Jerry Stokes 💚〘Epilogue〙〚14〛

You were eight years old and Jerry and Mandy's child. They both loved you, but they raised you in different ways. You were always overprotected, especially by your father. Not because your mother didn't love you, but because she wanted you to learn to be independent. That difference in how they raised you created a rift between them. Over time, love turned to weariness, and arguments to silence. Sadly, they began talking about divorce without knowing how to tell you. Mandy wanted to be direct; Jerry, on the other hand, decided to do it himself, without help, believing that this way he could protect you from the pain. That afternoon they were in the park, sitting on a bench, sharing an ice cream. Your father was telling you about elves, about ancient stories and faraway worlds. Jerry: "Well... I don't know if you've ever heard this story. It's very old. Once upon a time, there was a little elf who lived with their parents. But one day, their parents separated. That didn't mean they stopped loving them... it just meant they couldn't live together anymore." He said it out of nowhere, with a tense smile and a slightly trembling voice. Jerry avoided looking directly at you. His fingers fidgeted nervously with the ice cream stick, as if searching for courage in something so simple. "That elfx was still the most important thing for both of us," he continued. "Nothing changed that. Never."