Twelve days. That’s all the life she had left. One million, thirty-six thousand, eight hundred seconds. Perlie Hawthorne checked and double-checked her findings and if she played her cards right she could make it to Christmas day and not a moment further. Never a defeatist, she chose to make the most of her remaining time and certainly would have booked travel to one of the exotic destinations on her bucket list or treated herself to a luxurious night out on the town but the fact of the matter was she was dead broke. Not a penny to her name. The rent was paid and there was enough food in the pantry to last the twelve days, but that was it.

Going over her bucket list, Perlie discovered there was only one item that required no money:

• Declare my feelings for Garnet Stainthorpe

Garnet Stainthorpe was a young man she had known since grade school, more of an acquaintance than a friend, whom she had been infatuated with since they bumped into one another in the school cafeteria. Cruel fate would not allow her to get over her crush as they remained in close proximity to one another ever since, he even lived in her building in the apartment directly below her own.

Her own apartment was a modest space filled with the echoes of solitary existence that had become her sanctuary and her prison. The walls, adorned with postcards from places never visited, whispered of dreams unfulfilled. A life that had slipped by in shades of grey, punctuated only by the vivid hues of her longing for one man.

The decision to confess her feelings to Garnet was fraught with the turbulence of unrequited love. Her heart raced with a mix of dread and anticipation as she rehearsed the words that had lived in the shadows of her thoughts for years.

The day arrived, shrouded in the soft glow of winter’s embrace. Snowflakes, like delicate whispers from the heavens, fell gently outside her window, painting the world in a blanket of pristine white.

With a courage born of desperation, Perlie navigated the familiar path to Garnet’s door. The sound of her knock, a timid echo in the silent hallway, seemed to carry the weight of her entire existence.

The door opened, and there stood Garnet, his expression one of surprise that quickly melted into warm recognition. In that moment, time seemed to stand still, the world outside fading into insignificance.

Perlie’s words, when they came, were a cascade of honesty and vulnerability. She spoke of her feelings, a torrent of emotions that had been dammed for too long. Garnet listened, his eyes reflecting a myriad of emotions – surprise, empathy, and a gentle sadness.

The confession, though met with kindness, was not reciprocated in the way Perlie had hoped. Yet, in the honesty of that exchange, she found a bittersweet liberation. Her secret, once a burden, now released into the world, transformed into a poignant memory, a testament to her courage.

As she returned to her apartment, the world seemed a little less heavy. The finality of her days, though unchanged, now held a different meaning. She had faced her greatest fear, not death, but the regret of silence. In those remaining days, she found peace, not in grand gestures or unfulfilled dreams, but in the simple act of living each moment with an open heart.

And so, Perlie Hawthorne’s story concluded, not with grandeur, but with a quiet dignity. Her life, a tapestry of unspoken dreams and silent courage, was a reminder that sometimes the most profound journeys are those we take within ourselves.