Lying next to him on the hospital bed, hand resting over his heart, she whispers, “You don’t have to worry anymore. I’m going to be okay. I promise.” The vow is met with silence, and she fixes a wayward lock of hair at his temple, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “You’re supposed to promise, too.”
A tear seeps from the corner of his eye, body broken and heart longing. “I can’t." His lips tremble as he turns his head, the vision beginning to fade. "Not without you here.”














