I wiped a tear from my cheek. “Then why the barcode?”
Her voice softened. “I lost my husband to cancer. He kept it from me until it was too late, and I never had the chance to say goodbye. I thought if you found out, you’d have time to face it together.”
She paused. “Daniel was afraid, but I felt he wanted you to know. I put the temporary tattoo on him, hoping you’d find it.”
I covered my mouth to stifle a sob. Why hadn’t he told me? I understood his fear, but it still hurt.
The next morning, I woke up early, watching him sleep peacefully beside me. Every moment with him felt precious. I leaned over and kissed his forehead.
“Hey,” he murmured, barely awake. “You’re up early.”
I smiled softly. “I was thinking we should take a weekend away. Just you and me.”
Surprised, he asked, “Now? Are you sure, with everything going on?”
“Yes,” I replied. “We need this. We both do.”
That weekend, we returned to a lake cabin we had visited early in our marriage. We walked along the water, hands intertwined, and talked for hours. Under the stars that night, everything felt perfect.
When we returned home, I suggested we paint the nursery together. He smiled, a shy smile. “I thought we had more time.”
His words stung, but I handed him a paintbrush. We laughed, covered in paint by the end of it. As Daniel held me close, I felt his silent tears, and my heart broke more with each passing moment.
As his health worsened, he became weaker. One morning, he barely lifted his head from the pillow. I brushed his hair back as he whispered, “I wanted to be here longer.”
Choking back tears, I whispered, “You’ve done enough, Daniel. You’ve given us everything.” He smiled faintly and whispered, “Thank you for making these days the best of my life,” before drifting away.
At his funeral, surrounded by loved ones, I placed my hand on my growing belly. A tiny kick. I closed my eyes, imagining Daniel’s hand there with mine, sharing this moment.
I whispered to our unborn child, “Your daddy was the best man, and I’ll make sure you know him.” In that quiet moment, I held onto his memory, knowing his love would live on in every heartbeat of our child.