He loved her. But that was the least you could say; he showed his feelings in ways that only she could understand or appreciate, and he knew every way to make her smile. She knew just how to say things to him, just when to grab his hands before he tried to tickle her, and just how to kiss him to create a smile even when his mother died. They weren't always together. For awhile they were hundreds of miles apart and tried to forget one another like they never even happened. But after 13 months when their eyes met and there was nothing they could do or say but run together and talk and cuddle and kiss for hours. They each had hard lives. He was never granted the luzury of a loving home, toys, money to eat out with his friends, or even one nice vacation away from home. He had found many girlfriends, especially since he had met her, but they never lasted. They were only long enough for a few hook ups and a forced "I love you." All he had ever wanted was to go to college and find true love. He found it a year in advance. She had come to vacation as the mountain lodge his father owned. He met her by the pool one day. That was the first and last time he had ever gone into that pool. His father built it on his 6th birthday with the company while his mother was drunk and passed out in their bedroom while he played with a cricket he had found in the grass until dusk. This was not the first vacation her family had taken where she felt completely alone. Her dad was a doctor who spent most of his time at his office and her mother sold perfume in her spare time. Her parents loved her, but they pushed her too hard, and they tried to make decisions for her. This vacation was the first time she had ever found an escape, and the first time he ever felt a beautiful girl smile in his arms. When they found each other again the next summer after he had taken his father's car to visit a college campus, a miracle seemed to be in the making. They were both accepted and attending in the fall.
They had only been together again for 3 weeks, but they were the best 3 weeks anyone could ever ask for in an entire lifetime. She went up to his families lodge and stayed with him a few nights, and they stayed up all night together. He and she both felt like they had been rebord again, that was before she got a call. Her father wanted her to come to his office, and she reluctantly went in and found another doctor in there with him. He told her they needed to do some tests. She found out that day she had a very rare cancer that could not be cured, and she did not have long to live. Nothing had ever made her feel so cold before in her entire life. She passed out and when she came to, her father was holding her hand and crying. She called him that night and tried to tell him, but all she could get out was "I love you." The next day she went to the hospital by herself and told her father she wanted any treatments possible. He told her there was nothing she could do, no treatments would help her but tears just filled her eyes and she said she didn't care what he said. He gave her all the treatments she could possibly stand, and every time she pulled out his picture and cried. He called her every night and wondered why she was so busy and hadn't visited him like she had promised. He decided to go and surprise her one day, only to find her house empty. When he tried to call her, her father answered her phone and told him she would be out shortly, she was visiting him at his office. He went to meet her there and saw her walking out, obviously not looking very well. Her hair appeared thin and she was very pale, but when she saw him her face began to glow and she ran into her arms and almost passed out before he had caught her. He knew something was wrong and asked her if she was ok, but she just kissed him. Then she began to cry and whispered in his ear "I'm dying." He froze, almost the same way she had when she heard the news and just stared at her eyes and she cried uncontrollably. He began to cry as well, but kissed her and held her tight and picked her up, carrying her to his car. He took her home and tucked her into bed and held her until she fell asleep. Her father walked in and said some of her friends were there to see her. He told him that she had exhausted herself with her treatments, and he finished the father's sentance "for me...she's trying to stay alive for me."
Weeks past and it was the weekend before college began. He told her father he had never loved anyone before and wanted to stop her pain. Her father asked him if he really meant he would do anything for her, and he replied yes, without any hesitation. Two days later, when he was in her room with her and she said she wanted him to go to orientation. He told her he had to put her to sleep first. She just smiled at him and said alright, but this will be the last time. He looked at her funny and told her he would come every night to put her to sleep and sing to her. Tears began to fill her eyes, and she reached under her blanket and showed him an IV that was attached to her arm. He looked at her puzzled, and then she opened her bedside drawer and pulled out a bag that was attached to the IV. She told him all he had to do was cut the seal to start it, and he asked her what was she taking. She told him she didn't want to see him suffer any longer, and suddenly he understood, and almost jumped on top of her and cried so hard she could barely grab his hands and calm him down. She kissed him, looked him in the eyes, and told him she loved him more than anything in the entire world. He kissed her back and held her tighter. She whispered in his ear she didn't want to die without him holding her and keeping her warm. She was scared, and didn't want to take the chance he wouldn't be the last thing she ever saw. He just kept kissing her and told her she was amazing. Her parents walked in and had her friends with her, they all had tears in their eyes and one by one came to kiss her goodnight, and then left leaving the door shut. He slowly went and started her IV, and held on to her hard, trying not to cry. She was trying to hard to smile. He kissed her deeply and passionatly one last time and she was relaxed. He turned on her stereo and forwarded to their song. As he sang to her, she quietly whispered in his ear "I love you." and closed her eyes, smiling as he told her he loved her as well. He continued to sing as she became silent in his arms. He could feel her hands start to loose their grip on his, and her heart came to a slow stop. He kissed her on the forehead and told her one last time he loved her and then just cried holding her for what felt like hours as he felt her soul float above him.
He felt her soul enter him at the same time, and as he began to leave her room, he heard singing outside. He looked out the front door and saw the front yard filled with people holding candles. He didn't even remember walking outside, and everyone turned to look to him, and then looked back to the sky softly singing Kumbaya. Her best friend came over and hugged him, and then he saw his parents walk over, who had been standing next to her parents who were holding one another. He could not believe his mom actually appeared sober, and his dad looked at him with compassion. His parents came over and hugged him as he lost his own strength to stand, and for the first time he felt his parents love him. He would never live the same after today, and as the night turned to early morning, he went on, never looking back and never leaving the shadows.
