Laura''s face was a mixture of shock, fear, and disbelief. Just a short while ago, Sheldon had been with her, talkingte into the night. He had beenforting her, encouraging her not to fear the unknown, and reminding her to cherish the present moment.


    He had urged her not to let go of the one she loved, warning her that one wrong decision could cost her a lifetime of happiness.


    Life was short. A few decades passed in the blink of an eye, and many people never met the one they truly loved. When that person was found, they had to be held on to, because finding someone who truly understood was rare.


    Laura had heard Sheldon speak of this many times, and over time, she had slowly let go of the fear that Cassie had once instilled in her. It was because of him that she had found the courage to be with Wesley. Now, hearing that Sheldon was gone, disbelief clouded her mind.


    "Wesley, Sheldon was fine. Didn''t he go to the countryside to rest? How could he suddenly be dead?" Laura asked, trying to calm herself after the shock. "This must be some kind of joke."


    Wesley shook his head sorrowfully. "Laura, I wish it were a joke, but I can''t joke about something like this. It''s not funny."


    Her legs gave out, and she copsed beside Wesley. He rushed to support her.


    "Does Marcus know about this?" she asked.


    "I haven''t told anyone yet," Wesley replied bitterly. "I can''t tell him. If he knows, his wedding anniversary will always be marked by Sheldon''s death. It will make things unbearable for them."


    Laura''s eyes went wide with realization. She pulled out her phone and checked the time. "It''s already past midnight. Marcus and Nattie''s wedding ended a while ago."


    Wesley sighed, closing his eyes. "Does it really matter? The difference is small."


    Laura''s eyes filled with tears. She knew it didn''t matter. What hurt most was that she couldn''t bring herself to ept that Sheldon was truly gone.


    "Let''s go inside," Wesley said, struggling to stand. "We shouldn''t tell Marcus or Nattie yet. Cassie is gone too. She died with Sheldon."


    Laura froze. After a long silence, she softly asked, "Did Cassie really die?"


    Wesley nodded. "Yes, I saw it. Sheldon called me. Cassie was in a terrible state. The ce they were in exploded."


    Tears welled up in Wesley''s eyes as he continued, "Their bodies might never be found."


    Laura stared nkly at Wesley. She understood every word he said, but when they came together, it felt like she couldn''tprehend them all.


    "Sheldon and Cassie together?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.


    "Yes," Wesley replied. "Sheldon didn''t want Marcus or me to be tainted by Cassie''s blood, so he took matters into his own hands."


    He closed his eyes, feeling the weight of it all. "Now, I have no idea where to even begin looking for his body. That''s the hardest part. He said to just ce a memorial next to Dad''s grave. You know, Dad''s grave..."


    Tears streamed down Laura''s face as the realization hit her hard. Charles'' grave was empty. Sheldon had only requested a memorial, not a proper burial. Without a body, there would be no ashes toy under the maple tree in Holden Residence.


    Sheldon had been loyal all his life, yet he chose such an end. It was a fate Wesley couldn''t ept.


    Laura cried so desperately that she couldn''t hold herself up, even with Wesley''s support.


    The two of them copsed into each other''s arms, both choking on their grief. They were struggling to ept the reality that Sheldon was gone.


    After a long silence, Wesley finally spoke through his tears. "Don''t let Marcus find out, especially not the fact that Sheldon died on their wedding day."


    Laura nodded tearfully. "I understand. I won''t speak a word of it. I''ll take care of the rest, and we won''t let Marcus and Nattie find out."


    Wesley wiped the tears from his eyes. "Don''t worry. I''ll handle everything."


    Laura''s tears continued to fall, but she nodded, struggling to keep herposure. Her mind felt empty, and she was unable to process everything happening around


    her.


    Laura and Wesley leaned on each


    other as they stood up, exchanging a nce. Wesley''s eyes were even


    redder now and Laura''s tears kept falling He gently wiped her face and said, "Please don''t cry. Today is Marcus'' special day."


    "I won''t cry," Laura whispered, still fighting back her sobs. "I won''t. Thank goodness Marcus and Nattie are already resting. Let''s go back to our room." They helped each other walk back to the vi.


    Laura asked softly, "Wesley, can I stay in your room tonight?"


    Her mind was in chaos. Every time she closed her eyes, the image of Sheldon and an explosion shed before her eyes. Sheldon had been so kind to her and she couldn''t bear to ept the painful truth Wesley had shared.


    However, she knew Wesley would never joke about something like this.


    Sheldon was gone. There was no doubt about it.


    Wesley took Laura''s hand. "Okay, we''ll share a room. Let''s go to my bedroom."


    In the past, he would have been filled with joy at the idea, but now, he had no heart for anything but the grief consuming him.


    When they reached Wesley''s room, he handed Laura her pajamas and told her to


    go shower. However, Laura felt so lost that she didn''t want to be alone.


    She gave Wesley a pleading look. "Wesley, I don''t want to shower alone."


    "Then, we won''t shower tonight," Wesley said, leading her to the bed. "Change and rest."


    "Okay," Laura replied.


    She took the pajamas and quickly changed in the walk-in closet.


    When she came out, Wesley had also changed. His eyes were red, and he was staring at his phone with a troubled expression.


    "Sheldon said he set up timed emails for me, but he didn''t say when they woulde," Wesley said. "Laura, my mind is all over the ce. I don''t know what to think anymore."


    Laura nodded feeling the same way. It was alreadyte, well after Marcus and Nattie''s wedding. Even if they wanted to act, there was nothing they could do. They couldn''t let the news fuin Marcus and Nate''s special day.


    For the Holden family, Sheldon''s death wasn''t just another loss. He wasn''t just a friend or an acquaintance. He had been family. They hadn''t shared blood, but through the years, he had be as close as any rtive.


    Sheldon''s death was a loss that would be felt deeply across the Holden family. It would take time for them all to process.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!