IC

Martin sat in his armchair, his eyes fixed on the old photograph of G that he held in his trembling hands. He couldn’t believe how much time had passed since they had been together, and yet the memories of their affair were still as vivid as ever.

As he looked at the photo, he wondered what had become of her. Had she found true love with her husband? Or was she still searching for the passion they had shared all those years ago?

But then a pang of guilt shot through Martin’s heart. He and G had been adulterous, both of them Catholics who had betrayed their vows. He had never confessed his transgressions to a priest, and he wondered if G had repented for her sins or if she had continued to seek out other lovers.

He shook his head, trying to dispel the dark thoughts that had consumed him. He knew that he was no longer the young man who had swept G off her feet all those years ago. His body was weak, his mind was foggy, and he was acutely aware of his own mortality. He couldn’t help but think that G, who was still so young, would see him as a shadow of his former self.

But as he reflected further, he realized that his concern wasn’t really for G at all. It was for himself, and his own sense of loss. He was jealous of the life that she had gone on to lead, of the adventures she might have had without him. His guilt and regret had consumed him to the point where he couldn’t even think of G without feeling a sense of despair.

In his final moments, Martin realized that he had spent his entire life chasing after something that he could never truly possess. He had been selfish and unfaithful, and now, in his old age, he was paying the price for his actions. He closed his eyes and prayed for forgiveness, hoping that G had found the peace and love that had eluded him