Bru was finally removed from ‘Heaven’. Shasa no longer had anything anchoring herself to Bru, nothing but her memories.

  She had thought that her world would end. She had prepared herself for an onslaught of grief so crushing it would drown her for good.

  She was amazed, and guilt-stricken, when she found that she was coping, somewhat. When finally left alone to face the reality of a life without Bru, not even a digital version of him, Shasa found that she wasn’t unbearably distraught. She wasn’t torn apart. She grieved, of course, but it was with a stoicism and strength she never knew she had.

  Perhaps she had already been grieving and preparing herself for this day all those six and a half years of ‘Heaven’.

  Two months after laying Bru to his final rest, she finally went on a diving trip.

  The trip was wondrous. Maybe it was that she hadn’t been diving in nearly seven years, but everything in the ocean seemed more vibrant, mysterious and captivating than she ever remembered. Planning, packing and brushing up on her diving skills without Bru didn’t hurt her as much as she had thought it would. During the trip itself, she often found herself wishing Bru could be there to witness the magical moments. But those painful moments passed, and she found herself perfectly capable of being immersed in her own experience of the ocean’s beauty.

  Elo was immensely proud of her, and listened, enraptured, as she gushed about all she had experienced during her dive trip. It filled his heart with joy to see her finally embracing a life outside of Bru. The way her eyes sparkled reminded him of the Shasa he had once known, before Bru had passed. It gave him hope that she was slowly but surely healing.

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Since Bru had been wiped from ‘Heaven’, Elo had made sure that he could always be there for Shasa when she needed him. At the same time, he made sure to be respectful, and not let his feelings mar their friendship.

  A year passed in Shasa’s Bru-less life, before she realised she was developing feelings for Elo.

  She was shocked by her realisation, then overcome with guilt. How had these feelings developed so quickly after Bru’s final death? Had these feelings been present even when Bru was still in ‘Heaven’? She refused to think about that. She wouldn’t dishonour her love for Bru.

  Elo sensed her feelings grow, and it filled him with hope. But he was cautious. He didn’t want to lose her, not after everything they had been through together.

  Elo took his time, and let Shasa lead the pace.

  One and a half years after Bru’s digital spirit was laid to rest, Shasa sent Elo her itinerary for an upcoming dive trip, accompanied by a simple message - “Would you like to join me?”

  Barely five minutes after she had sent him the message, Elo responded with a picture of his booked tickets.

  One month later, deep underwater, they watched in wondrous awe the glowing trails of the bioluminescent algae left behind with each kick of their fins and each stroke of their arms.

  Five months after the drive trip, they had their first kiss watching the sunset in a forest after a long day’s hike.

  Two years later, they were married.

  Elo never did sign up for the ‘Heaven’ programme, and Shasa, after much reflection, ended her subscription to ‘Heaven’. They chose instead to maintain a regularly updated farewell video, just in case. They also regularly made sure that their affairs were in order, should the worst happen.

  They would die only one death, and the one left behind would grieve only once.