8

Alex stood in shock as the nurse spoke the words that turned his world upside down. Elizabeth had kidney failure. How was this possible? She was healthy and active, always taking care of herself. But now her body was failing her, and Alex felt powerless to do anything to help her.

The memory of Elizabeth slapping him came back to him, and he realized that she must have known about her condition all along. She must have been scared and angry, and he had only made things worse by not understanding what she was going through.

Determined to make things right, Alex made his way to Elizabeth's apartment. When her grandmother answered the door, he felt a pang of guilt for not visiting her more often. He could see the concern etched on the elderly woman's face, and he knew she was worried about her granddaughter's health.

Elizabeth appeared at the door, and Alex was struck by her pale complexion and the dark circles under her eyes. He wanted to hold her and tell her everything would be okay, but he didn't want to make things worse between them.

They both went for a walk, and Alex couldn't help but ask if she still wanted to continue with the competition. To his surprise, Elizabeth answered with a smile on her face, telling him that she had broken her guitar. Alex sensed that she was still trying to put on a brave face, but he could tell that she was scared.

Determined to lift her spirits, he went back to her apartment, returning in the evening with a brand new guitar. When she opened the door, she was surprised but pleased, and Alex could see a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

As he was leaving, Elizabeth kissed him, and Alex knew that this meant something more. It was a goodbye kiss, one filled with emotion and longing. He wanted to hold her and never let go, but he knew that he had to leave.

As he walked back to his own apartment, Alex couldn't help but wonder if he would ever see Elizabeth again. He prayed that she would recover and that they would have a chance to be together.

But for now, all he could do was wish her goodnight and hope that she would have sweet dreams.