Three years ago, Mason lost his wife and son in a fatal car accident. He survived the accident and woke up from a coma after several weeks. That's when he was informed of the death of his wife and son. Since then, he had been living in seclusion in order to physically and mentally recover. He had to relearn how to walk.
The situation didn't even give him a chance to properly grieve. Naturally, his sorrow was unhealthy. To cope, he would take walks in a nearby park, following the same path daily. But on that day, something truly extraordinary awaited him.
Getting CloserHe strolled through the park, enjoying the sound of birds singing and the smell of freshly cut grass. He reached the fountain. As part of his daily routine, he would wash his hands in the water coming from the fountain. Then, he spotted a woman and a young boy walking in the distance. Something resonated within him when he saw them.
Out of curiosity, Mason decided to get closer. He didn't seem to make much progress since walking required a lot of effort for him, and the pair was much more mobile. They disappeared before he could get closer to them. Mason didn't know them at all, yet he had a gut feeling. And he was not wrong...
Talking to the PsychologistThe rest of the week passed without Mason being able to see them again or even catch a glimpse of them. Then, exactly one week later, during his daily walk, he spotted them?! The woman was holding the boy's hand, and Mason couldn't help but notice the similarities between them and his wife and son. He was in shock. Back at the seclusion, Mason shared his thoughts with the psychologist
The psychologist reassured him: he explained how it was probably his way of going through the different stages of grief. It would pass. Even though Mason had complete trust in his psychologist, he had trouble accepting the explanation. He was convinced by what he had seen.
Leaving EarlierSince his potential wife and potential son appeared at a specific time of the day, he decided to leave earlier. That way, he could wait on the side of the park where they entered, and he wouldn't have to chase after them to see who they were. But Mason had to ask for permission from the seclusion if he wanted to leave earlier. It took time, and Mason was already anxious.
Finally, he was allowed to leave earlier. If he hurried, he could make it on time. On the way, he couldn't help visualizing his son and wife. He couldn't get rid of that image. He was getting closer to the place he had in mind, walking as fast as he could. Would he arrive on time??
Letting Them Get CloserMason waited patiently. The pair was a bit closer now, but Mason didn't dare to approach. He wasn't sure what he was seeing. Was it really his wife and son?? Weren't they six feet under the ground?? Wasn't it them he visited every week??
Mason was terribly torn, and little did he know, time was running out. Mason returned to the seclusion. He felt strange, detached from reality. He didn't know if he should feel happy or devastated. Was he imagining things?? One thing was certain: life at the seclusion was about to change drastically.
No More ProgressMason's recovery was stagnant. After what happened the other day, he stopped his daily walks. That meant a physical and mental setback. He wouldn't leave his room anymore and frequently skipped his therapy sessions. But that was about to change soon. One day, Mason decided to visit his psychologist.
He didn't particularly feel like talking; he just wanted to leave his room for a while. The psychologist tried to reach him, but only managed to do so slightly. He advised Mason to at least continue taking his walks. Mason agreed, but on one condition...
Mason asked for a reduced dosage of his medication. He was convinced that he was imagining his wife and son and blamed the medication for it. Furthermore, he didn't WANT to see them since it only caused more pain, knowing they weren't real?! The psychologist agreed to the trial period as long as Mason kept him informed of any changes.
Little did they know yet, but this trial period was about to change everything. After a few days with less medication and feeling the difference, Mason started taking walks in the park again. He felt incredibly grateful. The weather was perfect, and the fresh air helped clear his thoughts. It didn't take him long to reach the park.
FountainMason reached the fountain where he washed his hands. He was completely relaxed. But when he looked up, he saw the woman and the little boy?! He didn't understand what he was looking at. He splashed his face with water to make sure he could trust his eyes... they were still there?! Maybe it wasn't the medication. This time, Mason didn't keep his distance.
He walked towards them, but they seemed to be going in the opposite direction. Should he follow them?! Since he couldn't get closer, he started calling out to them. At first, "Ma'am?!" and then (when he was convinced it was his wife), "Susie?! Susie?!"
A ResemblanceOnce around the corner of the path, he could see the entirety of it. He spotted the little boy and his mother sitting on a bench. There was still a good distance between them and Mason, but at least he could see them. He walked towards them as they watched him approach. They were smiling and seemed happy. The closer Mason got, the better he could see the woman and her little boy.
Even though they resembled his son and wife, he could now see that they weren't them. He felt lost, unsure of the next step to take, rubbing his eyes. Should he stay or leave?? Had he forced himself to see all of this?? Then, after making his decision, something strange happened.
The Woman SpeaksThe woman spoke to Mason. She was kind: she asked him what was happening and if he needed help. Mason didn't know how to respond. She looked so much like his wife, but at the same time, she wasn't his wife. He stuttered as he tried to answer, then walked away. But he would soon regret it... After a few steps, Mason changed his mind and turned around.
He saw the woman and the boy about to leave. They passed him as he was still trying to figure out how to approach them. All he knew was that he had to talk to them. "E... excuse me, ma'am. Can I ask you a question??" The question that followed shocked the woman.
"Yes...""Were you involved in an accident three years ago??" Naturally, the woman didn't respond at first. She looked at him for a long moment. Mason repeated his question, this time slower and with more sensitivity. A tear streamed down the woman's cheek. Finally, she answered, "Yes..." Mason couldn't believe his ears. But his time was limited?! He had to be back at the seclusion in 12 minutes.
He had so many questions for her, but wouldn't have time to ask them all. He weighed his options but realized that if he returned later than planned and used this encounter as an excuse, everyone would think he had lost his mind?! Fortunately, Mason had a plan.
He said to the woman, "I don't know who you are, but we need to talk. Don't you think??" At first, the woman didn't respond. Mason gently grabbed her wrist and repeated the question. Finally, she nodded. They agreed to meet the next day. That night, Mason had several dreams with the woman and her little boy.
He woke up in the early morning to make sure he wouldn't be late. He couldn't arrive too early either since he needed all the time he had to talk with the duo. Unfortunately, a terrible obstacle was about to appear.
"Come with us, please"Mason showed up at the reception and asked if he could leave. Just as he was about to go, he saw the park gardener standing alongside the doctors. Mason greeted them, but only the doctors responded. Then, suddenly, the gardener said something to one of the doctors while pointing at Mason. What was happening?? The doctors approached Mason and politely asked him to come with them.
But he didn't want to do that because he was supposed to meet the woman and her son?! What could he do?? They would think he was crazy if he told them where he was going. But on the other hand, he couldn't afford to miss his appointment...
CooperatingMason decided to cooperate for now, but he tried to make them understand that he really wanted to leave, as usual. Their response remained, "Later... Later..." Then they asked him to sit down. The moment of truth. Mason thought it was better to cooperate as much as possible.
Perhaps he would still be able to make it to the park on time. After sitting down, he asked them amicably what was happening. The doctors began their explanation. Mason couldn't believe what he was hearing...
Bad news after allThey told him that apparently, the gardener had come to report Mason's behavior in the park?! Behavior?? What behavior?? The gardener had told the doctors that his attitude was supposedly "offensive" to other park visitors. That they were concerned for their safety after encountering someone who was "clearly a crazy madman." Mason was speechless...
Fortunately, the doctors realized that the gardener was exaggerating the situation. He had approached them before with similar complaints. They didn't really take him seriously, but still had to respect him to avoid any trouble. That brought bad news for Mason...
"You can't go there anymore"The doctors told Mason that he couldn't go to the park anymore. He still had permission to go out, but the park was off-limits for now. It was devastating for Mason: the park was everything to him?! He couldn't believe it. His only chance to meet the woman and her son had ceased to exist...
Mason left the office feeling terribly discouraged. He had hoped with all his heart to see them again, but fate had other plans. He couldn't help but think about how the woman and her son would see him now. Would they be disappointed or relieved??
Angry?!Mason refused to return to his room. He wanted to breathe in the fresh air, especially after this devastating news. He went outside, turned right (instead of his usual left towards the park), and kept walking. But he was about to make a fateful decision...
Mason had gone out to calm down, but his anger was actually building up?! He questioned everything: why allow a snooping gardener to ruin his life?? Why let the doctors tell him what he could or couldn't do? He turned around and began to head towards the park as quickly as possible?!
Mason arrived at the park and noticed that the gardener was not around. He walked past the fountain. He was only a few minutes away from where he was supposed to meet the duo. He walked so fast, despite his crutches, that he was almost running?! He wasn't far now.
He headed towards the bench, looking into the distance... and saw the woman and her son sitting on it?! Was it really them?? Was he on time or was it another mistake?? He looked over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't being followed, and when he saw nothing, he approached them.
Is it really them?!There they were: a woman, looking exactly like his wife, and a little boy on her lap, who was the spitting image of his son?! It was really them. Mason couldn't believe it: was he on time?! His skepticism only lasted a moment, as the woman and her son seemed troubled. He greeted them, but received no reaction. What was happening?? He asked them if something was wrong.
Then, the mother replied, "We were terribly worried. You were so late. We thought it was a trap or something. But now, you also look worried. Is everything alright, my dear Mason? " He was relieved to learn that she had been worried about him, as he understood that she was sincere. Then, they finally revealed who they were.
DestinyAs Mason already knew, they were not his son and wife. However, they had also been involved in an accident three years ago. They had survived, but the husband and father of the little boy had lost his life.
The fact that Mason and this woman and her son had met was nothing but a coincidence... or perhaps it was destiny. They became close friends, and Mason left the retirement home a few weeks later.