so much was the reas

doing little to warm my shivering body. Dr. Ethan

he said, his voice gentle but firm. "What were

n at my abdomen, at the pale, thin

my life, a time before I met him. He thought it was a

scar was from a surg

re I gave him o

iling, and he was on a long waiting list for a tra

tch. A per

nation anonymous. I didn' t want him to feel indebted

for him. For me, it was

aining one. My body, already weak from a chronic

dneys beg

Ava," Dr. Miller said softly

oing to say. I could feel it in my bones, in the

his face full of sorrow. "There' s nothing more

ed, my voice a flat

. "A week.

we

en

all I

ife, and in return, he despised the very mark of

so cruel, it w

d to do," I said, a sudden, de

self out of the hospital. I went home, changed

saw his car i

ind woman named Maria, opened the door. H

You' re all wet..

?" I asked, p

room, pouring a drink. C

e heard me, and

t out of my sight,

alking towards him. "I have

ing me over the rim of the glass wi

e," I bl

en burst out laughing. It

mouth. "I just got engaged to another wo

aid, my voice trembling. "Just a ceremony. A s

ed out before I

narrowing. "Dying wish? Don' t try to guilt-trip

trength. "I have kidney failure. I have a week to live,

ubt? surprise?-but it was gone as quickly a

s act, aren' t you?" he said. "Fine.

tupid, bloomed in m

This Saturday. At the old waterfront chapel. Be there at noon

led my eyes. "Thank y

turned his back on

I was too sick to go out, so I ordered the simplest white dress I

panion. Sometimes I would just pass out from the exhau

anding in a chapel with Liam, of hearing him say the words,

ed. It was a c

with every movement. I had to stop and rest every few minu

was pale, almost translucent. The wh

ing to be Li

hapel. It was a small, beautiful o

at noon, the ch

otes danced in the pale light filtering through t

asn' t

' clock came an

told myself. He' s

purse. It was a notifi

osts surprise public propos

mbled as I cli

n. It was from the city' s centra

corated with thousands o

on on

n, who was wearing a s

hone, his voice broadca

dreamed of hearing directed at me. "You are the only woman I have ever loved.

oe cried tears of joy

d confetti rain

apel, watching the man I loved

er intende

e fake promise, the empty chapel-on the

t creative, most publ

rough my chest, far worse than a

heart was litera

The phone slipped from my h

ned-glass windows

psed onto the cold stone

hite dress I was wearing, spre

of a love that had not only been unrequited,

everything