Opening the door, Marcus carefully slips inside the room and walks soundlessly to the bed.

The woman in the bed slowly opens her eyes, and upon seeing him, turns her face right away.

“What are you doing here?” she asks, voice hoarse and muffled by her oxygen masks.

Marcus swallowed the lumps in his throat. He never expected that everything will end like this. He knew she will die eventually, but not now. Not like this. Barely twenty years has passed after they separated.

“I promised you back then… that I will send you off,” he says, taking her hand in his. “So here I am.”

She laughs bitterly. “So this is the end, huh.”

He nods wordlessly, and carefully sits on the bed.

She still refuses to looks at him. She can’t help it. Though she’s happy with the fact that he’s here, that he keep his promise, it still hurts.

Because he’s still as flawless as ever while she lay there on her deathbed, bruised, scarred, and barely breathing. Older, too.

She knew it’s the life she chooses. That she made the decision long time ago.

But it still hurts to see the life she could’ve had if only she wasn’t that stubborn and keen on living the normal live.

To remember the fact that she could’ve been his. Forever.

“I’m sorry,” he says, miserably. “I’m sorry. I should’ve been there sooner. I should’ve kept an eye on you longer.”

“I shouldn’t have let this happened.”

She smiles bitterly, still not turning her head. “It’s too late now for regret.”

“Princess…”

“Stop calling me that!” she finally snaps. “I’m not your princess anymore!”

Her sudden outburst made him speechless, but he immediately extends his free hand and holds her chin gently, turning her face and tilted it upwards so they can look at each other’s eyes.

“You still are. You will always be,” he whispers softly while removing her oxygen mask before leaning down to kisses her lips.

That’s when she finally let her tears fall down and he gently holds her head against his chest, letting her cry.

“My family,” she finally asks after long silence. “How are they doing?”

“They’re… fine.” He hesitated for a bit. “Your twins are okay and unharmed, but your… husband is fighting for his live in the ICU right now.”

“And my eldest daughter?” she whispers, hoping for a different answer than the one she had in her head.

Marcus says nothing. And she burst into tears once again, clinging on to him for support.

“Marcus,” she gasps, hyperventilating. “Marc!”

Alarmed, he put the oxygen mask back on and waits in fear until her breathing evened and she calmed down.

He was about to asked her condition when she speaks.

“Are you going to stay here until the very end?”

“Yes,” he answers with no hesitation whatsoever.

She finally looks at him in the eyes. “Then talk to me.”

He arches his eyebrows at her unusual requests, but waits while she continues.

“Talk to me… and lulled me to sleep.”

The next sentence was barely a whisper, but Marcus caught it.

“Lulled me to sleep like you used to, Marc.”

His face softened immediately, and he bends down to kisses her forehead.

“Then I’m going to tell you one particular story that I like so much.”

Gazing down at her, he speaks in the gentle tone that reserved only for her. “The story of us.”

He lifts her head and cradles it on his lap as he gently her hair.

"Do you remember the first time we met?"