The sun was setting and I was sitting on the sand, sifting it through my fingers. I thought I was alone, so I began to sing my favourite song. My heart was beating fast and tears were stinging my eyes. I did not let them fall. He never liked seeing me cry. If I cried, I felt like I was letting him down. He was my father, and he was in the hospital, possibly breathing his last breaths. He had a severe heart disease and the doctors knew he could not survive for too long. I could not bear to see him like that. Just watching his face full of pain and fear made me want to break down and beg him not to leave, but I knew there was nothing left to be done about it.
I let out a sigh as a single tear fell before I wiped it away immediately. I did not know how to live without him. The doctor said one week and that was it. I would not be out of school in one week. I would not be married in one week. I would not be a mother in one week. For all these things he will not be present with me. I prayed, please don't take him.
A young man sat beside me. I did not know who he was. He pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to me. I took it and wiped my faced with it. I turned my head to look at him. He had dark brown hair and big, blue, distant eyes. His skin was pale, though not naturally. He turned to look at me and I looked away, suddenly feeling butterflies in my stomach.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"No. But thanks," I replied, "I thought I was alone here."
"Oh, sorry, I can leave if you want me too." He looked down.
"It's alright. You look sad too, are you okay?"
"Not really. My mother is on her death bed." He said quietly. I could see the tears threatening to fall down his pale cheek.
"My father is on his." I said.
He looked me in the eyes and seemed to read my mind. It felt like he knew me and I knew him. We both knew exactly how the other was feeling.
We talked for the rest of the evening, trying to make each other feel better. For some odd reason, we were very comfortable with each other, as if we had known each other from before. The waves crashed and stars were dimly shining as the sun continued to go down. Soon enough, we had to go before our parents were worried where we were.
"Tomorrow, same time here?" he asked with a voice full of hope.
"Of course." I half smiled.
That night, I went into my room and sadly glanced at the roses on my flower vase. They were all red. Deep red. They were all from guys who said they loved me, that they wanted to be with me. Of course, none of them were true to what they said. They were all gone, though I was trying to keep all the roses alive.
The rest of the week went on with me visiting my father in the day, and meeting the young man at the beach when sunset came. I could not explain it, but somehow I felt like I was falling in love with him. I tried to ignore those feelings however, because I had not known him long enough.
I saw him at the hospital one afternoon after checking on my father. I took him to my father's hospital room and my family was really glad to meet him.
One evening at the park, he walked toward me with his head down and shoulders slumped. I had a feeling that something bad was going on, that he had something to tell me.
"What's wrong?" I asked, concerned, after ten minutes of silence.
"She's leaving me soon." He replied quietly, his voice barely audible.
"I'm so sorry." I opened my arms and held him there as he tried not to cry.
"She wants to meet you," he looked up and said, "I told her about you, and she says she wants to see you before she… leaves. Tomorrow?"
"Okay. I promise I'll be there." I assured him.
The next day, I went to the hospital feeling more scared than ever, for it was supposed to be my father's last day, and also the day I was going to meet the young man's mother.
I saw him at the lobby. He took me to his mother's room and there I saw her, tubes tangled everywhere, as if they were vines trying to suffocate her. She smiled at me, or at least tried to.
"Are you my son's girlfriend?" she asked.
"Uh…" Girlfriend? He said I was his girlfriend? "I guess."
"Well then I guess he's going to be okay after I'm gone. You look very pretty and really nice." She said, her voice cracking.
"Thank you. I sure will take care of him." I smiled and held her hand.
My cell phone rang. I picked it up and heard my mother crying on it. She told me to hurry up and go to my father. My heartbeat went faster then ever. I ran to my father's hospital room, but not before excusing myself from the family in the room I was previously in.
I opened the door and saw him looking at me. His face looked gentle and he smiled as if nothing was wrong. I saw a tear on his left cheek and I went over and wiped it away.
"Daddy, please don't leave." I begged.
"I'm sorry, sweetie, God wants me to." He smiled sadly.
"We need you! We can't live without you, it's impossible, daddy. Tell God to let you stay with us, please." I said loudly as the tears came to my eyes once again and I wiped them away, not wanting my father to see me let him down.
"You can cry." He said.
"You never wanted to see me cry." I looked up at him.
"You're not letting me down, it's okay to cry." He smiled once again.
I let the tears win me over as they flooded my cheeks. I broke down and hugged my father and he held me just as tight as I held him. I never wanted that moment to end. For that moment everything vanished, it was just my father and I holding each other. I never wanted to let go. I never wanted to feel far from him.
"I'm going to miss you." I whispered.
"I'll always be with you, even though you can't see me. I'll always take care of you. I know I won't be around when this happens, but the boy who will give you a white rose out of the red ones will love you truly. Wait for him." He said as his breathing became slower and heavier. He kissed my forehead.
"I will, daddy. I love you." I gave him butterfly kisses just like I used to when I was little, right before he tucked me in for bedtime.
"I love you too." He smiled, and with that, he took his last breath and closed his eyes, looking peaceful as ever.
I did not let go for a while. I heard sobs around the room and my mother went hysterical. My brother looked at my father before running out of the room, crying. I stared at my father's body, not wanting to believe that he had already passed away.
I finally let go and hugged my mother. She held onto me tight and I had to hold her up for she was losing control of her balance. My aunt came to us and hugged us both before I pulled away and walked out of the room.
I saw the young man down the hall looking gloomy. I walked over to him and he immediately wrapped his arms around me. I hugged him back and we cried together until we were both calmed.
"He's gone." I whispered as he held my hand.
"She's gone." He whispered back as I squeezed his hand.
He came to my father's funeral, just as my father had requested that day they met each other. I went home crying. He walked into my room holding a white rose. He handed it to me and held me as I cried on his chest. He whispered words of comfort as he rubbed my back, calming me down.
I then knew that he was my true love. It was as if we were meant to be together right when we met each other. It was as if my father knew who I was going to be safe with.
I looked into his eyes and once again, we knew how we both felt. We were sad because our parents were gone, but we also found new joy knowing that we were holding the ones we were meant to love.
Sixty years passed and here I am now, lying on a hospital bed. He lies on the bed beside mine. A few hours ago, we got in a car accident and we both know that soon enough, we would be with our parents once again.
I look around and see my children and grandchildren weeping. My son was in the accident with us and he lies on the bed in the next room. I feel really bad for leaving these people who love me and care about me, but as my father said, God wants me to. I know that they know that I love them and I will always take care of them, just like my father.
I turned my head slowly to look at my husband who was looking back at me. We both knew that it was time. We whispered our last words and took our lasts breaths at the same time.
"I love you."