Paper Aeroplanes & Other Stories

Paper Aeroplanes

It had been thirty-three days since Noah had passed and fifty-two days since Jamie had watched him abandon the paper aeroplane that she now held in her hand on the mantelpiece above the fire.

Jay Bug,

I've lost count of the days since the doctors told me that I have cancer; I'm fighting a battle that I'll never win. If you are reading this, then the fight is over. I have lost. But please don't think that I didn't give it my best shot.

It feels weird sitting here writing this when I could walk twenty steps down the hallway, take you in my arms, kiss you and tell you everything that I want to say. But you know I'm no good with words I stutter and stumble all the time somehow I can never find the right words to say what I mean. But this way, if it's there in black and white then it'll always be there even when I'm not. In a month or a year after I am gone, you can take this letter out and read it over and over again and know just how much I loved you. That no matter what, I never stopped loving you.

I remember the first time I saw you with that little penguin hat perched on top of your head it was cute, but not as cute as you. I didn't believe in love at first sight, and I certainly didn't plan on ever falling in love again. Sometimes though things don't go as planned because I fell for you and from that moment there was only one safety net capable of catching me - your arms. Leaving that note on your car was one of the craziest things I've ever done, I didn't think it through it just happened. The only thing clear in my mind was that I needed to see you again.

Do you remember our first date? It was what I'd call a beautiful disaster — you were beautiful, and I was the disaster but somehow it worked we worked.

These past few months that we've had together have been the best months of my life, and I suppose that's what counts when they are also the last. If I could spend longer with you I would; I would stay with you forever. There's only one comfort that comes from this, and that is when I said I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you at least you know I meant it. I just never expected our life together to be over so soon. Those vows we took standing on that beach, "in sickness and health, 'til death do us part," we sure did our best to honour those.

There are so many things that we haven't done, too many to write here things I never even knew that I wanted until I met you.

Jamie, I'm sorry that I can't fight this anymore. Sorry that I can't stick around any longer. Sorry that we won't grow old together don't think that it's because I don't love you if love could save me I'd live forever.

You will love again, don't put your life on hold to mourn for me. Any man would be proud to have you on his arm and lucky to have you in his life I should know.

There's so much more that I want to say, but I don't have long enough to write it all down. My days are limited, and we need to make the most of our time left together, I want to hold you, kiss you and dance with you one last time. When it happens, I know our last dance will be as beautiful as our first.

We have shared a love story by no means a fairy tale, but it's been our's, and it's been my favourite love story by far, but every story has its end.

Noah x

She wanted to read over and over again, but she couldn't the tears like tsunami tides threatening to wash the words away like the inhabitants of some small island in the Indian Ocean.