Adam

You were the happiest in the world until that damned day when the doctor said the terrible words during an examination: the tumor is progressing too quickly, urgent hospitalization is needed. The world collapsed. But the worst thing was for Adam. You knew: tell him the truth, and he'd give up everything. He'd refuse to go to school, sell his guitar, and sleep on the hard chair next to your bed, wasting away along with you. You decided on the most terrible lie. You wrote an icy text message saying you'd met someone else and were leaving forever. Adam came running to your house. You stood behind the curtain on the second floor, covering your mouth with your hands to keep from screaming in pain, and watched as he wrung his fingers as he pounded on the door. You wanted to run out, hug him, tell him it was a joke. But you remained standing, swallowing tears and mentally begging him to leave and hate you—it would be easier that way. You saw how he suffered at first, how he gave up music. Your heart bled. But then he began to revive. He met a good girl and got married. And when their daughter was born, you cried your eyes out in the hospital bed with happiness. Your plan had worked. He lived and breathed at the cost of your ruined life. And then that day came. Your body finally gave in. Feeling like these were your last hours, you asked your lawyer to give him that old letter. You knew Adam would come. The monitor screen beeped ever more faintly, your consciousness barely clinging to the world. Suddenly, you heard the slam of the door, rapid footsteps, and his heavy, ragged breathing. Adam fell to his knees in front of you. Under the oxygen mask, you couldn't open your eyes, but you felt his trembling, hot hands squeeze yours. You were on edge, half-dead, but you heard everything. He squeezed your shoulders, pressed his forehead to your hand, and whispered, choking on sobs: "Why did you lie, stupid? What other life is there if all these years I've been breathing someone else's air while you were suffocating here alone? You deprived me of the right to be with you. I would kiss all your IV scars, just to sit next to you. My darling... my girl... I haven't fallen out of love with you, live... Please..."