All the Years I Loved Her

Ending

Caleb's POV:

It was already late so I brought Elle back home, truthfully I didn't want to part with her after hearing the news. I wanted to be with her at all times and take care of her in the time she had left no matter how long it may be. But I can't, at least not right now that I'm on my last term in college, after graduating I'll make sure to take care of her as much as I can, as someone she trusted the information with.

I pulled up in front of the building of her boarding complex as she got off my car saying goodbye. I watch as she walked up to the door until she stopped and suddenly clutched her head. I got worried so I went out of my car to check on her, when she suddenly dropped to the ground.

I ran as fast as I can and when I reached her, her eyes were already fluttering close. I got my phone quickly dialing 911 "Elle! Elle! Stay with me Elle, don't close your eyes, I'm already calling for help, just stay with me okay? Don't leave me. Please don't leave me." My voice couldn't help but crack on the end as I tried to suppress my sobs.

Minutes later the ambulance came and brought her in. I also went in the ambulance with them holding her hand tightly. I prayed that this was not the end yet, I hope that Elle wouldn't leave me just yet. Everything around me felt as if it was all in slow-motion. The flashing lights of the ambulance, the shouts and movements of the paramedics were all slow, it was as if the world was coming on to a stop. I snapped out of it when I suddenly heard the heart monitor stop beeping, I looked at it and saw the flat line as the paramedic hurriedly went in to perform chest compression. I just stared off to the flat line the sound of the monitor ringing in my ear, as my mind refused to take in what's happening in front of me.

Elle was announced to be dead on arrival, I called up her family and went straight home once they were already there eon the hospital. Once inside in my room I fall to my knees. I lose all the tension in my body as I felt my cheeks getting cold. I touched them and felt that tears were running down my face as I still remember how her hand felt in mine as it slowly turned cold earlier.

I cried myself to sleep that night and now I am standing in front of a lot of people in her funeral as I was asked to say a few things. The autopsy showed that she died of cancer and her parents believed that her symptoms have manifested late and nothing was done because of it. But I plan to tell everybody the truth, I plan to tell them how selfless she was on deciding to face her illness all on her own.

"She was always a caring person stubborn too, always putting others first than herself. But due to that stubbornness it cost her own life. I'm sorry for hiding this and sorry Elle, I can't keep my promise."

"She knew her disease, her fate few months ago. But she decided all to herself that it's better for everyone that she dies. I know you may hate me right now by not mentioning this earlier. But I too, one of the closest persons to her only knew of this few hours before her death. We went to travel, I noticed that she was feeling down during our trip so I tried my best to cheer her up. But I never expected that it would end up to her spending her last moments with me. You are all free to hate me, as I also hate myself on not being able to do anything to save her as it was all too late."

"Can you imagine how much it hurt me when I came to know that she, the woman I loved all my life has sacrificed herself, that she went through all those pain without anyone by her side when I can be there supporting her? Do you think I didn't resent myself when I saw her die in front of me knowing I wasn't able to do anything? However I believe that Elle died happily, I believe that she was happy during the last moments of her life. She was able to help her family and I believe that with just that she was satisfied and she felt that she has done her purpose in life at that time."

I go to her parents and I apologize for not telling them sooner. They said that they understood my situation that all that happened was hard for me too and it was just like Elle to be so stubborn. We proceeded with the funeral as I said my last goodbyes to Elle.

A few months later...

"Hey Elle", I greeted her tomb as I put down the bouquet of carnations that I got for her. "I brought food, I told you I'd treat you to a better place when I graduate right?" I offered food on her tomb as I chatted away telling her about my last term in college. "Are your proud now? I told you I'd get that Engr. on my name. How I wish that you'd be here to say that you are proud of me though. But I still know that you are proud, you know I got into a good firm. I plan to build my dream house for the two of us, I plan to live there with the dog I got recently. She's a golden retriever I named her Ella. I hope you're doing fine wherever you are. I love you and will still love you in our next lives."