Don't let me go?

Chapter 19

Harry's POV

The letter that Rose's mom wrote for her was nothing but a display of pure emotions. Emotions that were so real and pure that they managed to make me cry too. I tried concealing it and held it back because I wanted to be strong – not for myself, but for her. I have to be her pillar and I cannot let myself come off as weak.

Seeing her cry makes me helpless. And deep down I know, she wants to make her mom's birthday special but she's out of the will to do it without her.

And that's when this idea struck my mind. I told her to go get ready and I sped off to the nearest confectionery shop.

I bought donuts, cupcakes and a lot of balloons. I picked her up from her place and we drove off.

Candice's POV

We drove for 10 minutes and the car halted. I recognised the place as a Cancer hospital. I was so surprised as to why would Harry bring me to a place where it all began? Was he running out of his mind?

"What the hell Harry?!"  I yelled.

"Calm down Rose, just come with me?" He responded calmly.

"Shut up Harry. You cannot simply ask me to calm down when the reason my mom died was Cancer. She died in a similar hospital, and on her birthday you simply cannot bring me to a place whose memories haunt me in the middle of the night. You simply cannot!!

"Rose, just trust me for once? I won't spoil anything, I never would. I wouldn't open old wounds for you. I promise you'll feel better and if you don't, we'll walk out the moment you tell me to."

"Fine Harry. I give you a chance. But this, in no way means that I'm any less upset at you."

"Thank you for trusting me Rose. I just want you to know that sometimes happiness is not always about what lies within, sometimes it's about making others feel it within them."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll find out exactly what I mean."

We stepped outside the car and Harry handed me the balloons and held other carry bags himself.

He went to the receptionist and had a conversation with her. She took us to the room where patients suffering from Cancer were treated.

"Here you go, Mr.Styles." She smiled and left.

The room was full of people. But there was this little girl who caught my eye. She was smiling so wide. I went to her and gave her two red balloons. She seemed ecstatic and looked at her mother with glowing eyes.

"Hey Love. I'm Harry and she's Rose. What's your name?" Harry asked her.

"My name is Pearl." She replied in an angelic voice.

"And how old are you, Pearl?" I asked.

"I'm 05 years old." She said, holding up 05 fingers.

"Ohh okay. What happened to her, Miss?" I asked her mother.

"Erm. She's got lung cancer, Stage 3. Not much they can do." She said holding back the evident lump in her throat.

"Mommy, what's cancwer?" She asked innocently.

Her question managed to form a lump in my throat. Such a little girl, who cannot even pronounce the word properly, let alone know what's happening to her, is suffering from such a disease which is not curable any further.

Despite all this suffering, all I could see and hear was her bright smile, twinkling eyes and her angelic voice. She didn't deserve any but of this.

"How do you feel Pearl?" I asked her.

"Dowctor sawys I have cowld. But my doll says that I'll be owkay soon. Wer name is Wendy." She held up her doll in front of me.

How hard it is to see her in this condition!

"That's such a cute doll." I told her and she smiled wide.

"Just like you, Pearl. And that's why we bought some cupcakes for the princess" Harry added.

Pearl clapped her hands in excitement and smiled wide.

"Pearl loves cuckakes."

I smiled at her innocence and handed her a box of cupcakes.

"Mommy. Can I eawt it?" She sought her mother's permission and she nodded.

She picked it up with her tiny hands and ate it clumsily. But it was such a delight watching her enjoy her unexpected mini meal.

"Thank wu so muchh Havry and Wose." She said with her mouth full of cupcake.

As soon as she finished eating, she stood on her hospital bed and hugged the two of us. And trust me, I haven't felt better in ages.

I felt genuine happiness by seeing her so happy. Her hug was so pure, innocent and raw and it displayed nothing but sheer happiness. How wonderfully pure kids are? They love people for who they are. They love others without conditions, without expectations and without boundations.

I wish the world could be like them. Maybe their love is so pure because they live in the moment, without thinking about what happens next? Trust me, the world would be such a better place if we could be like them. They would never judge you over your past, your skin colour, your dress up or make up, your hair or anything. They're so far away from materialism. Even if they don't get loved by all, they don't get hurt and shut themselves away. They don't get hurt and maybe this openness towards love is what makes their love so pure!

What an amazing feeling and experience it would be, to love and be loved in return without conditions.

I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard Pearl giggle. She was playing with Harry and right now he was tickling her and she was laughing so hard. They two looked so cute together. I clicked a few pictures of them on my phone.

The day passed by so quickly. I met a lot of people in the hospital and it surprises me to know about how much people have struggled and still are willing to fight for their life.

The visit to hospital definitely made me feel so much better. I learnt so many lessons about life. All thanks to Harry. We finally walked off of the building.

After that we both went to an ice cream parlor and decided to take a walk in the nearby garden.

It was evening and the sun had already set. Right now we were sitting on the park bench.

"Harry, I'm really sorry for shouting at you earlier. I just got so angry at you but I was so wrong about all of it. Today was such a memorable day." I apologised.

"Don't be sorry Rose. It was all natural of you to shout at me. I know it brought back some dark memories, but thank you for trusting me Rose."

"I should be the one thanking you. If I'm smiling right now, it's all because of you."

"Did you really think I'll let you be sad for the entire day?"

The words he spoke, went straight to my heart and I hugged him. I have no idea why I did, but I just did.

He embraced me in his arms. And once again I felt so safe. But this hug felt so different than all the usual ones. It felt so warm and caring and I have no idea why was I feeling ticklish in the pit of my stomach. It was a weird and unusual sensation, just like the one I had when we were together in his music room, but intensified and amplified than earlier.

Is it what they call butterflies?!

If it is so, why do I feel them? Wasn't this supposed to be a friendly hug? The usual? The comforting one?

Wait a minute!!

There's no way I'm falling for Harry.

Or am I.. ?!