Three days had gone by since I woke up. Doctors said it was time I get up and start walking around again; to get strength back into my body. My mother was taking care of my son so Derek has been here helping me. Sneaking in donuts and decaf coffee in the morning and reading gossip magazines when the nurse leaves the room. The nurses were annoying me when I had to walk up and down the halls so Derek took over helping me. Over the last week, he cracked jokes while dancing down the hallway making therapy easier. I would get sad at times because no matter how strong my body got, my traitor heart was getting weaker by the day. Life can be cruel sometimes. I have a beautiful child who is happy and healthy. Then there’s Derek. Someone who saved my life and has not left my side. A man who put me before him. I know I don’t have much time left and I know that I haven’t known Derek very long but I can feel my brittle heart slowly falling for him. I know I shouldn’t; I can’t give him a life he deserves. The universe has a funny way of showing what fate has in store for me. As I make my way back to the room, I hear the sweet, familiar voice of my son. I turn around and he’s running towards me with wide open arms. I bend down as he crashes into me with a huge hug. My tattered heart was warm and beating fast. THIS. This is what I was fighting for. This little creature that depended on me to guide him. I don’t know how I was going to do it but I was going to try. I had asked my mother to talk to my son about what was going on with me. To try and help him cope if time ran out. We made our way into my room and my son handed me a plush toy in the shape of a heart. I smiled and thanked him. “Here is your new heart, Mommy! You like it?” I nodded and hugged him. He pulled away, looked down at the toy and asked, “Does Heaven take a day off so you can visit me?” Right then I felt my backstabbing heart drop into my gut. My mother was standing by the door. Her hand clamped over her mouth and tears formed in her eyes. I looked at my son as my eyes watered, shaking my head. “No baby. Heaven doesn’t take a day off but I tell you what. Every time you miss me, just hug this heart and I’ll be right here.” I placed my hand on his chest, feeling his loyal heart. He smiled and hugged the toy. “I’ll hug it forever, Mommy.” He jumped up and wrapped his tiny arms around my neck and squeezed. I can’t give up. I can’t let this happen. I have to fight. Not for me but for him. He NEEDS me. After they left, Derek came in. I could feel my frail heart beating fast and steady. Now it wants to cooperate. Typical. He pulled out his phone looking for something on his phone. He looked up at me, grinned and pressed play. ‘Stolen’ by Dashboard Confessional began to play. The lyrics ‘You have stolen my heart’ played as I glanced up at him. He was inches from my face with curiosity in his eyes. I bit my lower lip and grinned. He gently grabbed my face, caressing my cheeks. Slowly pulling my lips to his and it happened. He kissed me. I felt my heart jump into my throat. My body became light as a feather. I swore if his lips were not touching mine, I would have floated to the ceiling. Everything around us seemed to fade out and the universe was focused on us and our kiss. His hands dropped to my waist, wrapping his hands around me; pulling me closer to him. I returned the kiss as I hugged his neck, tracing my fingers through his hair at the base of his neck. His lips pressed harder into mine. This kiss felt like a movie. It was perfect. I didn’t want to stop but I could feel my body running out of energy. He felt my arms releasing from our embrace. He slowly pulled back but not before giving me one more soft peck on my forehead. We sat there, holding each other for what seemed like a lifetime. I felt safe. He placed his finger under my chin, pulling my face to meet his eyes. His beautiful eyes; THOSE eyes. A small smile stretched across my face. Derek was about to say something when Dr. Byers walked through the door. “Sorry to interrupt, but I have some news on your latest scans.”
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