He was a bit of a troublemaker, so he devised an elaborate
scheme, turning the proposal into a car crash scene. The car burst through the setup, revealing his proposal. The
girl cried, and he thought it was because she was moved. After all, the whole scene was filled with her favorite
flowers, an orange backdrop, and all their closest friends and family.
He gently held her, reassuring her, "It's time." He knew she would marry him, so he dared to plan such an
outrageous proposal.
Everything went according to plan - taking wedding photos, designing the invitations, booking the hotel. They
even tested the menu four times. He was only going to get married once, so he couldn't afford to mess it up.
Everything was ready. On the night of the rehearsal, even though he knew it was just a rehearsal, he was
incredibly nervous, his movements awkward and stiff. When it finally ended, he received orders from the police
department. The girl reassured him that it was okay to go, and he promised her he'd be back in a week to marry
her. But the mission was tough, and they were ambushed. Gravely injured, he was thrown into the ocean. The
saltwater flooded his lungs, his organs felt like they were being crushed, his face turned red from lack of air, his
lungs were about to burst-bam!
| woke up drenched in cold sweat, gasping for air. The suffocating pressure slowly eased as | cto, and | saw
the open photo album on the table. The boy in my dream and the young man in the pictures slowly merged into
one.
In the dead of night, | rushed out of the house, heading back to Maple Grove Estates.
As soon as | opened the door, | heard a voice, "The sunlight feels so warm, and Buddy loves it too!"
"Ethan, Ethan, can we live here from now on?"
"With you, Buddy, and a daughter someday, we'll have a perfect, happy family."
"Okay, then let's buy this place."
So that was the real reason.
"Don't drink soda, it'll hurt your throat. Letmake you stea.
Would you like rose or chamomile?"
"I'm being stubborn -I want chrysanthemum."
Looking at the dozen types of herbal tea, | suddenly realized - it wasn'twho loved herbal tea.
Every piece of furniture in the house, we had picked out together. The large wooden bed -I scheduled the
wedding for the late afternoon because | was afraid she'd throw a fit and refuse to marryif she woke up too
early. But in the end, | was the one who missed the wedding.
The brown couch -I once slept on it for two nights after saying something wrong and wrote a thousand-word
apology, all while planning my proposal vows.
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Staring at the nails on the wall, | walked into the bedroom and knelt by the bed.
Reaching underneath, | found a large box- the hidden photos were all there. From our first photo together as
teenagers to our wedding photos- she was wearing an orange wedding dress, standing in the sunset, smiling as
beautifully as the freesias in her arms. She accepted my proposal without hesitation, fully believing in me,
trusting that | would give her all my love.
Inside the box was also a stuffed toy, the one she won on the day | proposed. She called it her good luck charm.
It was just an ordinary toy, but because it was from that day, she had given it special meaning. Finally, | found
two bottles, one blue and one pink. Back then, I cherished every breath she took, wishing I could preserve her
milk bottles like treasures. | was so deeply in love with her...
Those were Ethan Harris's treasures, and | am Ethan Harris! How could | forget who | am?
How could | forget that | am Ethan Harris!!!
| completely broke down, tears streaming uncontrollably. "Sienna!"
"I've seen you before —why didn't | recognize you? Why!?" | pounded the floor in rage, my fists bleeding as |
vented my fury.
When the outburst ended, | lay on the floor like a deflated balloon, staring blankly at the ceiling. | saw my Sienna
getting up from bed in the late afternoon, bragging about making fish stew forand Buddy. | slowly reached
out, wanting to hold her one more time.
"You go rest. By the tyou wake up, the fish stew will be ready!" | couldn't help but get closer. "Buddy, get
down from there. Don't bother Daddy. Mommy's making you sfood- Daddy's finally home."
She turned away with Buddy in her arms. "Don't go, don't leave me!" | lunged forward, crashing to the floor
again, the pain snappingback to reality.
This is the life of Ethan Harris! A life with Sienna is the life of Ethan Harris!
| disappeared for three days. Detective Parker and Grace foundat Maple Grove Estates. When they did, |
was lying on the floor, clutching our wedding photo, completely lifeless.
"Where's Sienna? Please, tellwhere Sienna is. please."
Grace and Detective Parker exchanged a glance, and | saw the pity in their eyes.
The girl on the tombstone looked exactly as | remembered her. | knelt in front of her, trembling as | reached
out to touch her face. "Sienna, I'm back. Sienna, I'm back..."
But there was no one left to jump into my arms, no one waiting forto chome.
"What have | done? What have | done?"
"Ethan, Sienna left you a letter."
| tore it open desperately, recognizing the familiar handwriting.
Ethan, | hope this letter finds you well.
When we were young, you often wroteletters, but | rarely wrote back. | never thought my first letter to you
would be my last.
Don't feel guilty. | understand. You survived a near-death experience- that's not easy.
As for everything else, follow your heart. To me, my Ethan Harris loveduntil the end, and that's enough.
I loved you in the best years of my life, and every year of being loved by you was filled with happiness. Even
though we didn't get to have our wedding, in my heart, I've married you a thousand times over. We are family for
life, and | truly feel content with that.
From now on, live as Ethan. Don't be bitter about what happened. We simply weren't meant to be. Please, don't
think ofanymore. Letrest in peace.
My Ethan, | hope you find peace in your heart and live a safe, happy life.
With love, Sienna.
When I finished reading, it felt like my insides had been ripped out. | collapsed onto the ground, the letter in
my hands soaked with tears.
| stumbled out of the cemetery, now knowing what it truly meant to be living a life worse than death.
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