𝑯𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒈𝒊𝒇𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔.
Elizabeth Reid learned, at seventeen, that she was going to die. Diagnosed with terminal cancer, she's faced with a question that no one should have to answer.
How do you leave a mark on a wo...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Mum and I made our way to the hospital. It was Monday morning, and the world outside seemed to be moving in slow motion. Perhaps it was just my perception, coloured by the weight of what lay ahead—my second palliative chemotherapy session.
I gazed out the window, watching as familiar buildings and streets passed by in a blur. The sky was a dull grey, matching my mood perfectly. I couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu, remembering the last time we'd made this journey. It felt like ages ago, yet somehow also like yesterday.
My thoughts drifted, as they often did these days, to Nathan. My best friend. Or was he more than that now? I wasn't sure anymore. The last time I'd seen him was Thursday night, after our 'date'—if you could even call it that. We'd gone to the drive-in cinema, a quaint relic of the past that somehow still existed in our town. It had been nice, comfortable even, just like old times. But then...
I closed my eyes, recalling the events that followed. After the film, we'd driven to the beach. It was Nathan's idea—he'd said the night was too beautiful to waste. I'd agreed, partly because I wasn't ready for the evening to end, and partly because I could never say no to those earnest hazel eyes of his.
The memory of sitting on the sand, the sound of waves crashing in the background, was still vivid in my mind. Nathan had been uncharacteristically quiet, fidgeting with the hem of his jumper. I should have known then that something was different.
"Beth," he'd said, his voice barely audible above the sound of the sea. "I need to tell you something."
I'd turned to look at him, curious and a bit apprehensive. The moonlight had cast shadows across his face, making him look older, more serious than I'd ever seen him.
"What is it?" I'd asked, my heart inexplicably racing.
He'd taken a deep breath, his eyes meeting mine with an intensity that made me want to look away. But I couldn't. "I love you, Beth. I think I always have."
The words had hung in the air between us, heavy with meaning and expectation. I'd felt as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of the world. Nathan loved me? My best friend since preschool, the boy who'd seen me through my worst haircuts and most embarrassing moments, loved me?
Before I could even begin to process what he'd said, Nathan had leaned in and kissed me. His lips were soft, tentative, as if he was afraid I might break. Or run away. In hindsight, perhaps he'd been right to worry.
The kiss had lasted only a moment, but it felt like an eternity. When Nathan pulled away, his eyes searching mine for a reaction, I'd felt... nothing. No, that wasn't quite right. I'd felt overwhelmed, confused, and utterly terrified.
"Take me home," I'd whispered, unable to meet his gaze.
To his credit, Nathan hadn't questioned it. He'd simply nodded, and driven me home in silence.
