Winded Lungs | TMNT Raph X OC Love Story

moving forward

"My love, what about Evangeline?" Urged the mother. Tears escaped her eyes as she held a tissue to her face. "We both know it's only a matter of time before she starts to suspect that something's not right."

"I know, love." The father replied, holding his wife's face in his hands. She kissed his hands a few times, trying to keep herself from falling apart.

In a room of Crescent's last home were two devasted parents, and scattered pictures and papers splayed along their bed. They both held one another, contemplating about how to break the news to their daughter.

"We do the things she wants. If she asks for it, we provide. We have to hold onto what we have now." The father said.

"She's been mentioning how she wants to live in New York as a dream." The mother explained.

"Then we will move there. Anything for her. Anything."

________

Raphael sifted through his stuff, trying to find anything that could hold Crescent's memory. He reached under his bed, looking for the box of gifts she never really got to cherish.

Instead, his fingers were met with an unfamiliar type of paper. Folded printer paper. Raph pulled it out from beneath his bed. Laying on top of his neat stack of comic books was a simple white envelope. It was crumpled on the sides, as if the sender couldn't quite hold onto it.

"Cres?" A shocked sound escaped, and Raph immediately started to open the letter.

His three fingers made contact with an even more wrinkled paper. The handwriting looked like it was quivering in fear. The letter was written in black ballpoint ink, and the margins were used to scribble the pen to life and use it again.

To my beloved turtle Raphael,

I write to you now because I am fully aware I am going to die. I hate keeping this secret from you, or you may already know, but I have small cell lung cancer. I don't know how long I had it for, but it came for me fast.

I love you so much for everything you've done for me. I want you to know that I forgive you and your brothers for crashing into me on that fated night. It was a huge loss, but I was given something in return.

You.

I am sorry that I wasn't strong enough to make it through this, even with you by my side. I know you are bound to fall in love again, since we're both teenagers still. I hope you find someone stronger than me, someone who won't die so easily. I hope you take all of my love I give to you and shower them with it.

Suffice to say, I don't want to die. I don't think anybody does. I hope I at least died close to you.

I love you Raphie.

Scrawled on the bottom of a paper was a heart and smiley face in red ink.

Raph began to cry. All at once, the numb feeling in his body left, and a fast spreading dull pain resurfaced and filled the void. His tears started to warp the note. He held it close to his chest, and hugged it as if Crescent were in its place.

He wasn't quite over with his grieving, but he was hopeful. Even after death, Crescent's love was just as impactful as when she was alive.