Day 2: The path, that I failed to protect

I've always thought that love will never come to me, that I will never love someone this bad, but here I am, dedicating my heart to her...

"Hey Joanna," I greeted her as I entered her hospital room, when she saw me, she smiled brightly through her oxygen mask. It's been a year since she got confine here, she got diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

"Hey, Axel!" she greeted me energetically, I placed the fruits that I bought on the table, then I sat beside her bed as I held her hands in mine.

"How are you today?" I asked while caressing her cheeks. She smiled as she closed her eyes.

"It's just the usual," she told me. I felt suffocated inside, but I have to be strong as I stay by her side.

"Joanna, If you have one wish, what would it be?" I asked her while looking at her lovingly. She tilted her head and she closed her eyes acting as if she really is thinking hard about it. I chuckled because of her cuteness.

"If I have one wish, that wish would be marrying you," she told me, and then she grinned excitedly, I smiled as I took something from my pockets. I took out a velvet box and then I opened it, I held her hand and then I showed her the ring.

"In that case, will you marry me?" I asked her. She looked shocked at first and then she looked down.

"I can't" she answered me, I was disheartened for a little bit. But then I know I have to ask for the reason.

"Why?" I asked her as I gently held her hand while looking down.

"Axel, I would love to marry you," she said with tears forming in her eyes. she held my head up so I could look at her.

"But I can't tie you to me If I'll have to leave you soon, I can't be selfish," she told me as she hugged me, I hugged her back, then when she let go, I am still holding the ring, I can't give up, not now, nor ever.

"But I want us to get married, I want you to be Mrs. Cervence, can't I ask for that instead?" I asked her still holding her hand, but this time, I looked at her straight in her eyes.

"There are a lot of pretty girls out there who likes you, Axel, If you married one of them, then they can be with you, they can support you, they can grow old with you, they can even give you kids," she told me while crying.

I gently held her cheeks wiping her tears.

"It doesn't matter if there are a lot of pretty, beautiful, or sexy girls out there, for me you are the prettiest, strongest, most Intelligent woman out there," I told her resting my forehead in hers, she smiled for a little bit.

"But..." she said trying to suppress her tears.

"Shh, it's fine, I also want to be tied down to you," I told her softly while stroking her tears.

She smiled and then she wiped her tears.

"Alright, If you're truly okay with me, then I will marry you," she said while holding my hand. Just hearing her say that makes me glad. I'm ecstatic, to be honest.

I hugged her a bit tightly, then I took the ring out of the box, and then I placed it on her ring finger, I held her hand with mine and then I kissed her forehead.

****

"Doc! The Patient in Room 234 is having a seizure! you're needed immediately!" I stopped when I heard the room number.

'Leanette'

Leanette's name is all I could think of, I ran towards her room, and then I saw the nurses and a doctor there taking care of her.

"Madam, we have to try the operation, If we can do the operation, then we can prolong her life, she can live up to 6 more years," the doctor told her mother.

Leanette's mother agreed to do the operation.

I can't think of anything right now, as I was walking around, I saw a chapel on the hospital grounds. I went inside of the chapel, and then I knelt on the ground pleading and begging to please save my beloved Leanette.

"God, I don't believe in anything that I haven't seen or experienced, but I'm willing to change, please, I'm begging you, please help Leanette to succeed on this operation, please let her stay by my side for another 6 years" I prayed earnestly.

I prayed from my heart hoping that God will listen to my prayer, that Leanette will be able to survive the operation...

But it seems that not all prayers can be heard...

****

2 weeks later...

I went to her graveyard and then I placed the flowers on her grave.

"Thank you, son, thank you for staying by our daughter's side, she found her courage to live on because of you, you've done your best not crying until she entered her final rest," her mother told me as she hugged me.

"T-thank you, Auntie," I told her trying my best to smile for her sake.

She smiled softly, and now I am alone here in front of her grave.

"Hey, Leanette, in the end, I couldn't even grant your wish, I'm a failure of a fiance aren't I?" I whispered while looking at her grave.

"Thank you, for everything, you changed me for the better, thank you for showing me what love truly is, I'm sorry because I wasn't able to tell you all of this while you're still alive, but I hope you're happy, wherever you are" I added, then I walked towards my car.

I looked at the Grave one more time, and for a short while, I thought I saw Leanette in front of her grave smiling peacefully, I entered the car and the pain in my heart is gone.

'Finally, you can finally rest from all the hardship and pain from this world, it's sad that you have to go on without me, but at least you can rest now' I thought, and then I started the car and I drove away.