The Gem Beside Me

I was married to Elara for twenty years, and for ten of those years, I cared for her bedridden mother, Mrs. Albright. I put my own life on hold, helping Elara’s mother rise from a local community college instructor to a renowned university professor. Everyone praised me as the perfect husband, the greatest asset to the Albright family. On her deathbed, Mrs. Albright clutched my hand, her voice weak but firm, wishing I could be her son-in-law again, even in the next life. Elara hugged me tight, her voice thick with gratitude. “Leo, you’ve sacrificed so much for us these past years.