The following morning, I woke up to see a little garland hanging on my rented beach house's door.

Well I have a pretty good idea who that might come from. Unfortunately, surprise crap like that don't work for me.

And so I took the garland and threw it to the trash bin without really giving it any thought.

When I went out, she was there (waiting for me?).

"Hi! I see you've already taken in the garland I made for you," she said beaming.

"I'm allergic to flowers," I said thinking it was clever.

And then she laughed and said, "Hey that isn't original! I believe you borrowed that excuse from Han Ki-Joo. Lovers in Paris, I love that series!"

"Are you always like that?" I asked irritably. "Do you always persist on making a conversation with someone who's obviously not in the mood to talk?"

"What about you? Are you always such in a grumpy mood?" she asked me back.

And the thing is, even when she threw that kind of question, she still radiates that sickening pleasantness.

"Well yes!" I answered. "I am always in a grumpy mood and I have every reason to be grumpy."

"And why's that?" she wanted to know.

"Because I have to deal with annoying people like you!" I yelled before angrily walking past her and making my way to the shore.

When I was a few meters away from the beach house, I couldn't help looking back. But once again she was no longer anywhere in sight.

------------------------

I spent most part of the day walking around the marvelous Beach.

Well at least before I die, I got to do this. I got to explore Green Palm Beach on my own.

Hmm? I wonder where she is. What was her name? Haley, Haley Arden. I haven't seen her since this morning I yelled at her. Maybe she finally caught the drift and now she's getting off my case. I never wanted to admit it but I actually felt good that she tried to act all friendly with me. I mean that's something I feel that I've been deprived of all my life. But then again I know she was only nice to me because she doesn't know the fact that I am sore sick. I bet once she finds out about it, she'll start looking at me differently, the way how everyone sees me. I mean why would anyone want to be friends with a dying freak like me? Especially someone as beautiful as her?

And then I suddenly realized that I was actually gazing at her, yup, Haley herself. She was picking flowers (perhaps to make another garland) by the roadside. She turned around and saw me watching her. She smiled and waved at me. She was about to go over to me on the opposite side of the road without noticing a car speeding by.

On an impulse, I rushed to her and held her protectively in my arms to keep her from being run down by the car. And for a moment, we were holding each other closely with our gazes locked.

She was just maddeningly beautiful…

And then my full consciousness returned, and then I abruptly let go of her.

I thought she'd be shaking from fear or something but she actually smiled at me and asked,"Now why did you just save an annoying person?"

I can't believe it. She had a close brush with death and she could just make a joke out of it, just like that.

"Look, I may be Mr. Grumpy but I am absolutely not a fan of death," I said.

And then we started walking back to the Beach Houses.

"A common misconception about death is that it's a morbid, horrible thing. Death really shouldn't be dreaded you know." She said with all casualness.

I could only shake my head in disbelief.

"You're not about to tell me you're finding beauty even in death are you?" I asked.

"Well actually I am. Death is a beautiful thing." She said as a matter-of-factly. "Sure, it's sad to leave all your loved ones here but it's only temporary. Death is our birth to afterlife. Death is sort of our passport to heaven where there's no pain, just pure bliss."

"How would you know about that? Have you ever been there?" I shot sarcastically.

"Sometimes you don't have to experience it." She said looking straight at me. "You just have to believe. You just have to have faith."

"Oh please, don't start that crap with me," I snarled.

"You know what? You can experience a piece of heaven right here on earth, right at this very moment but the problem is you are shutting yourself from it," she said.

"You're not in the position to say that," I said, my temper rising. "You don't know a thing about me. You don't even know my name!"

"Oh yeah, I do," she said smiling. "It's Ivan Walsh!"

"How did you…" I blurted out before I could stop myself.

"See? You're underestimating me," she said.

Ok. I thought she looked really cute with that playful smirk if you'd really want to know.

"You know what? I just saved your life. You should be thanking me instead of lecturing about all these heaven crap!" I pointed out rather angrily.

"Ok. Thank you Ivan for saving me," and then she added, "Now let me take my turn to save you."