October 28
Late one night, Widow Omega found a tall Alpha by the seaside.
Alpha was dressed in military uniform and had injuries on his legs, abdomen, and head. When he woke up, he realized he had amnesia, not knowing his own last name or first name, nor where his home was.
The small seaside town lived a quiet and peaceful life, far from the era of war. It was unusual for someone to have such obvious scars from blades and firearms.
Because it was unclear if Alpha ‘s life was still at risk, Widow Omega took some precautions. He treated Alpha ‘s wounds simply without making it widely known and quietly inquired if there had been any recent disappearances of military or political figures.
However, Widow Omega didn’t have much money, knew few people, and even fewer who were wealthy and influential.
Every evening at seven, Widow Omega would go next door to watch the news on TV.
With no reports surfacing, Widow Omega had no choice but to temporarily take Alpha in.
November 28
Alpha still couldn’t stand, and his wounds couldn’t be touched by water, so before going to work, Widow Omega would prepare meals for Alpha, and after work, he would help Alpha wash and clean his hair.
Alpha was particular about cleanliness; even sick, he insisted on washing his hair daily, and Widow Omega never complained.
After a month, the water bill had significantly increased.
November 29
Whenever Alpha was in a bad mood, Widow Omega would patiently comfort him.
His gentle eyes and soft-spoken manner, knitting by the window, always managed to calm Alpha ‘s restless heart.
December 8
Widow Omega didn’t have much money, and their meals were mostly vegetarian, which wasn’t ideal for Alpha ‘s recovery.
Widow Omega sold two paintings from his home at a low price to buy a lot of beef. He hardly ate any himself, giving most of it to Alpha to help him recover.
December 20
Naturally, Alpha developed different feelings for Widow Omega, becoming dependent on him and looking forward to his return each day.
As Widow Omega was changing his bandages one day, Alpha confessed his feelings. In that moment, being cherished so deeply stirred Alpha ‘s emotions.
“But you’ve lost your memory, neither of us knows if you had a lover before or if they’re waiting for you to come home,” Widow Omega said, shaking his head as he sat by the door picking vegetables. After a long pause, he wiped his eyes with his arm, “Finding someone is exhausting, especially someone who might not even be alive.”
He choked up a bit, then got up to cook.
Stunned, Alpha stood there; his wounds had healed significantly. He limped into the kitchen to help.
Being rejected didn’t matter; he wanted to treat Widow Omega well, truly enjoying this lifestyle.
Alpha decided he would find some work in town to help support the household.
December 24
Widow Omega used to work as a cashier at a small supermarket, helping with stock and inventory. Because of his gentle beauty, local thugs had long had their eyes on him, often coming in groups to create disturbances.
As business worsened, the shop owner was in a tough spot. Widow Omega, hating to cause trouble for others, chose to leave.
December 25
One day, Alpha unexpectedly saw Widow Omega looking at himself in the mirror, an odd sight given how the frail O seemed to spend all his time working to make ends meet, yet here he was, caring about his appearance.
But Alpha was mistaken; the next second, Widow Omega picked up a kitchen knife and held it against his face.
“What are you doing!” Alpha stumbled into the cramped room and snatched the knife away.
“It’s nothing, don’t worry,” Widow Omega said, his voice trembling slightly but still emotionless.
He always seemed emotionless, never sad, never angry; even his smile was faint, like a distant landscape painting.
During that time, Alpha paid close attention to Widow Omega’s actions, worrying about his tendencies for self-harm.
December 28
Widow Omega found another job, helping move boxes at the docks. He wasn’t strong, so he didn’t earn much, but every little bit helped to get by.
Still, the harassment continued. Annoying, persistent pests.
“Why keep up appearances for a dead person? With me, you wouldn’t need to do such rough work,” they taunted.
Indeed, Widow Omega’s slender, clean hands were covered in cuts and cracks that no amount of washing could clean.
That day, Widow Omega returned home looking ragged, perhaps because his fearless resistance had temporarily driven off the wolves, but such patience would not last forever.
January 1
Holidays meant little to Widow Omega.
Alpha new flower shop opened in town, run by a trendy owner. Widow Omega donned a mascot costume to distribute flyers.
It was a temporary job, good because he wouldn’t be recognized, bad because it was too cold. Widow Omega was not robust, and he hated the cold.
But the job paid well, and the generous shop owner even offered Widow Omega to pick any bouquet he wanted.
“I don’t have anyone to give it to.”
“Then keep it in mind, and when you do have someone to give it to, come back and pick a bouquet.”
Widow Omega’s face was pale with cold, but he smiled, “Thank you, I think I’ll come buy a bouquet on February 28.”
January 4
Because they couldn’t find Widow Omega, the thugs went to his house.
Alpha finally learned of Widow Omega’s troubles. His own injuries hadn’t fully healed yet, but his fists were still strong.
“Who do you think you are, acting so high and mighty? You’ve got someone hidden at home,” the thugs blustered, but that didn’t mean they’d give up easily.
Soon, the whole town knew that the quiet, gentle Widow Omega was hiding an Alpha at home.
So unseemly.
Such is life in a small place.
January 9
“I’m sorry for causing you trouble,” Alpha really liked Widow Omega and wanted to stay by his side, no matter what role he played.
“It’s okay,” Widow Omega said as he laid out a bed on the floor; unlike the town’s salacious rumors, he had always slept on the floor.
Alpha had only discovered yesterday that the mattress was padded with cardboard; in such cold weather, for someone who so disliked the cold.
“Don’t be stubborn, you sleep on the bed, I’ll sleep on the floor.” How could Alpha in good conscience continue to monopolize the warm bed?
“It’s fine, you won’t be able to sleep on the floor, I’m used to it.”
Widow Omega was indeed stubborn and set in his ways.
January 19
Alpha felt powerless as the rumors flew, especially hurtful to him.
Widow Omega turned to comfort Alpha, appearing indifferent; he seemed well-integrated here yet somehow also out of place, living elsewhere.
January 28
The sweater he had been knitting was finally finished, obviously sized for Alpha, who had been quietly looking forward to receiving it, but it never came.
The wounds on Alpha ‘s abdomen had begun to scab, and his leg injuries had improved significantly; he could now limp around in front of the house.
At such times, Widow Omega would look up from the kitchen smoke to watch Alpha.
His gaze was empty, like a fleeting evening breeze with nowhere to rest.
February 6
The cleanly washed military uniform lay folded at the bottom of a trunk, the damaged areas neatly stitched as if brand new.
The epaulettes had been removed and polished by Widow Omega, carefully stored away.
He seemed capable of doing anything, even the small patch of land in front of the house was full of green vegetables.
The kerosene lamp was decorated with two small yellow flowers, vaguely featuring two little ladybugs snuggling together.
Occasionally, Alpha wondered what kind of person had once owned Widow Omega; surely, they must have been remarkable.
February 28
The calendar marked February 28 with a big red circle.
On this day, Widow Omega didn’t go to work and had prepared Alpha ‘s meal early before heading out. He walked to the flower shop to redeem a white rose, then continued alone towards a secluded mountain.
Alpha followed Widow Omega because he seemed off that day and Alpha was worried.
Though Widow Omega was usually not very talkative, these past few days he had been exceptionally quiet. Last night, he even quietly took out Alpha ‘s epaulettes and fondled them repeatedly.
Alpha, who was strikingly handsome, was quickly spotted.
“What are you doing out here.”
“General!”
Widow Omega turned and shouted to someone; his voice was completely drowned out by a broken cry.
From a nearby car, another person in military uniform emerged—an Omega, very spirited and sharply handsome.
Alpha was quickly surrounded by a group of people. Widow Omega gave him a silent glance, a farewell, then continued up the mountain with the flower and the sweater in his arms.
Not all farewells that never meet again get a proper goodbye.
Everyone has their own path; any further connection is just an extra burden.
In fact, that night by the sea, he had intended to end his life.
