“You know you’re the best thing that ever happened to me, right?”
“That’s kind of a sad thing to say.”
He laughed weakly.
“Still true.”
I started crying. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do without you.”
He squeezed my hand.
“You’re going to live, Elowen. You hear me? You’re going to live your whole life.”
“I’m scared.”
“I know. Me too.”
Then his expression changed.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
He stared at me for several seconds.
“For things I should’ve told you a long time ago.”
He kissed my forehead.
The next morning, Gus died.
After the funeral, Mrs. Sharma came into my room carrying an envelope.
“Your uncle wanted you to have this.”
Across the front was my name in Gus’s handwriting.
The first sentence made my hands start shaking.
“Elowen, I’ve been lying to you your entire life. I can’t take this particular lie with me.”
