THE PROMISE

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Love… it's a beautiful thing to be loved by someone. They say, "Love can hurt sometimes, but it is the only thing that makes us feel alive."

I've never been a fan of love. What's love? To me it was just a waste of time, I never understood the chemistry or connection behind it. Most people that fell in love ended up with heartbreaks and sometimes they lose control and do crazy things for the sake of Love.
I tried connecting to it, I tried to search for it, but it seems, it only torments my soul and feels it with regrets. Falling in love should be for a reason if that reason isn't there, then you are just having a mere infatuation. Which can cause you heartbreaks.

As for me, my love life changed the day I set my eyes on Elissa at the shopping mall. She was so beautiful, her skin was glowing, her beauty could entice an angel into sin. Her natural hair was so long and smooth, that it could sweep away my pain.
There I stood silent as if the time was frozen. I was dazzled by her beauty. At that moment I felt the sensation of Love, one I have never felt before.

Elissa was everything to me, she made me understand Love, she healed my soul. Her Love towards me made me feel alive. Her smile could pierce the soul of the cruel and lighten it up.
We had the best of time together, our dates were things to look forward to, and whenever we were apart, all I could think of was the next time I would see her.

And suddenly, everything changed.

She stopped calling as she used to and when I called we never talked for long. She was always busy with something at that other end of the phone, which she refused to tell me about. And always, her voice sounded weak and tired. Had she gotten a new job she didn't want to tell me about?

"I'm coming to see you," I told her on the day I called her to get to the bottom of this matter.

"No." She said through the phone. "I'm not home"

"Again?" I barked into the phone angrily. "Where have you gone this time huh? Oh, of course, you can't tell me."

This was just another unexplained absence of hers. She could go away for days and maybe weeks at a time and once she returned or picked the goddamn phone, all she would say is she was sorry, she couldn't tell me. Was this because we were not married yet? But she knew how much I loved her, how could that count for nothing?

"Elissa," I muttered, struggling to calm myself down, "please just tell me what is going on here. Have you found someone else?"

"What? No! Never. I love you. It's just… " she hesitated a bit. And on that hesitation. I heard it all.
"Call for Dr.Simmon at the theatre." I heard through the phone, "Dr. Simmon, reports to the Theatre," I froze. It sounds like a public address system in a very familiar place.

"Elissa, are you in the hospital?"

"Ehn…" Somehow, her voice sounded even weaker.

"Why are you in the hospital baby?" My heart was beating furiously, fear was making my hands sweaty. Elissa had no known relations alive. There was absolutely no reason for her to be in a hospital. Unless…
Like a man possessed, I ran out of the house and into my car. It's only a miracle I didn't get pulled over for overspeeding. I screeched noisily into the parking lot of the hospital. Not even bothering to lock the door as I dashed into the building. I raced to the receptionist.

"I'm here for Elissa Williams!" I screamed, unable to stay still.
The lady behind the desk punched keys into her keyboard. "Are you her family?"

"Yes goddammit! Where the hell is she?"

Following her directions, I slowly made my way to the Oncology ward. Considering the speed I used when coming here, as I got closer and closer to the ward my speed reduced dramatically. Fear crept into my body. Fear of what I would see was slowing me down.
I found her in one of the hospital's beds, swaddled in sheets. She had lost a lot of her weight and she looked pale. A drip was connected to the back of her hand.

"Oh my God!" I groaned as I walked in. This was my baby, the love and light of my life. And she was battling cancer.
She turned then when she saw me she smiled weakly. She made space for me in the bed. I sat down close to her.

The silence stretched for a while, I had so many questions and no idea how to put them into words. And as always, she came to my rescue.

"I didn't want to see me like this."

"Why? I love you, Elissa. I should be by your side at a time like this."

"I know. I'm so sorry. I just felt I was saving you some pain by staying silent about it."

"How long till you get out?" I asked, I hated seeing her this way, I needed to put her back in good clothes, and feed her food that wasn't going through a drip.

"I'm sorry baby." She muttered, "But this is it."

"What? He'll no!"

"Please. The Doctor said I have less than six months."

"What the…." I was unable to speak, my mouth just hanging open.

"Just stay with me, okay?"

I studied her, despite her condition, she still looked strong.

"Of course. I'm never leaving your side."

I took her hand in mine, drawing hope and strength from it. If she had less than six months, I would make the rest of her life the best of her life.

That is a promise Mon Amour.

_{The End
Special thanks to @belenguerra, @fendit and @writingnreviews for their support.}