Emily Meyers sat at the edge of her bed, staring out the window of their small apartment in the heart of the city. The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the room, but all Emily could focus on was the sound of the beeping machines in the next room. They were faint, muffled by the walls, but they were constant, like a ticking clock reminding her of the fragility of everything.

Her heart clenched as she thought of Luke Edmunds, her fiancé, lying in that bed, weak and pale. The man she had fallen in love with, the man who had once been so full of life and laughter, now seemed like a shadow of himself. And no matter how hard she tried to stay strong, the fear gnawed at her.

The lyrics from Taylor Swift's "Soon You'll Get Better" echoed in her mind: "The buttons of my coat were tangled in my hair, in doctor's office lighting, I didn't tell you I was scared..." Emily had been living in that space between hope and fear for what felt like an eternity. She hadn't told Luke just how scared she was—how much it terrified her to think of losing him—but she didn't need to. He could see it in her eyes every time she came to sit beside him.

Emily closed her eyes, trying to push away the image of Luke lying in that bed, hooked up to machines. She hated that place—the sterile, cold environment of the hospital. It felt so far removed from the life they had shared together, a life full of love, passion, and the thrill of being partners in a world that didn't always play fair.

It hadn't always been like this. Before everything went wrong, they had been unstoppable. Both of them working in the high-stakes world of finance, their relationship had been built on ambition, trust, and an understanding that they were equals—always pushing each other to be better. But now, everything had changed. And the thing that scared Emily the most was that she didn't know if they could ever get back to what they were.


Luke stirred in the bed, his eyes fluttering open as Emily walked into the room. He looked up at her, his face pale but a small smile playing on his lips. "You're back."

Emily forced a smile, trying to keep the worry out of her voice. "Of course I'm back. I wasn't going to leave you here alone."

Luke's smile faltered for a moment, and he glanced away, his hand weakly resting on the blanket. "You don't have to stay here all the time, you know. I'm not going anywhere."

Emily's heart tightened at his words. She wanted to believe him—wanted to believe that he would get better, that they would make it through this—but the doctors had been vague, their prognosis uncertain. Luke had been diagnosed with a rare illness, something that had come out of nowhere and hit them both like a freight train. And now, she was living in this strange limbo, waiting for something—anything—that would tell her things would be okay.

"I know," Emily said softly, sitting down beside him and taking his hand in hers. His skin was cold, and the feeling of his weak grip made her stomach twist with anxiety. "But I want to be here. I need to be here."

Luke looked at her for a long moment, his eyes filled with a sadness that she had never seen before. "I hate this, you know. I hate that you're stuck here with me, watching me like this."

"Don't say that," Emily whispered, her voice trembling. "You're not stuck, Luke. We're going to get through this. You're going to get better."

Luke didn't say anything for a moment, his gaze drifting to the ceiling. "What if I don't?"

The question hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Emily felt her chest tighten, her breath catching in her throat. She had been avoiding that thought—pushing it away every time it threatened to creep into her mind. But now, hearing Luke say it out loud, it became real in a way that she wasn't ready for.

"You will," Emily said, her voice firmer than she felt. "You have to."

Luke looked back at her, his expression softening. "You always were the strong one."

Emily blinked back the tears that threatened to spill over, shaking her head. "No. You're the strong one. You always have been."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, the only sound in the room the rhythmic beeping of the machines. Emily hated that sound. It was a constant reminder of how fragile everything had become.

"I miss our life," Luke said quietly, breaking the silence. "I miss us."

Emily's heart ached at his words. She missed their life too—the nights spent laughing over takeout, the long hours at the office where they would sneak glances at each other, knowing they were both in the same race, pushing each other to the top. It had been intense, but it had been theirs.

"I miss us too," Emily whispered, squeezing his hand. "But we'll get back there. We just have to get through this."

Luke turned his head to look at her, his eyes searching hers. "Do you still believe that?"

Emily hesitated for a moment, her heart racing. She wanted to say yes, wanted to tell him that she believed with all her heart that they would make it through this. But the truth was, she didn't know. She didn't know if he would get better, if their relationship would survive this strain. And the fear of that uncertainty was suffocating.

But she couldn't tell him that. Not when he needed her to be strong.

"Yes," Emily said, her voice steady. "I do."


The days passed in a blur of hospital visits, whispered conversations with doctors, and stolen moments with Luke. Emily tried to hold it together, but every day felt like a battle. She was fighting for him, fighting for their future, but it was exhausting. And the worst part was, she didn't know if she was winning.

One evening, as she sat beside Luke, watching him sleep, she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She pulled it out, her heart skipping a beat when she saw a message from Hannah, her best friend.

Hannah: Hey, I know things are rough right now, but you need to take care of yourself too. Let me know if you need anything.

Emily stared at the message for a moment, her chest tightening. She hadn't been taking care of herself. She had been so focused on Luke, on making sure he was okay, that she had forgotten to take a breath. But she couldn't bring herself to leave. She couldn't bring herself to step away, even for a moment.

"I'm fine," Emily whispered to herself, though the words felt hollow.


One night, Luke woke up in a cold sweat, his breathing ragged. Emily was by his side in an instant, her heart racing as she tried to calm him down.

"Luke, hey, it's okay," she whispered, her voice shaking. "You're okay. I'm right here."

Luke's eyes were wide, filled with fear and confusion. "Emily... I don't... I can't..."

"Shh, it's okay," she said, stroking his hair, her own fear rising in her chest. "You're safe. I'm here."

Luke's breathing slowly began to steady, but his grip on her hand was tight, almost desperate. He looked up at her, his eyes filled with a vulnerability that broke her heart.

"I'm scared," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Emily's chest tightened, and for the first time in a long time, she let herself cry. She couldn't hold it in anymore. She was scared too—terrified, actually. But she couldn't let him see that. She had to be strong for him.

"I know," she whispered, her voice breaking. "But I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

Luke nodded weakly, his eyes closing as he drifted back into a restless sleep. Emily sat beside him, her heart heavy with the weight of everything they had been through.

She didn't know how much longer they could keep fighting like this. But she knew one thing for certain: she wasn't going to give up on him. Not now, not ever.


The weeks passed, and slowly, miraculously, Luke began to show signs of improvement. It was slow—agonizingly slow—but there were small victories. A little more strength in his voice, a little more color in his cheeks. The doctors still couldn't give them any guarantees, but Emily clung to those small signs of hope like a lifeline.

One evening, as they sat together in the hospital room, Luke turned to her, his voice soft but steady. "Thank you."

Emily looked at him, confused. "For what?"

"For staying," Luke said, his eyes full of emotion. "For not giving up on me."

Emily's heart swelled with love for him, and she smiled, squeezing his hand. "I could never give up on you."

Luke smiled weakly, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "I don't deserve you."

Emily shook her head, her voice firm. "Yes, you do. And we're going to get through this. Together."

Luke looked at her for a long moment, his eyes filled with love and gratitude. "I love you, Emily."

Emily's chest tightened, and she leaned down to press a soft kiss to his forehead. "I love you too, Luke."

As they sat together, the room quiet except for the faint hum of the machines, Emily felt a sense of peace wash over her. They still had a long way to go, and the future was far from certain. But for the first time in a long time, she felt like they might actually make it through this—together.

And that was enough.