CHAPTER ONE

In the hospital, there is both sorrow and joy in equal measure. There are so many memories to recount, so much life lived in these hospital rooms.

I am Monroey Corpuz. The hospital suddenly became my home at the moment I was forced to face the fragility of my life. There were moments of total contentment when I saw the sun setting over the hospital courtyard. I had lonely evenings and sleepless nights just like any other youngster.

My parents passed away when I was only 7 years old. I barely managed to live on my own with the assets my family has passed on to me, but those assets were the only thing that was holding my life. My body gave up on leukemia when I was only 16 years old. Sure, there was a slew of tests and procedures, and doctors were constantly discovering new problems with my body.

Still, there were a lot of moments of laughter behind those difficulties. Those moments when I realized how mistaken the world had been: a short life may be just as rich as a long one. I met a man around my age whose name was Aiden Leigh Gevalia. He's a medical student who nurses me every day for his internship.

He's capable of helping me in every aspect I do. We got the closure every friend possesses as we later developed mutual feelings toward each other. It was one of the unexpected things, the moment we both fell in love with each other despite how we exactly met.

"You're awake, how are you feeling?" Aiden asked in a calm and soft manner.

He fixed his pose before he sat beside me. A genuine smile flashed across my face as he kept patting my head, "I'm doing fine love, thank you"

"There's not much to thank me yet"

I frowned at him, "But why?"

"Silly, show your gratitude when I am capable of curing that illness of yours" he replied as he slightly pinched my cheeks.

I leaned closer to him as I wrapped my arms around his waist. "You're such a big dreamer!"

Every moment I shared with him was full of sincerity and genuineness that could make my feelings clearer as pure water.

"Nothing is impossible if it involves your sake. I swear, I'll become a doctor and find a suitable donor for you."

Hearing those words always assured me that he could do anything. In short, his words always bring me to tears.

"After that, let's get married. Shall we?"

Some aspects of life are ours to choose, while others are thrust upon us. I never chose to live this strange, unusual existence with this sickness. Being unwell is unpleasant, but nothing is one-sided. Now that I have him by my side, fighting over this illness, I can't let the agony overshadow the beauty.