I braced myself. What could he possibly need to say? Probably his last wishes-stuff to handle once he was gone.

“Uncle Damien, stop. You don’t need to talk about this. You’ll be fine,” I said, trying to shut

it down.

But he wasn’t hearing it. He went on, carefully spelling out every detail: his assets, properties, even people I should know about.

It felt like he was reading out a will. And yeah, we weren’t super close, but it still hit hard. This wasn’t just paperwork-it was goodbye in disguise.

Noticing my reaction, he softened his voice, trying to console me. “Rea, everyone’s time comes. When it’s mine, don’t be too sad, okay? Your Aunt Abby and I will finally be with Narelle again. Our family will be whole. That’s something to be happy about.” Hearing that crushed me. I finally understood the loneliness he’d been drowning in since Hosing Narelle. Every day must’ve felt like an endless void.

He never talked about it, but his grief for her was carved deep into his soul.