July 27th, 1908

From the memoirs of Dr. Sebastian Reynolds.

Have you ever assumed that someone may possibly transform you, merely after meeting them once upon a time? I believe the first time I met my wife, Victoria; she made me a whole new person.

I remember it clearly, how we met. My colleague Harold had insisted on myself accompanying him to a gathering. I had my work to do, and I made sure to tell him that. I had no time for a party! Not at all! Alas, Harold dragged me off to the get-together; where I sat most of the night. It was utterly boring, all the women were jumping on Harold like a new bag, or a dress; while I sat there sipping the god-awful wine they were serving. Then, she entered the room; it was as if no one in the world existed, but this lovely maiden. Some say that when one falls in love, a sweet soothing melody plays through our head, and the wind picks up mysteriously. Well, once Victoria entered, the music died, and so did the wind. I had no time to listen to music and feel the wind; I was too busy taking in her extraordinary beauty. Harold apparently knew her; he quickly went to the door and invited her to dance with him. That, was the first time I ever felt a pang of jealousy in my heart, it felt as though someone tied a cinder block to my lungs, and let it drop down from the Eiffel tower. I immediately left, being the coward that I am. I had no intention of staying to watch my friend take her heart away.

Something came over me that night, instead of leaving, I walked back. I apologized for leaving so abruptly, and said I didn’t know what had come over me. Then Harold strutted over, with Victoria on his arm, like some fine piece of jewelry that he only had to make sure no one else did. If weaving silk with your voice was possible, she would have done it that instant. Harold was taken away by some man, and we were left to speak to each other. We conversed most of the night, actually, it was more her talking, and I listening; for fear of saying anything mediocre.

Victoria and I kept in touch for the year to come; she told me many things about herself. How she owns a tiny shop in London, she plays the violin, and how she was engaged to a Lord. Here I was a loathing British scientist, utterly in love with a beautiful maiden, who was destined to marry some aristocrat with a white wig and a mansion. It was hopeless fight; I’d never find a way to make her mine. Then I made the worst mistake of my life, I lost contact with her, because just looking at her made my heart swoon for air.

Harold came to me one fine morning in May, no less than eight years ago. He told me that Lord Henry Wallace, had died earlier in the week. This making Victoria free again. Victoria still could be mine! These thoughts swarmed my brain; I was going to have my Victoria. I still had hope! Until Harold announced that it was he, who had proposed to Victoria only yesterday, and she had accepted.

How could this be possible! No one else could love Victoria like I could. No one would treat her like the angel she is. He didn’t deserve Victoria, he never could. I was lucky once, that Lord Henry fell ill. But I could never be lucky twice, especially since Harold had asked me to be at the wedding. I accepted, and according to a few acquaintances, I looked as though I was at my friend’s funeral, and not his wedding. It wasn’t his wedding, it was my funeral. It was my heart’s funeral. I knew Victoria couldn’t ever love Harold, I knew she loved me! I stood out in the cold, for three days straight, in front of their new home; and I screamed, “Victoria! Victoria! I love you so!” and I wailed, “Victoria! Victoria! I have always been in love with you!” Well, that didn’t go over too well with Harold, Victoria never said anything about the incident; but I knew Harold had beaten her blue, after he sent me to jail for a year. The longest year of my life, I sat in this tomb whimpering my love’s name every single waking minute of my sentence.

I would have her one day, and it did happen. I was let out of jail, to find Harold had also been sent to jail the same night I was taken away. Apparently he brought out his old rifle, and shot a man in a pub. Thank god that the maid had taken Victoria away, away from everything. I couldn’t bear the thought of my Victoria dead, buried six feet under.

It took me a year to find Victoria, she looked deathly frightened. I never seen her so sullen, never in the four years I known her. I held her that night, I promised I’d never let go. She told me, that the night we met, she had hoped that I would take her away from everything. Hoped that she could be Mrs. Victoria Sebastian Reynolds. We were wed, three weeks later.

The two years I was married to Victoria, were the best two years of my life. Everyday, I would tell her I loved her, and she the same. We looked at each other like newlyweds would, for all two years. I wanted a son, or a daughter, but for some reason she wouldn’t have it. I still loved her, even though I knew something was wrong. I didn’t think it was as bad as it really was.

The last two months of our marriage, I found out that doctors had found some sort of cancer in her blood. I wouldn’t think anything of it. That night, I found her, the night I held her for the first time, was when she found out this deathly news. I made sure that Victoria’s remaining days were extraordinary, like the woman she was. The day she died, she died in my arms. She died, telling me she loved me. Then the doctors came in, and I wouldn’t let them take her away from me. I held onto her body, I said I’d never let go.

Most say Victoria died of a broken heart, that she had thought I’d given up on her those years ago. That I didn’t love her. They said that the only reason Victoria contracted the disease, was because her heart weakened when she found out that I had had the same feelings for her, and never done anything about it.

Two years ago my love died. Two years ago, my youth and my life were taken away from me. When she died, I never told her I loved her back. Today I will.

Today, I am reunited with my Victoria.