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�Where�d this come from?� Jeff asked. �It looks like it belongs in a museum.�
�I found it in my house,� Francis answered. It wasn�t a complete lie, after all. �Can you read it? �Cause I sure can�t. It�s all in Spanish.�
�Yeah, sure.� Jeff unfolded the paper. As he scanned it, his face changed, just like it had the day before, only more so. �Seriously, where did you get this?� His voice was shaky.
�I told you,� Francis said, �in my house. So what�s it say?�
Jeff began to read:
�My dearest Diego,
Since you have gone, things have not been the same. I do not feel like I used to. There is no joy, no light, in my life. I miss you terribly. It is like a pain within me, and it grows every day I am without you. I know you can never return to me, but I simply cannot accept it. I promise with all of my heart that I will never forget you.
Your loving wife,
Julia�
�That�s so sweet,� Francis said. �Kinda brings a tear to your eye, huh?�
He looked over at Jeff. Jeff had begun to cry. He cleared his throat and looked up at Francis. �She gave this to you, didn�t she?� he said solemnly.
�Who did?� Francis asked.
�Julia. She gave this to you.�
�I thought you said you�d never heard of Julia.�
A strange, almost wistful look came over Jeff�s face. He wiped the tears from his eyes. �I had no choice,� he said.
Francis was confused. �What are you talking about?�
�I had to leave her,� Jeff continued. �She couldn�t know.�
�Know what? What are you saying, Jeff?�
Jeff scoffed. �Jeff,� he said. �There is no Jeff. There never was.�
Francis just sat there, bewildered. �What?�
�She thought I was sick. I was never sick. But I had to get her to leave. It was for her own good. We set it up that way- me and a few others. I told them, and I told them what to do, I said, �I�ll say I�m sick, and I�ll tell her to get help. Then when she comes back, tell her I died, and there was never any hope.� It was for her own good. She couldn�t know, and if I didn�t go, she would have found out. I couldn�t let her. It would�ve destroyed her, to live with that knowledge. So when she left, I left. I knew I could never go back. No one could know. And the ones that helped me with Julia- they swore to never tell.� He paused. �And they�re dead now, anyway.� He began to cry again. �I�m sorry, Julia,� he sobbed. �I should�ve been honest with you! If I had known how much you would hurt��
Francis was even more bewildered now. �What are you saying, Jeff?�
�I told you,� he said, still crying, �there is no Jeff. There never was. After I left, I changed my name. I couldn�t chance it; someone might have figured it out somehow. And no one could know�so I changed my name. I had to, a few times.� He let out a choked sob. �Oh, Julia��
�Who are you?� Francis asked. �Really, I mean.�
He had already said too much; there was no going back. �I,� he said, fighting back tears, �am Diego Vargas, de la Casa Canci�n Bonita.�
�Diego?� Francis said. �But you can�t be. Diego and Julia lived 200 years ago. There�s no way�� And then he understood. �What?�
�Now you know,� Diego said. �You know my curse�my curse of eternal life.� He whispered the words bitterly, then added, �You must never tell.�
�But how did you�?�
�I moved around, I had to. I would live somewhere for a few years, then I would have to leave before they could become suspicious.� He sighed. �That wasn�t hard. And fitting in, that was easy. I just�adapted. With the times. But the hard part�knowing what I had done to Julia, who loved me so much.� He stopped, sniffling. �I have had to live with the pain of knowing that I had hurt her for the past 200 years! And I�ll have to live with it forever! But if she knew that she would pass and I could not�how could she understand? She couldn�t, she couldn�t!� He broke down completely. Francis was stunned. He couldn�t even begin to comprehend what Diego must have been feeling.
�Is there anything I can do?� Francis asked timidly.
�Oh, I don�t know,� Diego sobbed. Then he gasped. �Wait. You have spoken to Julia? She has come to you?�
�Yeah,� Francis said. �Sort of.�
�If she comes to you again,� Diego continued, �tell her that I still love her. And tell her that I never left her�and I never will��
