My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus)

Theodore was having his usual morning cup of coffee while watching his wife devour everything on the table.

The couple was having breakfast in the garden of their beautiful home in Lunavalle. If anyone had asked him how he felt, he'd have said-without a doubt that he was incredibly happy.

After years of living alone, years spent across different generations with Peter, Alden, and Ethan, he was now living peacefully and happily in the stunning Valentian countryside, beside his beautiful wife, who was slowly getting used to her new life.

He watched her closely, those big, beautiful eyes of hers. She was gradually adapting to her new surroundings and the customs of life in Valentia.

She was still the same helpful and attentive woman she'd always been, but at least she stopped wearing clothes deemed old fashioned. These days, she was also starting to stop calling him "my lord" and was beginning to say "my love" instead.

Yes, Theodore had to admit he was much older than his wife. But just the fact that she was sharing her life with him made him feel younger. He no longer felt as tired as he used to-now he had someone to share his days with.

Their late-night conversations sometimes lasted well into the early morning. Bringing Fiona Sawyer into his life had been the best decision he had ever made.

"Easy, my dear... you're going to choke on your food," Theodore said, watching his wife tear through her breakfast.

"Theodore... I don't know what's going on with me lately, but I'm starving all the time, and I've been so tired. Do you think you could take me to see a doctor? Or maybe a herbal healer? She could check me out-there's probably something strange going on, I've been feeling so off."

Theodore looked at her carefully. She was right-Fiona had been acting differently lately. She was sleeping more than usual, even though she was normally a very active woman, and she was eating way more than she used to. Her usual appetite was always small.

Since their marriage, Theodore had taken great care of Fiona, but that had been second nature to him for years already. So seeing her now devouring everything in sight definitely raised some flags.

Without a second thought, he took her to the doctor for a routine checkup.

It could've been the stress of adjusting to a new country or the sadness of being away from her son. Whatever it was, he figured it was something that could be fixed with a little medicine and some rest.

Theodore knew it had been hard for Fiona to be apart from her son. They had lived together for 23 years, and they had been each other's only constant.

"Mr. and Mrs. Bennett," said the doctor, "I've just reviewed all the tests we ran, and everything looks perfectly normal. In fact, I'd say everything is excellent." "We all know you're not exactly newlyweds in your twenties," he added with a smile, "but everything checks out. That said, it would be wise for you to start looking for a good OB-GYN to manage the rest of the process."

"Excuse me?" Theodore said, confused. "I'm not sure I understand... could you be more clear?"

"Oh, yes! Well, based on the lab results, I can confirm that Mrs. Fiona Bennett is pregnant about three months along."

Theodore went completely silent at the news. Fiona, for her part, was stunned too. She'd thought her period had already started to go away for good, so it hadn't been regular for some time. Missing it didn't seem unusual anymore.

"Doctor, are you completely sure about this?" Fiona asked in her limited Valentian.

"Yes, ma'am. Here are the blood test results-and those don't lie. You are pregnant, and everything seems to be progressing very well.

"If you'd like, I can give you two a moment to take it all in while I check whether a gynecologist is available to see you." The doctor clearly saw the shock written on their faces.

"Yes, please..." Fiona said softly, noticing that Theodore still hadn't said a single word.

"Theo... love, are you okay?" Fiona asked, taking his hand and kissing it.

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Theodore wasn't used to displays of affection like that, but they always felt surprisingly comforting. That gesture snapped him out of his daze. He turned to her and said, "You know I'm an old man... Honestly, I wasn't expecting any of this. I still can't process what's happening. I don't want you to be in danger..."

"But Theodore, you heard the doctor-everything is fine. I feel fine. I know we're not young like our son, but... if this baby is already here..." she said, placing a hand on her belly.

"Then I'm bringing this baby into the world. I know I can do it. I know we can be parents again. And I know this is a beautiful gift-a chance to be parents once more," Fiona said, her joy bubbling up as she spoke those words.

She wasn't quite sure how to express everything in a way he would fully understand. But when Adam came into her life, that had been a difficult chapter

too because first and foremost, she had to figure out how to put food on the table for both of them.

These days, she knew it wouldn't be a problem. Sure, she was older now-but not that old, especially compared to her husband. She still had plenty of energy and was in the best stage of her life, so she wasn't afraid of what was coming.

Theodore, on the other hand, wasn't so calm. He was almost 69, and though he looked younger than his age, the thought of starting over again left him feeling a bit uneasy.

"Theodore, what's wrong?" Fiona asked, concerned.

"What do you think about all of this?" Theodore finally spoke, meeting her expectant gaze.

"I think it's wonderful news... This time, you'll be there for every moment as our son or daughter grows. Life is giving us the chance to be parents again—and I want to say yes to that," she said, her eyes glowing with joy. Theodore was terrified. He knew his time on Earth probably wouldn't be long enough to see their child grow up and become an adult. But when he looked at his wife, he knew that with her, he had nothing to fear.

"Well, if this is truly what you want most, then I don't see why we shouldn't move forward with the pregnancy... I'll just say one thing..." Theodore said, gently holding her chin.

She looked at him, nervous, unsure of what he was about to say.

"Fiona, I love you. And if this baby is

what you

want, then we'll have thisnoveldrama

baby. I may not have enough years left to be there for everything, but I'm sure you'll do an amazing job as a mother-just like you did with Adam," he said, then gave her a warm kiss.

They were interrupted by the doctor, who returned with a woman—the gynecologist who would be supporting them through the pregnancy from now on. That day, Theodore and Fiona heard the heartbeat of the baby growing inside her.

Hearing the sound of their baby's heart-so tiny, yet so strong-unleashed a wave of emotions in Theodore that he couldn't hold back. A tear slid down his cheek.

Life was giving him the chance to create life in his final stretch. He wouldn't lie- he was scared and full of doubts. But hearing that heartbeat made him feel like the luckiest man in the world.