B-Breathe

There was a time when even breathing had been for her. She is asleep on his chest as his breaths now come in ragged gasps. He can feel her heartbeat next to his and he remembers a time when its rapid beats were from lovemaking and not worry.

"Robert," she whispers, when she wakes up in the dark.

"Right here love," he says.

"Are you…are you okay," she asks, through tears.

"Why do you ask," he says. "Did you have a bad dream?"

She smiles at him knowingly. Even when he was the one suffering, he was always the one to want to make her feel better.

"It felt so real…and then when I woke up, I couldn't hear you breathing and I thought…Robert, I am not ready to say goodbye to you. "

He takes her hand and places it on his heart. She can feel the rhythm in his chest and she has to force herself not to just break down and cry. "I'm still here Love, "Robert says. "My breathing is just a little more shallow now."

"Are you sure there is not anything else I can do for you? I am supposed to be helping you Robert. Instead here I am a blubbering mess and you are the one helping me."

"I like to think we are helping each other."

She smiles and he lets his fingers brush the wisps of hair back from her face. He can see the tears on her cheek so he wipes them away with his thumb.

"Please don't cry for me. I am not worth all that."

"Don't say that Robert…Don't you dare say that. You are worth it. To me you are worth fighting for."

He looks into her eyes then…so fierce and so lovely…and suddenly he has his own tears welling in his eyes.

"The hardest part about any of this is the thought of leaving you Anna. I did not tell you because I did not know how to tell you that I might not be around much longer. The best years of my life were when we were together…when we were in love…I never imagined there would come a day when you were not the woman who lie beside me in bed. I love you Anna. I always will."

He cupped her face in his hands and for a moment, it was as if time stood still. Her lips still tasted soft and tender as his brushed against them. It was hard to believe that they spent so long apart when it felt like only yesterday when they were kissing just like this. He thought she would push him away when the need for air became a necessity but she surprised him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck as she brought her lips back to his. "Don't leave me Robert," she said. "Please don't leave me."

He held her tenderly as the kiss grew in intensity and all he could think about was how much he wanted to feel her again…to feel all of her, skin on skin.

"Please let me live so I can love her again," Robert prayed. "This time I will love her right."