The Last of Us

Chapter 11

I spent the morning staring at the box sitting on my shelf. My memory box. It's filled with fragments of my life—small things, random things, but each of them holds a piece of my story. Concert tickets, postcards, little notes, and trinkets from my travels. Moments I never wanted to forget.

I never thought I'd be sharing this with anyone.

But Ethan's different.

After all the time we've spent together, I can feel myself letting him in. It's terrifying because I know where this all leads. But there's something about him—his warmth, his kindness—that makes me want to hold on to every moment we share, even if I know it's temporary.

I take a deep breath and grab my phone, dialing Mia.

She picks up after a couple of rings, her voice bright and cheerful. "Lena! How are you feeling today?"

"Mia, I need to talk to you," I say, trying to keep my voice steady.

"What's going on?" she asks, her tone immediately becoming more serious. Mia's known about my tumor for a while now, but what she doesn't know is how things with Ethan have unfolded.

I take a deep breath and dive into it, telling her everything—about how I met Ethan, how we've been spending time together, and how I can feel myself falling for him, despite every logical reason I shouldn't. By the time I'm done, I feel emotionally exhausted, as if I've peeled away a layer of my defenses.

There's a moment of silence on the other end of the line before Mia speaks.

"Lena... you deserve to be happy," she says, her voice soft but firm. "You've been through so much, and I know you're scared of getting close to someone because of what's happening. But Ethan sounds amazing. Why not let yourself live a little? Why not let yourself fall in love?"

"I don't know if I can, Mia," I whisper, tears threatening to spill. "What if it's too hard for him when I..."

"When you die?" Mia finishes, her tone gentle but firm. "Lena, we're all going to lose you eventually, but that doesn't mean we should lose you now. You deserve to love and be loved. And if Ethan's that person for you, then you should let him in. Stop pushing him away. Stop pushing *me* away."

I close my eyes, her words sinking in.

"And we need to hang out soon," Mia adds, her voice lightening. "I've been swamped with work, but that's no excuse. Let's spend some time together, okay? No more avoiding each other."

"Yeah," I reply, a small smile forming on my lips. "I'd like that."

We say our goodbyes, and when I hang up, I feel lighter. Maybe Mia's right. Maybe I've been so focused on protecting everyone from the pain that I forgot to live. And maybe... maybe I do deserve to enjoy these final days.

---

Ethan arrives at my place later that afternoon, his usual warm smile greeting me at the door. But today, I have something special planned. I take him by the hand and lead him to my living room, where the memory box sits on the table.

"What's this?" he asks, curious.

"It's my memory box," I explain, sitting down and opening the lid. "I've kept it for years. It's filled with little things from my past—things that mattered to me."

I start pulling out items, one by one, telling him the stories behind them. The concert ticket from the first time I saw my favorite band. A postcard from a spontaneous trip I took with Mia. The bracelet my brother gave me on my eighteenth birthday.

Ethan listens quietly, his eyes soft as he takes in each item, each story. And then, without saying a word, he pulls something out of his pocket and places it gently in the box.

A small, simple keychain shaped like a guitar.

I stare at it, surprised. "What's this?"

"It's from the first time we went to that coffee shop together," he says, smiling softly. "They were selling these at the counter, and I bought one on a whim. I didn't know why at the time, but now I think I do. I wanted to remember that day."

My chest tightens, and I feel tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. "Ethan..."

"I want to be a part of your memories," he says, his voice quiet but steady. "Whatever time we have left, I want to spend it with you."

I can't find the words to respond, so instead, I just nod, my heart feeling full and fragile all at once. We sit together for a while, adding new things to the box—small mementos of our time together. It's bittersweet, knowing that one day this box will be all that's left of me. But right now, with Ethan by my side, I feel like I can face it.

---

Later that evening, after Ethan leaves, I get a text from him.

**"I have something for you tomorrow. Be ready at 7."**

I raise an eyebrow, curious, but I don't press for details. Instead, I send a quick reply:

**"Alright, I'll be ready."**

The next day, when Ethan shows up, he's holding a small gift bag. I open it to find a T-shirt with the logo of my favorite band on it. My eyes widen in surprise.

But that's not all.

Ethan pulls two tickets out of his pocket, holding them up with a grin. "I know you love them, so I got us tickets. We're going to see them live next month."

For a moment, I'm speechless. This... this is more than I ever expected. I look at him, my heart swelling with gratitude and something deeper—something I haven't allowed myself to feel in a long time.

"Thank you," I whisper, my voice thick with emotion. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

Ethan just smiles, and for the first time, I feel like maybe, just maybe, I don't have to push him away. Maybe Mia's right—there's nothing wrong with falling in love, even if time is running out.

I can feel it, the change in me. I'm still scared, but for once, I'm letting myself live.