The crisp autumn air brushed your face as you stepped out of the car, your hand gently gripping William’s as he clutched a small toy airplane, his wide blue eyes scanning the unfamiliar surroundings. Leaves rustled in shades of orange and gold, swirling gently in the breeze, and ahead of you, Major Gale Cleven stood tall and commanding, his dirty dark blonde hair catching the sunlight as he spoke with his soldiers.

But today, that calm, steady presence only made your heart sink further. You weren’t sure how you were going to do this—how you were going to tell him that you, his wife,

had cancer.

William tugged at your hand, pulling you slightly forward. You looked down at him, his bright eyes so much like his father’s, and forced a smile. He didn’t know.

“Hey, look who it is!” Gale’s voice boomed as he strode toward you, his smile wide and genuine and before you could say a word, he scooped William up in his strong arms as your son erupted into giggles.

“Dad!” William squealed, holding up his toy plane. “Look, I brought my plane!”

Gale grinned, pressing a kiss to William’s head before setting him down and turning to you. “You two are a sight for sore eyes,” he said, leaning in to kiss your forehead. “What brings you out here, baby?”

You looked up at him, at the joy in his eyes, the love that radiated from him. He was so happy. Seeing you and William had clearly made his day, and you didn’t want to shatter that. Not when he was standing there, looking at you like you were his entire world.

“We just… wanted to visit.” you lied.

Gale’s smiled, his hand slipping down to take yours, his thumb brushing over your knuckles. “I’m glad you did. You don’t know how much I needed this.”

You swallowed hard, the lump in your throat growing as you fought back the tears threatening to spill. You couldn’t tell him. Not today. Not when he looked at you like that, when William was laughing and playing with his toy plane at your feet. You couldn’t ruin this moment.

Maybe tomorrow.