His Biggest Regret Was Me
His shallow breath came out painfully, as though his soul were being torn apart between longing and reality.
"You've finally found your happiness, Elena..." Charlie whispered hoarsely, his voice swallowed by the noise filling the shabby café.
He gently placed his palm over Elena's photograph and kissed it through the cold newspaper.
"My redemption is complete. I have become nothing more than dust beneath your feet, and seeing you shine up there... that is enough for whatever remains of this short life of mine."
Charlie folded the newspaper shut, pulled his worn coat tighter around himself, and stepped out into the freezing snowstorm, disappearing into the darkness as a soul that would never