"Hey English," Angie says softly, placing a bouquet of flowers on Peggy's dresser and then leans over to kiss her wife on the forehead.
Peggy watches her carefully and then asking, her voice quavering, "Who are you?"
It's a simple question. So why does it feel like she's getting stabbed?
Angie tries her hardest not to break when she replies, "Angie Martinelli, I'm your uh, gal pal."
Her eyes are shining with unshed tears and Angie curls her hands into fists so Peggy won't see their trembling. Angie laughs a bit, having thought that she'd never use the word 'gal pal' again.
(Wife had a better ring to it. Probably why they both proposed to each other at the same time. Something that never fails to make Angie laugh when she thinks about it.)
Peggy frowns and then closes her eyes like she's trying to remember something.
"No, I'm sorry, I've never met an Angie before. Are you sure you have the right person?" Peggy asks, an apologetic look on her face.
(The nurses don't know why Peggy doesn't remember her anymore. She used to, would smile whenever Angie came to visit. Angie can see what the nurses don't want to tell her: Peggy is getting worse. She doesn't have much longer. Angie refuses to believe it of course.)
Angie clears her throat to hide the sob that that threatens to escape from her lips and dabs at her eyes.
She's not strong enough to handle this.
Part of Angie knows that she should stay and try to explain to Peggy that yes, they do know each other. It's the right thing to do and Angie never walks away from a problem
Except that Peggy isn't a problem; she's Angie's wife. This is the woman that Angie Martinelli fell head over heels with.
(The woman who looks Angie in her eyes and says "Who are you?" easily. Like she can't see every word is tearing her apart. This isn't how they were supposed to end up.)
They are strangers again.
And that hurts.
"You know what? I think you might be right! I-I'm getting along in age and mind isn't nearly half as good as it used to be," Angie chuckles, tears slipping down her face.
She gives Peggy another kiss on the forehead and murmurs an apology before hastily rushing out of the room.
The nurses give her sympathetic looks as she rushes past them and for a moment, Angie is filled with an intense hatred.
The nurses know nothing.
They don't have to watch on in pain as their loved one slowly forgets them.
Don't have to smile through the pain as they watch someone they love die slowly.
The nurses are young and in love, they believe that everything will work out.
(The hatred is replaced with sorrow; Angie remembers how she and Peggy used to be like that. Were convinced that they'd stay imprinted on each other's hearts, even as Peggy started to forget things. How stupid they were.)
Angie stifles a sob and straightens her back as she walks out, the only sound in the empty streets her clicking heels.
Her mind is already made up.
She knows that when Peggy dies, she won't be far behind.