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The young man laid in the hospital bed in his final hours. Geoff was dying. He will die today. His love, Heather, was right beside him.
"Heather?"-Geoff said weakly.
"Geoff…"-Heather could barely speak. Her tears, however, said it all.
"Was it all worth it?"-he asked.
"Geoff…I…"-once more, tears spoke the thousand words a voice could never utter.
"Was meeting me, getting together with me, worth crying now?'-he asked.
"What…"-she just could not comprehend the question.
"I mean…you're crying. Is…was it all worth it?"-he asked.
Heather remained in silence. Her shock could not ever distract the sorrow she felt now. But it did, if for but an instant, stop the stream of tears.
"We met…on the Island…"-said Geoff. Heather stopped him.
"No…we met after that, remember?"-Heather said, a sweet smile on her face as memories that had taken a back seat to joy and sorrow once again resurface.
The snow was falling very hard that day. Geoff was driving, angered by yet another fight with Bridgette. His car was sliding, and he crashes unto the bridge's railings. He sees someone- "Who's that?"
Geoff coughs a bit. Heather holds him. She fears that every cough takes him away from her. Geoff remembers another, happier time…
It was an early Christmas morning. He looked beside him. He was no longer surprised to see that Heather, not Bridgette, woke up beside him. He goes to make coffee. Minutes later, Heather walks down. She smiled. "Merry Christmas, Geoff"-she walks towards Geoff, and they kiss. The snow fell softly outside, whilst the small tree gave out multi colored lights upon the two new lovers. Geoff decided, that was the best Christmas he ever had. Heather thought the same thing.
Another cough. His breathing was a bit heavier this time around. Now she was coughing as well.
"Heather…don't tell me…"-he envisioned the worst, that she caught his disease. Another memory surfaced in her mind.
It was December 14th. She was sitting in the park, just watching the early snow fall. She was allowing her milky white face to be kissed by the gentle snow flakes. She hears a man crying. She sits up. She walks towards the source of the sound. It was Geoff.
"Geoff?"-she asks.
"We.. We broke up…me and Bridge…we're done,"-he says between sobs.
"Heather?"-asked Geoff- "Did you…"
"No…it's nothing. I just…choked on some air, honey, I swear,"-she said. He, however, could always tell when she was lying to him. The heart can hear the truth…
It was amazing. Geoff placed his hand over Heather's chest as she slept. Her heartbeat, there was something about it. What was it. He the placed his hand over his own chest. Same as always. What was so special about hers? He placed his other hand at her chest once more. Amazing. Both heartbeats were synchronized. The exact, same heartbeat. The odds of that, what are they? Is such a thing even possible? No.
It was now officially Christmas. The two had been together for a few weeks. He finds this out now. That was when Geoff knew. God did not bless him. He was not blessed, but divinely favored.
"Heather…is it snowing outside?"-asked Geoff. She nods her head.
"Who's there? Please, step away from the railing!!!"-yelled Geoff. He ran to the person. He can see it's a woman, standing dangerously close to the edge. She looked like she would jump. He grabs her.
"What the hell are you doing!?"-he yells. He looks at the young woman's face. Heather!? She was crying.
"Get off me!!!"-she yells- "You jackass!!! Get your filthy hands off me!!!"
"Heather? Why?"- Geoff looks dumbfounded.
"Oh! Don't pretend you wouldn't like me to jump! EVERYONE wants to see the great Heather Winslow's body tagged at the morgue!! Everybody…"-she trails off. Are her tears of fury, of sorrow, or both?
"What are you thinking about, honey?"-asks Geoff.
"I was thinking about the day we met. It was snowing on that day too."-she responds.
"But…we met in the summer,"-he responds.
"No, you met someone else that day. I consider that day at the bridge the day we met. Because, well, I became me again on that day. I stopped being the bitch that day,"-she says.
"There's more to life than that!!! Heather…you can't…you can't let people treat you like that…"-says Geoff. The snow was falling hard now.
"Admit it Geoff. After all the shit that I did, I deserve this,"-she says, tears never drying.
"No,"-he responded sincerely.
"But…but why? Why should I go on living, if the world hates me?"-she says between sobs.
'I don't hate you…"-he says, his voice echoing her sadness. A large opening in the sky revealed a shining star. The only star in the sky that night.
Geoff was breathing slowly now. His breathing was a bit heavier now. Heather held his hand.
"I…why? I thought we were doing so well. I thought we were happy…"-he cries.
"Geoff, what happened?"-asks Heather, concern marked in her voice.
"We, we fight a lot. But, we always make up. She said… she said she hated fighting. She said all we did was fight…she…we broke up!!"-he is now on his knees. A pathetic sight- "I…I can't go on without her!!"
"Geoff, you'll meet someone else. There are plenty of women in the world."-she assures him.
"No!!! can't live without Bridge. I don't WANT to live-"-SMACK! Her slap snaps him back to reality.
"You skeez!! Last week, you stopped me from falling off that bridge. You told me al those things. Now.. Now THIS!!??"-Heather is furious. Geoff is too shocked for words.
A small opening in the sky revealed a lone star, shining brightly. The lone star in the sky.
"Hey Heather…if anyone told me that morning, on December 14th of three years back, that we'd be dating by January of that following year…I'd had laughed at them,"-says Geoff.
"Yeah, me too,"-she admits. Her tears are gone now.
"So, Heather, was it worth it?"-he asks again.
"Heather, last night… ummm…put your hand over your heart,"-says Geoff. As he hands her the coffee. She does as she is asked.
"It's my normal heartbeat,"-she says. He grabs her other hand, and puts it over his chest. Her eyes widen in shock.
'"Yeah, synchronized. I know, I was shocked too."-he says. He points to the tree, there's a gift for her- "Santa left you something."
She opens her gift. She gasps. She goes over to Geoff, and kisses him. Words are unnecessary. Ring in hand, she caresses his chest, as both hearts beat in unison.
Outside, I a small opening above the sky, the only star visible was shining brightly.
"Geoff, I was so ready to die that time…you saved me, and showed me love. With you, I shared something so few have ever had, and fewer still will ever have again. I'd rather… I'd rather become and old crone who can say 'I loved, if only for a short while', than a young corpse that said 'I have never known love'. Yes, Geoff, it was worth it,"-She smiles, her tears have returned to her face, but her smile has not yet gone. Geoff returns the smile.
The sky is clouded, save for a small open area, where a single star twinkles. It's light shines brilliantly for a moment, then…nothing. There are now no stars in the clouded sky.
Flat line…