The Gears of Fate

Toni and I were in university when we dated. It was beautiful and exciting at the start, but over the course of three years, our bond was exhausted to the point where I had to end things between us. However, fate had a twisted sense of humour, holding us to a promise we once made in the early seasons of our relationship, where we said we would come to each other’s aid when it really mattered. We don’t know who or what bound us that way since the promise was made during a trip to ancient Celtic ruins, at a secluded spot we both found alluring for reasons we could not explain. As the years passed, Toni and I went our separate ways but still stayed in touch. Seven years later, we were both married to new partners and had little families of our own. I had two daughters with my husband, while Toni had a son and a daughter with his wife. However, things became complicated when my mom passed away, as Toni appeared just seconds after she closed her eyes for the last time. My husband, Alan, was...