Moonlight Desire

Chapter 1

Lia Amato, a slender twenty-two-year-old with light brown medium length wavy hair waited in the Doctor's office for her cancer results with her husband Monte.

She rested her head on her husband's shoulder hoping with all her heart that this is nothing to worry about and that when the Doctor comes in, he will prescribe her with some medicine that will clear up this problem and that all the tests she had to go for will come back good.

They heard footsteps approaching the office so Lia lifted her head off her husband's shoulders and returned to a professional sitting position. The Doctor entered the office and sat down on his chair and went through her files on his computer.

"Hello," he said. "How are you two doing today?"

"Alright," Lia said. "A little nervous about the results." She let out a nervous laugh.

"That's understandable. How have you been feeling?"

Lia's face dropped and she looked down. "Not so good. I still haven't had much of an appetite." She looked up and faced him. "I still don't know why my abdomen has this weird swelling and it's kind of scaring me. It feels like there's a lot of pressure in my lower back still, I feel so tired throughout the day and just recently I've been getting chest pain. I have a cough that isn't going away now."

The Doctor listened to her complaint and just nodded as he was listening to her.

"Are the two of you ready for this?"

"I'm am very sorry to inform you about this but, you have been diagnosed with stage IVB Ovarian cancer."

Monte's face was filled with shock. He couldn't believe what he just heard. The women he has been married to for two years was disappearing before his very eyes.

"What does that mean?" He tried to remain strong but his voice was too shaky when the words came out.

The doctor had sadness in his eyes as it was never easy to deliver bad news to someone, even though he tells people all the time that they have an illness that's going to kill them. Even for him, it's not easy.

"Your wife, Signor." He paused, took off his glasses and took in a deep breath. "I am very sorry you have to hear this. Your wife has stage four B Ovarian cancer. The x-ray results that have come back to reveal a large tumor in her left ovaries have now that has spread to her other organs, including her lungs. That would be the explanation for her chest pain. Unfortunately, she only has only one more month to live."

Lia's mind went blank. This information was all too much of a shock for her to take in right now. Monte just didn't accept the fact that his wife was going to die.

"Wait! Please!" Monte did his best change the doctor's mind about her chance of survival. "People get cancer all the time. What are the options for treatment."

"Well," the doctor began,"There is the usual chemotherapy and then having the tumors surgically removed. That might prolong her life, but her chance of survival is only at a 2%. Chemotherapy would only make her sicker which is something that we can't do at this point. We can't surgically remove the tumors in her lungs. Even if she were to survive the treatments, it would force her body into menopause. She will never bear a child. Her body is far too weak right now. It's a miracle that she has the strength to walk around but that will eventually catch up to her.

They both fell silent, but there was no way the doctor could tell them lightly. It is his job to tell them what is happening. They deserve to know the truth; it would be cruel to let them think she has a chance of living when the reality is, she doesn't.

"I'll give you two time to process this," the doctor said. He started writing something on a piece of paper. "For the time being, I can prescribe you some painkillers to help. That is all I can do for now."

The Doctor got up and left the room. The couple was left alone in shock. Lia's head was down and her eyes were so wide. She wanted to break down. This world she has come to love was disappearing before her very eyes. Death always got in the way. Even she took each passing day for granted. She thought she would be able to raise a family and grow old with her husband, but that future was being taken from her. The fear of death settled in, but it wasn't only her who feels the pain that death brings. Everything she leaves behind in this world will cause the people she loves pain in her absence.

Lia lifted her head up and did her best to be strong.

"Hey Monte," Lia said as she stroked his dark brown hair,"We should start heading home. There's no point in us staying here anymore."

Monte nodded his head and didn't say anything. The moment she stepped outside, everything felt so alive and beautiful. This was the first time she could experience this kind of feeling. She felt the crisp November air against her skin and took in the scenery of Belluno, Italy. The town she calls home with her husband. She was going to miss everything here. The mountains, the trees, but most of all she will miss all of the moments that she spent here to create those memories with him.

The moment they arrived back to their small Italian apartment, Lia slept off the day until the moon was out. She walked over to the mirror and took in the thin form that stood before her. Bags have formed under her eyes hazel brown, her hair was now a mess, and her skin turned so pale. Lia saw the image before her was fear. Cancer was eating her alive and it won't stop until it completely consumes her.

Tears formed in her eyes as they threatened to fall.

"I'm not going to see Christmas this year," A single tear drop fell from her right eye,"I won't see spring change into summer. I won't get to live."

Lia fell onto her knees, covered her face with both hands and broke down into tears. Monte quickly ran over to her, sat down beside her and took her in his arms, and hugged her close while Lia cried into his arms.

"I won't let you die," Monte whispered into her ear as he hugged her tighter,"I don't care what that doctor says. I won't let you die, I will do whatever it takes for you to survive this. You can't die on me yet."

Tears were starting to fall from his eyes and his words were becoming more broken.

"I love you Lia," After he said those words, he started to cry and the couple just held each other close.

When Lia calmed down, she looked him in the eye when she started to speak to him. "I love you too."

She smiled, "I promise I will fight to stay alive."

The moonlight shone brightly in their window. Lia admired its beauty, wiped her tear stained face, walked towards the window, and stared up at the night sky. The stars shown very brightly and the moon was almost full, but Lia noticed a circular object just floating beside the moon.

"Monte," she said excitedly. "Do you see that?"

The object flew away at a speed so fast that the human eye could not see the movement. It was as if it disappeared.

"See what," Monte asked as he walked over to the window.

"I think I saw a shooting star!"

He smiled. "If it's a shooting star, let's make a wish on it.

Lia smiled, nodded, and then they joined hands and made a wish.

"I wish my wife will defeat this cancer inside her."

"I wish I could be healed from this cancer."

The two opened their eyes, still holding each other's hands and went back to looking up at the night sky. One more month to either beat this or lose.