She was getting worse physically. She was having a hard time even sitting up by herself, but it was okay now. She had Dongwoo by her side.

But that day was different. He had to go home earlier than he usually left the hospital to have dinner with his family for his parents’ anniversary. Something about leaving her alone that night didn’t feel right, but his girlfriend reassured him that she could take care of herself for one night.

She felt it too, though. She didn’t want to let go of Dongwoo’s hand when it was time for him to leave, but she forced herself to at least look calm and composed. He promised he would be back before she knew it.

She tried to pass time by taking a nap, but she kept having nightmares. She the television and tried to find something fun to watch, but nothing fit her tastes. When she looked up to the clock, she saw that only an hour and had passed by.

“I wonder when he’ll be back,” she whispered as she looked towards her closed door. With some effort, she turned around in her bed to face the window. She was lucky enough to have a room facing the west where she could watch the sunset every evening. That night, the sun seemed to inch its way past the horizon slower than ever.

The next time she checked the clock was 25 minutes before Dongwoo promised to be back, but she was getting butterflies in her stomach. Her heart was beating faster than usual with nervousness, and she couldn’t seem to get her hands to stop shaking.

She was scared. So scared.

As the sky progressed from a flaring red-orange to a royal purple-blue, she realized that maybe her time was up. She had already lived longer than her doctors expected her to, which they thanked Dongwoo for.

She reached out for her phone that was resting on the table next to her bed, the one she had been confined to for months and months.

Almost as soon as she called Dongwoo, he picked up. “Hello?” He sounded worried. “Are you okay? Are you hurting?”

Tears rolled down her face, but she tried to keep her voice as still as possible. “Can you hurry and come? I’m scared.”

“I’ll be there as soon as possible. Don’t hang up until I get there.”

And on his drive to the hospital, Dongwoo whispered encouraging words and told stories to keep her mind occupied, but they both knew. They knew without saying that it might just be the end for them.

When Dongwoo got to the hospital, she was curled up in her bed, looking weaker than ever. He ran over to her bed and sat in his usual spot as he held her hand.

“I’m so scared, Dongwoo. I don’t think I’m ready…”

He held her hand close to his face. “Nothing’s going to happen,” he murmured. “I’ll be right here.”

“You kept your promise,” she said, as she reached out with her other hand to caress his cheek.

“Which?” He was looking deeply into her eyes, just the way he did when they first met.

“That you’ll be by my side till the very end.” She smiled softly.

“I haven’t kept it yet. You are going to live to be a hundred, remember? You promised me that.” He wanted to stay strong for her, so he held his tears.

“Yeah…” She suddenly scooted over to the far side of the bed and patted the small area next to her, indicating for him to get in with her. “You think you can fit?”

He laid down and held her close to him. They could barely fit, but he made it work.

“Why don’t you try to get some sleep?” he asked.

“No, I can’t…”

“I’ll be right here. I’ll wake you up early, and we can go watch the sun rise. We’re always watching the sun set here, but we can go outside. It’s supposed to be warm tomorrow.” His voice was starting to shake, and they both knew why.

“I want to stay awake all night.”

“But you’re tired. You’ve been so strong up till now, fighting your disease. Now it’s time for you to rest.” She had her head buried in the crook of his neck and shoulder. Dongwoo’s shirt was getting wet by her tears, and he only held her closer, if that was even possible.

She could only shake her head.

“It’s okay. It’s going to be okay,” he whispered. He kissed the top of her head. He didn’t even know if he was prepared to let her go. No, he wasn’t ready to be alone. He wanted to keep her awake and keep her by his side for the rest of eternity. He wanted to show her the rest of the world and take her to do so many things she was never able to do. He wanted her to experience what it’s like to be married and start a family.

But they knew she would never be able to do any of that now. It was her time.

She said something so softly that he wasn’t able to hear.

“What?”

“I love you.”

He ran a hand through her hair. “I love you too.”

---//---

Their story was never meant to end happily ever after…