"I promise to love you 'till the end of time." Myungsoo whispered to you.

"I promise to love you until the moment you stop loving me."

"Well that would be never." He smirked.

"Exactly." You gave him a kiss and people cheered in the background, you we're now husband and wife.

You stood by the shoreline where you and Myungsoo did everything together, even exchange vows for your eternal love to each other. The calm waves kept you company as Myungsoo wasn't by your side anymore. Nonetheless, 'til death did you part.

"I had that dream again." You murmured as you looked down on the bowl of untouched food.

"When we were walking on the beach?" He amusingly asked with a smirk.

"Yeah. That dream." You shyly smiled. You still weren't used to the fact that you were married to your first love whom you've had a crush on since forever. You had a lot of time to get used to him, you're married for about four years now.

"That dream again." He chuckled. "We do the same thing for thirty minutes for the past nine years." True, it was your daily routine to walk with him on the beach, living on the shoreline was the best choice both of your families made. Your mothers were the best of friends and so were the two of you. 

"I know, it's silly isn’t it?" You smiled.

"If it's from you, then it's not, honey." He grinned playfully, as if to tease you.

"Well okay. Last one to the shoreline is a rotten egg!" You stood up and darted out to the beach.

"You cheater!" Your husband shouted and came after you. He caught up sooner than you thought and ended up laughing and playing in the sand together.

You smiled at the memory. You couldn't do anything now but smile. Tears pricked the corners of your eyes. You wiped them with the back of your hand quickly, you didn't want any trace of moisture for the umpteenth time today. You had already cried too much. And fifteen years after he left meant too much. Mourning for him everyday, at the same shoreline, the same sand, for the same cause, the same person. Everyday.

You rest your head on Myungsoo's shoulder as you sat to watch the sunset.

"Myungsoo-ah."

"What?"

"Look behind us, look." You grinned like a little child. The sight amused him just as much as it amused you.

"Hehe, footprints, our footprints, what makes them so special?" He smiled and asked you for the five-hundredth time since you asked that every single day. The same curiosity flooded his voice.

“It makes me happy that we’re still together. Until now.”

“Of course, I’ll never leave you alone.”

His voice ringed in your ears, he promised not to leave you alone.

“I’ll be with you, every second, of every minute, of every hour, of everyday, until we grow older and until you can’t remember me.”

“Really? Even in the washroom?” You joked.

“Yes even in the washroom.” He retorted and stuck out his tongue.

“But I won’t ever forget you. Even when we grow old.”

“Thank you, I wish I could say the same to you.”

“We’ll get through this together.” The two of you looked into the sunset, the same sunset you’ve been looking at for years now.

Every moment still feels like the first time.

The sun has set and it is time for you to go back to the house, which seemed less and less of a home each day Myungsoo wasn’t with you.

The hot water boiling away in a pot, the TV for the sake of ambient sound, just to keep the house from getting too silent, and you, the opposite of the noisy house, near-dead silent. Or in accuracy, actually near-dead.

“Drink it.” You pushed the pill into his hand.

“It won’t make any difference.”

“It will. I promise.”

“Really? Well I’m tired of broken promises!” He pushed your hand away with the other holding the glass of water which is now shattered on the ground. You frowned slightly, not of the fact the wooden flooring is now ruined, but of the fact he refused to take his medicine.

“Do you really think I’d lie to you?”

“With my current condition, yes.”

“I’m not lying, I’ll be here every step of the way.”

“I should say that to you.”

“Well it’s okay.”

“I’ll just make it easier for you.” He took another pill from the bedside table and took it down with a glass of water.

“Thank you.” You hugged him tightly, holding on, not wanting to let go.

You got ready for bed. You chose to sleep in the living room tonight. The memory of you and Myungsoo together in that room was too painful. The love that you couldn’t feel anymore, it tore your heart apart. And every day, it feels like someone kept the wound fresh and poured rubbing alcohol over the gaping wound, that’s how much pain you felt every single day without him.

“I’m always here.” You held his hand as you continued to walk on the beach.

“I know.”

“Don’t forget.”

“No promises.” He chuckled slightly.

“Don’t forget that I love you.” You whispered.  He looked you in the eye.

“That’s sort of impossible to forget.”

“But it’s hard to believe that you won’t forget.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make things easier for you.”

The two of you looked at the footprints in the sand, minutes later, they were faded by the strong current of the water.

You were definitely, positively scared that you wouldn’t see four feet making footprints in the sand in the future.

“I had that dream again.” You murmured to an empty space. No reply.

“The footprints, only one set is left.” Still, no reply.

“You said we’d walk the beaches together, every single day, did you forget?” You sighed it was ridiculous, no one would answer your questions anyway.

“Yes.” Finally, he replied. “I’m sorry I don’t remember. I’m sorry I forget all the time.”

“It’s okay.” You smiled, he replied, finally, he replied.

“Do you walk the beaches alone every day?”  He asked.

“Yes, I have no one to walk with anymore, he doesn’t remember.”

“It’s okay, it’s his loss.”

“It’s my loss too.”

“Why? Do you love him? You walk the beaches together?”

“Yes, then, we walk the beaches together. I see two sets of footprints, and just like that, they get washed away with him.”

“Come on, let’s walk on the beach, maybe you’ll forget about him.”

“That’s sort of impossible to forget.” You smiled painfully.

“But it’s hard to believe. You don’t forget? I wish I was like you, not forgetting things.”

“Well I wish I forget everything.”

“Don’t say that, it’s horrible. I don’t make things easy for you.”

“You make things easier, let’s just go walk, maybe it will clear our minds.”

The two of you walked, the two sets of footprints, you saw them again. You smiled, not for long.

“I’m tired.” Those were your last words before you out.

 

 

 

 

 

“It was all a dream.” You opened your eyes and sat up. You looked back and saw only one set of footprints.

“Hey.” A male voice you recognized whispered.

“Hello. I thought you’d make it easier for me, going with me every step of the way?”

“I did. I was with you every step of the way.”

“Then why was I walking the beach alone again?” You cried unconsciously, pointing to the only set of footprints in the sand.

“No you didn’t.”

“What?”

“You passed out, you weren’t walking. Those footprints are mine.”

“What?”

“When you said you walked alone, it was me. I carried you the whole way.”

“Really?”

“I’d never lie to you.”

“Noooo!” You screamed. Myungsoo’s footprints got washed away. He hugged you tight.

“Those footprints may have gotten washed away but I’m still here.”

“You really make things easier.”

“Thank you.”

“I love you, never forget that.”

“I promise. I’ll never forget you.