Ying Jie’s POV

I wake up when I felt something move beside me. I open my eyes and saw Aaron’s face right in front of me. It’s so close that I feel his breath on my face. His hands are still hugging me, tight, and it makes me can’t move around. I look at his face, and use my hand to touch his face. I’ll sure miss him if anything happens.

I feel him moves and his hand is now over my hands, over his face. He must be awake. He slowly opens his eyes and looks at me. I look into his dazzling sleepy eyes. No words spoken. And we just look at each other for minutes. If only we could stay like this. If only I have plenty of time for him. If only, I’m healthy.

He shifts his hand to caress my cheek. “Don’t.” He whispers. He’s telling me not to think, but I can’t help it. He pulls me closer, and leans in. I close my eyes. He kisses me on my forehead, to my nose, then to my lips. His kiss is gentle, yet sweet. He tugs on my bottom lip, tongue grazing on it. I open my mouth slightly and his tongue slips in, hooking my tongue with his. We pull away when someone knock on the door.

“Yes?” Aaron shouts, sounding annoyed.

“Aaron, Madam wants you and Miss Ying Jie down for breakfast.” The person outside the door says. It must be Madam Tang, the head housekeeper, since she’s the only one I heard who call Aaron by his name.

“Okay! We’ll be there soon!” He says and turns to look at me. Now I realise that he’s on top of me. He gives me a peck on my lips and say, “Don’t think too much. Just think about things that makes you happy.” Then he gets off the bed, pulling me with him and we head to the bathroom to wash up.

We head to the dining room and saw all of them, as in Aaron’s aunts, uncles, cousins, Ya Tou, Ah Wei and Genie are all there. I guess all of them stay overnight too. We take our seats and have our breakfast with them.

After breakfast, we head back to his room and have a shower. He’s having his shower now, and I’m drying my hair. This time, I dry my hair with a hair dryer, since he told me where it is. It’s still the same. Strands of hairs are on the floor. After drying my hair, I take those strands of hair up. I walk towards the rubbish bin in his room to throw it, and when I turn around, he’s standing behind me, watching me.

“Is that…” He says, and stops. I become nervous all of a sudden. It’s like I was caught doing some bad things. I don’t dare to look at him. He walks towards me and pulls me into a hug, kissing the top of my head. He pulls away and holds on to my hand. “We should get to the hospital now.” He says. I feel sad to know that we’re going to the hospital now. I haven’t spent enough time with him. I pray to god in my heart.

Please let this chemotherapy successful. Please…. Please… I need more time, with him.

***

Aaron’s POV

Ying Jie needs to stay in the hospital for chemotherapy. Dr Koh says because she is in the late stage, she needs to get treated as soon as possible, and it also requires her to stay in the hospital.

It’s been 2 months since she started chemotherapy. I’ve always stay in the hospital with her at night. Then I’ll leave and went back home for a shower and went to work. Then at night, I’ll come back to the hospital to be with Ying Jie. I always have my dinner at her ward, to accompany her, but she can’t eat any outside food, so most of the time I eat alone, and she just look at me. So I’m having the same routine every day. Home, company, hospital. My family knows about her condition, since I told them. If I didn’t tell them, they will worry, as I didn’t went home every night. I didn’t go to Calvin’s bar on Tuesdays ever since she started chemotherapy. I didn’t go for my family dinner either. Ying Jie keeps telling me to go for my family dinner, but I refuse. Weekends are the only 2 days in a week that I am able to accompany her for the whole day, even if we just stay in the hospital.

During my birthday, a nurse brought a cake in. I’m surprise that the nurse know. Then she tells me that Ying Jie has asked her to help her prepare a birthday cake for me. After the nurse left, Ying Jie sang birthday song for me and asked me to make a wish. I wished that she’ll get better and forever be by my side.

During Christmas, I celebrated with her in her ward. I decorate the whole ward by myself. It’s the first time I’ve done it alone, and done it just for someone. She said she wanted to help me, but because she has lesser energy that she has before due to the chemotherapy, she can’t. I didn’t allow her to help me either. I just want her to get better. That day I gave her a charm bracelet as her Christmas present, with pendants ‘A’, ‘♥’, ‘Y’ and ‘J’, which means ‘Aaron ♥ Ying Jie’.

It’s the same for the last day of 2012. I celebrate with her in her ward, but this time, I bring my MacBook along. Xiao Xun and Xiao Yu called me that they wanted to celebrate with Ying Jie, but they are unable to come to Taipei, so I suggest using Face Time, so they are able to communicate with each other, and also celebrate with each other through Face Time. We count down with them, and able to see the fireworks as Xiao Xun shifts her camera to captures it. From that day onwards, I gave her the MacBook, so sometimes I’m able to communicate with her when I’m working.

Though it’s not a great celebration for all 3 occasions, I’m still very happy that I am able to celebrate with her.

It’s been 5 months. I’m still going through the same routine. Home, company, hospital. But she’s getting skinnier, and she lost her hair. Now, she always wears a beanie. My heart aches seeing her in this state, but I can’t show it. I don’t want to affect her mood, as she always smiles when I’m with her. I guess she doesn’t want me to worry or feel sad for her either. Dr Koh said that it’s normal for leukemia patients, and he said that the chemotherapy has been doing well for her, but it doesn’t mean that she’s going to be fully cured. I’m at least glad to hear that the chemotherapy has been doing well for her.

***

Chun’s POV

“Don’t you think that it has become boring ever since Aaron stops coming here?” Calvin asks me and Jiro.

Aaron hasn’t come to Calvin’s bar for the last 5 months. He told us about Ying Jie, that she has leukemia and is going through chemotherapy. He wanted to stay with her, so he stopped coming. He did apologise, but we understand his reasons. We did visit Ying Jie sometimes too, but would get chase out by the nurses, thinking that we’re disturbing the patient as we’re too noisy.

“Yes. We can’t even play our usual games. We always short of one people.” Jiro says.

“But he got his reasons.” I say.

We sit down by the bar and talk, and do what we usually do. While we’re talking, the entertainment news that the television is showing attracts our attention. We stopped talking and watch the news carefully.

“The famous Italy fashion designer is here with me for an interview. Let’s welcome, Rainie!”

“Rainie?!” Jiro said, loudly. Calvin and I stop him from saying anything further. The camera turns to shoot her. We were all shocked that it is really her. She still looks the same, hasn’t change one bit.

“Rainie, can you tell us more about why you decided to work in Taipei?”

“Well, I wanted to expand my store, and Taipei is a suitable place for me to expand.  Besides, I’m from Taipei.”

“Oh! No wonder your accent is the same as us! So how long are you planning to stay?”

“I’m not moving back to Italy. I’m going to stay here and work.”

“Wow! Your Taiwan fans are going to be so happy! Okay, the next question will be open up to your fans. Let’s see our Facebook page. Ok this! This fan asked whether you have a boyfriend. That’s a personal question, but can you share it with us?”

“Sure. I have. He’s from Taipei too. Another reason I wanted to work in Taipei is because of him too.”

“Oh! I’m sure your boyfriend must be really happy that you made such a decision. Well the next question.” The interviewer continues, but we have stopped listening. We turn to each other.

“Okay, when did she become a famous fashion designer?” Calvin asks.

“How do I know? I think only girls will know about her.” I answer him. The two of them nods.

“She mentions she has a boyfriend right? And he’s from Taipei. Is there any chance that she’s mentioning Aaron? I mean, they didn’t really break up.” Jiro asks us. The both of us shrug.

 “I wonder how Aaron will react if he knew.” I say.