Prologue
"Fran? You've what?" Tanisha pauses from crying, confusion starting to show on her face as she slowly uncovers her face with her hands. "You've done what?" She approaches Fran slowly, in every ounce of her strength, lifting Fran's face to show his questioning expression. Fran is visibly overwhelmed, a roller coaster of emotions playing across his features, unable to grasp everything anymore. "I've travelled back in time, Tanisha. For us, to save our relationship," Fran starts to explain, clenching his fists and curling his toes in anxiety. "I tried everything I could, avoided conflicts in our relationship, covered up the holes, all to bring us to this perfection, this flawless relationship of twenty years," Fran continues, his voice a mixture of desperation and resolve.
"What are you saying, Fran? I couldn't understand a word you're saying. What is this? What are you trying to do?" Tanisha showers him with questions, but Fran just looks at her, exhausted. "Twenty years of fighting fate, bending time itself, and disobeying the god's plan. I thought I could handle more arguments and just travel back in time with a snap of my fingers to patch it up again, perfecting every word to say, every action to take, knowing every word you're going to say so I could assure you, comfort you, but I can't do this anymore."
Fran confesses everything, giving weight to both of the couple's words. Tanisha freezes, confused, leaning her body toward Fran, having no energy to do anything else, listening is all she can do.
Fran notices how his woman leans toward him. He can't help but cry, reminiscing about every "real" moment they spent together. It was all eight months of love, the time when they were still young and in love, when they should've really ended twenty years ago. Throughout the years of time traveling, he realizes he isn't very real to her. He always goes back in time every time they have a conflict, fixing everything. He doesn't know what to do as he hugs Tanisha and cries silently.
"I'm sorry, my love. I didn't anticipate this moment. I didn't realize that even with all my efforts, we still couldn't find ourselves, love ourselves, discover our own worth. I thought I was saving us, but all I was doing was stunting our growth." His voice cracks with emotion as he speaks, the vulnerability of his admission cutting through the tension in the room.
"I know now that perhaps we were meant to be apart twenty years ago. I was immature, blinded by my own desperation to keep us together. But I can't keep hurting us like this," Fran's voice wavers, tears glistening in his eyes. "I can't keep fighting against the inevitable. I'm sorry, Tanisha. Goodbye."
With those final words, Fran hugs Tanisha tightly. Tanisha notices Fran starting to fade to ashes. Her eyes widen as she notices she's already fallen to the ground, feeling the absence of her beloved man. "Fran... Don't leave me..." She whispers, bending herself to the ground and hugging herself.
