My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus) novel Chapter 137

Chapter 0137 

By midday, the priest arrived to officiate the mass. The gathering was small, intimate, meant to give Albert Preston a dignified farewell. After the service, Catherine and Leonard would accompany his body to the crematorium. Mary had been gently persuaded to stay behind; her health and the baby’s safety took precedence over her insistence on going. 

The mass went smoothly, though heavy with emotion Mary sat trembling, her hand held tightly by Peter. Her face was streaked with tears, and though her eyes burned and her heart ached, the lump in her chest wouldn’t let her stop crying 

Maximus sat beside his grandmother, holding her had. He didn’t speak–he didn’t need to. He could see she was struggling to keep her composure. Catherine’s grief was silent, with only an occasional tear slipping down her cheek, but she worked hard to maintain her usual strong demeanor. 

At the end of the mass, Mary rose slowly and made her way to the coffin. With unsteady hands, she opened it and gently caressed her grandfather’s face. She said her final goodbye in silence, her thoughts flooding with memories and sorrow: 

*“Grandpa, it hurts so much that you’re gone. It hurts to think I’ll never see you again. We had just found each other again… I don’t even know how to thank you for taking me away from my father, for giving me this life. I’ve learned to live on my own, but it’s never been the same as when we were together. Now we can’t escape together anymore… you’ve slipped through my fingers. 

You never got to meet your great–grandchild… There’s so much left unfinished. I’m sorry we never had, that glass of wine you promised me when I was little. 

I missed you all this time, but I held on to the hope of seeing you again. And now you’re gone…. You were my father, my friend, my confidant. Please watch over me, wherever you are. I promise that someday, with my family by my side, I’ll try to fulfill our dreams 

As she thought this, tears streamed down her face. 

Peter held her firmly in his arms. She could hear his heart pounding in his chest, fast and erratic, but his expression was calm, his embrace steady. He wanted her to feel safe, to know he was her anchor. If he faltered, he knew she would crumble entirely. 

After several minutes, Mary let go of her grandfather’s face, closed the coffin, and leaned against it as though hugging him one last time. Tears poured from her eyes, and Peter gently urged her to sit. 

“Amor, please. You need to rest. Standing like this isn good for you or the baby,” he whispered, helping her back to her seat. 

Once seated, she clung to Peter’s chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Peter kissed her hair and held her tightly, pouring his love and support into every gesture, hoping to ease her pain, if only a little. 

After Mary’s farewell, Catherine stood and approached the coffin. Maximus supported her, holding her arm firmly. She seemed calm, but he could feel the weight of her grief. 

7/2 

+25 BONUS 

Chapter DY17 

‘My dear Albert… we tried in this life, and it didn’t last I hope to see you again in the next one, and if you’re still free, I’ll come find you, 

‘I’ll miss our afternoons of wine and cheese. I promise that as long as I live, I’ll take care of Mary and our great–grandchildren. I hope we have many–I’d love to see them running around this house. You got to meet Peter, and I know he’ll take good care of her. Someday, I’ll take them to see the vineyard where I took you to live. It’s such a beautiful place, perfect for settling down.