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When Yor was born, Loid was a 1 year old baby, he must have been so adorable at the time, it was a pity that unlike her, he didn't get to keep any childhood photos, she would have killed just to be able to see that little baby with blonde hair and those beautiful blue eyes.
When they met, she was 27 and he told her he was 32, but he was actually 28. She remembers when she found out that Loid had no pictures as a child, he told her that the oldest picture he had was the one taken of him at WISE when he was recruited, he was 18 in that picture.
In the photo his hair was a bit messy, it made sense considering he had told her he had just gotten out of the army at that time, so clearly he couldn't do much about his hair.
He also had some scrapes and bruises on his face and one of his eyes was somewhat swollen and looked more closed than the other.
“What had happened to your eye?” She asked him curiously.
“Ah, I had been shot by some soldiers, in fact I was lucky I had my helmet because I was told I came very close to losing my eye.That was the day I met Franky.”
“Really?” She answered him surprised and they began to exchange anecdotes from their past.
Yor felt lucky to have pictures of her parents, thanks to that she realized that she and her brother are practically clones of her mother and that's why there are times when she can remember her every time she looks in the mirror.
She wonders which of his parents Loid looks like, he is very handsome, if he looks like his mother then she must have been a very beautiful woman.
She reflected and realized that she also felt lucky to have pictures of her childhood version, to be able to see how her features had matured. Her parents had a camera and that's why she has a lot of photos of herself and her little brother in their early childhood.
She wants somehow Loid to have that privilege too.
So she and Anya bought a camera and took a lot of pictures of Loid, even managed to record some videos, all in the hope that when he was an old man, he would have many many many pictures in which to see his younger version.
The last time she saw him alive, she was 31 and he was 32. The last photograph of Loid was taken just 3 days before his death.
In that picture he is seen with his tan cardigan and his hair down, how she loved how his hair looked like that, he was explaining to Anya her homework on the couch, you could see Bond lying on the floor sleeping and although you could not see Anya's face well because due to the angle at which the picture was taken, the girl was almost on her back, you could see that she was quite concentrated, neither of them realized that she took the picture.
Loid was so photogenic, even in the pictures that were taken of him without him noticing he came out very well, she was very grateful that she had bought one of the best quality cameras of the time because for an old photo, it had very good resolution and she could distinguish Loid's features quite easily.
Although the image quality is not as good as the photos, she also likes the videos very much, because in some of them he speaks and she can hear his voice, she can also hear again the childish voice of her little Anya saying “papa” and Bond's barking.
Moments immortalized in her camera and in her memory.
Yor Forger is 32 years old, now Loid and she are the same age.
“no, I'm not going to talk to him again” she says to the girls while they were in a coffee shop.
“Oh come on, Yor, you looked so happy with him last week.”
“Yeah, that Johnny guy looked very interested in you, he even asked us for your number! “ Millie told her as she smiled
“I don't understand why you gave it to him in the first place, I'm not interested, I was just really drunk that night, that's all '
“Sure? He's a good looking guy.”
“I'm a married woman, Casey.”
The girls are silent for a few seconds, the death of Yor's husband took everyone by surprise, Loid Forger was a too young man, he was in good health and didn't mess with dangerous people, he had his whole life ahead of him and it looked like he and Yor were going to grow old together, it was quite a tragedy.
They felt very bad for her, Yor had changed quite a bit and for the better when she met her husband, He must have been very much in love with her considering he didn't mind the dirty work she used to have or that she is a woman who can't cook.
As expected, Yor missed work for a while after the tragedy, the girls went to visit her a couple of times, but most of the time they were greeted by Yuri saying that his sister had said she didn't want visitors.
If Yuri didn't greet them, they were greeted by little Anya saying the same message, it was heartbreaking to think about the poor little girl, Yor had told them that Anya's mother died two years before she introduced them to Loid, and that it had taken a year to move in together since they got married so that the little girl could adjust to her.
And now she had to lose her father too.
Of course, Casey, the new girl working at the city hall, didn't know all this.
“Are you married, Yor? Why didn't you tell me?”
“I guess I just didn't get the chance, look, it's him.” Yor showed her a photo of her, Loid and Anya together
“Oh, I hope to meet him soon.”
“...Yes, I...I have to go now, I have to pick up my daughter Anya from school, see you girls” she said goodbye with a smile and then left
“See you later, Yor.” she shouted when Yor was almost gone.
When the girl turned around, Camilla, Sharon and Millie were looking at her.
“What's wrong?”
“I think we should have told you before, it's our fault”
“What's going on? What did I say?”
“Yor's husband: Loid, passed away a year and a half ago”
“What?! It can't be, I must have made her feel bad unintentionally, I was surprised when she said she was married because we saw her kissing that guy at the party, but I really didn't think Yor was a widow
“Now you know, we've been trying to cheer her up a bit, so when we saw her somewhat interested in that Johnny guy we were glad, but it seems it was just because she was drunk and doesn't want to see him again”
“Hey, but what happened to her husband? He was very young”
“Apparently he was shot, Yor said they tried to save him but it was impossible” Camilla took a sip of her coffee
“You know, I understand her, the guy at the party is pretty, but Yor's husband? I didn't want to say it in front of her but what a handsome man, I couldn't go out with another man after being with a man like that, all the other men would look so ugly in comparison”
Maybe she was very young and didn't mean it that way, but her comment sounded quite inappropriate to them.
“Hey, Casey, don't say that. Have some respect. The man is dead and he had a wife and daughter.” Sharon told her seriously.
“Although, being totally honest, we were also surprised when Yor introduced us to her husband. She is such a shy woman that I am surprised that she was able to win him over.” Camilla said while shrugging her shoulders.
“Hey, stop it, poor Yor. Leave her and Loid alone. I hope he is resting in peace.” Millie did not know what she would do if what happened to her friend happened to her.
"It's understandable how you feel, Yor. You're still young and very beautiful. It was tragic that you became a widow so early, but don't you want to try to move on with your life? To meet someone else?"
"Think about Loid. He also became a widower at a young age, but he decided to give love another chance, and that's how he found you. That doesn't mean he forgot about Anya's biological mother."
"What will happen when Anya grows up and moves in with her husband? You’ll have dedicated your entire life to her, caring for her, only to end up alone."
People use to say that to her
"You're not obligated to mourn me for the rest of your life, you know? Yor, I would be happier than ever if you found someone who could be by your side and accompany you for many years," said the ghost. Yor had grown accustomed to seeing him; she wasn’t sure if he was a product of her imagination or if she was really speaking with her deceased husband. But it didn’t matter to her.
Yor just sighed. "Do you really want to know why I can’t fall in love with anyone else?" she asked while she cleaned the fallen leaves from his grave and replaced the withered flowers with fresh ones.
"Because if I go out with someone else, I’d just be lying to myself. I can’t be with another man when I’m still thinking about you and how much I still love you. The men I’ve spoken to at parties never interested me; I talked to them only because they had some trait that reminded me of you, my husband. Some were blond, others had your height, and if I ever let someone hug or kiss me, it was only so I could close my eyes, let the alcohol do its job, and pretend it was you. But it was all in vain because you're never coming back, and that's why I’m here at your grave... because I need to leave you flowers and apologize for not being able to shake the feeling that I betrayed you."
When she finished, she felt a lump in her throat. She stayed there with him for hours.
When she returned to work the next day, the girls tried to apologize to her.
"We’re sorry, Yor. We shouldn’t have pressured you; it was very inconsiderate of us and disrespectful to Loid’s memory. I apologize again."
"Millie’s right. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. We just don’t want you to sink into depression again, like a year ago. Having fun for one night doesn’t mean you’ve forgotten about Loid," Camilla said as she looked at her.
"No, I… I get it, and yes, I want to go with you girls. It’s just that I’ll only go if I don’t have to talk to that guy. Right now, there’s only room in my life for two men: Loid and Yuri."
She was learning to be happy in her new normal, with her daughter Anya, her dog Bond, and her brother Yuri being more than enough to make her happy, even with the huge void Loid had left behind.
"Perfect, then no men. It’ll be a girls’ night, and you can leave Anya at my place with my son’s nanny. He told me they got along well last time," Sharon said.
When the night of the party arrived, she dressed up, put on her best dress, and had one of the most enjoyable nights she’d had in years.
Yor is 49, and her beloved Loid is 32. He is frozen in time, forever young.
Today is a special day. Her little Anya, who is no longer so little, is marrying Damian.
They had wanted to get married for a while but decided to wait a few years to explore the world first. Yor supported them; after all, they were still very young.
Loid had told Anya that he would be the one to walk her down the aisle on her wedding day. Unfortunately, he couldn’t keep that promise and isn’t here. But thankfully, Anya has many people who love her, and in the end, Franky was the one to accompany her.
To the world, she and Loid had been married in a civil ceremony five years before his death, and they decided not to have a traditional wedding. However, they had planned to do a "vow renewal" where she would wear her white dress, Anya would be the flower girl, and Bond would carry the rings on a pillow.
It never happened, but she had already learned to be at peace with that reality.
The ceremony takes place in a small garden, adorned with white and green flowers, a corner that seems like something out of a dream. The sun is setting, tinting the sky with golden and pink hues. People are seated on wooden chairs, their faces lit up with smiles and tears. Anya, in her white dress, radiant and serene. Damian, in his tuxedo, can't stop looking at his bride, his eyes shining with love and excitement.
Yor, with her hair up and wearing a simple yet elegant dress, watches her daughter as she and Damian exchange their vows.
"I hope you’re very happy, my little girl. I love you," she says in her mind.
—-------------------
Yor is 64 years old, and in an ideal world, Loid would be 65. However, in this world, he is still 32.
Despite all her efforts, Loid never had the luxury of growing old and being able to remember "a younger version of himself" because all the photos she took captured the older version of Loid.
Now, all those photos are memories for her.
Today marks 33 years since the love of her life left forever.
Officially, Loid has been dead longer than he was alive.
"Time flies so quickly," she thought to herself.
She brought a few things with her; before coming, she bought a new photo frame and framed a picture of Loid, and also purchased flowers and candles.
When she arrived, she placed the frame right in front of his name on the tombstone and the flowers beside it, lighting the candles as well.
She wasn’t surprised to see Loid.
“I see you haven’t forgotten me,” he said, laughing.
“I never could, my love,” she replied to the ghost.
Once, her grandson approached her.
“Granny Yor, I have to make a family tree for school, and I need a picture of Mom’s dad. Do you have one?”
Over time, she has learned to talk about Loid without feeling the deep sadness that used to overcome her when thinking about his passing. It still hurts, even after all these years, but she also feels happy whenever she has the chance to remember the wonderful moments she shared with him.
“Wow, that was Grandpa? He looks like a famous movie star! I like his style,” the boy said when she showed him one of the last photos of Loid.
Yor laughed; he certainly did.
“I still have the hat he’s wearing in that picture. Would you like to try it on?”
“Yeeees,” said the little boy, excited.
Yor searched through her things and found the white hat her husband wore with the suit in the photo.
She found it amusing how big it looked on the little kid; he was having so much fun that he ran off to show his mom.
Yor is 84 years old, and Loid is still 32.
Yor sometimes didn’t remember the names of her grandchildren; sometimes she didn’t remember her own age or what year it was, but she always remembered Loid when she told her grandchildren stories about her youth.
“You know, Mom, Grandma must have loved Grandpa a lot. She’s 84 years old, and sometimes she doesn’t remember my name, but she can still remember many stories and things she lived through with him, even though he’s been dead for over 50 years. I hope to love someone like that.”
“Yes, you’re right. I remember that when I was a child, they loved each other very much,” Anya replied to her son with nostalgia.
—-----------------------------------------
Anya is starting to worry about her mother. She knows that Yor is now quite elderly, but it’s always sad to witness someone you love slowly losing their lucidity.
Her mother currently lives with her and Damian. There were times in the mornings when her mother would come up to her and tell her she needed to get ready quickly for school so she wouldn’t be late and get another Tonitrus. Other times, she found her outside the house, and when she asked her what she was doing, Yor would say that Bond had escaped and she was waiting for him. This always happened when she heard the neighbor’s dog barking.
The only way to get her to come back inside was to play along.
“Don’t worry, Mom. Bond… Bond went out for a walk with Dad.”
“Oh, right, I guess I forgot. Then I’d better wait inside and make your dad his coffee with milk for when he returns.”
Anya and Damian’s son had married a few years ago and now had a little daughter of five years old. What was worrying was that sometimes her mother would get confused and call her great-granddaughter “Anya.”
They had kept many of Dad’s things intact for a long time, but he had so many clothes that over time, Anya managed to convince her mom to donate some of his suits and other garments.
However, she never dared to touch her dad’s green suit. It was his favorite, the one he was wearing when he adopted her. Her mom once told her that she had even thought about burying him in it, so there was no way they would ever get rid of it.
For 53 years, it was stored in a box until one day Anya came home and saw her mom, who could barely stand without a walker, ironing that suit.
“M-Mom, what are you doing?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“Oh, Anya, your dad’s suit is really wrinkled, and you know it’s his favorite. I’m going to get it ready for him.”
Anya couldn’t help it; she let out a sob because it hurt too much to see her mom so confused.
“What’s wrong, honey?”
“Nothing, Mom… I know Dad will appreciate it.”
Her mom… her mom didn’t age well. She had these episodes of dementia, and she was also going blind.
“Anya, she’s not sick… she’s just very old and very tired,” Damian had told her.
She had been quite worried about her mom because her health was very poor, but fortunately, she had recovered quite a bit in the past few days and was even discharged from the hospital a week ago.
Today, her mom was in good spirits. Normally, she complained about the pain in her body, but lately, she had been very happy, and Anya was thrilled about it.
Her mom said she wanted to visit Uncle Yuri, and Anya decided to accompany her.
Uncle Yuri was already retired; he had married, but he and his wife decided not to have children. Over time, he had learned to overcome the obsession he used to have with Mom, although now that he was old, he sometimes behaved like he did when Anya first met him.
Anya didn’t want to tell Uncle Yuri about her mother’s health problems because, although he was in good health, he was also quite old, and she didn’t want to worry him. But she was forced to do so when her mother was hospitalized.
Yuri made sure to fill the room where his sister was staying with hundreds of flowers, stuffed animals, and cards. When Anya couldn’t visit Yor, Yuri always went and stayed with her for hours.
On one occasion, Yor woke up, and Yuri was able to have a conversation with his beloved sister.
“How are you feeling, Yor? You had me worried.”
“Where am I?”
“In the hospital. Anya said you started to feel really bad, and she and Damian had to bring you here. She had to go home to rest for a bit, but she’ll be back to see you soon,” he said, holding one of her hands and kissing it.
“Oh, that’s good. I hope my little Anya can rest.” She paused and looked around the room. “And where is Loid?”
“Loid?”
“Yes, where is Loid, Yuri? Look, I know you don’t get along with him, but please, could you try to get along? Loid and Anya are very important to me, and if you could accept them as part of our family, it would make me very happy.”
“But, Yor, what are you talking about? That’s…” he tried to say, but his sister interrupted him.
“Please, Yuri, try to get along with Loid. You two are the most important men in my life. Please,” she begged, just as she had done so many years ago when both siblings’ hair was still black instead of white.
“...O-Okay, Sis, I’ll get along with Lotty, I swear.”
Anya had told him about these episodes Yor would have, but it was heartbreaking to see it in person.
In the present, the Briar siblings were sharing a small snack. Yuri was very happy to see his sister so cheerful.
“Yuri, are you taking your blood pressure pills? Is your room organized? My goodness, when are you going to shave that beard? It makes you look like an old man. I’ll have to shave you myself like in the old days.”
“Sis, I’m 77 years old, but sometimes I feel like you still treat me like a little kid.”
“Yes… I’m sorry, I sometimes forget. It’s just… you’ll always be my little brother.”
“Sis…” he said, his voice breaking.
And then they hugged, and he started to cry.
Yeah, Mom and Uncle Yuri had changed a lot since she first met them, but they were still the same.
Yor said goodnight to her daughter and went to her room to sleep. She lay down on the bed with a photo of her and Loid together. How she envied the woman in the photo—young, full of energy, with her husband by her side.
Her mind failed her again; she could no longer remember the exact date it was taken, and although it was written on the back, her failing vision didn’t allow her to read it. Still, in a moment of clarity, she thought, “My Loid… my [Redacted], you’re the same age as our grandson,” and she smiled wistfully.
When she lifted her head from the photo, she saw him—there was Loid, sitting on her bed, looking at her.
“It’s incredible that I’m an old woman now. I never thought I’d reach this age, you know,” she said to him.
“I’m so happy you’ve been able to be with Anya all this time.”
She smiled at him and placed the photo on her nightstand. She was very tired and decided to go to sleep.
She had a very old memory, of the day she saw Loid in the morgue. She kissed him, thinking he would be like the sleeping princess and she the prince who would wake him with a kiss. But that time, the kiss didn’t work, and Loid remained dead.
But it seemed that now she was the princess because she felt someone kiss her lips, and when she opened her eyes, she saw her prince.
There was Loid again, with his warm eyes smiling at her, and beside him was Bond.
She used to see what seemed like the ghost of her husband at night, but he was usually gone by the time she woke up the next morning. She had never seen Bond again, but the little dog wagged his tail, very happy to see her.
Her hair, once completely white, was black again; her hands, once fully wrinkled, were smooth once more, and she got up from the bed without needing her walker. She was young again.
Now Yor was 31, and Loid was 32.
She understood now—she had died in her sleep. When she was young, she never expected to have such a peaceful death.
“I promised I’d be here when you arrived.”
“Wait, we can’t leave Anya alone. Who will take care of her?” she asked her husband.
“You’ve done a wonderful job taking care of our little girl. We’ll continue to watch over her, and the three of us will come for her when it’s time.”
The next morning, Damian Desmond ran to his mother-in-law’s room after hearing Anya’s desperate cries, begging her mother to wake up.
Perhaps Yor spent her last days so happy because she sensed she would soon be reunited with Loid.