Anna sat by the window, watching the rain fall softly on the empty street. Her hands trembled as she held a letter, yellow with age and folded many times. It was the last letter her husband, Tom, had written before he died.
They had met at university, both studying literature. Tom had a quiet smile and eyes that seemed to understand everything. Anna loved how he listened, how he made her laugh, and how he always carried a notebook full of poems. They married young, full of hope and dreams.
Tom joined the army when war broke out. He said it was his duty, and Anna tried to be brave. Every week, she wrote to him. Every month, he wrote back. His letters were full of love, stories from the field, and promises of coming home.
But one day, the letters stopped.
Anna waited. She checked the post every morning. She asked at the army office. No one could tell her anything. Weeks passed. Then months. Her heart grew heavy with fear.
One cold morning, a man in uniform came to her door. He held his hat in his hands and looked down. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Tom was killed in action. He saved three men before he died.”
Anna didn’t cry. She couldn’t. Her world had stopped.
Later that day, she found the letter. It had arrived late, hidden among other papers. Tom had written it the night before he died.
“My dearest Anna,” it began. “If you’re reading this, I may not be coming home. But please know, I thought of you with every breath.I saw your face in every sunrise. I loved you more than words can say.”
He wrote about a dream he had, of them walking by the sea, holding hands, laughing. “Promise me,” he wrote, “you’ll live. You’ll smile again. You’ll find joy, even without me.”
Anna read the letter every day for years. She kept it in a box with his photo and the notebook of poems. She never married again. She taught literature, told her students about love and loss, and sometimes read Tom’s poems aloud.
Now, at seventy-three, Anna sat by the window, the letter in her lap. The rain reminded her of that day long ago. She whispered the words softly, as if Tom could still hear.
“My dearest Anna…”
She closed her eyes. A tear rolled down her cheek. But she smiled, just a little.
Because love, even when lost, never truly leaves.
Vocabulary Notes
Tremble (verb)
Definition: To shake slightly, often because of emotion, fear, or cold.
Example: “Her hands trembled as she held a letter…”
Similar words: shake, shiver, quiver
Usage tip: Often used with emotions (e.g. “trembled with fear,” “trembled with excitement”).
Folded (adjective/verb)
Definition: Bent or arranged so that one part covers another.
Example: “…yellow with age and folded many times.”
Similar words: creased, bent, tucked
Usage tip: Common with paper or clothes. “Folded neatly,” “folded in half.”
Quiet smile (phrase)
Definition: A gentle, subtle smile that shows calm or kindness.
Example: “Tom had a quiet smile…”
Similar words: soft smile, gentle smile, faint smile
Usage tip: Often used to describe someone thoughtful or kind.
Brave (adjective)
Definition: Showing courage and facing danger or difficulty without fear.
Example: “Anna tried to be brave.”
Similar words: courageous, bold, fearless
Usage tip: Can be used for emotional strength too — “brave decision,” “brave face.”
Heavy with fear (phrase)
Definition: Feeling a strong, burdensome sense of fear or worry.
Example: “Her heart grew heavy with fear.”
Similar words: filled with dread, anxious, burdened
Usage tip: “Heavy” is often used metaphorically with emotions — “heavy with sorrow,” “heavy heart.”
Killed in action (military phrase)
Definition: Died while serving in a military operation.
Example: “Tom was killed in action.”
Similar words: fell in battle, died serving, lost in combat
Usage tip: Formal and respectful; often used in official reports or memorials.
Whispered (verb)
Definition: Spoke very softly, often to avoid being heard by others.
Example: “She whispered the words softly…”
Similar words: murmur, breathe, say quietly
Usage tip: Often used in emotional or intimate moments.
Tear rolled down (phrase)
Definition: A single tear moved slowly down the face.
Example: “A tear rolled down her cheek.”
Similar words: tear fell, eyes welled up, she cried silently
Usage tip: Describes quiet or restrained crying — often used in sad or touching scenes.
Never truly leaves (phrase)
Definition: Something emotional or meaningful remains with you, even after loss.
Example: “Because love, even when lost, never truly leaves.”
Similar words: stays with you, lives on, remains in your heart
Usage tip: Often used in stories about grief, memory, or enduring love.
Story written by CoPilot AI on Windows 11 Pro
Image created by CoPilot AI on Windows 11 Pro
CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads
Reading Short Stories/Content for English Learners 
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