*Alarm clock going off*
Alden reached for his alarm clock on the side of his bed to turn it off.
7:30 AM.
He quickly got up and walked straight to the bathroom to take a shower.
Alden lives alone in his small condominium. His family moved to London a few years back, but he chose to stay in Texas because he likes the weather and he's got a stable job as an E.R. nurse at Memorial Herman Hospital in Downtown Houston.
Life is pretty good for him. Even though he's been single for the past 4 years; he didn't feel alone, because he enjoys his job and the company of his friends.
So this is just a normal day for him. After taking a shower, he went down to the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee and toasted bread for breakfast. Then he goes back to his room to put on his white scrubs. Pretty normal routine, although his work schedule varies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Alden's POV*
"Hey Alden, Ms. Becky wants you to report to her ASAP." That was Cory, he's one of my closest friends. He actaually referred me here right after I graduated. Really cool dude.
"Oh, ok! Is she mad or something? I wonder what I did..." I've never been called to report to Ms. Becky before; so I don't know what to expect.
"No, I don't think it's anything bad." He tapped me on my shoulder and left.
I proceeded to walk to Ms. Becky's office. I don't know why, but I am nervous. I knocked on her door three times before she yelled for me to come in.
"You wanted to see me Ms. Becky?" I said while closing the door behind me.
She was looking at some charts before looking up to me. "Yes. Please, take a seat." She gestured with her right hand pointing to the chair in front of her.
I sat on the chair.
"I am looking at your performance, and I have to say that you are a very good nurse..." she paused and looked at me for a second before continuing what she wanted to say. "I will be straight with you. My mother is sick. She is in a really bad shape. Her doctor wanted her to get a personal nurse that will come five times a day for maybe an hour or two at the most to check her up. I don't wanna refer her to a home health agency because to be honest, I am not comfortable with having a stranger visiting her specially when I am not around. I would like to hire you for your services and I will pay you double of what you're getting paid an hour in this hospital. Would you be able to do this for me?"
I really don't know if I wanna do it or not, but at the same time, I don't wanna say no. Oh well. Let's try it then.
"I'll try my best to take care of you mother Ms. Becky. Thank you for this opportunity. "
"Thank you Alden." She smiled and handed me an envelope. "Inside is my address and information about my mom. Medication regiments and her medical and health history are in there as well. I'll see you tomorrow at my residence. Don't worry about your schedule. I'll see to it that you don't get over worked." She smiled again.
"Thank you ma'am." I thanked her as I proceeded to leave her office.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I rang the door bell outside of Ms. Becky's house. It took me 2 tries before somebody answered the door.
A woman, not Ms. Becky. I couldn't help myself but just stare at her beautiful face as she greeted me with a smile. Her eyes. They're the most beautiful set of brown eyes that I've ever seen. The kind of eyes... so expressive, so innocent, so tame. Her long brown hair complemented her perfectly heart- shaped face. At that exact moment I knew... i knew how it feels to fall inlove. To fall inlove at first sight.
"Hi, are you Alden?" Even her voice sounded like a melody to my ears. "Are you alright?" She asked me as a confused expression began to paint across her face.
I snapped out from my fantasy world and shyly answered, "y-yes... I-I'm alright.. Is Ms. Becky at home?" I stammered and scratched the back of my neck. I can't look straight at her. I feel my cheeks warming up as I'm turning red. My skin tone not giving me any justice.
She let out a giggle and grabbed me by the hand and gestured me to go inside. "It's ok. You don't have to be shy. My mom is not here. She got called back at the hospital. She told me that you're coming to visit grand'ma." She smiled again. I can't take it. She is so beautiful!
I followed her to her grandmother's room. When we got there, she faced me. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Maine." We shook hands and I immediately felt a rush of electricity traveling all over my body. Hitting every fiber of my being.
"Could I get you something to drink?"
"Uhm, could I have some water please?" Her presence made me thirsty...
"Comin' right up!" Then she left.
I sat my bag on the table and proceeded to assess her grandmother. I also spoke with her about how important it is to take her meds on time with the exact dosage as the doctor had prescribed.
An hour quickly passed and I am currently packing up my things. Maine was there the whole time watching me and listening to all the teaching I provided for her grandmother.
9:45 PM
Maine and I walked out of her grandmother's room. Their dim living room just made her even more beautiful in my eyes. I stared at her for a while and I didn't know what got into me. I leaned over to kiss her lips. At first she was shocked, but after a while I felt her lips responding to mine.
She led me into her room while still passionately kissing and carressing each other's body.
I laid her on her bed. I moved away for a second to look how beautiful she is. Her eyes gleaming in the dark. Her beautiful long hair scattered like our clothes on the floor. I smiled at her, and I finally told her. I told her the words that has been trying to escape my lips ever since I laid my eyes on her. "You're beautiful..."
She smiled and leaned up to kiss me. "Thank you." That's all she said before proceeding to kiss me with more passion.
As I entered her body to become one with her, our souls were dancing to the melody that only the two of us can hear. Ever thrust and every moan just adds up to fire the feelings that i have for this woman. Then the melody ended.
I laid right next to her. Both covered in sweat and trying to catch our breaths. She turned to me and said.
"I wish I had known you a long time ago." She turned to her side to face me.
"Well, you know me now." I turned to face her also.
"It's too late." She replied.
"How so?" I asked while clearing some strands of hair off her face.
"I don't know if I should tell you..."
"It's up to you. I will listen if you choose to tell me." I assured her that she can trust me.
"Promise me you won't tell my mother." Her face was serious now.
"I promise."
"I'm dying." She looked me straight in the eye, tears falling down from the side of here eyes.
"You can't be..." I could only say in disbelief.
"You don't know how good it feels to finally get that out of my chest. I never told anyone about it. I don't want them to pity me. I got diagnosed with brain cancer 6 months ago when I was in New York. Stage 3 brain cancer. The doctor said I could go under chemotherapy, but there's an 80% chance that the tumor will come back. I want to live the rest of my remaining life happy, surrounded by my family without them pitying me. I think that would be a nice way to go."
I didn't know what to say to her. All i could do was hug her. I fell in love with a dying girl. "I don't know, but if you let me, I promise to love and cherish you for the remaining days of your life." I said and I looked her in the eyes.
"I'd love that." She said smiling.
We shared another passionate kiss and then I left.
After 2 months, we finally told Miss Becky about our relationship and she was happy for us.
2 months later, we got engaged. By this time she had lost some weight. I tried my best to show her that I am happy; but deep inside, I wish I could die instead of her. It eats me up day by day as I see her struggle through her illness.
The day of our wedding, I genuinely felt like I am the luckiest man in the world. She completed me. I couldn't ask for more. Despite her worsening condition. Her pale and skinny face that used to be full of life, she was still the most beautiful woman I had ever laid my eyes on. My love for her has gotten even more deeper each day that goes by. The deeper my love grows for her, the more I got scared to lose her.
It's been a year since we got married. Everybody knows about her condition by now. They gave us full support and we all tried our best not to show her pity, by always smiling and laughing around her. I know she can feel the sadness radiating from us as we pretend to be happy, but she still smiles.
Then one day, my worst fear came. It was a Saturday morning. I woke up early to make her breakfast in bed. I cooked fried rice, longanisa, and eggs. I got up to our room, carrying the tray of food. When I suddenly felt like something was not right. I ran towards her and checked her pulse.
There was none.
I tried shaking her up, but she wouldn't wake up. With tears falling down my face, I hugged her lifeless body. I hugged her tight and kissed her lifeless lips. Then I saw a note on the side table.
I opened it. It was a note from her to me.
"Dear my most loving and caring handsome husband,
First of all, I wanna thank you for all the love and support that you've given me all this time that we've been together. I couldn't ask God for a better husband than you.
I feel like my end is near. It makes me sad knowing that I'm gonna leave you. God only knows how much I didn't want to. He knows how much i wanna stay and take care of you; like the way you took care of me. I wish we could've been a family... I'm so sorry that i couldn't give you that joy every loving husband deserves...
I hope that you find your happiness when I'm gone. Don't give up on life, always remember that i will be here to look after you.
I love you Alden.
Love your wife,
Maine Faulkerson"
It was really painful to read. I just wanted to die and follow her.
I phoned her family to let them know about her passing. We held a small funeral at our house for her. We tried to commemorate all of our fun memories with her. We tried to go through her funeral without crying. We know she wouldn't want to see us sad.
A year later and I am now sitting in our room. I miss her everyday. I miss her smile, I miss her kiss... I miss the sound of her voice, especially when she laughs.
As I opened this bottle of sleeping pills. I looked at her large framed photo across our bedroom. It was a stolen picture of her that i took from our wedding day. As the tears fall down my face, I swallowed a handfull of sleeping pills and chugged down a glass of wiskey.
I'll see you soon my love.
...and as i close my eyes, I went back to the reminisce on the day that i first saw her. She's smiling at me. My beautiful wife Maine, we will be together soon....
The End.