Chapter 1

The third time I forgot where I lived because of Alzheimer's, my son finally broke.

He had been searching for me for three agonizing days. When he found me, he collapsed on the floor, weeping uncontrollably. His tears soaked the stack of missing-person flyers in his hands.

"Mom, can't you just stay home? Please!"

"This is the third time this month! If this keeps happening, I'm going to get fired!"

"Honestly, if you were just gone, we wouldn't all be suffering like this!"

He slammed the door and stormed out. In that fleeting second, my fogged brain suddenly cleared.

He was right. I couldn't be a burden to him anymore.

I turned around and walked out into the street. The very next second, an out-of-control car hurtled toward me.

As my body was thrown into the air, all I felt was pure relief.

Finally, I won't hold my family back anymore.

When I opened my eyes again, I was standing outside our apartment complex.

Leo was pacing a few yards away, talking on his phone. His face was pale and exhausted.

"Yeah, I found her. I almost lost my mind! I don't get it—her brain is completely gone, so why does she keep wandering off?"

His harsh words rooted me to the spot. I couldn't bring myself to walk over.

"I can't take this anymore! It's been five years, and my entire life and career are in ruins!"

"Sometimes I wish a sudden illness would just take her quickly."

A phantom tear rolled down my cheek. But I didn't blame him. I knew he had tried his best.

Ever since I got sick, our family's world had ground to a halt. They spent endless days searching for me, terrified of what might happen.

At first, I wanted to give up, too. But Leo had hugged me tight, saying, "Don't give up, Mom. As long as we stick together, we'll get through this!"

My husband, Arthur, had comforted me as well: "So your memory is slipping—so what? People get old. We'll handle it!"

Yet whenever I had a brief moment of clarity, seeing their worn-out faces broke my heart.

Leo rubbed his bloodshot eyes and let out a long sigh. "Sometimes I think... if it weren't for her, maybe you and I would still be together."

My heart ached. He was talking to his ex-girlfriend. They had been deeply in love, but when my disease struck, the immense pressure tore them apart. All these years, he had never truly moved on.

After a quiet moment, a faint, bitter smile appeared on Leo's face.

"Forget it, I'm just venting. She's my mother. I can't abandon her."

"Dad and I talked. He's putting in for early retirement so she won't be alone during the day."

His words struck me like lightning.

Arthur hadn't even reached retirement age yet! When my symptoms first appeared, he took me to the best specialists. The doctor recommended an expensive treatment to slow down the decline. Arthur paid for it without a second thought.

Yet my illness worsened faster than anyone anticipated. All our savings vanished, and I never got better.

Desperate, I rushed toward him. "Leo, don't let your dad retire! He loves teaching so much. He can't leave his school!"

I threw my arms out to hug my boy, but my hands passed straight through him.

A cold realization hit me.

I was already dead.

And I never even got to see my son get married.

Leo hung up, glanced back at our building, and headed off to work. I followed behind him like a shadow, trailing him until nightfall when we returned home.

Arthur was already back. The warm aroma of dinner drifted from the kitchen.

Leo walked in, didn't see me, and called out, "Dad, where's Mom?"

"Oh, probably sleeping. Her blanket looked tucked in. She must be exhausted."

Leo walked over to my bedroom door. "Mom, time for dinner."

"You walked so far today. You must be tired, right?"

Getting no response, he stepped forward to pull back the duvet. He already had his hand on the corner when Arthur called out from the kitchen.

"Leo! Let her rest. She's wiped out. I'll wake her later."

Leo let go of the blanket. He never noticed that the bed beneath it was completely empty.

He stepped back into the dining room. Arthur had already plated a warm portion for me.

"We'll save this for when she wakes up. She wandered the streets for three days. Let her sleep."

Arthur smiled softly. "I'll sleep on the couch tonight so my snoring doesn't wake her."

"Dad, you take my bed. I'll take the couch," Leo insisted. "Don't argue with me. I have some code to finish tonight anyway. The living room is better for work."

Seeing how considerate his son was, Arthur smiled with relief.

After dinner, they each went to rest.