The Gift of Life
by Jasmin Kaiba
It all happened almost thirty years ago. That day he's found out he'll forever love someone he's never going to meet, but forever hold her heart.
From day one, the day of his birth he'd been sick, his heart was too weak, the doctors didn't have faith in his life, and he did. He wanted to live. His spirit was strong.
The doctors gave him ten to twelve years, but he did something unexpected, he lived to see the day of his twenty second birthday. But then everything seemed to go wrong.
He got sick again, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't wake up, and he couldn't fight anymore.
Everyone lost hope, his parents, his sister, his always optimistic friends... They all just waited for him to die, for the misery to be over. He didn't want that, he wanted to live! He wanted to meet a nice girl, marry her, and have a few kids and a happy life with his family. One wish shall come true.
He remembered that day as if it were yesterday. He had sat in his hospital room, not able to get up, he came out of a very dangerous surgery only two days ago, his weak body needed rest. He sat there and thought about how lucky he was, they've gotten him a suitable donor heart at the last minute. He had lived thanks to another person who wasn't as lucky.
Then a woman came in his room. She was tall, brunette, blue-eyed, beautiful, a few years older, he guessed. She smiled weakly and introduced herself.
"Hello, I'm Lorelai Gilmore. Glad to see you're feeling better."
He looked a bit oddly at her but nodded and gave a short answer.
"Hello. Yes, thank you. Are a friend of my parents?"
The strange woman laughed a bit and seemed to be wiping her eyes. Was she crying?
"Oh no, I'm not. I just came to see how you were... My... My daughter gave you her heart..."
His breath hitched. He hasn't expected that. The doctors have told him that a recently delivered comatose patient was the donor, but a little girl? He suddenly felt very guilty.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Gilmore, I didn't know..."
He didn't know what else to say. What could he say in such a moment?
"No, it's OK. She would've wanted it that way. She's the most selfless person I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. She was my everything, my whole pride. She's gotten into an accident and she's been in a coma for almost seven weeks. A week ago I was in the waiting room when I heard two nurses talking about you. They said that it was such a shame they couldn't find a donor heart for you. I asked around... and... well. It was too late for Rory anyway, she wouldn't have lived, and her brain was dead... Machines kept her alive... It broke my heart seeing her like that, but I just couldn't put an end to it... Then I heard about you... The doctors run a few tests. She was a suitable donor... The decision was made..."
He's left speechless. That woman had saved his life and he could think of saying was 'thank you', but that would've been awfully tacky. So he kept silent.
Then she took something out of her bag, a big picture frame. She gave it you, and you came face to face with a probably younger version of the woman in front of you, hugging an Asian girl, under the picture were the words 'Ace Reporter'. He shivered. It couldn't be.
"That's my Rory. She just got accepted to Yale. Journalism was her big dream, she wanted to be like Christiane Amanpour, and she lived for that dream..."
Tears cloud his vision. This beautiful creature has given her heart to him? How could this woman let him live at the price of the life from such a girl?
He'd kept that picture of Rory, of his Ace as he later dunned her. When he got out of the hospital he went to find out as much about Rory Gilmore as possible. His searching led him to little town named Stars Hollow, Rory grew up there. Everyone had a different story to tell about her. She had been their little princess. Lorelai had left Starrs Hollow after Rory's death. She'd moved back to her parents in Hartford.
Over the years he spent learning about he incredible young woman who'd given him the biggest gift possible, he'd fallen in love with her. The heart in his chest, her heart was beating for her... How ironic...
He'd lived a long life, fallen in love, but never had a family. The person he wanted to have a family with had died so he could live. He wonders if he'd meet her in after-life... Maybe he will...
I love you, Ace...