The Spring I Gave You A Ghost Wife's Last Goodbye

In the fifth year of our marriage, I died saving Neil Butler.

The only thing I left him was our four-year-old son.

After that, Neil raised our boy alone, living day by day on nothing but memories of me.

Until he met Lucy Simmons, who pursued him relentlessly.

No matter how many times Lucy confessed her feelings, Neil turned her down gently.

"I promised Rachel Armstrong I'd love her forever. She's the only wife I'll ever have."

I watched from the side.

Praying silently that he meant every word.

But it wasn't long before everything changed.

Lucy threw herself into a burning building to save our son, and fell into a coma.

Neil forgot everything else. He knelt at her bedside, begging her to wake up.

Lucy didn't wake.

But somehow, against my will, I found myself pulled into her body. I opened her eyes for her, and the first thing I saw was Neil.

He didn't recognize me.

He just choked back tears and confessed.

"Lucy, I love you."

——

For a second, I thought I'd misheard.

Then Neil said it again.

"Lucy, I love you."

"I already told my parents. Once you're out of danger and fully awake, we'll start planning the wedding."

"Thank God you're okay..."

He pressed my hand against his cheek, gazing at me with something close to reverence.

I didn't know how to tell him I wasn't Lucy.

I was his wife. Rachel.

And I had no idea how to face the fact that he had truly fallen in love with Lucy Simmons.

When I didn't respond, panic flickered across his face, and he started apologizing.

"I'm sorry, Lucy. I was wrong before. I'd already fallen for you but I was too afraid to admit it."

"I swear, from now on, I'll love you with everything I have. Okay?"

Those words were identical to the ones he'd said when he proposed to me.

Back then, I'd clung to his arm, laughing, teasing him:

"Then it's a deal! If you ever have a change of heart, I won't forgive you even after I'm dead!"

And now, that moment had actually come.

All I could do was dig my nails into my palms, swallow my tears, and force the words out.

"But I'm not Lu—"

Before I could finish, someone burst through the door.

"Mom! You're finally awake!"

My whole body went rigid.

I watched as my son's small frame crashed into me, his eyes swollen and red from crying.

His warmth seeped through me, and the sheer force of the joy was so overwhelming that my voice shook.

"What... what did you call me?"

"Say it again. Please?"

It had been so long since Kent Butler had called me Mom.

But before he could say it again, Neil covered his mouth and corrected him gently.

"Kent, you can't call her that. Miss Lucy hasn't agreed to marry Daddy yet."

"She's not your mom right now."

Those words hit me like ice water. Reality snapped back into focus.

Right now, I was "Lucy Simmons."

Even Neil hadn't noticed anything was off.

How could a child possibly know that I was his real mother?

My nose stung without warning.

I lowered my head and tried once more to explain.

"The truth is, I really am Kent's mo—"

Neil misunderstood. He seized my hand, eyes bright with excitement.

"So you're saying yes? You'll marry me?"

I froze, about to shake my head.

But Kent threw his arms around me first.

"Yay! Does that mean Miss Lucy is gonna be my mom now?"

I looked at the joy shining in both their faces.

The truth sitting on the tip of my tongue dissolved into nothing.