Memories

Since they started traveling together, it has already been a whole year.

There were many remarkable memories together, unforgettable memories.

There were moments they had a striking conversation sitting in the fancy hotel dining area as they felt the grey sky covering the sky with dark clouds.

Watching the cars below the skyscraper window flow through their early commute to work or off to their destiny.

He remembers how she would be trying these foods like bacon or sashimi that they had that day; he would remember how she had that smile on her face constantly.

He would take pictures of her on her phone when she was trying to eat, joking and laughing in a silly way, and the two of them together were like two adolescent children playing through the day in the most unworried ways.

A part of him understands what she is going through because he knows that the smile she has is a smile for him, trying to show him that she is bearing with it and that she doesn't mind the passing of time that slowly withers the life.

He understands how difficult it must be whenever she smiles like that; it takes courage, strength, and incredible will to smile through life, especially when life's road is the most challenging road to walk.

But he is pleased to see her always by his side to share her life with him.

Soon after traveling throughout Europe, they came back to the little city before and had a small marriage arranged.

After not seeing Jeanette for an entire year, she was surprised upon seeing her when they came back together for a short union.

She sees that Jeanette has transformed into a mature woman who is deeply in love with her handsome fiance.

Afterward, they had dinner together, where they talked about how life was going on, which was also a memorable moment.

He visited many places with her besides cities, he took her on hikes to incredibly high mountains, and the view was beautiful.

He would be the photographer for her, as he takes pictures of their camping trips together in the forest mountains.

The quiet nights when he would hold her in his arms inside the tent, whispering stories into her ears as he tried his best to lull her into sleep.

He could feel how her arms were tightly wrapped around her as she was fast asleep and the worry-free expression on her innocent face whenever she was sleeping.

The sad thing is that throughout the year, there were many times that he had to suddenly rush her into the hospital when she would suddenly faint in the middle for unknown reasons.

He would be waiting for her outside the hospital and would wait and not know what to do; there were times he cried, feeling how tough it must be for her to sustain all of this weight and worries of death on her fragile heart.

When she sees him again, when she has recovered, she would always smile for him, a smile for him to know that she is holding up.

And even as the occurrences had become more frequent, she never stopped giving him hope, and he would watch as her health deteriorated through the months at a rapid pace.

Seeing how his eyes were red from a night of tears, she would also feel a deep pain as she held onto his hand weakly through those tired eyes in comfort, and then they would both smile at each other.

This was their way of saying to each other that everything was going to be alright and to continue looking to the bright side.

"I love it," Samantha said to him calmly as she looked at the city below her.

She's wearing earmuffs around her ears and a blue scarf covering her neck.

The two of them are at the very top of a building's rooftop, and across them is the colorful street filled with the blinding yellow lights of the cars like Christmas house lights.

With the pure white color of the snowflakes covering the street with a soft layer, the tiny twinkles dance so freely in the air.

Standing right beside her in amazement at the view in front of them, he looks at her with a deep warmth in her eyes.

They exchanged eye contact without saying anything else; this whole year, as they created many memories together, they had gotten to know each other so profoundly that even words could not be used to describe them anymore.

Jon can sense her emotions; even when she is hiding them in the best way, he can still feel her emotions so closely.

Holding onto his hand through the gloves, she embraces him dearly with the deepest yearning as they stare into the snowy city night landscape.

Leaning against his chest in an embrace, she could hear the soft beating sound of his heart, and she felt comforted; by his side, she felt the pain of the world would disappear.

Closing her eyes, she became absorbed by the comfortable experience as she enjoyed the warmth of that embrace, falling asleep.

She was opening her eyes.

She found that she was no longer on the rooftop but instead back at the white walls so familiar to hospital environments when she opened her eyes.

"Jon," she asked through her hazy eyes, immediately recognizing the figure in front of him.

"My love, you woke up," Jon touches her face with love in his eyes for his sweetheart; in his voice, she could hear that sadness and grief he is trying his best to suppress downwards.

She could see the sadness in her tired eyes and hold back those eyes, but he didn't say anything else; after knowing Jon, she knows that he doesn't usually say much in emotional moments because he can get easily choked up as he talks through those welling tears.

"Jeanette? Sean?"

She also saw the two of them as Jeanette, with tears in her eyes, rushed into giving her a warm hug, and Sean also looked at her with grief as he turned his head away.

She knows they had probably heard something wrong through the quiet silence, "I don't have much time, do I?"

There was a resigned smile on her face as she watched their sorrowful face, seeing that Jon was trying his best to comfort her as he held tightly to her.

Their silence made her know that her doubt was genuine, that the time was now not much anymore.