It was the happiest day of my life. A day away from the grimy city, the screech of vehicles and stampede of commuters. It was a stunningly sunlit Spring day, and he had invited me to a wood hike. He was sat waiting on a dark oak bench, the smiling sun right above him, dressing him in a gorgeous lemon light and bouncing off his angelic face and shiny coal hair. I walked over and hugged him tightly, as if our separation had been years, for he had captured my heart the first time we had met. Life without him was worse than eternal death.
He took my hand and we made our way into the woods.
Walling us in as we trekked was a kaleidoscope of spiralling butterflies, birds - well trained in aerodynamics - zipping through the low hung trees like arrows and hurried squirrels bouncing on the coarse ground. I had started to grow tired, dragging my lead feet on the crinkly twigs, so he found us a luscious clearing to rest in, surrounded by pea green bushes and gigantic granite rocks. We dropped like shooting stars to the velvet moss ground, and laid our heads on the turf, gazing up at the sapphire sky speckled with soaring clouds. I tried to fight my tiredness, but the hypnotic sway of the trees and the melodic chatter of birds lulled me into a deep slumber.
When I awoke the sun was skimming the horizon, the birds no longer chirped, and the breeze had ceased its mutter. I turned my head expecting to see him, but he had gone. Catapulting myself upright as fast as light I turned in all directions, scanning for him. He stepped out from behind some trees, engrossed with something held in his hands. Lifting his head, he saw me, smiled mysteriously and marched up to me. He first positioned a dainty snowdrop into my auburn hair, then placed his hand in mine and passed me something. Confused, I let go and opened my delicate hand. My heart stopped. A ring. A garnet ring. Speechless, I glanced up to find his dark brown eyes fixed on mine, bearing his heart. His soul.
‘’I love you,’’ he whispered.
Beep. I awoke from my dream, lazily opened my eyes and looked at him beside me, yellowed by the sickly hospital lighting. His sunken and bloodshot eyes. His lifeless, sallow skin. His insipid appearance. I was going to be separated from the man I loved more than life itself. How can so much change so quickly? As my tears flooded like a tsunami, he weakly leaned in and lightly rested his head on mine, his forehead hot and clammy. His frail hands enclosed mine, connecting our matching gold bands, as he murmured into my ear.
‘’I’ll love you forever.’’
Those were the last words I heard before I flatlined.