RedCeiling

[Completed]:
Volume 1: Loss of a firm hold.

[Upcoming]:
Volume 2: Intertwined fingers.

[Excerpt]:
"I think I love you," I told him. The feeling of wanting to be with him for the rest of the time started the day he first visited me at the orphanage.

"You do, and I love you too." Then he walked nearer, "Promise me it'll be the two of us," he asked.

"Promise." 

But was that really possible? "I'm technically your sister," I said. We were old enough to understand certain things.

"Adopted." He stressed. "What I asked them was I wanted to you be with me forever. There will be no one to point on that," he said. Were things really that simple? But listening him say them was all I needed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I found out that I was pregnant almost a fortnight ago and which woman does not be happy? I wanted to tell him first and I did. But the reaction he gave made me doubt my entire life. First it was a surprise and then, as I waited for his response, I watched his eyes become happy. But before he smiled, a very small and indecipherable frown appeared and he hugged me tight not giving me a chance to read his face anymore. His breathing was quick and heavy. After he released me, I took in the smile on his face; only, I didn't know if I should call it a smile. All there was in his eyes was a hue of sadness.

"What's wrong?" I questioned him directly. His face changed once again. He seemed troubled.

"Nothing," he smiled and added that he was happy.

"You're not," I stated. He is not a fool to think that I would not know when something is wrong. And he would be more wrong to think that I would let this slip.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Look at me.” I said calmly. He shifted his head but still avoided my eyes. I walked up to him and put my eyes in his line of sight.

“Don’t you know what I mean ‘every day’?”

He took a quick step back. “Jessie, what’s wrong? Why are you like this?” What’s wrong?

An ear piercing sound rang through the room. I slapped hard across the face. Then I noticed that I started crying. Through my blurry eyes, I saw his eyes tearing up too. This was yet another unpleasant first. The first time I was forced to slap him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Are you okay?” I asked him lifting my head to see his face. His chin rested on my head and I still did not have a proper look. I tried to move my head slowly in another attempt, but he held me tight, not letting me move. Was he still crying? Perhaps that was why he did not like me seeing him.

When we were kids and something troubled him, he used to find me to let it out. Crying was included sometimes. He did not hide his tears back then. Because, boys did not particularly cry in front of their girls, I questioned him how he saw this once. It was a playful teasing that I aimed at. But, he gave me a serious and truthful confession in return. Mentally I am the stronger one and he told me that crying in front of me never felt like he was lowering himself. That was his level of acceptance.

But everything he is doing now is in a stark controversy to my beliefs.

He spoke after calming himself more, “I’m not.”

[Target Audience]:
This story has 3 volumes. From the name, it is not odd that this is totally based on love. The first volume is a little tragic, the reason why it is under realistic fiction. If tragic romance upsets you, then this might as well.

**[UNEDITED]**
I didn't proof read all the parts. But I usually keep an eye to check for mistakes as I write. So hopefully there are not too many of them. Will be editing soon.

Struggle Of Love

I was still not totally awake from this conspiracy. I decided to speak though. I slowly asked him, "So, then you started to get home late. Since when did you start the morning jog?"


"What happened? Why are you so weak that you say you'll die?"


"Jessie, I know it will take some time. But please, you have to accept it. Don't keep denying. It's a kind of anaemia. I take blood transfusions regularly. That's the best solution for now."


He let out a sigh. "I don't want to discuss if but I'll tell you. No one knows the particulars other than my doctor friend." He stood from the bed and opened the cupboard. In the racks, from within the bottom layers of his clothes, he took out a file.


"Here, look through it when you want to," he handed me hid hospital report.


"The anaemia was sudden and it is already beyond the control of medication. There is one solution. It's a spleen surgery and there is no certainty of success."


Was that all? I cannot point out why, but I think there is more that he was struggling to say. His eyes kept dancing, only looking at mine a few times, once in a while.


He bit his lip and then took another deep breath and looked at me, "The operation is not feasible because my heart is way too weak."


"What do you mean 'your heart is weak'?"


"Take it literally. It is that way since birth." I did not hear of heart weakness before. I looked at him waiting for a further explanation.


"My heart muscles are weak. Any surgery near the chest or abdomen will kill me instantly." His voice showed how much he dreaded this.


Time slowly passed by. I did not have any more questions left for him. I did not have anything more to say to him either. We sat there like that, calmly. After an indefinite amount of time went by, suddenly, the alarm of my phone went off. It has been a while since I found it useful. Because I would only be waiting for it every morning.


"Jessie, I know you are upset. But it will be fine. Just think about this with a clear mind, okay?"


"I am not muddle headed now." I said with a mechanical voice. It was a fact. I was perfectly clear headed.


He waited for a few moments before saying, "Well, then we'll talk about this another time. If you have anything to say, don't hold back." It was like he was waiting for me to regret my life. Saying that out loud would of course, hurt him. If not, I would not be bothered to keep it to myself.


"Also, don't tell mom." He said as he paused and turned to me on his way out of the room.


He was off to the hospital soon after breakfast. I went downstairs despite feeling unwell. "Hey mom!" I greeted her. James was right. The weakest person at heart was mom, even before James.


"Good morning! Sit and eat," she asked me to join her. She is a very radiant lady and at times, a talkative one too. But the first impression anyone would have about her is that she is a delicate woman. She was just a simple human being.


The day at the shop was the same as usual. There was nothing uneventful. But for some reason, around the lunch time, Winter left the reception in someone else's charge and came to me with a hint of apprehension. She was my one friend around here before joining and she is still the one and only friend.


"Hey, are you not feeling well?" She asked and I was surprised.


She nodded and then we left for lunch. The day seemed to drag on and on and finally, when the clock struck six, I was out and soon reached home.


After another two hours, James was back. It really was seven months that the four of us are having dinner together on a weekday.


Weak