Hearing that, Eric exhaled sharply, as if he’d been holding his breath.

“That’s good to hear. Really good.”

After a brief pause, another thought surfaced.

“And what about Joy?”

“She does,” Hadley replied quickly, nodding.

“Joy is legally acknowledged as your daughter, and the support payments arrive on time each month.”

Relief washed over Eric. He nodded more than once, muttering, “That’s good… really good. I’m glad to hear that.”

His hand lifted slightly as he motioned toward the door.

“I should get going now.”

“Alright.” The word came out raspy, barely more than a whisper, but Hadley managed to say it.

Thankfully, it was short—easy to hide the emotion behind it.

Eric stepped through the entrance.

Before leaving completely, he turned to flash a faint smile.

“Good night.”

Hadley kept her place and gave a small nod.

“Good night.”

Eric glanced at her one last time. Her calm, graceful face stayed with him as he turned away and walked off.

Hadley didn’t close the door right away. Instead, she stood there, eyes following him as he moved farther and farther away.

All this time, she’d feared what might happen if the truth came out.

But now that it had—those fears suddenly felt pointless.

It felt like Eric had just heard a story he could never fully grasp.

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That moment quietly marked the end of everything they once were.

Now, every shared memory lived only within her.

Although a small smile touched Hadley’s lips, her eyes welled up, and before she could blink them away, two quiet tears slipped down her cheeks.

A sudden ringtone broke the silence.

Ernest’s name lit up the screen.

“Hi, Ernest.”

“Hadley,” Ernest said gently. He had just stepped out of Locke’s room and, after a pause, chose to call Hadley first.

“Did Eric come by?”

“He did,” Hadley answered in a hushed voice.

“I told him everything. He just left a while ago.”

Ernest didn’t hide his surprise.

“That’s it? It ended like that?”

“It did. That’s all there was to it.”

“So, what happens in the future?” Ernest asked with a hint of unease.

“The future?” Hadley turned her eyes toward the distance.

“What are you expecting? Don’t forget—long before he lost his memories, we had already ended.”

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